The Nets desperately need DeMarre Carroll back if they want to have success on their road trip. Carroll is essential to the Nets bench, as he is the first forward off the bench in every game. Carroll is averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg on 39.6% shooting from the field on the season. Last year, Carroll averaged a career high 13.5 ppg and a career high 6.6 rpg. The 10 year veteran is the second most important player on the Nets bench, besides Sixth Man of the Year candidate Spencer Dinwiddie. Carroll is able to knock down threes (35% from deep), and he is very good at drawing fouls on the opponent guarding him. Carroll can carry the Nets offense on a bad night (22 points vs DAL, 20 points vs CHA) and can contribute multiple ways on any given night. DeMarre was acquired by the Nets prior to the 2017-18 season for virtually nothing (Nets traded Justin Hamilton for Carroll, 1st and 2nd round picks). Carroll was essentially a salary dump from the Raptors, and he has used that as motivation to play arguably the best basketball of his career with the Nets. From the 2017-18 season to 2018-19 season, Carroll has taken on a completely different role with the team. In 2017-18 Carroll appeared in 73 games and started in all 73, while Carroll has not started in a single one of his 56 games this year. Carroll missed the first 11 games of the season due to offseason knee surgery, which cost him his spot in the starting rotation. Even though he is not starting, Carroll is just as effective as he was last year.

The Nets need DeMarre Carroll because of their lack of big men. Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis split time at the 5 which leaves only Rodions Kurucs, Jared Dudley, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Treveon Graham is also out due to injury) to fill the 3 and 4 spots. Jared Dudley has taken some of Carroll’s minutes, but he is not close to as effective as Carroll is. Dudley sets screens, moves the ball and hits the occasional three, while Carroll is a main focal point in the Nets offense when he is on the court. Carroll is also a much better defender than Dudley, and can guard the other team’s 4. Coach Kenny Atkinson sometimes goes to a super small ball lineup when Carroll is out that consists of D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Allen Crabbe, and Jarrett Allen. While this lineup is effective scoring the ball, they get killed in the rebounding department. Carroll is a good rebounder who can grab boards when Allen or Ed don’t get the rebound. All in all, the Nets need DeMarre back on this road trip due to his all around basketball skills. The Nets won’t be very successful against Western Conference powerhouses without DeMarre.

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