OT: Brooklyn Nets rising from the ashes...

[scarletrat]

...from the worst trade in NBA history (not laying all at feet of one of the worst GMs ever in Billy King, as owner also to blame). Yes, they are only 22-23, beat hated Celtics last night, but that is worlds better than where they have been for the past several years, and credit has to go GM Sean Marks and HC. There is young, promising talent with some shewd trades and drafting, player development (Dinwiddle, Harris) and they have cleared up the cap hell, and replenished team with future draft picks (by taking on big salaries in dumps by other teams, like Carroll, Faried, etc). And are now, thankfully, done with the trade and swapping firsts with Boston, etc. How else did Boston get Tatum and Brown, and swing the trade for Kyrie?

And Nets doing this without its best or most promising player, Caris LaVert, due to a bad foot injury (had look of Hayward and George injuries). They have a legit chance at a playoff spot, maybe 6-8, and flirting with .500.

That said, at times I do lament about the 1 player they "gave away" in a trade: drafting and including the rights to Kyle Kuzma in the Russell/Lopez deal with Lakers. 27th pick in draft. Imagine him on this team, on the front line with Allen.

 

[Russ Wood]

I think that was one of the greatest trades in NBA History. Hell I'd like to buy Billy King a bunch of drinks.

 

[RutgersMO]

...from the worst trade in NBA history (not laying all at feet of one of the worst GMs ever in Billy King, as owner also to blame). Yes, they are only 22-23, beat hated Celtics last night, but that is worlds better than where they have been for the past several years, and credit has to go GM Sean Marks and HC. There is young, promising talent with some shewd trades and drafting, player development (Dinwiddle, Harris) and they have cleared up the cap hell, and replenished team with future draft picks (by taking on big salaries in dumps by other teams, like Carroll, Faried, etc). And are now, thankfully, done with the trade and swapping firsts with Boston, etc. How else did Boston get Tatum and Brown, and swing the trade for Kyrie?

And Nets doing this without its best or most promising player, Caris LaVert, due to a bad foot injury (had look of Hayward and George injuries). They have a legit chance at a playoff spot, maybe 6-8, and flirting with .500.

That said, at times I do lament about the 1 player they "gave away" in a trade: drafting and including the rights to Kyle Kuzma in the Russell/Lopez deal with Lakers. 27th pick in draft. Imagine him on this team, on the front line with Allen.

Since they left NJ....who cares?

MO

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Since they left NJ....who cares?

MO

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

 

[RUPete]

I'm a Knick fan and I can only hope that they make the right decisions in their re-build like the Nets have. Not that confident. The Nets are making tremendous progress with good coaching and playing like a true team. It looks like they have really built a solid organization that is good at evaluating and growing talent.

 

[RutgersMO]

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

When the Giants / Jets include NJ I'll give a damn about either.

In Football / Basketball it's RUTGERS 100% … other teams not at all.

MO

 

[PiscatawayMike]

When the Giants / Jets include NJ I'll give a damn about either.

In Football / Basketball it's RUTGERS 100% … other teams not at all.

MO

All good. That's your right as a fan.

 

[RU at the shore]

No doubt, Nets are trending up. Doubly impressive since long losing streak not too long ago

 

[Hubcityknights]

Hell I'd like to buy Billy King a bunch of drinks.

Good chance Billy King gives you the whole bar in return. ;)

 

[Russ Wood]

Good chance Billy King gives you the whole bar in return. ;)

For that trade, it would be worth it.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

They hustle. They are young. Nothing is expected from them. Lavert will be back next year. They will become a desirable free aagent destination. I like it.

 

[MADHAT1]

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

When the NY Giants baseball team left NYC, I never rooted for them again. I was just a kid then, now I'm an old goat.
My brother was a Brooklyn fan and quickly became an LA Dodger fan.
Everyone is different when it comes to fanhood.

When the NY Football Giants and Jets moved to Jersey from NYC,I wasn't a fan of either, but hope they don't make the playoffs ( every year) because they kept the NY name in front.
But if I was a fan before the move, I probably still would be.
Now that move gives me the right every native born New Jerseyan has the moment he/she is born> The right to find something to complain about and the Giants and Jets not using NJ in name is the complaint I will be using :p

 

[dollarbill]

What's the over/under on how many Nets players the average fan on this board can name? I'll start it out with zero (coming from a former season ticket holder). $$$$

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

They are still called the NJ Nets?

