Brooklyn Nets: A realistic look at next season’s starting lineup

Shooting Guard: Joe Harris

I feel like the starting shooting guard position is a tossup between Joe Harris and Caris LeVert. On one hand, LeVert is better at defense. Additionally, he can take most defenders off the dribble to the cup. Harris, however, provides elite three-point shooting.

47 percent from beyond the arc definitely isn’t something to scoff at. In fact, it’s something that the Brooklyn Nets really didn’t have much of in 2018-19 as they shot just over 35 percent as a team. Harris was a large three-point contributor to this young Brooklyn squad and was responsible for over 17 percent of the team’s three-point field goals made.

Although the three-point numbers are incredibly impressive and make Harris a lethal threat, it’s not where I give him the complete edge over LeVert. Where he wins the starting job over LeVert in my mind is health.

Before breaking his leg in a scary fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeVert was making his case as to why he was the team’s main star, not Russell. He was setting the league on fire and let everyone know that he was an all-star caliber player. After the injury which caused the guard to miss 42 games, it took him a couple of games to get back into the groove,

In the Nets first-round series against Philadelphia, LeVert prooved to be the best player on the court. He went on to average 21 points in the series and shoot the three-ball at a 46 percent clip. The former Michigan star played big minutes after the team rushed him back from injury. Levert made the most of it on both ends and gave Philly all they could handle for five games.

I feel that if LeVert was healthy for the whole of last season, this would be his starting spot come opening night, but Harris has earned his starting job despite a rocky playoff series. LeVert re-earn the starting job over the course of next season and it could come sooner rather than later. For now, let him take the offseason and training camp to fully recover and get back into the game before bumping Harris to the bench.