Prokhorov is crazy

[Chris]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

Yeah.  If they are relatively healthy, they are possibly the best team in the east, or at least right up there with the Heat.

[Boris Badenov]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

Yeah.  If they are relatively healthy, they are possibly the best team in the east, or at least right up there with the Heat.

Haha. Take a look at my post right before yours.

[Snakehead]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

Yeah.  If they are relatively healthy, they are possibly the best team in the east, or at least right up there with the Heat.

They are not as good as Miami.  Their bench is very weak, all they have for now is Plumlee (??) and Reggie Evans and it sounds like they'll get Korver.  Otherwise? and the fact that you have to say "relatively healthy" says a lot too.

[Chris]

It just occurred to me that there are probably hundreds of posts on the BKN forums right now starting out with the phrase "If we stay healthy..."

I won't miss that.

The thing is, other than Lopez, their team is built of incredibly durable players.  Johnson has had a couple injury years, but Williams, Pierce, and KG, have all been very durable throughout their careers. 

[Interceptor]

Prokhorov crazy? Crazy like a fox, maybe. He has mortgaged his team's future for sure, but he's willing to spend money on a calculated risk.

The Nets are going to be stupid good next year. Contenders for certain. And not in the way that the Lakers were supposed to be this year, what with their clowns and castoffs, but a legit solid team with veterans who have been there before. A lot of this depends on how Kidd serves as coach, but as long as he surrounds himself with talent, they can play ball.

I'll be watching our entertaining/terrible Celtics team this coming year, since our YGs will be losing lots of games but growing as players. However, this might be a League Pass year for me, too; I wouldn't mind following the Nets for a couple seasons to watch two of my favorite players ride off into the sunset. (EDIT: and stick a fork in the eye of the Knicks and the Heat at the same time)


Worst case scenario for Prokhorov, the Nets come short of a ring, fall off a cliff, and they have to use the 1st rounders that they couldn't trade in order to build back up. It is hard to fault the guy for seeing a chance, and jumping on it.

[Celtics Insider]

And not in the way that the Lakers were supposed to be this year, what with their clowns and castoffs, but a legit solid team with veterans who have been there before.

You're joking, right? Clowns and castoffs? Steve Nash, Kobe, Artest, Pau, and Dwight are clowns? Haven't been there before? Kobe, Arteest, and Pau won in 2010, more recently than KG and Paul. Let's not forget Kobe's other four championships...

 

[Cman]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

Yeah.  If they are relatively healthy, they are possibly the best team in the east, or at least right up there with the Heat.

They are not as good as Miami.  Their bench is very weak, all they have for now is Plumlee (??) and Reggie Evans and it sounds like they'll get Korver.  Otherwise? and the fact that you have to say "relatively healthy" says a lot too.

They'll be able to add good pieces to fill out the bench. There are plenty of vets that will take vet min deals for a shot at a ring.

The beauty of it is I'm pretty happy no matter what goes down:

either the Nets are legit title contenders (I think they are) and they beat up on the Heat, or

injuries hold them back and the Cs get a better draft pick.

[nostar]

On paper, are this year's Nets any better going into the season than last year's Celtics? If they are, it isn't by much.

Add the potential for injuries to the mix...this is a recipe for a potential disaster.

They basically added DWill and Lopez in for Green/Rondo/AB. Yeah they're better. Lopez is an all star center and DWill is probably stat-wise as good as Rondo. Also they are gonna have a better bench. Evans/Korver/Telfair/Russian Mob...

#2 in the East for sure, maybe #1 depending on Dwade.

[D.o.s.]

It looks like that what Prokhorov's doing is trying the European soccer philosophy (the rich teams that is) of trying to buy his way into contention.  Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid etc being the best examples.  Only problem is that if you want to really succeed at doing this, you probably need Lebron.

TP for the very nice analogy.

I don't think the league has ever deal with an owner who hasn't authorized a GM to completely disregard the luxury tax before. It's actually kind of refreshing, if you're a football fan.

