Nets' draft haul gets surprising hype from former NBA champion

Say what you want about the Brooklyn Nets’ bizarre decision to keep and use all five of their first-round picks Wednesday night, but former NBA champion Danny Green seems to get it. Green, who now works with ESPN after a long playing career as a respected 3-and-D wing, gave an unexpected vote of confidence to Nets General Manager Sean Marks and the franchise’s unusual draft approach, which included taking four guards with five first-round selections.

Despite widespread skepticism across social media and plenty of draft analysts scratching their heads, Green had some very nice words to say about the Nets' decision-making. "I've got to give a lot of love to Sean Marks and Brooklyn," Green said. "What they did with drafting Egor Demin and my guy Drake Powell from Carolina, I've got to give a lot of love to those guys."

The Nets came into the night holding picks 8, 19, 22, 26, and 27, fueling rumors that some sort of trade or veteran upgrade could be on the table. Instead, Marks and Brooklyn’s front office went in a completely unexpected direction, and made NBA history by becoming the first franchise to use five picks in the first round of a single draft.

The surprise started early when the Nets took Egor Demin with the eighth pick, a 6-foot-9 guard with elite vision and the kind of passing flair that tends to pop more in highlights than on draft boards. Then came French point guard Nolan Traore, another big floor general who ESPN had mocked in the early 20s. Rather than pivoting to frontcourt help, Brooklyn followed those picks with UNC wing Drake Powell, Israeli guard Ben Saraf, and Michigan big man Danny Wolf.

Danny Green gave high praise to Sean Marks and the Nets

Marks’ message? We're not done building, and we’re not skipping steps. “We’ve got some guys who play the right way, move the ball the right way, and have some untapped skills there,” Marks said after the draft.

While most reactions zeroed in on the odd position overlap, especially with the decision to take three point guards in one night, Green saw something different. He understood that the strategy Brooklyn opted to take was a move to prioritize positional fluidity, tempo, and high-motor athletes in today’s NBA.

And he may ultimately be right. Even with an Eastern Conference that’s suddenly wide open due to key injuries across contenders like Boston, Milwaukee and Indiana, Brooklyn isn’t pretending to be something they're not. They are retooling on their own terms.

With no big-name stars of their own to cater to, the Nets might finally have the freedom to build their roster from the ground up. It's going to take some patience, but they seem to have a clear vision of what comes next.