ESPN: The Nets are a bigger problem for the NBA than the Sixers

[celticsclay]

This is an amazing article. I also like that the author calls it a near certain top 5 pick. I know it is hard for us as celtics fans to get overly excited or optimistic about it, but the longer the season goes on the harder it becomes to see the Nets shooting up the standings. We are approaching the halfway point of the season and they seem to be only getting worse, not improving.

Yep.  I've been protecting myself from the disappointment of seeing that pick fall into the 8-12 range all season long, but as time goes on and they remain with the 3rd worst record, things look better and better.

That Jarrett Jack -- one of the most durable players in the NBA in terms of games played the last few years -- is one of the major injuries the Nets suffered, leaving them without an adequate starter at a crucial position, looks like a major stroke of good luck for the Celts.  Much needed good luck.

Can't help but laugh when it was pointed out that Jack playing as many minutes as he was at 32 years of age increased his risk of injury. I think Joe Johnson will get injured next. Would hardly call a 32 year old average point guard getting injured halfway through the season some giant stroke of luck. 

Now Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are both averaging 34 minutes a game.  Here is a fun article about the Bulls from a couple years ago:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/01/04/blowout-minutes-contributing-to-chicagos-injury-woes/

one of the more frustrating points of the season has been people not acknowledging Joe Johnson being 18th in minutes played in the league at age 34 was insane.

[bdm860]

I actually think the Nets are more likely to be a good thing for the NBA because they have no incentive to tank.

Sure they're bad this year, but they'll  make every effort to add anybody they can.  Finally at least one team will at least try to improve towards mediocrity.  Someone posted the other day how they could trot out a starting lineup of Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, Demar Derozan, Thad Young, and Brook Lopez next year.  They'll never be Philly bad.

And I don't believe the NBA really cares that much about one of their major market teams being bad through mismanagement.  If they did, they would have pushed Donald Sterling out in LA decades ago.

A team not having draft picks is not the death sentence some think it is, especially from a league-wide perspective.  There are a lot of things worse then a team that most likely will be filled with at least some mid-level NBA talent next year.

Teams actively trying to be as bad as possible is bad for the NBA as a whole, that's not Brooklyn.

[wayupnorth]

Comparing Brooklyn to philly is not even remotely close. 

Philly has one of the best collections of assets in the entire league. From top to bottom, they have more value than our entire team. It would be exceptionally easy for a competent GM to turn Philly's assets into a decent team.

Brooklyn, on the other hand, has a single all-star talent with a history of injuries, a couple decent young guys, cap space and an intriguing location.  I still think they can take on bad contracts and add some vets and be mildly competitive enough to spoil our pick... I still think they could throw max money at players to join Lopez, but their path to relevance seems much steeper than Philly.

How can you be serious when you say stuff like this?

[Lucky17]

Pelton ignores the fact that Brooklyn is one of the biggest media markets in the world. Max money, plus living in NYC, will make the Nets players in free agency.

This is possible, but I just don't think NBA players view it quite that way. Playing in Madison square garden, a stadium that may be the most famous basketball stadium in the world and having Marv Albert announce your games and Phil Jackson recruiting you, those all sound like good things. However, going to a team with no history, that half the people still think of as the New Jersey nets seems like a completely different ball game. The only thing I think I can recall about a player talking about living in brooklyn is one rookie either this year or last year that lived outside brooklyn because he didn't want to pay the ridiculous housing costs (it may have been RHJ).

not to mention that recent free agency pointing towards players going to winning teams or teams on the upswing rather than chasing bright lights or the much-ballyhooed nightlife.
Aldridge going to very small market SA and Monroe going to Milwaukee are a couple of prime examples.

Sure.

But there are going to be plenty of free agents out there who will value playing time, nightlife, and max money over winning. And the Nets will be in play for all of those players.

I didn't say that those kind of players will turn Brooklyn into a winner. They'll probably be at very best a road playoff team next year. But they will have the opportunity to improve. I'd be willing to bet that they'll finish next season with a better record than Philly will, as the Sixers are banking on young players making the leap. The league eats its young, as they say.

[Lucky17]

I actually think the Nets are more likely to be a good thing for the NBA because they have no incentive to tank.

Sure they're bad this year, but they'll  make every effort to add anybody they can.  Finally at least one team will at least try to improve towards mediocrity.  Someone posted the other day how they could trot out a starting lineup of Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, Demar Derozan, Thad Young, and Brook Lopez next year.  They'll never be Philly bad.

