Macri’s Missives is a weekly column published on The Strickland where Jonathan Macri has a candid email exchange with a guest. Think of it like a written podcast. This week, Macri is joined by Nets Daily’s Matt Brooks to continue his preseason tour around the Atlantic Division, this time examining the cross-river rival Nets.

On Fri, Nov 6, 2020 at 9:14 PM Jonathan Macri wrote:

HEEEEEY there, Matt!

So first of all, my apologies. I told you I was going to email you to start this exchange last weekend, and then this week kind of got away from me, what with the fate of the universe hanging by a thread. Either way, I thank you for your patience!

But then again, patience is something you must have a lot of by now. For one, you've spent a year patiently awaiting the debut of the NBA's next super team. Maybe even more significantly, you've had to deal with Kyrie Irving soundbites, which... makes you a better man than me.

There's a lot that I'm curious about where Brooklyn is concerned, but here's where I'd like to start: How "all in" do you think the team should be over the next two years? Selfishly, I'd love nothing more for them to load up this summer or next, but trade away all their future picks a la Houston/the LA teams in the process. That way, when the Knicks actually (hopefully, maybe) get good, Brooklyn's run will be over. Sure, they might win a ring, which would make me want to drink bleach, but I also think if they play their cards right, they could set themselves up for years and years to come.

Do you think there's as much of a dichotomy at stake as I'm making it seem? And do you have any preferences/predictions for how they proceed?

On Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 3:32 PM Matt Brooks wrote:

Jon, they say patience is a virtue; which, truthfully, is a proverb that may require some upgrading. Rather, “patience” is grinding through nearly two months of Garrett Temple manning the backup point guard duties with 11th-percentile pick-and-roll efficiency, all with two superstars sitting, waiting, in the wings. (Seriously, the dark days of January Nets basketball were SO taxing.)

I’m of the mind that it’s very, very difficult to concurrently build for the future while competing for a title in the present day. Sure, you have your post-Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs, your forever-reconfiguring Miami Heats. But for every 5-to-10 year dynasty, you also have a whole lot of spectacular flameouts (looking at you, 2018-2019 Boston Celtics!). As an NBA franchise, if you’ve got yourself the opportunity to go “all in” and take home the trophy, well, you damn well better take it.

Especially if you’re Brooklyn and your pieces aren’t exactly… congruous?

The Nets, right now, are comprised of two breathtaking All-NBA talents, a pair of downhill gunners (Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie), a duo of rim-runners (DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen), hopefully a prolific off-ball spacer in Joe Harris (please do the right thing, Joe Tsai), and some rookie-scale dudes that won’t see much time on the floor, with potential rings aplenty on the table. You’ll notice what the Nets DON’T possess is a stretchy big-man option, a two-way off-ball guard, or literally ANY wing depth. And depending upon who you talk to, Brooklyn also is without that divine third star. (There’s a good chance the Caris believers strike me down for even suggesting that.)

What I’m trying to say is that the Nets could be looking at a good old “addition by subtraction” situation (I’m really full of cliches today!); either cobble together some of those present-day assets and swing for the fences with one of the potentially available stars on the current market (Jrue Holiday makes some sense in this regard), or make minor adjustments by feeling out the market for a better-fitting role player — a jack-of-all-trades like Larry Nance Jr., for example.

Or, as you said, they could trade a quadrillion draft assets for the next big superstar who forces his way out. Which, I mean, is certainly risky given the medical history of both of Brooklyn’s stars.

Basically, Brooklyn’s options are plentiful, and I do think a move of some type should be made.

(Also, Jon, please don’t go drinking bleach.)

On Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 8:29 PM Jonathan Macri wrote:

First of all, let me say that your take on this team — both as far as where they're at and what their needs are — is spot on. And with only 78 months to think about it, at that.

I can't go so far as to say I'm excited to see what they'll do, because that would imply that I'm looking forward to actually watching Brooklyn, which I'm more than man enough to admit is not something I am man enough to do (for as much as I'm kinda happy the Knicks are on the path they're on, I'm not sure the sting of June 30, 2019 will ever fully go away). I am, however, more than curious, and I think it starts with LeVert. I'm in the camp that thinks LeVert is good. Damn good, you might say.

