Official 2015-16 Brooklyn Nets Season Watch Thread (21-59, 3rd slot as of 4/12)

[CelticSooner]

Y'all need to calm down. The Nets, even if they're horrible, are still gonna win 14-24 more games this season. Some of you are gonna have a heart attack by the end of this year.

Of course they're going to win 14 or more games this season. But from a draft pick perspective, there's going to be a big difference between the Nets having 15 wins (top 3 choice) and them having 25 (somewhere around #6). I don't think too many people are predicting they're going to set the all-time worst record this season. But still, they're 1-9 and any playoff hopes seem like a long way away. If the team ends up 2-15 or something like that, there's zero hope of the playoffs for them.

The Nets have to make a choice (or may be forced by some of their players who don't want to lose anymore) on whether to start building for the future or keeping the core that they have.  That choice becomes exceptionally easy if they're 10 or more games under .500 at the All-Star break. There's no hope of the playoffs in that scenario and you can't sell tickets to fans with no hope. Even Philly has hope in having very young players. The Nets would have nothing - just the same guys getting older and worse - to offer their fans and their corporate sponsors. Thus they may have no choice but to trade off their best players simply to acquire picks for next year to start a rebuilding process that they can then sell their season-ticket holders and sponsors. Now if they were within striking distance of a playoff spot, then the Nets could continue the charade for a  while longer.

That's why this dismal start may be so important for how the pick turns out - the Nets hand may be forced and thus the Cs get the benefit of that forced youth movement.

I don't disagree with anything you say. But it seems like we expect the Nets to get blown out all season. They're going to be in a lot of games, especially now that we're starting to see teams play down to them and try to pull out a win at the last second. As someone said, the key is for them to lose the close ones. They've done that so far. Let's not pretend like they're going to turn it around if they win every 8th game, or if they play Golden State close until the end.

I don't think everyone expects the Nets to get blown out every game.  Strange things happen all the time in the regular season.  But for the 10-0 Warriors to lose at home (where they're practically unbeatable) to one of the worst teams in the league... that would have been a bit difficult to digest.

Once people realize that Celtics fans have as much (perhaps more) incentive and reason to emotionally invest in catastrophic Net failure as interim Celtic success, these wild reactions will make more sense.

I've found myself rooting for the Nets' opponents as hard as the C's in a game 7 situation.

You could almost go as far as to say that Nets losses matter more than Celtics wins.   We're not winning a title this year.  We're going to be a bit over .500.  We're playoff fodder at best.   Our players don't seem to have much trade value... not even our best asset, Marcus Smart, could fetch a top 3 pick this year when packaged with multiple 1st rounders.   It's unlikely that a superstar free agent will sign here.   So the draft remains our only real hope of acquiring a future star.   There's a remote possibility the Brooklyn pick nets us our real centerpiece.   It's possibly the most important aspect of this team's future.   

Despite this, I'm still not getting my hopes up.    Brooklyn has talent to win games in the Eastern Conference.  I still expect this will be bitterly disappointing for a lot of fans who are looking at this like it's a guaranteed top 5 pick.  The Nets have no incentive to tank.  They'll win some games eventually.

Yeah they won't win 30 games tho. That's a top 5 pick

[trickybilly]

Y'all need to calm down. The Nets, even if they're horrible, are still gonna win 14-24 more games this season. Some of you are gonna have a heart attack by the end of this year.

Of course they're going to win 14 or more games this season. But from a draft pick perspective, there's going to be a big difference between the Nets having 15 wins (top 3 choice) and them having 25 (somewhere around #6). I don't think too many people are predicting they're going to set the all-time worst record this season. But still, they're 1-9 and any playoff hopes seem like a long way away. If the team ends up 2-15 or something like that, there's zero hope of the playoffs for them.

The Nets have to make a choice (or may be forced by some of their players who don't want to lose anymore) on whether to start building for the future or keeping the core that they have.  That choice becomes exceptionally easy if they're 10 or more games under .500 at the All-Star break. There's no hope of the playoffs in that scenario and you can't sell tickets to fans with no hope. Even Philly has hope in having very young players. The Nets would have nothing - just the same guys getting older and worse - to offer their fans and their corporate sponsors. Thus they may have no choice but to trade off their best players simply to acquire picks for next year to start a rebuilding process that they can then sell their season-ticket holders and sponsors. Now if they were within striking distance of a playoff spot, then the Nets could continue the charade for a  while longer.

