At the beginning of the Nets rebuilding process, it was all about finding young outcasts or diamonds in the rough: Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell. Now, that the goal is the O’Brien Trophy, the Nets priorities have changed. Now it’s about finding and signing castoffs, like Jeff Green, Mike James, Blake Griffin.
The strategies are different but the goal remains the same: use all your resources, from coaching to development to performance to help the player make a difference. With Griffin, six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA player and likely future Hall of Famer, the process looked like it was going to be a tough one.