The Career of Nissim Shiran

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Nissim Shiran is an unlikely person to be drafted as the no. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Born in 1999 in Israel to a Ashkenazi father named Noam Shiran psychologist and an Ethiopian Jewish mother named Meskie Shiran who emigrated to Israel during Operation Solomon and subsequently worked as an administrator for the Israeli Customs and Immigration Office. Nissim grew up as a gifted athlete, excelling in Soccer, it wasn’t until Nissim was 14 that he began to play basketball. Nissim watched NBA footage relentlessly studying players like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard. By the age of 16 Nissim, moved away from his hometown of Ashkelon and lived with his Aunt so he could begin to play with the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Team. When Nissin was 17 he made his professional debut playing for the Premiere Tel Aviv Team, her performed remarkably well starting for Tel Aviv in the point guard position, leading the team to the Israeli Championship. Despite the fact that Shiran would have likely been a lottery pick if he entered the NBA draft at 18, he instead went in a different direction.


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At 6’4” Shiran had very good length and size for the point guard position, he performed exceptionally well athletically, but also possessed a high basketball IQ. Shiran developed a great handle and was able to switch speeds effortlessly. Shiran’s shot was always mechanically solid and although he was a bit of streak shooter at a young age it looked like he could develop a deadly shot from the 3-point range. Shiran was also crafty around the basket, drawing fouls and athletically converting difficult shots. Shiran had everything an NBA scout could want.


At the age of 18 Shiran went into the Israeli military. There he served for two years, getting a deferment after 24 months, forging the the last six months of his military service to again return the the Tel Aviv professional team. Sharim did not seem to miss a beat, this time at the age of 20 Sharim led Tel Aviv in points and assists and earning even more adulation from scouts worldwide. In 2020 Nissim Shiran entered his name into the NBA draft.


By the time the draft combine was finished Nissim Shiran and Garick Williams, a Duke standout were projected to go no. 1 and no. 2. After winning the draft lottery the Brooklyn Nets seemed poised to take Garick Williams. The team had drafted the PG Justin Erwin no. 3 the season before and even though Erwin had an injury ridden 1st season, he showed lots of promise as the starting PG for the Nets going forward. The Nets also had another promising PG by the name of Roy Anderson that they had drafted the year previously at no. 7. Since the Nets had a glaring hole at SF it seemed logical that they would select Garick.


So when Nissim Shiran was selected first overall in the 2020 draft it took the crowd at Madison Square Garden by surprise. Yet it was a banner day for Israeli basketball and for Nissim Shiran, who became the first Israeli player ever to be drafted in the lottery, much less no. 1 overall. Nissim was overjoyed of course. What would his NBA career bring? Would he live up to his promise? How would the Nets coach Jeff Van Gundy handle playing time for three quality PGs. Would Nissim become a leader for his team and get along with his teammates? Would Nissim bring a championship to Brooklyn?

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The 2020-2021 Brooklyn Nets

PG - Nissim Shiran: Getting the opening day starting job Nissim will have to prove himself worthy. Jeff Van Gundy tried to taper down fan expectations of the rookie by stating that “It will take time for Nissim to adjust to NBA pacing.” Nissim has a lot of scoring and defensive potential, he will have to improve his endurance and his shooting to become the superstar that he has the potential to become. Playstyle - An all-around scoring PG in the build of Lillard, Curry, or Irving.


SG - Roy Anderson: At 6’3” Anderson is short for a two-guard, he will need to be able to exploit larger opponents with his speed. Anderson is crafty with the ball and a good enough passer to share PG responsibilities with Nissim, which will allow Nissim and Anderson to take turns playing off the ball. Playstyle - A crafty turnover prone PG with a streaky 3-point shot, in the vein of Jeremy Lin, or Monte Ellis.


SF - Will Barton: Barton is in the starting lineup because he shot over 40% from deep in the previous system. Jeff Van Gundy is putting an emphasis on floor spacing. Barton does not score in volume and his defense is only average at this point in his career.


PF - Kyle Smith: Smith was the no. 2 pick three years previously. Smith has improved in every way each year since coming into the league, his most glaring deficiency is the fact that he has decreased his 3pt shooting percentages every year he has been in the league Jeff Van Gundy is hoping that surrounding Smith with other sharpshooters will increase his 3pt shooting to a more acceptable level(Smith shot sub .300 in 2019) Playstyle - A stretch 4 that can play defense similar to Marcus Morris or Marvin Williams.


C - Matt Miller: It was Matt Miller that won the 2019 ROTY award. The Rookie out of BYU impressed the league by transitioning well from a half-court offense in college to being able to run the floor and make athletic plays in the full-court in the NBA. Miller’s strengths are offensive rebounding, post-play, and shot blocking. Miller scored 12.3 PPG, blocked 1.6 shots and boarded 8.1 rebounds in 27 minutes. Jeff Van Gundy would like to see Miller improve his endurance and shoot over 50% from the floor this year. Playstyle - Rim protector, that has an inconsistent mid-range shot similar to prime Roy Hibbert.


6th Man - Justin Erwin: Erwin was the no. 1 pick the previous year, he impressed early in the season and then suffered a slew of injuries, that may limit him in 2020, Erwin’s minutes will be limited. A sharpshooter in college Erwin failed to deliver in his rookie season, after starting strong he ended the year on a cold streak shooting only .412 from the field and .309 from three. Erwin can play both guard positions and should be able to fit right in next to Shiran or Anderson when he is put in the game. Erwin’s main goal in 2020 is to stay healthy. Playstyle - A shoot first PG with crafty moves around the basket and good athletic ability similar to Jamal Crawford or Isaiah Thomas.

SF/PF - Omri Casspi: The Veteran Israeli player was picked up in the off-season to stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting and to offer guidance for the young Nissim Shiran. Look for Casspi to be a stalwart veteran presence.


PF/C - Ryan Anderson: Anderson is a 3-point shooting specialist at this point in his career, he was brought on to the Nets to add even more floor spacing. The Nets were criticized for giving the aging player a four-year deal, but stretch forwards that can play center in a pinch are in very high demand.


C - Jarnell Stokes: Veteran center that will play solid minutes at the five position, Stokes is not the rim protector that Miller is, but he scores around the basket efficiently and rebounds well.

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2020-2021 Season


Nissim Shiran ended up starting at SG, because the defensive assignments were too difficult for the shorter guards Anderson and Erwin. Nissim for most of the season struggled asserting himself. Nissim shot well from the floor as a catch and shoot player shooting close to 50% from the floor and 40% from 3. Eventually, Roy Anderson was traded for a less ball-dominant guard in Dejounte Murray(The Nets also got an unprotected 1st round pick out of the deal as well.) and Erwin and Shiran manned the guard spots.

Matt Miller was seriously injured in the first game of the season and for the next two months, the team struggled badly on defense, falling to 10-24 at one point. The adjustments of getting Matt Miller back and jettisoning Anderson for Murray seemed to help the team greatly and in the later part of the season, the team improved. Yet more injuries fell upon the Nets’ big men and the team finished with a disappointing 28-54, good for the No. 5 draft pick.


Nissim Shiran did not win the ROTY award, instead, the award went to the no. 2 pick Garick Williams who had a solid rookie campaign. Nissim’s year was not without accolades, however. Despite being tepid on the court Nissim’s limited shot selection resulted in a stellar .520 FG% and an impressive .409 3pt%. If his FT% would have improved from .859 to .900 he would have entered into the 50-40-90 club. Let's take a closer look at Nissim’s numbers

MPG: 28.2
PPG 12.4(Per 36 15.4)
APG 3.3(Nissim ended up playing a lot of SG over the season)(Per 36 4.2)
TOPG 2.3 (Per 36 2.9)
RPG 2.5 (Per 36 3.2)
SPG 1.2 (Per 36 1.5)
BPG .1
FG% .520
3pt% .409
FT% .859
TS% .628
Net +/- .9
PER 15.4

The Nets’ front office is determined to make Nissim the focal point of their franchise along with Matt Miller going forward. Justin Erwin had a solid year, showing improvement as well, but is far less efficient than Nissim and plays the same position. If 2021-2022 starts off slow expect James Erwin to be traded for a true wing and a draft pick. Kyle Smith showed almost no improvement in the 2020-2021 season and he may be traded as well, unfortunately, he was signed to a large contract in the previous year and it may be hard to move him.

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2021-2022 Brooklyn Nets

Transactions: Drafted Siebe Renard a Belgian SG, who at only 18 years old will be one of the youngest players in the league, although he may have the largest upside of anyone drafted in the 2021 draft. The Nets were thrilled to get the raw talent.

The Nets made a blockbuster trade with the Knicks sending Kyle Smith, and their rising star James Erwin to NY in exchange for Harrison Barnes(a solid contributor at SF, but not a high volume scorer) and two first round picks in 2022 and 2024 as well as filler contracts of Mason Plumlee and Bryce Cotton. This move gave NY a young talent to build around while also remaining competitive in the now. This move gave Brookyln more future draft picks to build around and a solid wing that could hit the three, it also shorred up room for Siebe Renard and Nissim Shiran to develop at their natural positions, furthermore the move signaled that the organization had given up on Kyle Smith as their PF of the future.

PG - Nissim Shiran: Shiran is expected to take many more shots and be one of the focal points of the entire offense. He will also be honing his PG skills throughout the year and he will have the ball in his hands a lot, considering one of the weaknesses of the 2021-2022 Nets’ is a lack of other ball-handlers. Much of the entire season depends on Shiran’s development as a player.

SG - Siebe Renard: The organization decided to start Siebe next to Nissim, because they want the two to develop chemistry together, the organization hopes to have these two be the starting backcourt for years to come. Renard is raw, the organization does not expect him to be an efficient or prolific scorer, or a lockdown defender, what they want is for him to get minutes and develop the skills necessary to be a solid NBA player. Renard is the youngest starter in the league.


SF - Harrison Barnes: Barnes is a solid veteran, he has played on a championship team and been in many pressure situations. Barnes has a good corner 3 and mid-range, he will not be expected to be a no. 1 or 2 option on offense, but what he brings the Nets’ need, the organization was glad get Barnes from the Knicks.


PF - Ryan Anderson: Anderson had a surprisingly effective year in 2021 and he stretches the floor very well with the starters, Anderson will share his minutes with fellow veteran Paul Milsap, a player the Nets signed on a 1-year contract in free-agency.

C - Matt Miller: Miller had a great but injury shortened sophomore campaign averaging 14.0 PPG on over 50% shooting, he also grabbed 8.4 boards and blocked 1.8 shots per game in the 28 MPG he played. Miller had a solid for a big man 2.7 assists as well. A lot will be expected of Miller on the defensive end, he is the only real rim protector the Nets have, if the Nets are to make the playoffs, Miller will have to make yet another jump in his play.

6th man - Omri Casspi: Casspi had a solid year in 2020-2021, he can play the SF and PF positions and is still great in the open floor playing in Jeff Van Gundy’s offense. Casspi loves being a mentor to Nissim Shiran.


PG/SG - Bryce Cotton: Cotton will get some minutes, this athletically gifted PG never really developed a 3pt shot and is a pure slasher, he is an inefficient player, but can take some of the ball-handling load off of Nissim Shiran.


PF - Paul Milsap: Milsap is 35 years of age, he is now only a roleplayer, but he is still effective, he can hit an occasional 3, make hustle plays and still has a high BBIQ. Milsap signed on with the Nets for 1-year to be a veteran presence for the young team.


C - Mason Plumlee: Plumlee is an 8 year veteran center that has shown flashes of effectiveness throughout his career. Plumlee will be expected to hold down the center position for most of the time Matt Miller sits, the Nets’ are hoping Plumlee will play his usual fundamentally sound defense and grab offensive boards when he is on the floor.


SG/SF - Kyle Anderson: Anderson will come in for limited minutes when the team needs a 3-point shooter. Anderson’s game is limited, but he had an impressive season in the d-league in 2020-2021 and the Nets are hoping he can contribute at the NBA level to some degree.

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2021-2022 Season in Review


Despite improvements from many players the team failed to reach the playoffs, instead only equaling their previous season’s total of 31 wins. Again netting the #5 pick in the NBA draft. The team’s bench failed and a lack of depth at the PG position and C position hurt the team badly.


Nissim Shiran did however have a breakout year boosting his point and assist totals by a massive amount.


MPG: 29.3(Nagging injuries limited his minutes early in the season.)
PPG 18.7(Per 36 7.4)
APG 6.0(Nissim needs to cut down on flashy passes, but he did make many top-ten lists for some of his assists)(Per 36 7.3)
TOPG 4.1(Per 36 5.0)This turnover total is unacceptable and must be approved upon, Nissim at this point needs to have another player that can handle the ball playing with him.
RPG 2.6 (Per 36 3.1)
SPG 1.2 (Per 36 1.5)
BPG .2(Per 36 .3)
FG% .471
3pt% .391
FT% .877
TS% .621
Net +/- .5.1
PER 20.8

After a lot of introspection, the front office decided that the team is indeed improving, but needs to focus on getting better defense at the PF position and more depth from the bench, mainly players that can help with ball-handling and defense. The team is expecting Siebe Renard, who showed promise in 2021-2022 to improve on the defensive end and play more minutes.

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The 2022-2023 Brooklyn Nets


The Nets were aggressive in free agency going after players that will improve upon their weaknesses. The Nets drafted Maurice Hunter at #5, this was more of a draft for fit rather than overall talent. Hunter registered for the draft after a stellar senior season at Dayton, where he showed an ability to hit open shots and play defense, the Nets are hoping for Hunter to be NBA ready rather quickly and become their primary defender on the perimeter.


The two other pickups for the Nets were role players Jordan McRea a PG who plays defense and can help with ball-handling for the team. The other pickup was Randy Turner a player going into his sixth year with a reputation for solid defense and who can stretch the floor out to the 3-point line. The Nets were lauded by pundits for improving their team, the front office expects the team to reach .500, if this does not occur there could be personnel changes and major trades, the city of Brooklyn is getting impatient.


PG - Nissim Shiran: Nissim was the Nets leading scorer and is expected to play more minutes this year, he is expected to break the 20 ppg mark and score efficiently. The Nets hope he can lower his turnovers and lead the team to a .500+ record.


SG - Siebe Renard: Siebe is expected to play more minutes and improve his defense up to league average. At 19 Siebe isn’t expected to shoulder the team, but he is expected to contribute positively and improve at every aspect of his game. The Nets will give Siebe more ball-handling assignments this year.


SF - Maurice Hunter: Hunter is expected to come into the league and defend opponent's best perimeter player. Hunter will also take open 3s and use his high BBIQ to draw fouls and make the right play at the right time.


PF - Randy Turner: Turner is expected to play his normal good defense and continue to post good catch and shoot statistics. Turner also gets an occasional block from the weak side and can muster up some steals. The Nets believe that their PF slot has been greatly improved, by this roleplayer.


C - Matt Miller: Miller now has some defensive help and is expected to continue to improve, perfecting the finer positioning points of his position. Miller is a rising star in the league, but his pedigree will not improve until he can help his team make the playoffs. Miller may become frustrated with the team if they do not improve this year.


6th Man - PF/C - Ryan Anderson: Anderson will come off the bench and play PF/C, the Nets hope that his late-career run of solid 3pt shooting will not end. Anderson is not a good defender but can make his own shot he is expected to play a big role on the bench.


SF/PF - Harrison Barnes: Barnes will continue to camp out in the corner to get his patented corner 3 and he will also be a solid midrange shooter and go for an occasional dunk. Barnes’ defense is not what it once was, but he still makes good decisions on the defensive end.


PG - Jordan McRae: McRae is an upgrade at the backup point position. McRae is tenacious on defense and a solid floor general, McRae is not particularly efficient at scoring the ball, but defenders have to stay with him or else he will punish defenses by hitting an open 3 or driving down the lane for a layup.