That's why this dismal start may be so important for how the pick turns out - the Nets hand may be forced and thus the Cs get the benefit of that forced youth movement.

I don't disagree with anything you say. But it seems like we expect the Nets to get blown out all season. They're going to be in a lot of games, especially now that we're starting to see teams play down to them and try to pull out a win at the last second. As someone said, the key is for them to lose the close ones. They've done that so far. Let's not pretend like they're going to turn it around if they win every 8th game, or if they play Golden State close until the end.

I don't think everyone expects the Nets to get blown out every game.  Strange things happen all the time in the regular season.  But for the 10-0 Warriors to lose at home (where they're practically unbeatable) to one of the worst teams in the league... that would have been a bit difficult to digest.

Once people realize that Celtics fans have as much (perhaps more) incentive and reason to emotionally invest in catastrophic Net failure as interim Celtic success, these wild reactions will make more sense.

I've found myself rooting for the Nets' opponents as hard as the C's in a game 7 situation.

You could almost go as far as to say that Nets losses matter more than Celtics wins.   We're not winning a title this year.  We're going to be a bit over .500.  We're playoff fodder at best.   Our players don't seem to have much trade value... not even our best asset, Marcus Smart, could fetch a top 3 pick this year when packaged with multiple 1st rounders.   It's unlikely that a superstar free agent will sign here.   So the draft remains our only real hope of acquiring a future star.   There's a remote possibility the Brooklyn pick nets us our real centerpiece.   It's possibly the most important aspect of this team's future.   

Despite this, I'm still not getting my hopes up.    Brooklyn has talent to win games in the Eastern Conference.  I still expect this will be bitterly disappointing for a lot of fans who are looking at this like it's a guaranteed top 5 pick.  The Nets have no incentive to tank.  They'll win some games eventually.

Agree that Nets losses are greater than C's wins. Except for when Smart outplays other league superstars within W's.

[jdz101]

Y'all need to calm down. The Nets, even if they're horrible, are still gonna win 14-24 more games this season. Some of you are gonna have a heart attack by the end of this year.

Of course they're going to win 14 or more games this season. But from a draft pick perspective, there's going to be a big difference between the Nets having 15 wins (top 3 choice) and them having 25 (somewhere around #6). I don't think too many people are predicting they're going to set the all-time worst record this season. But still, they're 1-9 and any playoff hopes seem like a long way away. If the team ends up 2-15 or something like that, there's zero hope of the playoffs for them.

The Nets have to make a choice (or may be forced by some of their players who don't want to lose anymore) on whether to start building for the future or keeping the core that they have.  That choice becomes exceptionally easy if they're 10 or more games under .500 at the All-Star break. There's no hope of the playoffs in that scenario and you can't sell tickets to fans with no hope. Even Philly has hope in having very young players. The Nets would have nothing - just the same guys getting older and worse - to offer their fans and their corporate sponsors. Thus they may have no choice but to trade off their best players simply to acquire picks for next year to start a rebuilding process that they can then sell their season-ticket holders and sponsors. Now if they were within striking distance of a playoff spot, then the Nets could continue the charade for a  while longer.

That's why this dismal start may be so important for how the pick turns out - the Nets hand may be forced and thus the Cs get the benefit of that forced youth movement.

I don't disagree with anything you say. But it seems like we expect the Nets to get blown out all season. They're going to be in a lot of games, especially now that we're starting to see teams play down to them and try to pull out a win at the last second. As someone said, the key is for them to lose the close ones. They've done that so far. Let's not pretend like they're going to turn it around if they win every 8th game, or if they play Golden State close until the end.

I don't think everyone expects the Nets to get blown out every game.  Strange things happen all the time in the regular season.  But for the 10-0 Warriors to lose at home (where they're practically unbeatable) to one of the worst teams in the league... that would have been a bit difficult to digest.

Once people realize that Celtics fans have as much (perhaps more) incentive and reason to emotionally invest in catastrophic Net failure as interim Celtic success, these wild reactions will make more sense.

I've found myself rooting for the Nets' opponents as hard as the C's in a game 7 situation.

You could almost go as far as to say that Nets losses matter more than Celtics wins.   We're not winning a title this year.  We're going to be a bit over .500.  We're playoff fodder at best.   Our players don't seem to have much trade value... not even our best asset, Marcus Smart, could fetch a top 3 pick this year when packaged with multiple 1st rounders.   It's unlikely that a superstar free agent will sign here.   So the draft remains our only real hope of acquiring a future star.   There's a remote possibility the Brooklyn pick nets us our real centerpiece.   It's possibly the most important aspect of this team's future.   

