Sep 26, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward T.J. Warren (1) talks to the media during media day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Brooklyn Nets-Media Day
Brooklyn Nets’ forward TJ Warren aims to make his season debut this Friday, December 2 against the Toronto Raptors, says the Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Not only has Warren yet to make his debut in the Brooklyn Nets’ patented black and white – he hasn’t been in action at all in the last two years. Most recently playing for the Indiana Pacers on December 29, 2020, Warren needs some time to shake off the two years of rust off.
Warren, who missed the entirety of last season due to a left foot injury, was notoriously last remembered for his remarkable performance in the 2020 NBA Bubble. In the “regular season” bubble games he played, the forward averaged 31.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG on 58/52/89 shooting splits. Naturally, most are skeptics and consider the numbers to be fluky, but this is the last real sample size a healthy TJ Warren gave us.
Warren adds to the wing depth for a Nets’ team struggling to start the year. The Nets dug a gem from topsoil in signing Yuta Watanabe to a non-guaranteed deal this summer and Royce O’Neale is developing into a playmaking role he’s never shown this deep into his career so far, but aside from that, the wing depth for Brooklyn has been lacking. Joe Harris and Seth Curry have had very shaky returns from injury, both of which were demoted to bench roles.
Cam Thomas’ role with the team grew after the franchise parted ways with Steve Nash, but his inefficiency has prevented him from being a go-to guy with the starters. Markieff Morris has been a black hole on offense, and after his impressive play last year, Kessler Edwards struggles to find the floor.
In short, TJ Warren’s scoring is something that can bolster a weakness the Nets have yet to find a solution to: their bench. Brooklyn ranks 23rd in the league in bench scoring, and with the starting lineup finally filling itself out, Warren can lead the second unit as their primary source of offense.
The benefit of having two high-powered offensive stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is there won’t be any times in the games that matter that both will be on the bench. The 29-year old can create for himself at a high level, ranking in the 84th percentile in the league as a spot up shooter, as well as be the complimentary wing waiting… well in the wings sitting nicely in the 82nd percentile in the league in catch-and-shoot scoring.
This timetable sets TJ Warren up for a return to Indiana to face his old team on December 10.
