Nets get inside help, sign ex-Sixer Pelle

all three levels.

Pelle, meanwhile, appeared in 24 regular season games with the Philadelphia 76ers, plus garbage time in one blowout playoff loss to the Boston Celtics last season. Despite his status as an undrafted free agent in the 2014 NBA Draft class, he spent time in the G-League (he was a G-League All-Defensive Team selection at the end of the 2018-19 season) and also played pro ball in Taiwan, Beirut and Italy.

On last season’s Sixers team, Pelle was mainly insurance for the injury-stricken Joel Embiid, averaging just under 10 minutes a game. He earned that role, though, as a dominant rim protector who averaged 1.3 blocks. Foul trouble was also a byproduct of his rim-protection, averaging nearly three personal fouls per game.

The Nets don’t need Pelle to play 48 minutes or to be the most disciplined in his foul discernment. They need him to do what he’s done: block shots, rebound, finish at the rim with force and bring energy and intensity on both sides of the floor.

The Nets don’t need offense from Pelle. They need him to set screens and roll, or sit in the dunker’s spot and finish any and every lob pass from James Harden, Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant.

In essence, the Nets need Pelle to bring some of the energy and vigor the Nets lost in Allen, but also lost in Iman Shumpert and David Nwaba, two spark plugs who made a difference on last year’s team.

For the Nets, this is another trademark Sean Marks signing. The Nets GM has taken swings on reclamation projects almost every season since taking the front office lead in 2016. Marks acquired D’Angelo Russell shortly after his Lakers debacle with Nick Young. He gave Jahlil Okafor a chance after he fizzed out in Philadelphia and gave both Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert platforms to grow into stars despite past injury history.