The business of the NBA doesn’t stop, it just moves on to the next key date and task at hand.
With the 2022-23 trade deadline now in the rearview mirror and the All-Star break the perfect stage for league types to continue hashing out details on potential offseason dealings, that next task for the Brooklyn Nets is continuing to gather information on the next wave of NBA talent.
“Credentials requested by the Nets, Celtics (x3), Pistons, Jazz, Knicks, and Thunder,” tweeted Bill Koch of the Providence Journal noting that the tilt between the Providence Friars and visiting Creighton Blue Jays was drawing a “late-arriving crowd. Traffic was awful. And, of course, it’s Valentine’s Day. Those dinner dates should be wrapping up soon.”
This game featured a slew of intriguing prospects duking it out for top-billing in the Big East with March Madness fast approaching.
They were not disappointed in what was a 94-86 Providence victory.
“Arthur Kaluma is an extremely impressive athlete with a chiseled 6-7 frame, great length, and a ton of power. He’s the ideal physical profile of an NBA combo forward who can play any position on the court and guard up and down the lineup.”
ARTHUR KALUMA SHAMMGOD MY GOODNESS😳 @___kingart
Kaluma finished with 17 points and three rebounds in the loss. He is averaging 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while flashing an ability to be a quality floor-spacer shooting 37% from downtown on 3.9 attempts during a 14-game stretch earlier in the season from mid-November to early January.
“Inconsistency will keep Kaluma from climbing into the first-round discussion,” noted Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, “but for a 6’7″, 225-pound wing, a team can still find the shot-making, slashing, tough finishes, and defensive tools worth gambling on in the 40s or 50s.”
Kaluma is not the only Blue Jay drawing draft interest, either.
Teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner – a 7-foot junior – has been credited with sparking Creighton’s turnaround that saw them win eight straight contests ahead of Tuesday’s loss.
Kalkbrenner had 15 points, seven boards, and a pair of assists
“Ever since Ryan Kalkbrenner returned to the lineup on Dec. 22, the Bluejays have been one of college basketball’s best teams,” argues Isaac Trotter for 24/7 Sports. “Creighton has reeled off a much-needed 11-2 run, and the Bluejays rank third nationally in adjusted efficiency since Kalkbrenner got healthy.”
DENIED ❌💪
Trotter also noted that the Blue Jays were shooting 62.3% at the rim with Kalkbrenner on the floor and 53.4% when he sat at the time of his article.
Friars’ Devin Carter and Bryce Hopkins are Under-The-Radar Prospects
The home team rosters a few potentially NBA-bound players too. Perhaps none are more notable than transfers Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter formerly of Kentucky and South Carolina, respectively.
Hopkins is averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds this season, both of which lead the team.
“Standing at 6’7 with a sturdy 220-pound frame, Hopkins possesses an incredibly intriguing blend of size, power, and skill,” writes Mark Schindler of Dime Magazine. “With his ability to attack the basket with strength, crash the glass, rip and run in transition, and the potential for some secondary creation, Bryce Hopkins is a player to put on your radar.”
A former four-star recruit, Hopkins finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.
“No player in the conference draws more fouls than Hopkins,” noted Shane McNichol of The Action Network ahead of the Valentine’s Day showdown. “Smaller players can’t handle his size while slower big men can’t stay in front of him.”
HOPKINS FROM DEEP!
“The outlook for Hopkins goes down two or three paths: A breakout in-conference play in the Big East, allowing for him to declare, or a breakout season as an upperclassman in the coming two seasons before declaring for the NBA Draft,” MavsDraft wrote for Mavs Moneyball in December. “Exploring the G League route, which may become more popular among players in limbo in college basketball, could be another intriguing option after the season.”
Since then, Hopkins has averaged 17.9 points and 9.5 rebounds while knocking down 40% of his looks from beyond the arc in a 17-game span possibly bolstering his draft stock.
“Bryce Hopkins has taken another jump.” argued one Big East coach to Seth Davis of The Athletic about the sophomore. “You’re better off putting a smaller guy on him and making him a playmaker.”
He is also averaging 2.4 assists this season while also leading the team in minutes.
Carter had a career-high 25 points adding eight rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal versus Providence.
Providence’s Devin Carter had one of the best defensive games I’ve seen all year vs Creighton while also scoring 25.
6-3 guard recorded 30th block. Chased 6-7 Scheierman around all game. Recovered to contest 7-0 Kalkbrenner at rim multiple times. Incredible court coverage/motor.
“Devin Carter is the X factor for them,” the coach told Davis about the 6-foot-3 guard. “Defensively he’s very disruptive.”
Nets Active and Effective Scouters
Just as with any front office worth its salt, the Nets never really stopped preparing for the future with general manager Sean Marks seen scouting international prospect Rupert Rayan of the NZ Breakers in late January.
How good was Rayan on the defensive end last night!? 👏
The 18 year old has stepped up into a starting role in the last month effortlessly 🔥
The Nets should have a shot at all of these players and it likely won’t take them using any of their more valuable draft capital which they replenished in the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trades.
Hopkins was ranked 97th in The Athletic’s Top 100 Big Board rankings in November while Carter was not listed. Kalkbrenner (68th) and Kaluma (79th) both rank higher but should also be available, though a lot can change with a strong showing in the tournament and at the NBA Draft Combine in May.
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Nets Spotted Keeping Tabs on ‘Extremely Impressive’ Potential 1st-Round Pick