Sean Marks spoke with a group of fans from the BK Block, those loyal members of the Brooklyn Brigade who nightly fill a section at Barclays Center. Wednesday and talked about the team’s strategy, emphasizing that he believes the market and the team will attract top free agents while also giving some insight into the Nets recently concluded coaching search.
He also hinted the Brooklyn Nets may acquire a pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Nets first and second round picks are owned by the Houston Rockets
Marks invited Block members — and some of their children — to HSS Training Center for a tour, catered food … and a round of questions. Several of the fans tweeted out pictures from the event and @BrooklynThree, aka the Edemeka Triplets, posted videos of the Q-and-A session on Twitter.
For the most part, Marks echoed what he has said before in talking with the media but this time the questions came from the fans…
Marks emphasized flexibility he believes the Nets have following the trades of the Big Three in 2022 and 2023, garnering first round picks, young players and other assets like trade exceptions.
“I think the great thing about where we are right now are the very different pathways we have,” said Marks when asked if the Nets might trade for a star this summer or wait until 2025 then the team is beyond repeater tax issues.
“We don’t have to do this. We don’t have to do pathway A, B, or C. We can be patient we can afford that because we do have all the draft assets in the future. We have a ton of those, so it’s being pretty prudent with those. It’s going to be about how our current plans develop, who we want to carry forward with, who we can re-sign of our own guys.
Marks also emphasized that the Nets goal of bringing a championship to Brooklyn has not wavered and said he continues to have the financial resources of Joe Tsai at his disposal.
“We have to make sure, whether it’s a star player or so forth that they’re a fit for us to have sustainable success, have the opportunity to compete for a championship. Obviously, we want to do that,” Marks argued. “Our goal has never wavered from that, being the first team from Brooklyn to win a championship. That’s our goal so we want to be able to do that.
“When it happens, I can’t really say that but our ownership, Joe, has never wavered from putting all resources behind the team. To me, that makes me feel really good.
He also admitted that the last time the Nets tried to build a championship squad, they failed, but Marks argued that he still believes the the team — and New York City — will attract star players and that the organization will be able to develop a deep bench as well.
“We’ve shown the ability to attract stars. I mean we fell short. I’m going to own that. No question there, but we’ve been able to attract stars. The market attracts stars, the team is going to attract stars. It’s just a matter of when we do that. And there’s also something to be said about—hey let’s develop our own as well. Let’s not forget that. It’s hard to have one or two stars and you want to make sure players 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are all part of the team. So they’re developing at the same time, You have the right structure around them.”
Marks also spoke about the upcoming NBA Draft, where the Nets don’t have a pick in either the first or second round but hinted the Nets may acquire one although he didn’t say how he could do that or in which round. The draft is seen as mediocre at best…
“As it pertains to the draft, we don’t have a pick this year—yet,” Marks told the group, eliciting some excitement, then discussed his general draft strategy. “The draft to me is very systematic, you don’t look at the pick. It does me no good to say ‘we’ve got the sixth pick in the draft and there’s only five players you want.’ It’s more about where that pick is. You’ve seen us. We always take the best available. It doesn’t matter what position. It doesn’t matter.
“What I don’t want to do is look back in three years and say we took a point guard because we already had a power forward and the best player available is a power forward and power forward is an all-star and the point guard is not. You always take the best available, unless you have multiple picks right in that range, then you can get more creative. but I think you take the best available and you figure it out.”
Marks spoke as well about what he wants out of a coach without mentioning Jordi Fernandez who can’t be named officially until the Sacramento Kings finish their playoff run…
The search, he noted, was about a number of things beyond x’s and o’s, how the candidates viewed the Nets organization, how they see the scope of the job … and where the NBA is headed, and most importantly, how they connect with the players.
“When you’re going through a coaching search like we did, it’s fun to see what other people’s perspectives are of you and your talent and your roster and how they would use them all,” said Marks who’s hired four head coaches and fired three.
And while systems can differ, depending on who you have on the roster, there are things that are universal like understanding the direction of the league and what to focus on if you don’t have that superstar.
“I think you can see where the NBA is going: Unless you have a Joel Embiid or somebody like that, a big 5 man who’s playing down in the block — he obviously has the ability to step out on the floor — your roster, your style of play can look a little different, but for the most part, you kinda have an idea of how the NBA is playing. So for me, it’s trying to predict where it’s going, where your roster is going, who on your roster is developing. who is underdeveloped and needs some guidance from a coach and the coaching staff to get the most out of him,”
But he emphasized there is nothing as important as the connection a head coach has with his players.
“And as you guys have heard me say this before: We use analytics a ton, It’s the be-all and the end-all. I think there’s a lot to be said for going with your gut decision and that as a head coach that’s what you have to make and as a coaching staff, you’ve got to bring your sweat equity and the No. 1 priority is that you have to connect with your players because if you don’t connect with your players, there’s no chance you’ll be able to run your system, whatever you want to do. You have to put the players in the best chance to succeed.”
Marks said that his 11-year career in the NBA helped him understand what worked and what didn’t.
“I was fortunate in a number of ways, I was a journeyman so I got to see how different organizations ran things, how different coaching staffs did it. But if you’re able to put a player in the best place to succeed, development-wise, but also x’s and o’s-wise, that means a lot to players,” he said, “‘I have to believe in this guy who put me in this place to get the shot off. You drew the right play in the timeout, He knew the other team’s system better than we did. The scouting report was on point.’ That’s where trust is formed. He’s got to be connector. You hear all the cliches, he’s got to be a leader of men. but he’s got to make a connection with our young men.
Marks would not talk about “players on other teams” but according to one participant, Doug Bearak, he spoke glowingly of ex-Net Joe Harris, who he called one of his favorite players. Harris is a free agent this summer, but he could also retire.