2018 Brooklyn Nets Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert Picks

It is tough to think of a team in any major sport that has done more to cause their own pain than the Nets. The mismanagement, poor decisions and bad gambles of the former leadership team has dragged the team down to ugly depths. Finally, though, there is an end in sight. They own their own first-round pick in the coming draft in the first time in a long time. They have some nice young talent to work with and a good collection of veterans. They aren't going to be a particularly good team, and the playoffs feel like a pipe dream still, but there is hope here, and that hasn't happened since before this team moved to Brooklyn.

Sean Marks has been general manager of this team through two offseasons now. He has been very aggressive both years and has made the team notably better both times. He hasn't built a perfect team yet - miracles aren't real, kids - but he is making progress.

I watched every game that Caris LeVert played in college. Early on that was ugly - he was gawky and raw and far from ready to do anything useful. But as much as any player I can remember watching, he figured things out, learned seemingly every day, and by the time he entered the draft he was a beast. We are watching the same process here. He started out slowly in the NBA. But last year he looked pretty good when forced to handle the ball due to injuries. And this really feels like the year that he takes a big step forward. He is ready. You read it here.

D'Angelo Russell. Is he a star in waiting? Or a guy teams keep trading for lured by his upside, and then trade away because of the reality of him? Last year he was tough to judge because of injuries. And he's still young - that's important to remember. But this kind of feels like an important year for him. One where he needs to prove what he is - a guy that the Nets can build around.

2018 Brooklyn Nets Additions and Departures

Marks pulled off one heck of a trading feat this summer. Timofey Mozgov was not worth the money they were paying for him, but his deal made him tough to move. But they found a way, trading him for Dwight Howard - another ugly contract - and then buying out Howard. There are advantages to cap space. They also, somewhat surprisingly, jettisoned Jeremy Lin's contract to the Hawks.

An intriguing addition to the team is Kenneth Faried, who the team grabbed from the Nuggets in another strong deal for the Nets. Faried seemed like he was going to be a superstar after a breakout season five years ago, but he couldn't find enough minutes in Denver. He's still only 28, and he is going to get a lot more minutes here, so he is a prime candidate for a breakout season. The team was not great at rebounding last year, so there is a serious hole for him to fit right into. I really like the addition. Another veteran addition that is easy to like is Ed Davis. The big man is strong on the boards as well, and he is a very good rim protector. He can play two positions and will be an excellent force off the bench in both. With Jarrett Allen emerging surprisingly quickly as a rookie last year, Demarre Carroll hopefully staying healthy, Joe Harris establishing himself as a veteran, and more beyond that, they finally have front court depth to match their guards. The pieces could fit together surprisingly nicely.

The team obviously didn't have a strong first-round pick last year, but they did add a couple of intriguing Euro players later on. Dzanan Musa, taken 29th, is a pure scorer who put up nice numbers in Europe. He's no Luka Doncic, but he can play some front court minutes, can play four positions, is still very young and has a chance to develop. With the 40th pick they took Rodions Kuruc, another young forward who has posted decent pro numbers in Europe.

2018 Brooklyn Nets Futures Odds and Trends

NBA title odds ( from Bovada ) : +45000

Eastern Conference title odds : +10000

Season win total: 32.5

The team went 47-34-1 ATS last season, so despite being a lousy team they were actually good to bet on - the fourth most profitable team in the league and one of just eight that turned a profit all season. They went "under" the total 44 times and "over" 35, which means that the under was profitable on the season.

2018 Brooklyn Nets Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

I like this team - probably more than I should. They have a lot of intriguing pieces, and I respect Kenny Atkinson as a coach to put them together. They still lack star power, but they don't have a lot of glaring holes. I like the over on the win total quite a bit - again, probably more than I should. But they aren't a playoff team yet.

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