IMO the playoffs are only in reach for the Nets if a) they overachieve, and b) if 2 or 3 teams in playoff contention have serious injury problems to important players.
30-35 wins is what I see as their maximum potential. There are a lot of unknowns and the stars would really have to align for the team to be feared by playoff contenders. Yi has to become a real star, Vince has to be so motivated he'll put the team on his back and carry them every night, Harris has to prove he can be one of the elite players at his position, and 2 of the rookies have to play like top 20 players at their positions. I am a doubter in general, a cynic. My guess would be Vince fills the stat sheet for the sake of it, and the rookies do no more than prove they're good NBA role players.
i expect nothin but greatness... but then again ill have to wait 25 games into the season to make a legit evaluation when we play game 25 we should make a thread bout how we feel bout the team ^^
Welcome to S2! If you have any questions, feel free to send a PM to me or one of the other staff members. I don't expect anything from this season. The way I see it, this team is good for between 25-35 wins. If we really, really suck, we get a high lottery pick. If we perform above expectations and make the playoffs, the youngsters get valuable experience. If we're stuck somewhere in the middle, we still get a lottery pick and can look forward to an even better season in 09/10.
The Nets have a pretty deep bench (with the exception of the very noticable absence of experienced bigs). I'd say that they have one of the deeper benches in the league, in fact. Once injuries start taking their toll around their league, they'll start to look better comparatively. I think they could be OK, but of course the front court right now is a major question mark.
I expect nothing this season. IMO, playoff is a mission impossible, i just hope we won't be the worst team, and i hope the young players can improve a little.
If the team and the coaching and management surf the waves of inconsistancy, we might get into a playoff spot. I see a midseason trade comming, perhaps to bring in a legit vet center. I expect us to look like we're right on the bubble, hopefully not long slides though our energy should make up for our inexperience
I am an admitted cynic. I'm not high on my own teams. Cubs are my favorite of all, and I am fully expecting them to choke. Bulls? 30 wins exceeds my expectations.
This is the way I see it. A core group of Devin Harris, Keyon Dooling, Vince Carter, Bobby Simmons, Jarvis Hayes, Eduardo Najera, Chris Douglas-Roberts and (in emergencies) Trent Hassell is OK at the 1-2-3. The starters (Harris Vince and someone) will be as good as most, and the reserves probably a little better than most. The Nets have improved their depth, perimeter shooting, and defense here despite the loss of Kidd and Jefferson. The issue is the front court: Yi, Ryan Anderson, Boone, Sean Williams, Brook Lopez, Swift. There's potential, but very little experience. Boone is what he is, and he is decent enough for a mid-level team. The Nets need two of Yi, Ryan, Sean, and Brook to step up and be productive while playing decent defense. I think the first month could be rough, but I suspect they will gradually get better over the course of the year. We'll see. It'll be fascinating. I think they could win 40 games--but if they do, Frank should also win Coach of the Year.
The Nets have a really deep bench like the Raptors 2 seasons ago who had a 20 win improvement and made the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. Not to say the Nets will replicate what the Raptors did, but one thing a deep bench does in the regular season is help you get some extra wins and keeps players more fresh. Depth helps in the regular season but superstars are what winning championships is all about. I could see the Nets battling for the last seed of the playoffs if all things pan out, but that's a big if.
I expect a better team than we've seen the last two seasons- at least definitely better than last year's. I think playoff hopes are more distant regardless because of the improved conference, but I expect it to be a fun and positive season, for once.
Dooling isn't a true point. Simmons, Hayes and CDR have to prove their worth. I don't see Najera playing a lot of SF. I think our bench is weak. At least until proven otherwise.
I suspect that Carter will act as the point when Harris is sitting out. In fact, he often did just that last year when Harris was in the game (at least w/regard to bringing up the ball). Last year the Nets had a weak bench. This group is better.
Based upon the current futures odds to win the championship, the Nets are money line +10,000. Other teams at +10,000 are Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Sacramento. The only teams favored less are Memphis, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City. If you look at this as a measure of strength (it's a really good one, actually), the Nets are the tied for the 3rd worst (or worst) in the East.
The Nets are better than Indiana and the Knicks as well. And maybe the Wizards, depending on the severity of Gilbert's injury. Also, they are just as good as the Bulls and Heat (who are probably higher rated solely because they had the top two picks in the draft). I mean, let's look at the Bulls. Their frontcourt consists of Joakim Noah, Aaron Gray, Cedric Simmons, Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas, and maybe Demetris Nichols? How is that better than the Nets' collection of inexperienced bigs?
