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Current Record: 8-28, 15th in Eastern Conference
Featured Player:
Lol, okay it’s not always going to be pretty watching the Brooklyn Nets. However, because I live in Brooklyn, I need to at least show some love to Brooklyn.
The Nets haven’t been very good this season, simply because they have been a walking turnstile on the defensive end. They are not guarding anyone, giving up a league-worst 114.2 points a game to their opponents. They haven’t been relatively healthy with Jeremy Lin out most of the season. Besides Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin, the rest of the roster is made up of rookies and journeymen who has been all over the league.
So why should you watch them? The Nets hired GM Sean Marks from the San Antonio Spurs organization. Rebuilding a team takes time, and it’s not going to be a short process. I have faith in anyone from the Spurs organization. It won’t be easy trying to recover a terrible job that former GM Billy King left behind. Can I remind everyone that Billy King gave away 1st round picks like hot potatoes? It was like a gift that kept giving. Let’s take a quick history lesson:
February 2011, Billy King traded Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, 2011 unprotected 1st round pick(Enes Kanter), and a 1st rounder in 2013(Gorgui Dieng) for Deron Williams.
Maybe at that time, it was justified, but really? TWO 1st rounders?
March 2012, King traded Shawn Williams, Mehmet Okur and an unprotected 1st round pick (Damian Lillard!!) for Gerald Wallace, only to sign Wallace to a $40 million-dollar contract.
July 2013, King traded a bunch of role players, along with Atlanta’s first round pick in 2014, unprotected first-rounders in 2016 & 2018 and Boston's right to swap first-rounders in 2017 to acquire 50-year old dinosaurs in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry.
The highest paid core of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett got as far as the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2013, but ultimately fell to the juggernaut called Miami Heat with King James.
So, you see, Billy King basically went for aging stars and completely ignored the young prospects he could’ve went after in the draft.
But it’s going to be okay Nets fans.
There are some promising young players who can play on the Nets. Even though the team is bad defensively and none of the players probably will ever be cornerstones of the franchise, there is some talent in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert. Both are athletic 6-foot 7 wingmen who has the ability to play elite defense. Both are not offensive-minded players yet but have room to grow.
Then there’s Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez. Brook Lopez is an aging all-star caliber player who is still capable of giving you 20 and 10 every night. Linsanity hasn’t exactly been showcased enough yet as he’s been sidelined for most of this season. Sean Kilpatrick is also another player who can into a quality NBA player. Eventually, I see Brook Lopez getting traded for future assets. Either way, It’s going to take time for Brooklyn to be relevant again. Be patient Nets fans!