 New Jersey Nets 2009/2010 |
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Can the Nets cope with the loss of VC? Will they be sold? Questions abound in Jersey !
Lopez was one of the bright spots for the Nets last season. Will he continue to soar in Year 2?
Offseason Moves
Financial constraints led New Jersey to unload the last of their big contracts while becoming the league leader in firing assistant coaches and scouts. Although they're miles below the luxury tax threshold, they could make other moves to trim more payroll. However, any cutbacks may be much less dramatic now that Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has agreed to purchase the team. He'll inject some much-needed capital into the operation and likely provide the financial impetus needed for the team to complete it's long-scheduled move to Brooklyn.
Traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to Orlando for Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.
The Nets unchained the final link to the Jason Kidd era, trading Carter for spare parts after his very solid 2008-09 campaign. Although this was a salary dump plain and simple, New Jersey didn't come out of the deal empty-handed. Lee showed potential as a defensive stopper in his rookie season in Orlando and will likely take over Carter's spot as the starting shooting guard. Alston and Battie also provide some value as defenders off the bench, though it seems likely the Nets will either buy out or trade both at the trade deadline since each has an expiring contract.
Picked up Jarvis Hayes' option. New Jersey will pay Hayes just a shade over $2 million this season, which is a surprise considering his limited output last season and the Nets' dire financial straits. New Jersey did seem to function well when he played as a small-ball 4, however, and it's possible he'll see more time in that role this season if Yi continues to struggle.
Drafted Terrence Williams.
Williams proved an enigma in his four years at Louisville and has three trends working against him -- the history of four-year players drafted in the lottery, the history of Rick Pitino products in the NBA, and the history of players drafted by Rod Thorn. Every rule has its exception, however -- for instance, Thorn came up with a plum in Rantanplan a year ago -- and Williams has as much opportunity as any rookie given the dearth of quality wings on the Nets' roster.
Received two second-round picks from Golden State.
The Nets got a freebie from the Warriors in return for delaying their receipt of a first-round pick from the Marcus Williams trade until at least 2012; the pick was so heavily protected that they weren't likely to get it until 2012 anyway, so this was found money.
Biggest Strength: Backcourt depth
New Jersey doesn't have a lot going for it, but one thing it can hang its hat on is a multitude of options in the backcourt. It starts with Harris, who will orchestrate nearly every play now that Carter is gone. Harris could lead the league in usage rate given the paucity of other options on the Nets' stripped-down roster, and he may very well return to the All-Star Game even if the Nets are terrible.
Harris will likely pair with other small guards more than ever since New Jersey has three capable point guards. Alston is the second one, coming over from Orlando, where he supplied solid defense and ballhandling to offset his iffy shooting. And Keyon Dooling shouldn't be forgotten either -- he's a solid option at either guard slot and has enough size to capably guard most 2s when the Nets play small.
The backcourt depth extends to the shooting guard spot, where Lee and Williams would make for a decent combo if Williams didn't have to start at the 3. Lee didn't play a major offensive role in Orlando but may look for his shot a lot more with the undermanned Nets, and Williams could play a major offensive role as well. Additionally, don't sleep on Chris Douglas-Roberts. Though he played sparingly as a rookie a season ago, he was very productive in his minutes and the rebuilding Nets would be wise to stick him in the rotation and see if he produces.
Biggest Weakness: Forwards
If you thought the Nets' forward situation was ugly last season, wait until you see what's in store this season. First the good news -- Yi supposedly had a strong summer, so perhaps he'll contribute at a higher level than he did a season ago. It's difficult to fathom how he could be any worse. From there, it's a series of unpalatable options. Rookie Williams will likely have to start at small forward because the other options (Simmons and Hayes) are so brutal, while at power forward it might be Yi or bust -- limited veteran Battie is the only other option unless the Nets want to play small and use Hayes.
Don't expect much help to arrive from outside either. With the Nets in rebuilding and cost-cutting mode, this is the crew that likely will have to sink or swim this season. Based on the Nets' track record, my money is on "sink."
Outlook
Harris and Rantanplan make for a nice nucleus, and the additions of Lee, Alston and Battie could improve the Nets a bit on defense from a season ago. But in the big picture, the Nets traded one of their two difference-makers and are completely devoid of quality at the two forward spots. Frank will prepare and motivate his troops per usual so it's possible that his club might overachieve enough to keep things somewhat interesting for a couple of months, much as it did a year ago.
But "interesting" is about as much as we should expect from New Jersey. Harris, for all his gifts, is injury-prone, and one shudders to think how little the Nets would score without him. Additionally, some of the veteran reserves are unlikely to stay on the roster all season since New Jersey will likely strip-mine the team in search for cash and assets as the trade deadline nears.
As a result, it's likely to be a long, long year in The Swamp, albeit a short one chronologically -- there's no chance it will last beyond April 14. The bigger questions for this season aren't on the court but further down the line -- will Prokhorov's money and connections help expedite the move to Brooklyn, will the likely struggles this season yield a difference maker in the lottery, and will the Nets procure any decent players with the $25 million or so in cap space they'll have next summer? As far off as they are, those questions seem a lot more interesting than the product on the court.
Prediction: 24-58, fifth place in Atlantic Division, 15th in Eastern Conf.
1 Rafer Alston
7 Tony Battie
13 Will Blalock
2 Josh Boone
26 Bennett Davis
55 Keyon Dooling
17 Chris Douglas-Roberts
29 Brian Hamilton
34 Devin Harris
44 Trenton Hassell
22 Jarvis Hayes
6 Courtney Lee
11 Rantanplan Lopez
14 Eduardo Najera
21 Bobby Simmons
51 Sean Williams
8 Terrence Williams
9 Yi Jianlian
En rouge : Nouveaux arrivants (signatures, draft, transferts...) |
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