How big a threat are the Nets to make a splash in free agency?

[perks-a-beast]

hypothetical 16-17 nets team..

B. Lopez  /  C. McCullough
R. Anderson  /  T. Young
R. Hollis Jefferson  /  K. Bazemore
B. Bogdanovic  /  S. Kilpatrick
J. Jack  /  S. Larkin

Obviously nothing stellar, but could push for a playoff spot in the east with good coaching.

That's probably the worst defensive team in the league. Jack was already a weak defender, and he'll be 33 and rehabbing an ACL tear.

Bogdanovic is the worst perimeter defender in the league. Extraordinarily slow for a 2-guard. And Ryan Anderson is one of the worst defensive power forwards in the game. So you've got 3 slugs surrounding an already quickness challenged Brook Lopez plus one good defender in RHJ.

You never known, man. The Charlotte Hornets looked pretty horrible on paper. Almost as bad. But they somehow made a push. You never know. Some teams get into the playoffs just off good coaching and being in a good team atmosphere. It's probably just the pessimisstic Celtics fan in me bracing myself not to get dissapointed if the Nets are somehow decent.

But now, looking it the situation closer - i don't see many teams i think will be worse than Brooklyn next year. Phoenix, Philly and NO are pretty horrid. ATL and Memphis could rebuild and become bad. Barring of course what happens in Free Agency. Those teams are set up so bad right now though and i can't see free agency doing them many favors.

[loco_91]

The fact that they rested Thad and Lopez the last ten games of the season I interpret to mean that they are planning to trade those guys, and they didn't want them to get injured. So I think they are going in the opposite direction under new (smarter) leadership, trade their vets for assets, rebuild.

[max215]

I think their ceiling (the pick's floor) is 10th worst in the league. From what I've read, the 10th pick next year might be as good as #3 this year, so that's pretty exciting.