Brooklyn Nets: 5 Burning Questions for 2013-14
Sure he was a “coach on the floor,” but how will Jason Kidd fare in his first season in the hot seat?
The preseason is almost over and the real fun is about to commence. The Miami Heat have pole position in the Eastern Conference by way of their two consecutive NBA title runs, but behind them is a group of talented contenders poised to give Miami it’s most difficult test since the Dallas Mavericks derailed their title hopes just three short years ago. Of Miami’s toughest challengers, the Brooklyn Nets may be the most dangerous of the bunch if everything breaks right, considering their depth along with their newly acquired championship pedigree. But like every other team, Brooklyn isn’t without its own question marks entering what should be an extremely entertaining 2013-14 season. Here are five that’ll need to be answered in order for the Nets to contend for a title:
5.) Will all of this talent gel immediately? There is no doubt Brooklyn sports one of the three of four most talented rosters in the NBA from top to bottom, starting with a lineup full of All-Stars and a second unit littered with quality role players. But we’ve seen this before. When the Miami Heat first assembled their powerful triumvirate of superstars, it took half of a season for them to each get acclimated with each other and even later than that we still saw several bumps in the road for LeBron James and Co. On the other hand, Boston’s big three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce played well together almost immediately, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference and winning a title in the first year they played together. It’ll be interesting to see how long this Brooklyn Nets team takes to develop that type of chemistry. Any lag time and they might get stuck with a tough draw in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
4.) Will the old guys stay healthy? Kevin Garnett is 37 years old. He missed significant time last season due to ankle and foot trouble. Paul Pierce is no spring chicken himself at 36 years of age. Pierce had trouble in the 2013 postseason with back spasms and simply wasn’t himself when Boston needed him to be, as the Celtics gave way to the New York Knicks in six games. On a per-36-minute basis, neither of these future Hall of Famers has seen a real drop off in terms of production, but this is going to be a long, grueling season. Can the Nets figure out a way to keep these guys fresh come May and June?
3.) How will the Nets fare against athletic teams? Brooklyn, on paper at least, has the potential to be an elite defensive team. Kevin Garnett is one of the best defenders of this generation and Andrei Kirilenko is constantly in the conversation for All-Defensive teams. But the Nets figure to play at a plodding pace, winning games with execution in half court sets from their star-studded starting unit. Will this team be able to get up and down against high octane teams that excel in transition like the Golden State Warriors or (gulp) the Miami Heat? And if not, what can Brooklyn do to prevent these types of teams from running them off the floor?
2.) Can Jason Kidd Coach? We’ve heard all of the reasons why he can. High basketball IQ, “coach on the floor” mentality, it all makes sense. But will he be able to go out there and do it? Kidd had a famously mild-mannered demeanor as a player, choosing to lead by example as opposed to being the vocal type. That all changes now that he’s in a suit full time. How will he manage Garnett and Pierce’s minutes? And more importantly, can he hold this squad together when they run into inevitable bumps in the road?
1.) What’s up with Deron’s ankle? Deron Williams put the Brooklyn Nets on the map when he elected to re-sign with them and spurned Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks in the process. For Williams, betting on general manager Billy King has proven correct so far. But what exactly is going on with D-Will’s ankle? Last season, Williams struggled through the All-Star break, playing well below expectations thanks to an ankle injury that he stated made it hard for him to walk up the stairs. After a strong finish to last year, Williams again is dealing with another ankle issue which has kept him out for the preseason. Deron is the most talented player on this team and is likely to be the engine that makes these guys go. If he isn’t right, Brooklyn may be looking at a lost season in 2013-14.
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