Brooklyn Nets: 3 Biggest Storylines For 2013-14
Expectations are riding high for the Brooklyn Nets.
The addition of Paul Pierce brings championship pedigree to Brooklyn. But can the 15-year veteran stay fresh over the long grind of an NBA season? Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule
The Nets, in their second year in the city, have championship aspirations. That is no different than any other team in the league. But with major changes made to the roster this offseason, they actually believe they have the pieces in place to realistically contend, which cannot be said for many teams.
The additions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko and Shaun Livingston seem to have changed the atmosphere and culture of the whole city. Point guard Deron Williams, the face of the franchise, now has more talent around him than at any other point in his career so far. The emergence of Joe Johnson coming up clutch in big moments and Brook Lopez as one of the top scoring centers in the league only strengthens the team’s hopes for the playoffs next season.
Battling the New York Knicks for the “Best Team in New York” title is something that will be good for basketball in New York as well. The state is now divided into loyal Knicks fans and fans of the rising Brooklyn brotherhood led by owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
Brooklyn is a very enticing franchise to play for and that is partly why Garnett decided to waive his no-trade clause and accept the deal there. Pierce and Garnett will have the Barclays Center rocking even more than it did in its first year with the Jay-Z influence.
These are only a few of the tidbits that fans will be following. Lets look at the three biggest storylines for the franchise next season.
Championship pedigree has been added
Garnett, Pierce and Terry provide much of what was missing in the first-round loss to the Chicago Bulls: leadership and championship experience. The Nets will have transformed into a mentally tough team and it starts with Garnett’s infectious attitude to be a winner. It will spread throughout the franchise. Prokhorov knew what he needed to add and he hit a home run in acquiring the former Celtics. The Nets may also have the best starting five in all of basketball on paper and it is now just about meshing on and off the court with one another.
Will Deron Williams re-establish himself as an elite point guard?
Last year seemed to be the year of the point guard for the league. Chris Paul was an MVP candidate, Stephen Curry showed just how much of a stud he really is in the playoffs and Tony Parker continued his incredible play all season long, almost helping the San Antonio Spurs capture another championship. I forgot to mention that Kyrie Irving and Jrue Holiday were All-Stars. What happened to Williams?
His play has definitely dropped off a bit from two years ago which earned him that $98 million contract extension. Last year was the first time he played with another dynamic guard in the backcourt in Joe Johnson, so there was the learning curve of how to play together.
Williams now has a complete roster to compete for a title. It has other veterans who know how to win. In terms of numbers, there’s no reason why Williams cannot finish in the top three in assists. If he has another down year with the talent on this team, maybe he is just not the star that everybody thought he was.
Age and injuries
“Old people don’t get healthy… they die” was the line used by Charles Barkley. It pretty much sums up what will be an issue for the Nets. They will have to rely heavily upon the overall depth of the roster to get through the regular season healthy. As witnessed by Kobe Bryant‘s Achilles injury, veterans who are 34 or older cannot play too many minutes or their bodies will eventually break down. We have seen it happen too many times. Kirilenko, who is no spring chicken himself, and Andray Blatche will both have large roles in the rotation to back up Pierce and Garnett and are expected to produce. Father Time is undefeated and it is one of the biggest concerns the Nets will have.