The Brooklyn Nets have added yet another valuable piece to their roster. On Tuesday afternoon, the franchise officially announced the signing of free-agent forward Andre Roberson.
The team’s official Twitter account released the news earlier today.
OFFICIAL: The Nets have signed free-agent forward Andre Roberson!
▪️▫️ Welcome to BK, @FlyDre21 ▫️▪️ pic.twitter.com/RyIqJgbkFR
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 16, 2021
For the Nets, this is a much-needed boost on the defensive side of the ball.
With Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving coming together to form one of the greatest scoring trios the NBA has ever seen, offense was never a concern for Brooklyn. But, defense has proven to be a major issue.
Currently ranked 25th defensively in the NBA, the Nets have allowed more than 120 points in 17 of 29 games (allowing 140+ in three). With a 17-12 record in 2020, most of Brooklyn’s losses have come when it allows the opposition to put on an offensive clinic.
The team added Roberson to combat these defensive issues.
At 6-foot-7, the seventh year NBA veteran is an excellent defender on the wing who can also switch onto players down low. Back in 2017 (when he was teammates with Durant in Oklahoma City), Roberson was awarded NBA All-Defensive second team. Before he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in 2018, the defensive specialist was widely considered one of the best wing lockdowns in the league.
Roberson won’t provide much on the offensive end — and that’s just fine for the Nets. Through seven years with the Thunder, the former first-round draft pick averaged just 4.6 points per game. So far this season, Durant, Harden and Irving are averaging a staggering 52.2 ppg combined.
If Roberson can return somewhere close to his peak defensive form, Brooklyn should start to see things turning around on the defensive end.
The post Brooklyn Nets Officially Announce Veteran Forward Signing appeared first on The Spun.
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