I don't care if they are playing in Brooklyn, New Jersey, Tokyo, or Timbuktu - they are still the Nets. Many people seem to have forgotten this. The team has undoubtedly improved, but I still have questions about them. This team has the same nucleus from last year, along with some nice new complementary pieces. Deron Williams is one of the best players in the league. He averaged 20.5 points per game, 8.5 assists per game, and 37.1 minutes per game. These are very impressive numbers. Some of the new players include Andray Blatche, Josh Childress, Reggie Evans, C.J. Watson, and their most coveted addition; Joe Johnson. The Nets are probably hoping Blatche catches Javale McGee syndrome, meaning that he starts playing better simply because he doesn't play for the Wizards anymore. Blatche is solid, but I doubt that he will ever average 16.8 points per game like he did in 2010-11. Childress has not been very effective ever since he returned to the NBA in 2010, so his impact for this team will be limited at best.
Joe Johnson is the new robin to Deron Wiliams' batman. He is obviously a special talent, considering that he has averaged near 20 points per game since 2003. But he is 31 years old, and does not appear to have the explosion he once had. Despite his skill, adding him cannot turn the Nets from bottomfeeders to title contenders. The Atlanta Hawks were a reputable yet underwhelming team with Joe Johnson at the helm. I do not see him adding anything more to Brooklyn. Gerald Wallace is extremely talented and gives a level of intensity, but he is not quite as good of a scorer as I would like. Kris Kardashian (excuse me, Humphries) is an acceptable basketball player, but I do not see many intangibles from him. His size and strength is seldom matched by a high level of intensity. If you are a Nets fan, read these words very closely; the only reason Shaq claimed that Brook Lopez is the second best center in the game is because he wanted to take a jab at Dwight Howard. Also, there are hardly any true centers left. But Brook Lopez is no superstar. His last full season was 2010-2011, where he averaged 20.4 points per game. This is worthy of respect, but he only averaged 6 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game. I would prefer more out of my starting center.
The x-factor for this team is second year guard MarShon Brooks. He averaged 14.8 points per game, along with 4.4 rebounds. He seems to have the "it" factor, and he is fun to watch. He will have to take another step forward this year, but he is more than capable of doing so. All in all, I do doubt that this team will finish better than .500. They are a prime example of the whole being lesser than the sum of its parts. Deron Williams loves to run an inside out offense, but that will be almost impossible when Lopez is not on the floor. They do not have big man depth. Allowing 98.8 points per game does not make this team stellar defensively, and they lost their best on-ball defender in DeShawn Stevenson. They will not get enough scoring from their bench. Outside of Reggie Evans, this team will not exude a great deal of toughness. They have enough skill to be the 7th or 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, and I see a luminous future ahead. But chill out and wait a little bit, Brooklyn. The Barclay's Center is beautiful though.
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