The Giants and Jets are still NY

 

[LotusAggressor]

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

NY residents stopped caring when Giants stopped winning. They started caring about the Giants again when they started winning Super Bowls after they moved to N.J., while never acknowledging that they were no longer a NY team.

 

[LotusAggressor]

They are still called the NJ Nets?

The Giants and Jets are still NY

The Giants and Jets have been NJ teams for over 30 years. 40 in the case of the Giants.

 

[SkilletHead2]

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

And how about when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

How ya doing, P-Mike?

 

[Doctor Worm]

What's the over/under on how many Nets players the average fan on this board can name? I'll start it out with zero (coming from a former season ticket holder). $$$$

If you are setting the over/under line at zero, I doubt anyone will take the under.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

The Giants and Jets have been NJ teams for over 30 years. 40 in the case of the Giants.

The Nets were in NJ while, once they left and re-branded I'd say 85-90% of their fans in NJ stopped following them

 

[Skull83]

I started following the Nets as a kid when they were still in New York and playing in the ABA. In those pre-cable/satellite/computer days they used to show a lot of games on local TV, I think channel 9. Then when I was in college they had moved to New Jersey and the NBA and were playing their home games at Rutgers for a few years. I attended a number of games at the RAC while I was in school.

Although I was initially pissed off when I heard they were moving back to NY, and tried to convince myself I was going to move on, for some reason I stuck with them. Maybe it's because they were originally from NY and were in a sense going home, maybe it's because they stayed relatively local and didn't move to the West Coast, maybe it's because I have a long history of rooting for losing teams, or maybe it's because I just couldn't find it in me to root for the Knicks!

The only disappointing thing about this season is that they are suddenly getting decent right when they finally get their draft picks back. I always thought we'd see at least a couple of high lottery picks some day!

Well. as someone alluded to above, fandom can be wacky and unpredictable.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

What an unbelievable win for the Nets tonight!

 

[Plum Street]

Lots of nets fans and sports radio hosts liked that billy king trade when it happened .

 

[Doctor Worm]

What an unbelievable win for the Nets tonight!

NBA record set for most three point shots attempted - 106, 70 of which were by Houston. Houston took 105 shots, and exactly two-thirds of them were three pointers! My how the game has changed.

I recall the words of Bobby Knight way back when: "If you're going to give three points for anything, you should give it for a layup, because it's tougher to get."

 

[BigEastPhil]

One regret I have due to Roy Boe is never having the opportunity to watch the Nets after they won the last ABA Title in 1975 or so and to see how that team with Dr J; Kenon; Williamson; Paultz; Rich Jones and possibly Brian Taylor (I forget whether he was on the team) etc would have fared in the NBA immediately after the merger. The Nets also picked up Tiny Archibald in the offseason but of course sold Dr J to the 76ers. Such a shame as I don't think the NBA ever saw the real Dr J with the 76ers as he became very team oriented and selfless rather than the absolute one man stud he was for the ABA Nets. I still believe that if that Nets team stayed intact and adding Tiny Archibald that they would have contended for NBA Titles or minimally have become a force to reckon with.

 

[RU_Planning]

I started following the Nets as a kid when they were still in New York and playing in the ABA. In those pre-cable/satellite/computer days they used to show a lot of games on local TV, I think channel 9. Then when I was in college they had moved to New Jersey and the NBA and were playing their home games at Rutgers for a few years. I attended a number of games at the RAC while I was in school.

Although I was initially pissed off when I heard they were moving back to NY, and tried to convince myself I was going to move on, for some reason I stuck with them. Maybe it's because they were originally from NY and were in a sense going home, maybe it's because they stayed relatively local and didn't move to the West Coast, maybe it's because I have a long history of rooting for losing teams, or maybe it's because I just couldn't find it in me to root for the Knicks!

The only disappointing thing about this season is that they are suddenly getting decent right when they finally get their draft picks back. I always thought we'd see at least a couple of high lottery picks some day!

Well. as someone alluded to above, fandom can be wacky and unpredictable.

