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Friday, May 24, 2013

POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Brooklyn Nets


Felipe M

Check out our take on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hasan R. and I now look at the future prospects of the Brooklyn Nets for next season.  

Felipe: I thought the Nets were a very overrated, overhyped team coming into this season and I definitely think the Nets are in deep trouble after their disappointing, first round loss at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. This team looks like a perpetual, average team if they decide to bring everybody back.  The only coach that can fix their problems, Phil Jackson, doesn't want to coach that team.  Ownership has created a high-pressured environment to the club, but a veteran team with very little upside does not bring championships. 

Hasan: Nets are definitely in a bad space.  Ownership just spent without thinking what was best for the future, which probably leads to the Brooklyn Nets possibly missing out of next season’s playoffs or coming in as 7th/8th seed. 

Felipe: Let’s not forget the situation in Brooklyn was magnified because of Deron Williams.  His play and conditioning at the beginning of the year was inexcusable.  You can tell that he started taking things more serious when Avery Johnson was fired.  Not only did his play improved, but he started losing weight as well.  Nevertheless, your franchise player has to show commitment from day one, not when the coach gets fired.  I think investing all of this money and energy for D-Will to be the focal point of that team may have been a mistake. 

Hasan: Can’t argue with that statement on Williams.  D-Will earned himself the title of a “coach killer,” so best of luck to whoever the Nets hire to coach this wreck.  Deron needs to learn to play with this team and that is the key to their success. They are lucky to have Brook Lopez and if they can figure out schemes that maximize his potential and build a successful offense that utilizes him, they can eke out a bunch of victories.  

Felipe: And I know I referred to Lopez as soft at the beginning of the year, but I tip my hat off to him for making the All-Star team and showing more heart in the paint area, on both sides of the ball, than in years past.  The Bulls were still able to bully him at times, but held his own and even stepped up his production in certain statistical categories (especially blocks and rebounds) in the series vs. the gritty Bulls. 

On the downside, one of the players getting credit for helping to add toughness to Lopez’s game, Andray Blatche will probably not re-sign with the team as he played well enough to get a bigger contract than the one-year deal Brooklyn gave him this season. 

Hasan: Unfortunately, they have no choice but to reload in the free agent market and D-Will better get out there and start recruiting.  Then again, it’s hard to utilize that strategy when they are pretty cash-strapped and only time will tell who they can afford this offseason.  Other teams are better prepared for this current free agent market and the Nets may not have what it takes to create a better team to make it out of round 1 of the playoffs next season either. 

Felipe: And that’s what happens when you try to build a club in a rushed manner like the Brooklyn Nets did in the last couple of seasons.  

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