Brooklyn Nets: 2013-14 Season Preview
49-33; 11-5 vs. Atlantic division; 2nd Atlantic Division, 4th Eastern Conference
Lost to Chicago Bulls in first round, 4-3
96.9 PPG (ranked 17th), 42.8 RPG (ranked 10th), 20.3 APG (ranked 27th), 95.1 Points Allowed
2013-14 Roster:
Alan Anderson, SG
Andray Blatche, C
Reggie Evans, PF
Kevin Garnett, PF
Joe Johnson, SG
Andrei Kirilenko, SF
Shaun Livingston, PG
Brook Lopez, C
Paul Pierce, SF
Mason Plumlee, PF
Tornike Shengelia, SF
Jerry Stackhouse, SF
Tyshawn Taylor, PG
Mirza Teletovic, PF
Jason Terry, SG
Deron Williams, PG
Offseason Additions:
Kevin Garnett (Boston), Paul Pierce (Boston), Jason Terry (Boston), Andrei Kirilenko (Minnesota), Shaun Livingston (Washington/Cleveland)
Garnett is going to change the culture in Brooklyn. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison)
Offseason Subtractions:
Gerald Wallace (Boston), Kris Humphries (Boston), MarShon Brooks (Boston), C.J. Watson (Indiana)
Projected Starters:
PF- Kevin Garnett
SF- Paul Pierce
C- Brook Lopez
SG- Joe Johnson
PG- Deron Williams
Season Outlook:
Outside of the Houston Rockets signing Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Clippers re-signing Chris Paul, the Brooklyn Nets may have made the biggest moves this offseason. The trade for Garnett, Pierce and Terry is expecting to pay huge dividends for owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who is paying a league-high payroll of $101 million this season with $82 million in luxury taxes. The team was ousted in the quarterfinals against the Chicago Bulls in Game 7 at BarclaysCenter, putting an end to the underachieving season. Prokhorov made wholesale changes by trading for the veterans and signing rookie head coach Jason Kidd to a deal. Kidd grew close with point guard Deron Williams during the past few Olympics, so it’s easy to see that Prokhorov wanted to appease his franchise player with a coach he wanted and veterans who have championship experience.
With the additions the Nets have made, they have arguably the best starting five in basketball. They have also become a mentally tough team. Garnett and Pierce are at the end of their careers, but they are not being asked to carry the franchise, a role that belongs to Williams. As role players, they will provide leadership and bring a winning mentality with them, something that was missing from last year’s team. Garnett’s intensity will be very beneficial for front court players like Lopez, Blatche, and Kirilenko. That added sort of toughness could bring Lopez’s game specifically to new heights, especially in terms of rebounding.
Does Williams re-establish himself as an elite point guard? Can the veterans stay healthy for the playoff run? Does Joe Johnson build off of his momentum from the end of last season? That is what this season really comes down to for the Nets. There shouldn’t be too much concern as to whether Kidd can coach this team deep into the playoffs because as a player’s coach, the team will respect him. In his first year, he will learn on the fly and adapt to certain situations just like when he was a player and the team will grow with him. Williams now has a complete squad from top to bottom, which he has never had before. They have depth. They have shooters. They have formidable big men. There have been reports of Williams training in Los Angeles with some of his teammates this offseason, where he has cleaned up his diet, lost a few pounds, and regained his quickness. If Williams returns to elite form, the Nets will be one of the Miami Heat’s biggest threats to come out of the Eastern Conference.
All eyes will be on Deron Williams to prove that he is an elite point guard. Photo Credit: Mark Runyan, Basketball Schedule
Best-Case Scenario:
The Nets lock up the second seed and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami and lose in seven games. Obviously, with the amount of money Prokhorov is paying this season, he has lofty expectations to make the NBA Finals. They bounce back in a big way compared to last season but unfortunately come up short against LeBron and Co.
Worst-Case Scenario:
Kidd costs the team quite of few games because of his lack of coaching experience. Williams and Johnson both have another season in regression, and Garnett and Pierce can’t stay healthy all season long. Lopez averages less than seven rebounds a game once again. They finish with the sixth seed and get bounced out of the first round, this time by their city rival New York Knicks.
What Will Actually Happen:
In a tough conference, they will finish as the fourth seed behind Miami, Indiana, and New York, putting them at 53-29 for the season. Williams emerges as an elite point guard once again. The team will start off slow in the first 15 games, right around the .500 mark but eventually pick things up going into February. Both Garnett and Pierce stay healthy for at least 65 games. They make the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but lose in six games to Miami.
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