Pre-Draft Lottery Projection: 22 (-4)
Through seemingly no fault of his own, Bruno Fernando takes a steep drop here in this mock. Although Fernando was an absolute force at the rim last season, averaging 10.6 rebounds a 1.9 blocks per game, the modern NBA has exposed this skill set time and time again.
See for example this year’s playoffs, where Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela and Myles Turner all faced extreme difficulty doing much of anything while their teams were dealt embarrassing series blowouts. Even Joel Embiid was rendered ineffective for the majority of his games
However, at this late in the first-round grabbing an Andre Drummond type of player would be an absolute steal. Bruno Fernando is skilled enough to immediately replace Tristan “The East runs through us” Thompson and slide into the frontcourt next to Kevin Love.
In fact, the pair of big men would complement each other greatly, allowing Love to space the floor and shoot while Fernando takes the defensive load of his shoulders. Both are excellent rebounders who would force opposing teams to be efficient with the ball.
Pre-Draft Lottery Projection: 27
Naz Reid is Brooklyn personified. Reid plays with a gritty intensity in the paint while delivering priceless soundbytes with his charismatic attitude off the court. A fluid ball handler in spurts, Reid plays like a guard in a big man’s body. His agility and ability to drive to the hoop is something you don’t see among many big men in the NBA.
Reid’s good handle on the ball and ability to break down defenses seems reminiscent to a more athletic version of Joakim Noah. It doesn’t hurt that both men have a signature hairstyle as well.
In the event Ed Davis and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson don’t return to the Nets this summer, Brooklyn will be without a true backup big man. While the Nets are certainly capable of shelling out the money for one, they’re likely hunting for the bigger fish.
With two max slots available, the Nets will likely look to re-sign D’Angelo Russell (or possibly replace him with Kyrie Irving?) while pursuing another max-level forward. This makes Reid a great bargain bin grab to help fill a hole on the lineup without sacrificing the team’s financial flexibility.