The One Player the Brooklyn Nets Can't Afford to Miss With the Sixth Pick

Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery didn't go the way the Nets organization or its fanbase was hoping it would.

Brooklyn entered the lottery tied for the best odds of landing the number one pick and even greater odds of picking in the top four. They ended up falling three spots to the sixth overall selection, the second straight year they've dropped multiple spots on lottery day.

After a year of tanking, it would be easy to get frustrated with the lottery balls or the system. The only thing the Nets can do now is hone in on scouting the best available options for the sixth pick. Luckily for Brooklyn, this is one of the deepest draft classes in years. And if he's on the board at six, the Nets can't afford to pass on this guy.

Why The Nets Need to Draft Brayden Burries

This is a draft class loaded with point guard talent, which is unfortunate for the Nets since they drafted three primary ball handlers in the first round last year. What they're missing is someone who can play the two, defend at a high level, knock down threes, and hit tough shots. Enter Brayden Burries.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard was a stud at Arizona last season. As a freshman, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He was the best player on a Wildcat team that made the Final Four and was one of the best squads in the country.

Burries shot a very impressive 49.1% from the field and an even more impressive 39.1% from behind the arc. He was deadly on catch-and-shoot threes, hitting 39% of his threes in that situation. That ability to knock down the three would be a huge addition for a Nets team that shot a league-worst 34% from behind the arc last season.

He also showed an ability to score at a high level inside the arc, too, shooting an incredible 67% from inside the arc. He has a lot of upside as a combo guard who can distribute the rock and play make better than his collegiate numbers show. He's the kind of guy who can run the show offensively or wait for opportunities to hit threes.

More importantly, he's just as good defensively as he is offensively. His 6-foot-6 wingspan makes him a matchup nightmare for the other guards he's defending on a nightly basis. He's a great on-ball defender, taking away drives and switching screens with the best of them. He's also a high-caliber off-ball defender, reading plays and jumping passing lanes.

While there may be some concern about the overall ceiling for Burries, there's no doubt he's a plug-and-play option who would fit perfectly next to Egor Demin or Nolan Traore. He would immediately be the best two-way player on the roster who could easily contend for a spot on an All-Rookie team.

It won't be an easy decision, but if Burries is available at six, Sean Marks should pull the trigger. He could change the trajectory of the franchise and make everyone forget about falling in the lottery.

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