More importantly, who's the guy that makes sense for them to bring on at his expense? The only one I see an argument for is Bradley Beal, and unless you know something I don't, he's still not available. As a Knicks fan, though, if they're not going to trade away a bunch of future draft assets, I desperately want them to trade away LeVert, because I think he can be the foundation of their identity as a franchise for the next 6-8 years (it's amazing to me that he just turned 26). I know that probably sounds crazy on a team with KD and Kyrie, but from an outsider's perspective, those two dudes are mercenaries. Whatever vestiges of culture are left on the team, at least where the roster is concerned, seems to me to be embedded in Caris.

Am I missing something? Is there any obvious trade you'd strongly consider right now that I'm not seeing?

On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 5:11 PM Matt Brooks wrote:

Seventy-eight months, and had there been another week — hell, even millisecond — of time spent analyzing this specific Nets roster, my mind would have descended into a deep dark wormhole of eternal self-doubt about my precious hoops knowledge, my conscious running in looping circles like Jack Sparrow stuck in Davy Jones' locker for perpetuity.

Jon, WHAT A FANTASTIC, TOTALLY WELL-TIMED QUESTION!! You've asked about guys who are worth shedding LeVert for? How does THIS sound like as the guy to bring in?

While you try to formulate a cognizant thought about the idea of James mother-flippin' Harden playing in a Nets jersey, which is something I'm currently struggling with (I'm so sorry, by the way. I know I'm digging the sword deeper and deeper into your poor heart), I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on Caris LeVert, the most polarizing player on the Nets roster — the only entity who splits Brooklyn fans more than the latest City Edition jerseys. What do YOU think his ideal role is in the NBA? Do you think he could work next to Kyrie and KD?

On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 6:33 PM Jonathan Macri wrote:

What amazing timing we have. I saw this rumor, and immediately thought, "Of course the Nets will end up with James Harden." Where did you put the bleach again? Your child safety locks are no match for my opposable thumbs.

My brain would actually break if they ever got him, and it's been a long, tiring week already, so I'm just going to punt for now and turn to LaVert. In short, he's the player I really hope RJ Barrett becomes: a guy who fans can have fruitful discussions (albeit ones featuring widely varying opinions) about whether he's a true third star or just a guy who might be lucky to make an All-Star team or two if everything broke right.

Don't get me wrong: those convos are vital to where you guys are at right now. For the Knicks? Merely having those talks about RJ would constitute a huge win for the organization. Personally, I think the sooner people stop trying to peg LeVert as a third banana and begin accepting him as an amalgamation of the Ariza/Odom/Artest role on the back-to-back Lakers championship squads from a decade ago, the better off everyone will be. Obviously if you can flip him for Harden or Beal, go for it, but short of that, I think it wou;d be best to figure out how he can best support the top two dogs.

OK, before I let you go, truth telling time: what's your gut feeling about how the next two years go for the Nets? And in two years, are there people legitimately trying to talk themselves into this being a Nets town, do you guys remain a clear second fiddle, or does it depend on how things transpire on the court?

On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 9:26 PM Matt Brooks wrote:

Well, since you last messaged me, the tides have turned again. RIP to the #Harden2Brooklyn era. A storied time in franchise history, rivaling only the Dwightmare from the 2011-2012 season.

Anywho.

I mean, boy, that is certainly a loaded question with regards to two-year expectations. I guess it all depends on what roster moves the Nets make and if they land that foretold third-star, right? I'll put it like this: If the Nets roll into next season with their roster as currently constructed, I would probably bet against them (LOL at the idea of me having anything of reasonable value to bet with) to win, much less advance to the Finals next season (2020-2021 gets murkier given the potential of massive league-wide roster overhaul). Now, if these pesky Nets continue to poke their noses into the third-star market with an undying focus and an asset chest full of tasty treats like a potential cornerstone in Caris LeVert, some solid role-playing glue guys in Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie (Din, especially, is so grossly under-appreciated on this side of the world, err, river), and draft picks galore, then, yeah, it's kind of tough for me to imagine a team of Kyrie, KD, and Beal/Harden/Third Dude X (one of the Philly stars?) not at least advancing to the promised land as early as next season. Or, as stated some 1,500 words ago, subtle adjustments around the fringes could make the Larry O'Brien-difference as long as the current stars stay healthy (*emits a big sigh at that volatility of that hypothetical situation*).

Oh, and this is a Knicks town until further notice (sorry Nets fans and readers). It's going to take more than two years to change that. A couple of generations later, though? We'll see. Sustained success can certainly change things. I guess time will tell.

May the best team win.

On Wed, Nov 12, 2020 at 9:50 AM Jonathan Macri wrote:

*Unless that team is the Nets.

There, fixed it for you!