<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Nets president Rod Thorn sized up the weak Atlantic Division yesterday and rated it improved. Thorn cited two teams that made massive strides this summer, Toronto, with the addition of T.J. Ford and No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani, and - yes - the sad-sack Knicks. Thorn doesn't often talk about the Nets' cross-river rivals publicly, as the organization privately feels the Knicks get too much attention comparative to too little results. But Thorn yesterday admitted the Knicks will be a bigger factor next season with the Larry Brown-Isiah Thomas-Stephon Marbury hate triangle behind them. "I think the Knicks are improved with the addition of [Jared] Jeffries and there won't be as much ancillary stuff obviously this year as last," Thorn said. "I think they're an improved team. They have talented players." Left unsaid is the Nets will be enormous favorites to win the Atlantic Division for the fifth time in six years. The Nets won the Atlantic last season by 11 games over Philly. Thorn yesterday spoke on a conference call to officially announce the signing of reserve combo guard Eddie House to a one-year, $1.4 million deal - another piece the Nets feel could get them back to the NBA Finals for the third time this millennium. The Nets don't think they were far away from the world-champion Heat, who ousted them in five games after Cliff Robinson got suspended. In House, the Nets add a reserve sharpshooter to complement the driving forces of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. "Everybody plays us the same way, they double-team Carter and Jefferson," Thorn said. "We have players on the weak side open all the time. We did not consistently hit those shots last year, particularly those bench players. [House] heats up almost immediately. He'll help with energy and the ability to hit open shots." House joins his seventh team in six years, so obviously something's amiss. He averaged a career-high 9.3 points last season for Phoenix, playing mostly point guard. The Suns made a lesser offer after obtaining Marcus Banks. "I don't think it's anything I did," House said. "I can't put my finger on it, I haven't found right spot."</div> Source
Teams in the East had really improved, but so have the Nets. Last season they won 49 games without a bench. This season they will have the same strong starting lineup plus a great bench. I don't think they are far away from the Heat or Detroit and will be one of the top teams this year. I think if get matched up against the Heat again, they will do much better than they did the past 2 seasons. We will just have to see how this exciting season starts and ends.