And I don't believe the NBA really cares that much about one of their major market teams being bad through mismanagement.  If they did, they would have pushed Donald Sterling out in LA decades ago.

A team not having draft picks is not the death sentence some think it is, especially from a league-wide perspective.  There are a lot of things worse then a team that most likely will be filled with at least some mid-level NBA talent next year.

Teams actively trying to be as bad as possible is bad for the NBA as a whole, that's not Brooklyn.

Spot on.

[celticsclay]

Comparing Brooklyn to philly is not even remotely close. 

Philly has one of the best collections of assets in the entire league. From top to bottom, they have more value than our entire team. It would be exceptionally easy for a competent GM to turn Philly's assets into a decent team.

Brooklyn, on the other hand, has a single all-star talent with a history of injuries, a couple decent young guys, cap space and an intriguing location.  I still think they can take on bad contracts and add some vets and be mildly competitive enough to spoil our pick... I still think they could throw max money at players to join Lopez, but their path to relevance seems much steeper than Philly.

How can you be serious when you say stuff like this?

Don't let him turn this into a philly thread (please). The article states the author views them as having a more bleak future than the 76ers. We can just bask in the discussion of the future of the nets without bringing in the 76ers for that one specific sentence.

[PhoSita]

Would hardly call a 32 year old average point guard getting injured halfway through the season some giant stroke of luck.

Except he barely missed any time at all over the last few years.  He's been a remarkably durable player.  Yes, they played him a fair number of minutes, but it's not like he was out there playing 40+ minutes a night and taking it to the rack 10 times a game.

[konkmv]

I think even if the nets get 1 goood free agent there are always injuries... i hope everyone stays healthy but the statistics do not favour them....  they will not be healthy 2 years in a row... and they have such a bad bench

[Who]

Brooklyn has a dodgy future. It will all come down to whether they can attract FAs to NYC. They should be able to build a 40-50 win team comfortably enough by overpaying 3rd tier FA talent and some role players. If they continue to employ an incompetent GM, this task may be beyond them .... but it is certainly achievable.

[Lucky17]

Also, Brooklyn can leverage its cap space to take high-priced mediocre payroll off of other teams desperate to clear their books, and gain back 1st rounders for the trouble.

[celticsclay]

Also, Brooklyn can leverage its cap space to take high-priced mediocre payroll off of other teams desperate to clear their books, and gain back 1st rounders for the trouble.

Do you think trades that include sweeteners (especially first rounders) will really be as common with the cap exploding? I think bad deals are pretty hard to find with the change in the salary cap. Can we even name one deal that is so bad in the NBA that a team would offload a first round pick to get rid of it? In the olden days I could say deron williams, joe johnson, gerald wallace, david lee, gilbert arenas and many others with little thought put into it. Today I struggle to think of a single deal that is really crippling a team (with the possible exception of JJ, but that is expiring now).

[Lucky17]

Also, Brooklyn can leverage its cap space to take high-priced mediocre payroll off of other teams desperate to clear their books, and gain back 1st rounders for the trouble.

Do you think trades that include sweeteners (especially first rounders) will really be as common with the cap exploding? I think bad deals are pretty hard to find with the change in the salary cap. Can we even name one deal that is so bad in the NBA that a team would offload a first round pick to get rid of it? In the olden days I could say deron williams, joe johnson, gerald wallace, david lee, gilbert arenas and many others with little thought put into it. Today I struggle to think of a single deal that is really crippling a team (with the possible exception of JJ, but that is expiring now).

The cap is indeed rising. But a team may find itself shy of having enough cap space for a max deal. Or enough for two max deals.

I think there will always be teams out there looking to slash payroll or unload expensive misfits, no matter how high the cap goes.

Edit: Here's one: New Orleans.

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/yearly/cap/

Next year, they could have enough cap space for a max offer -- if they could move Asik off the books. Would they sacrifice a 1st to do it, if it meant getting a top-flight FA to come to NO and pair up with Anthony Davis?

[86MaxwellSmart]

My biggest worry---is the OTHER teams that will inevitably decide to start Tanking this season after the all-star break....gonna happen--and we might not get a top 5 pick after all.

[Big333223]

My biggest worry---is the OTHER teams that will inevitably decide to start Tanking this season after the all-star break....gonna happen--and we might not get a top 5 pick after all.

The nice thing about this season is that there's a logjam at the bottom of both conferences which will keep lots of teams in contention for the 8th seed on both side.

[libermaniac]

And, teams in the west will have more games against each other to spread the wins around. There is only one other horrible team in the east for Brooklyn to beat up on.