The fresh start we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Let’s count down all the things you need to know about the Nets heading into 2010-11.
10 key dates on the Nets’ schedule
- vs. Detroit, October 27. The season opener and the first Nets game in Newark.
- vs. Miami, October 31. If the Nets can keep this one within 20, it’ll be a Halloween treat for their fans.
- vs. Orlando, November 13. Vince Carter returns to Jersey for the first time this season.
- at LA Clippers, November 15. The start of the annual Thanksgiving West Coast swing. The trip also includes stops in Utah, Sacramento and Denver.
- vs. Boston, December 5. The Eastern Conference champions visit Newark for the first time and bring former Nets head coach Lawrence Frank with them.
- vs. LA Lakers, December 12. The defending champs’ only stop in New Jersey this season.
- vs. Dallas, January 22. Jason Kidd comes back for his only visit of the year.
- vs. San Antonio, February 14. Old pal Richard Jefferson comes home for Valentine’s Day.
- vs. Toronto, March 4. The first of two Nets “home games” across the pond in London.
- at Chicago, April 13. The season finale. Could the No. 8 seed be in sight for New Jersey?
9 opponents you’ll want to see in person
- Miami Heat: Hate ’em, or hate ’em a lot, the Heat are going to be fascinating to watch this year.
- Los Angeles Lakers: If Kobe plays up to his par, this team is even better than last year.
- Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo is one of the best young players in the league and he’s surrounded by a bevy of future Hall-of-Famers.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: They could be the fastest rising team in the league, led by Kevin Durant, the early favorite for 2011 MVP.
- Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash may have lost Amare Stoudemire, but he’s surrounded by a bunch of guys who can put the ball in the hoop, and they’ll have to play fast-paced to win this year.
- Orlando Magic: It should be interesting to see what tricks Dwight Howard learned from Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason.
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, David Lee and Monta Ellis may not play for a good team, but they should play for a really entertaining one.
- Chicago Bulls: With Carlos Boozer on board, will Derrick Rose make the leap to the level of Deron Williams and Chris Paul?
- New York Knicks: The rivalry for attention in the tri-state area is heating up and the Knicks seem to think they’re ahead of the Nets on the track back toward contention. Any Nets fan will love showing up to boo them.
8 teams the Nets will fight to make the playoffs
- Charlotte Bobcats
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
Not exactly Murderer’s Row, right? That’s why, despite only 12 wins last year, the playoffs are possible right now.
7 reasons this team will be exciting to watch
- Devin Harris is hoping to penetrate more than last year and he’s one of the quickest point guards in the league.
- With another step in the right direction, Brook Lopez could be seen as arguably the second-best center in the NBA.
- Terrence Williams can do it all. He might lead the Nets in highlight appearances this year.
- Any time you’ve got a top-3 pick on your team, you’re going to want to see his progress. Derrick Favors has the talent to be special.
- Anthony Morrow is a 46-percent shooter from deep for his career.
- Troy Murphy = real power forward. Finally.
- Avery Johnson will do whatever he can to make sure this team doesn’t take any nights off.
6 key new guys
- Troy Murphy: He’s instantly the best power forward this team has had since Kenyon Martin. His ability to stretch the floor, rebound and provide a stopgap for the proposed Derrick Favors era make him the best pickup for this season.
- Travis Outlaw: He’s getting the first shot at being the team’s starting small forward. He brings size and outside shooting, but will he earn his keep – $7 million annually – now that his role has shifted from the bench to the starting five.
- Anthony Morrow: He’s been called as good a shooter as we have in the NBA and should help the offense stay away from some of the dry spells that plagued them last season. We’ll have to see if the rest of his game his good enough to keep him on the floor.
- Jordan Farmar: No matter how good Devin Harris is this year, he’s going to need someone to spell him. Harris’ style of play naturally contains risk to injury, so the Nets will need to see that they can trust Farmar to run the team in key moments. Hopefully, his winning pedigree will rub off on the team.
- Joe Smith: He’ll be the opening day starter at power forward with Murphy out. This team has very few veterans, so he’ll need to provide some of the leadership that was sorely missing last year.
- Damion James: The first-round pick not named Favors had some nice moments in the preseason. With some uncertainty at the wing spots for New Jersey, it wouldn’t be surprising to see James find his way into the rotation.
5 things Avery Johnson brings to the table
- Winning background as a player and coach
- Defensive focus that led a once “soft” Dallas team to the NBA Finals
- Point guard tutelage for Devin Harris
- Demanding work ethic
- Optimism – he looks excited to be here
Seems like a great fit after Nets fans witnessed such a serious lack of defense, desire and discipline at times last season. His influence should help get the most out of a young bunch.
4 centers at Brook Lopez’s level right now
- Dwight Howard
- Al Jefferson
- Chris Kaman
- Andrew Bogut
That’s the entire list. Brook has jumped the ranks really quickly and once this team is good enough to compete, he’ll be on the All-Star radar annually.
3 x-factors to determine how quickly the team grows
- Devin Harris: Is he the Devin of 2008-09 or 2009-10? Can he stay healthy (relatively speaking)? Will he recapture the defensive acumen he showed under Avery in Dallas? Will the Nets’ new options on offense make Devin more efficient? Is he ready to be the leader this young team desperately needs? The team’s improvement begins with number 34.
- Terrence Williams: He showed flashes of brilliance toward the end of last year. His athleticism is off the charts and he’s got fantastic court vision. But how well will his style mix with his new coach? Can he improve his shooting and defense? If T-Will curries favor with Avery and builds on last year, he should be on the floor in crunch time.
- Derrick Favors: The total unknown right now. His preseason led us to believe that he’s not ready for the spotlight right now, but his head coach compared his moves to those of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett in a meeting with Nets executives earlier this month. His goal for this year should be to become a solid contributor to the rotation. If he can fulfill his potential, he and Brook Lopez could be one of the best big-men combos in the sport.
2 wild cards that could flip the season on its head
- Carmelo Anthony
- Chris Paul
In a world where superstars always want to be happy, and increasingly want to play with each other, it’s good to be a team with lots of cap room, a billionaire owner and a move to the Big Apple on the horizon.
1 big reason the future is bright
- Mikhail Prokhorov: Nets fans have suffered through the Bruce Ratner era, where eminent domain battles on the streets of Brooklyn seemed to be more important than what was going on across the river at the Meadowlands. Prokhorov brings a desire to win and the money to spend to always put a good product on the floor. He’s got lofty goals for this team and he’s got the resources to back them up. It will be interesting to see just how close the Nets are to a championship within his projected five year window. Even if they don’t get there, it won’t be due to a lack of trying.