Plan A: 2021 NetsGC Roster Preview

By Kristian Cuaresma

The roster may look different, but the goal remains the same – an NBA 2K League championship.

With the 2021 season set to tip off in less than three weeks, NetsGC possess a roster mostly comprised of new faces. According to General Manager and Head Coach Ivan Curtiss, this group was always plan A.

“We said we were going to go in and get the players you see here now,” said Curtiss during the NetsGC Draft After Party. “We got who we wanted. We literally interviewed all of these guys three times or at least two times…they were approved by everybody.”

During pre-draft interviews, Brooklyn’s groupthink approach involved several individuals within the organization. This included a sports psychologist and members of NetsGC upper management, including Vice President of Growth Properties, Alton Byrd.

Let’s take a closer look at the final product.

Hello Brooklyn

Acquisitions

• Connor ‘Shotz’ Rodrigues (acquired via trade with Blazer5 Gaming)
• Wahid ‘Faiz’ Faiz (Drafted 33^rd overall)
• Jake ‘Legit’ Knapp (Drafted 35^th overall)
• Dante ‘Dante Colache (Drafted 58^th overall)
• Stephen ‘SlayIsland’ Lay (Drafted 60^th overall)

A dramatic change in the 2019 offseason propelled the team to uncharted territory last year. The team finished with a record of 8-8 and ultimately secured its first postseason berth. Unfortunately, Brooklyn bowed out in the opening round during a thrilling series against Hornets Venom GT. NetsGC hope to capture lightning in a bottle for a second time with another roster shakeup. Outside of point guard Josh ‘Choc’ Humphries (drafted No. 9 in 2020), Brooklyn will work on integrating new faces at every position.

The Choc N Roll

The foundational pieces are in place with Choc and Shotz, who respectively play point guard and center, two of the most important positions on any team with championship aspirations. While Choc earned several individual accolades in his debut season with the NBA 2K League, including multiple Player of the Week and Player of the Month honors, he was left off the All-Rookie team and fell two games short of earning Brooklyn its first playoff series win. Beyond the charismatic point guard’s knack for dramatics, Choc will be called upon to take on more of a leadership role in his sophomore season.

Meanwhile the aforementioned Connor ‘Shotz’ Rodrigues forms the other half of Brooklyn’s dynamic duo. Originally drafted No. 40 overall in the NBA 2K League’s inaugural draft, Shotz suits up for his fourth team in four seasons. While his stops in Portland, Atlanta, and Sacramento were short lived, the savvy veteran carries a 28-18 regular season record. He will play an integral role in securing what Brooklyn hopes will be its first campaign finish with a winning record. Last season, Shotz averaged 20.5 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists while only missing four shots in his lone two game series against NetsGC.

Brooklyn’s Finest

Of those drafted this offseason, NetsGC bring in a balance of eager rookies to compliment players with prior league experience.

In Faiz and Dante, NetsGC believes it has two players who can slide into the starting shooting guard and small forward position. As the team’s starting sharpshooter, Faiz is expected to be a reliable source for points outside of the base pick and roll with Choc and Shotz. Meanwhile, Dante will primarily be tasked with the other side of the ball and containing opposing point guards. As one of the final players selected in the draft, Dante has an opportunity to reward Brooklyn’s faith in him by locking up some of the best scorers in the league on a nightly basis.

Finally, Legit and SlayIsland round out the rest of the 2021 NetsGC roster. Living up to his gamertag, Legit silenced critics during his rookie year on his way to a perfect regular season record with Raptors Uprising GC. The power forward’s 16 regular season wins eclipses Brooklyn’s combined total in its first two seasons. With SlayIsland, NetsGC picks up another player with knowledge of the league’s grind and expectations. The former 2019 first rounder is back after missing out on last season, and a motivated SlayIsland is fully capable of challenging for a starting spot in the lineup.

Projected Lineup

PG: Choc

SG: Faiz

SF: Dante

PF: Legit

C: Shotz

6^th: SlayIsland

Outlook

The one variable that title contenders seem to have in common is an elite point guard and center. Last year’s postseason and the roster carousel that changed the NBA 2K League’s landscape over the last few months are proof of that. In Choc and Shotz, NetsGC can safely say it has one of the top pick and roll combinations in the league.

At this point, the unknown variables consist of how quickly Faiz and Dante can adjust to the league builds. With teams looking to overload on Choc, and the dizzying array of elite scorers on opposing teams, their efficiency on both sides of the ball will be instrumental to any success Brooklyn hopes to achieve. As for Legit, while he is a proven winner, his next challenge consists of demonstrating success follows him regardless of what jersey he has on. Any internal competition from SlayIsland could also provide the team with alternative options if they end up searching for another gear throughout the season.