The Brooklyn Nets made enough high-profile acquisitions over the summer that the acquisition of the steady but unexciting Garrett Temple didn’t really grab anybody’s attention. But if you break things down, you see that Temple might have been the most important addition to the Nets:
KEVIN DURANT: This guy isn’t even playing. Temple is playing. Therefore, as long as Temple is a net positive on the court (as he is currently), he’s contributing more to wins than Durant is.
DEANDRE JORDAN: Jordan’s averaging his lowest PPG per game in quite a while, AND his on-off looks like ass, AND Temple is averaging more PPG per game than him, AND he’s ruining the development of Jarrett “Hair Jordan” Allen. That’s a lot of AND’s. The Nets would be better off without this guy.
KYRIE IRVING: Kyrie is currently in the process of destroying the locker room. Temple has never destroyed a locker room in his life. In fact, he’s improved the team chemistry at every stop in his journeyman NBA career. Kyrie is also coming up with phantom injuries so that he doesn’t have to play when he doesn’t feel like it. Temple only sits out games when he’s really injured and not just dealing with hurt feelings.
As you can see, Garrett Temple was an unheralded pickup who should have gotten a bigger contract than the alleged “stars” that I listed above, but front offices will always be wowed by gaudy (if empty) stats.