Dec 27, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins talks to point guard Jarrett Jack (0) and center Brook Lopez (11) during a time out during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA season is finally upon us. For the majority of teams, Monday will be mostly the players and coaches addressing the media regarding their thoughts on the upcoming season, and training camp will officially start on Tuesday. The Brooklyn Nets set up camp at Duke University and will have just six days to prepare for their first exhibition game of the season on Oct. 5, when they host Fenerbache, a team from Istanbul.
Throughout the past couple of weeks, the Nets have been on the receiving end of some harsh headlines in the media, including ESPN, where Chad Ford recently put out an article stating that the Nets still have the NBA’s worst future. Ford bashed the organization as a whole when he wrote:
"“The Nets are a classic example of how inexperienced ownership combined with poor management dooms a franchise. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov wanted a championship within five years. Now, five years later, his eagerness has landed the Nets in NBA hell for the foreseeable future.”"
Although the Nets’ front office hasn’t exactly made the smartest moves in regards to signing players to huge contracts, they are on the back end of those decisions and will soon have sufficient cap room to use on free agents. It is hard to sit here and believe the Nets have a worse future than teams like the Sixers, who have no stars, veteran leadership, or any hope for the foreseeable future. Sixers’ GM Sam Hinkie continues urging fans to, “trust the process.” What process is that exactly? To continue to give long-term deals to second-round draft picks that never pan out?
Enough about comparing the Nets to other teams. This season is about coming together as a group and finishing better than the eighth seed in the East, as they did last season. During an interview Wednesday, GM Billy King already let it be known that this team is much closer than recent years already, even in regards to doing things off the court. Having chemistry off the court most of the time leads to great things on the court.
Since the Nets revamped their roster, change is necessary. