A good defensive player over his professional career, P.J. Brown's career began with the New Jersey Nets, where he played his first three seasons in the NBA after trying the Greek League for a season.  The Center from Louisiana Tech likely made the right choice, as the additional season probably helped him land a regular role with the Nets, and he would be a decent defensive player.  Brown averaged 8.4 Points and 6.4 Rebounds per Game as a Net, though his next years would occur after he left with Miami, where he would be a three-time Second Team All-Defensive Selection.

Aaron Williams was undrafted out of Xavier, and it took him a long time to find his footing in the NBA.  In between stints with the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle SuperSonics, he played in the Continental League, the Italian League, and the Croatian League.  He would have a decent season with the Washington Wizards and would sign with the New Jersey Nets for the 2000/01 campaign and would have the best four years of his career, with the first year seeing Williams put up career highs in Points (10.2), Rebounds (7.2), and Blocks (1.4) per Game.  Overall, he would play 336 Games for New Jersey, averaging 7.2 Points per Game.

Jarrett Allen and his Dr. J-like afro were an unsung hero for the Brooklyn Nets, at least on a national level.

Allen improved regularly over the three years and change he was a Net, increasing his rebounding prowess to the point where he became a double-double Center.  Allen never had a PER under 17 in Brooklyn, and had a 19.1 overall for the team.  In 2019-20, his last full season with the Nets, Allen averaged 11.1 Points, 9.6 Rebounds, and 1.3 Blocks per Game, and it appeared that he would be a piece of the Nets for many more years, but that would not be the case.

As good as Allen was becoming, the Nets went all in, bringing in James Harden to complement Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, and Allen was sacrificed for the deal.

Jason Collins did not do a lot of the things that would get you noticed in a box score.  Playing over 500 Games with the Nets, Collins averaged only 4.3 Points and 4.4 Rebounds per Game, but he excelled at screening, defending the post, and was praised for his leadership and high basketball I.Q.  Collins played with New Jersey from the 2001/02 season, when he arrived as a draft-day trade from Houston, until he was traded to Memphis in February 2008, but he would return at the end of his career (2014) for 24 Games.  It was notable as he had come out as gay only a month prior, making him the first openly gay player in the Big Four of American Sports.