People tend to forget that up ontil October, the 2019 draft was viewed as weak. Not saying these guys aren’t good, but I think it is a lot of hype mainly because 3 top guys play for Duke. Zion Williamson has some very intriguing potential, but his game still has a ton of question marks.

The current Nets regime has proven they can find above average NBA talent anywhere in the draft (LeVert at 20, Allen at 22 and Kurocs at 40), that showing that the rebuild is on the right path with winning will benefit them in free agency more than some other teams.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

Since they left NJ....who cares?

MO

Me. Huge Nets fans here. Did NY residents stop caring about the Giants when they left Yankee Stadium and when the Jets left Shea Stadium?

I bet a lot would have if they had started calling themselves the Jersey Jets and Giants respectively.

 

[RutgersMO]

I bet a lot would have if they had started calling themselves the Jersey Jets and Giants respectively.

Why not call the Jets (The New Jersey Jets) since the Titans were founded by a Rutgers Alum (Sonny Werblin)?

MO

 

[rutger80]

The NY/NJ argument is silly. You can see the city from the stadium as they are still in the NY metro area.
Should the Lions have called themselves the Pontiac Lions when they played in the Silverdome?
Should the Braves call themselves the Smyrna Braves, because they aren't in Atlanta anymore?

If you're a fan of the team, you're a fan, unless, as posters above have said, they leave the area. (Dodgers, A's, baseball Giants, etc.)

 

[Skull83]

People tend to forget that up ontil October, the 2019 draft was viewed as weak. Not saying these guys aren’t good, but I think it is a lot of hype mainly because 3 top guys play for Duke. Zion Williamson has some very intriguing potential, but his game still has a ton of question marks.

The current Nets regime has proven they can find above average NBA talent anywhere in the draft (LeVert at 20, Allen at 22 and Kurocs at 40), that showing that the rebuild is on the right path with winning will benefit them in free agency more than some other teams.

I am really enjoying this season and do have confidence in the current regime RU_Planning, but part of me still thinks it would have been nice to have a shot at Zion! To my admittedly untrained eye, he has an awful lot of upside.

 

[RickB113]

They hustle. They are young. Nothing is expected from them. Lavert will be back next year. They will become a desirable free aagent destination. I like it.

I think Lavert will be back this year.

I think we sneak in and sign a marquee FA to go with this group and then in the east can make some noise.

 

[RU_Planning]

I am really enjoying this season and do have confidence in the current regime RU_Planning, but part of me still thinks it would have been nice to have a shot at Zion! To my admittedly untrained eye, he has an awful lot of upside.

I agree that he has tremendous upside (more athletic Larry Johnson pre-back injury), but tanking only gets you a 14% chance at the #1 pick and I don't think any of the other top picks are worth tanking for. The Nets will fare better with Free Agents showing they are a winning team versus still a complete rebuild.

Not saying they are going to land one of the top FAs, but I think their story is more compelling with a playoff appearance than a 14% chance of having a human highlight reel that can't shoot.

 

[RU_Planning]

I think Lavert will be back this year.

I think we sneak in and sign a marquee FA to go with this group and then in the east can make some noise.

I think they'll make their case to Durant and Leonard, but if they pass, I don't see them throwing a ton of money at any of the other unrestricted free agents. I do think they may try to go after KP, which would be detrimental to the Knicks off season plans.

Nets also have to decide what they want to do with Russell (I think they want to keep him) and then LeVert and Allen will be coming up for new contracts over the next few years. I am hoping that the Mavericks trade Dennis Smith Jr. to the Suns or Magic, who are viewed as the two teams most likely to pursue Russell as a Restricted Free Agent.

I think Russell's ceiling is elite basketball player.

 

[e5fdny]

The NY/NJ argument is silly. You can see the city from the stadium as they are still in the NY metro area.
Should the Lions have called themselves the Pontiac Lions when they played in the Silverdome?
Should the Braves call themselves the Smyrna Braves, because they aren't in Atlanta anymore?

If you're a fan of the team, you're a fan, unless, as posters above have said, they leave the area. (Dodgers, A's, baseball Giants, etc.)

But the RedBulls should be the NJ RedBulls. Started here.

 

[CollegeAve]

another nice win today. winning without a superstar, who would have thought?