2012-2013 Nets Season Preview

The Nets are ready for a brand new beginning in Brooklyn.  They have a new name, new jerseys, a new state of the art arena, a new city, and a new team.

The Brooklyn Nets open their 2012-2013 season tonight at their new home in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.  They bring in a completely revamped roster and one that is suited to be a playoff contender.  Here's a preview of the Nets upcoming season.

Point Guards 

Nets GM Billy King brought back the most pivotal piece to the Nets success this season, Deron Williams.  The All Star point guard signed a 5-year deal to lead the Nets backcourt in their new home.  Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA and one of the more versatile players in the league. Williams will gel well with the new team in the new city this season.
The Nets also signed C.J. Watson to back up Williams this year.  Watson is a formidable backup and did a good job filling in for Derrick Rose or the Bulls last season.
Brooklyn also drafted Tyshawn Taylor out of Kansas in the second round of the draft.  Taylor gives the Nets a third option at point guard if Williams or Watson goes down with injury.

Shooting Guards 

Brooklyn's big splash this offseason came when they acquired All Star shooting guard Joe Johnson from the Hawks.  Johnson joins Williams in arguably the best backcourt in the NBA.  He gives the Nets a threat from three point range that they desperately needed.  Johnson won't have to run the show in Brooklyn like he had to do in Atlanta.  Expect a big season from Johnson with the Nets this year.
MarShon Brooks returns for his second season after an impressive rookie season.  Brooks can average double figures off the bench and knocks down shots.  The Nets have two guys in Johnson and Brooks that can make shots at will.

Small Forwards 

Gerald Wallace returns this season at small forward for the Nets after they acquired him at the trade deadline last season.  While his scoring might go down this season with the additions the Nets have made this offseason, Wallace is one of the Nets best defensive players and rebounders.  Look for the 30-year-old to be successful in this starting lineup.
Brooklyn also added small forward Josh Childress to come off the bench.  Childress played overseas last season.

Power Forwards 

The Nets bring back Kris Humphries after he averaged a double-double last season.  Humphries has been one of the best rebounders in the league and is a guy who can block shots.  The Nets will need his presence in the post this season.
Another guy who can pull down some rebounds is Reggie Evans.  The Nets added Evans this offseason as a tough defensive presence in the paint off the bench.  He's an offensive liability, but he will rarely touch the ball on the offensive end.
Mirza Teletovic is one of the Nets many people don't know much about entering his first season in the NBA after playing overseas.  The 6'9" forward can shoot the ball from downtown making him a big piece to shit team.


Centers

Brook Lopez is back this season as the Nets starting center.  Lopez signed a max contract this offseason after the Nets failed to make a trade for Dwight Howard.  Lopez is one of the most underrated players in the league.  He's a guy who scored 20 points a game two seasons ago and is a top five center in the NBA.  Lopez needs to improve his rebounding, but the Nets will definitely look for Lopez to score down low.
Another addition the Nets made that has been overlooked is the addition of Andray Blatche.  The 7-footer scored 17 PPG just two seasons ago and will be a key guy coming off the bench.

Prediction 

This Nets team has finally become relevant leaving New Jersey and coming to the greatest city in the world.  Billy King has completely changed the face of this team making them a playoff contender this season and down the road.  The Nets have the talent and they have the depth to be a top five team in the East this year.  They have a great leader in Coach Avery Johnson.  The key will be if they can all gel together and how long it will take.  Expect a big season in the first year in Brooklyn from the Nets.

The Nets will finish the season 48-34 and the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Knicks Season Comes To End

The banged up Knicks roster could not pull off a miracle in Miami.  The Heat ended the Knicks season Wednesday night defeating the Knicks with ease, winning the series four games to one.

New York knew it would be tough to make it a series once Iman Shumpert went down with a torn ACL.  As it if that was not enough, Amare Stoudemire decided to go at war with a fire extinguisher and cut up his hand.  Stoudemire would have to miss game three because of the injury.  If those two blows were not enough, Baron Davis would then go down in game four tearing his ACL as well.  The Knicks were down three point guards for game five.  Jeremy Lin could not pull a Willis Reed as his knee still was not 100 percent.  The Heat were just too talented for a Knicks team that was hobbled and in disarray.

The Knicks did not show much fight in game five as they could not get the game close in the second half. They trailed by double digits the entire second half and could not put any form of run on.  The Heat had an answer to every move the Knicks tried to make.  The Knickerbockers got the one team in the Eastern Conference that they did not want to play.  They clearly would have matched up better playing the Bulls, who trail the eight seeded Sixers three games to two.  Miami is by far the best team in the East right now.  With Derrick Rose going down with a torn ACL, the Heat have instantly become the favorite out of the East.

Mike Woodson's squad has a very good team and one that can definitely contend once again next year.  This team needs some backcourt help.  Steve Nash will definitely be a guy that the Knicks will have on their radar.  Jeremy Lin was huge for New York, but the league started to catch up with him a bit before he got hurt.  The Knicks will most likely bring back Lin-sanity as he instantly became a fan favorite.  The team still needs a lot of backcourt help as Iman Shumpert will not be back until around Christmas time and Baron Davis will miss almost all of next season.  Landry Fields will also become a free agent and could have played his last game as a Knick.  New York needs to bring in a guy who can score out of the backcourt helping out Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  Besides another point guard along with Lin, and a shooting guard, the Knicks need another big man to come off the bench.  Jared Jeffries is not the answer.  Jeffries played well off the bench this year, but New York needs another big man who is not a liability offensively.

Coach Woodson definitely deserves to return next year.  Woodson had this team playing very good basketball finishing 18-6 to end the season.  Unless Phil Jackson decides to come out of retirement, Mike Woodson should coach this team next season.

With a bit of backcourt help and some depth added to the bench, the Knicks could definitely come in next season after a full summer of training camp and compete with the Bulls and Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Melo Haters Silenced

Anyone who had anything bad to say about Carmelo Anthony was quickly silenced Sunday afternoon.

Anthony put on an unbelievable performance at Madison Square Garden in a playoff atmosphere against the Bulls, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference and the most wins in the NBA.  The Knicks beat the Bulls, 100-99 in overtime. Melo scored an astounding 43 points.  He showed integrity and determination down the stretch making clutch basket after clutch basket.  With 11 seconds left, Melo drained a long three pointer with the long arm of Taj Gibson right in his face.  The Garden erupted into a thunderous roar.  The Knicks seemed to be out of the game, but thanks to four missed free throws by Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, the Knicks stayed alive.  Melo's clutch three helped send the Knicks to overtime where he was not done yet.

Melo would make a driving layup with just over a minute to go in overtime to cut the Bulls lead to two.  With eight seconds left, Melo would make the Garden shake once again.  He drained another long three pointer with Deng's hand in his face to give the Knicks a 100-99 lead.  The Knicks would get a stop on defense and come out with the victory.

Anthony showed all his haters that he knows that it is his time.  The Knicks are playing without Jeremy Lin for the rest of the season and possibly without star Amare Stoudemire for the year.  Sunday was up there as one of the most magical performances ever seen at MSG.  The Knicks needed that game as the Bucks are creeping up behind them for the eight seed in the East.  It was a monumental win in a game that could be a playoff preview of the first round.  Anyone who had doubts about Melo has hopped on the bandwagon now and is on for the ride.

The Knicks clearly are the team that the Bulls and Heat do not want to play in May.  The Knicks are tied with the Sixers for the seven seed at the moment with the Bucks sitting just a game behind.  New York has ten games remaining and will play the Bulls once again on Tuesday night in Chicago.