Brooklyn Nets Weekly: A Promising Start To The Preseason
Jason Kidd’s debut on the Brooklyn Nets bench was a positive one. (NBA.com photo)
It’s just the preseason. The Brooklyn starting lineup saw just 12 minutes of action. Deron Williams and Jason Terry did not play. Having said all of that, it’s hard not to be extremely optimistic about the outlook of the Brooklyn Nets in 2013-14 and Tuesday’s preseason debut, which featured Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce donning Brooklyn black for the first time, only added to the overall excitement surrounding the franchise.
LOOKING BACK
Last Week’s Results: 1-0 (preseason), 1-0 overall (preseason)
The Brooklyn Nets truly felt like NBA title contenders in their preseason opener, a 111-106 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards in D.C. One thing is clear, this is a team that basically had a heart transplant this offseason. Last year’s group seemed to be going through the motions and getting by on talent, content finishing in the upper half of the East before getting bullied and beaten by an injury-riddled and inferior Chicago Bulls roster in the playoffs. From the moment Kevin Garnett snatched an opposing field goal attempt out of the air after the whistle had blown and Paul Pierce drilled a pull-up jumper from the top of the key, it became pretty clear that this would not be the case. The Brooklyn Nets now have leaders in place. The main issue last season on the floor? Spacing. With Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace, two virtual non-scorers, playing the bulk of the minutes at the forward spots last season, teams were able to sag defenders into the paint and create all kinds of problems for the Nets in half-court sets. The player who appeared to benefit the most from the extra spacing his new teammates provided last night was Brook Lopez, who scored 15 points in his 12 minutes of action and began drawing double teams during a stint in the second quarter. If he can draw doubles all season, there’s going to be a ton of open jumpers for what is a truly incredible supporting cast. Newly acquired Andrei Kirilenko was the first man off the bench and did typical Andrei Kirilenko things, this time in an unfamiliar but fitting role as a spark plug off the bench. He finished with a stocking-stuffer stat line of 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block.
LOOKING FORWARD
(NBA.com photo)
Last Week’s MVP: Andrei Kirilenko–In this case, Tuesday night’s MVP. Brooklyn’s least hyped acquisition may have been one of the most important this offseason, as the Nets were able to convince AK-47 to take a discount in order to play for a contender. As primarily a reserve for basically the first time in his NBA career, Kirilenko looked like a player primed for a run at the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Again, 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, one blocked shot, countless tipped balls and consistently solid defense both on the ball and as a help defender.
(NBA.com photo)
Last Week’s LVP: Joe Johnson—Again, it’s one game, a preseason one no less. But even in the smallest of sample sizes, it’s hard to see a real role for Joe Johnson on this team. Johnson isn’t the catch-and-shoot or spot-up-and-wait type, both things the Nets could use in this lineup full of scorers. A player who has been a ball stopper who typically looks to break down defenders one-on-one, Johnson will have to adjust and change his game while additionally taking a back seat for the first time in his career. This is a tall task for a guy who has been a lead dog in this league, but all championship teams have players willing to sacrifice. Johnson didn’t score, going 0-for-4 from the floor and turning the ball over once.
What to Watch For
Saturday night, the Nets will play their first preseason home game against the new-look Detroit Pistons, a potential future playoff opponent (is it too early for that?). They’ll follow that up with a trip to Philadelphia to take on the hapless Sixers, a team that looks to be in transition for the 2013-14 season and likely won’t be very good. It’ll be interesting to see if Joe Johnson assimilates. Also, Deron Williams, Brooklyn’s franchise player, looks to work his way back from an ankle injury. The Nets are being cautious with Williams, but he may be available for one of the two games this weekend.
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