Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris all landed on ESPN’s top-100 players’ list for the 2019-20 season.
Folks, they’re back. Vacation time is over for national NBA writers. The gift of an NBA season is on our doorsteps, ready to be signed for. In my best Beanie Sigel voice: can you feel it in the air?
Some of ESPN’s top analysts — Zach Lowe, Kevin Pelton, Adrian Wojnarowski, Tim MacMahon, among others — cumulatively rolled out their top-100 players list, starting with picks 100-through-50.
Four of the Brooklyn Nets‘ homegrown products landed on ESPN’s big list: Jarrett Allen at 95, Joe Harris at 89, Spencer Dinwiddie at 76 and Caris LeVert at 60.
Their selections are just a testament of the incredible work done by general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson. Keep in mind, the Nets grabbed two of these players—Dinwiddie and Harris—after they were waived by other franchises and spent time in the G League.
The other two, Allen and LeVert, were late-first-round picks who came into the league with questions about NBA readiness and, in LeVert’s case, health concerns. Allen and LeVert represent two of Marks’ three total first-round selections alongside promising youngster Dzanan Musa.
One can only assume that superstar newcomers Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will land on this same list a bit higher up — possibly somewhere within the top-15. From a selfish standpoint, it will be interesting to see where former point guard D’Angelo Russell lands, as opinions are widely varied on the potential top-three point guard.
After perhaps one of the greatest three-year rebuilds in NBA history, in which the Nets had no draft picks and little flexibility, it’s about time Marks and Atkinson receive the credit they deserve in the national spotlight. All four of LeVert, Dinwiddie, Allen, and Harris warrant props as well for the dedication to their craft. Ideally, this top-notch franchise will be awarded in rings aplenty in due time.