Despite this, I'm still not getting my hopes up.    Brooklyn has talent to win games in the Eastern Conference.  I still expect this will be bitterly disappointing for a lot of fans who are looking at this like it's a guaranteed top 5 pick.  The Nets have no incentive to tank.  They'll win some games eventually.

Smart has the tools to break out this year. His value will rise as his numbers do. And they'll rise significantly this year if he can stay healthy.

[colincb]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

[LarBrd33]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

Still a chance they end up .500. 

I'd be happy to be wrong. 

[max215]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

Still a chance they end up .500. 

I'd be happy to be wrong.

And there's a chance the Celtics go 78-4...

[LarBrd33]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

Still a chance they end up .500. 

I'd be happy to be wrong.

And there's a chance the Celtics go 78-4...

That'd be swell. 

Celtics currently have a 2% probability of winning the title.   Nets currently have a 19% probability of making the playoffs.  Both seem unlikely right now.  Not impossible, though. 

[saltlover]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

Still a chance they end up .500. 

I'd be happy to be wrong.

There is no way on earth the Nets go 40-32 the rest of the season.  None.  I'd find it a stretch that they could go 36-36, but 40-32?  Nyet.  They haven't had any injuries to speak of, aside from losing Lopez in the 4th quarter of a not-that-close game.  Teams don't start 1-9 and turn it around like that, unless there are injuries involved.

[Granath]

Yeah they won't win 30 games tho. That's a top 5 pick

30 wins isn't a top 5 pick though. Her'e's what 30 wins nets you:

2011: 30 wins would have tied you for the 7th pick (so either 7 or
2012:  Was strike shortened. Using a 36.5% winning clip (30 wins over 82 games), you'd get the 9th pick.
2013: 9th
2014: 9th
2015: Tied for 7th (so 7th or 8th)

Now I know you said they wouldn't win 30 games. And I agree. But realistically, you have to be around 20 wins or so to get that top 3 pick and somewhere around 25 for it to be a top 5 or 6 pick.

With all that said, I still think there's a good chance of that happening...and perhaps happening more than once over the next 3 years. The Nets are pretty hopeless. Their best players are 27 so they aren't getting any better and (most likely) will get worse. They have very few decent assets. Their best hope is having cap space at a time when 20+ other teams will have more than $20m to spend. I don't know what really good FA would want to go to a no-win situation like NJ when there will be so many better options available. Thus NJ is probably going to have to overpay to get even semi-decent FAs. Add all this up - bad team, very few decent assets, no draft picks and a market flooded with available cap space and not only could I see NJ being bad for the next three years, I can see them actually getting worse during that time frame.

What might Danny be able to do with not just one but three top 10 picks over the next three years? One can only dream and hope... 

[SHAQATTACK]

Tuff game

Not feeling overly confident right now in the Hawks.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Tuff game

Not feeling overly confident right now in the Hawks.

Sounds like Teague is out and that Schroeder is starting.  Let's go German Rondo! 

[MBunge]

I still think they can hover around .500 this season.

Not a chance when you posted it and not a chance 6 weeks later. Your latest prognostication that the Nets will "win some games eventually" seems like a winner though.

Still a chance they end up .500. 

I'd be happy to be wrong.

And there's a chance the Celtics go 78-4...

That'd be swell. 

Celtics currently have a 2% probability of winning the title.   Nets currently have a 19% probability of making the playoffs.  Both seem unlikely right now.  Not impossible, though.

Except that winning a championship is gigantically more difficult than making the playoffs.  Making the playoffs in the East hasn't even required you to have a winning record for quite a few years now.

They're really not comparable.

Mike

[SCeltic34]

Tuff game

Not feeling overly confident right now in the Hawks.

Sounds like Teague is out and that Schroeder is starting.  Let's go German Rondo!

Yup, Teague and Bazemore are out.  That's two of their starters gone. 

The Hawks are a terrible rebounding team.  Need Horford and Millsap to shoulder the load both offensively and on the glass.

[Monkhouse]

If the Hawks shut down the Nets on defense, then I wouldn't be worried. The Nets are really bad at guarding the 3 point line.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I don't like that pregame breakdown from the Nets' broadcast.  They said that the Golden State game being so close gave them hope.  Unforgivable, we need to blow out the Warriors next time we play them.