For reference, my club is a League Two team, so it's in the fourth-tier of the English professional circuit. They are to the teams mentioned as one of those "backwater" Western European squads are to the NBA.

[Interceptor]

You're joking, right? Clowns and castoffs? Steve Nash, Kobe, Artest, Pau, and Dwight are clowns? Haven't been there before? Kobe, Arteest, and Pau won in 2010, more recently than KG and Paul. Let's not forget Kobe's other four championships...

No, I'm not joking. Howard is a clown, and the drop-off of talent after their starting five is pretty stark. Nash is an old man that doesn't play defense, their team has no spacing, and they are asking too much of MWP the 34.2% career 3P shooter.

No disrespect intended to Pau Gasol, who deserves a better team.

[Snakehead]

The Bulls will be back with Derrick Rose.  Not a big fan of either one, but remember they were the #1 Eastern team in the regular season.

I think the Nets will be the 3rd or 4th seed.

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

Yeah.  If they are relatively healthy, they are possibly the best team in the east, or at least right up there with the Heat.

They are not as good as Miami.  Their bench is very weak, all they have for now is Plumlee (??) and Reggie Evans and it sounds like they'll get Korver.  Otherwise? and the fact that you have to say "relatively healthy" says a lot too.

They'll be able to add good pieces to fill out the bench. There are plenty of vets that will take vet min deals for a shot at a ring.

The beauty of it is I'm pretty happy no matter what goes down:

either the Nets are legit title contenders (I think they are) and they beat up on the Heat, or

injuries hold them back and the Cs get a better draft pick.

I guess we'd have to lay out what "good" pieces are supposed to join them on the bench.  I think that could happen but I don't see it happening like it has in Miami, if that's what we're getting at.

I don't think it'll be as bad as the Lakers, but I think they won't have the difference making bench guys you need.

[heitingas]

I disagree with some members here that the Nets bench is weak.

If they sign Korver like rumoured, and Blatche returns under KG's wing this time.

You got

Dwill/Taylor
JJ/Terry
Pierce/Korver/Shengelia
KG/Evans
Lopez/Blatche

That's a solid bench IMO.

[BballTim]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

  I'd have to see them play for a while before I went with that. Adding KG and PP to a team adds to their talent but doesn't do much for their overall athleticism. It's similar (although not as bad) as last year's Lakers. People had no problem seeing what a talented lineup they had but they had pretty big issues putting 4 players as old as Nash/Kobe/Pau/Metta on the court at once against faster teams.

[PhoSita]

I expect nothing less than an ECF appearance from the Nets this year.  They are legit title contenders.

  I'd have to see them play for a while before I went with that. Adding KG and PP to a team adds to their talent but doesn't do much for their overall athleticism. It's similar (although not as bad) as last year's Lakers. People had no problem seeing what a talented lineup they had but they had pretty big issues putting 4 players as old as Nash/Kobe/Pau/Metta on the court at once against faster teams.

The key difference for the Nets, I think, is that they have a star point guard in his athletic prime who can carry the load on any given night.  That makes things a lot easier, especially in the regular season.

[fairweatherfan]

I agree. While they look pretty good on paper, that team is old and slow. These guys can't play big minutes anymore. I see one or two of them getting hurt. This years NJ pick might not be a top pick but next year I'd bet on it being a lottery.

Unlike the Boston Celtics, "these guys" can comfortably be the 4th and 5th option in the Nets' starting lineup.

Unless, of course, you were calling Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, or Brook Lopez old. This team is ridiculously loaded, and is likely an automatic 1A in the East.

Joe Johnson is getting old, and starting to run down.  He had a very shaky, injury-riddled season last year.

If even 2 of the 3 older starters get beaten up during the regular season, like they have lately - it wouldn't shock me if Brooklyn makes the ECF, but I have a hard time seeing them as head and shoulders above a healthy Chicago or Indiana squad.  If they can protect those guys, then their chances go up.

But even if they are a top 2-3 team in the league, they've got a 2 year window max before they need to majorly retool and try again.  And Prokhorov's not spending all this money just to make the ECF.  That's a tough, tough bar to clear.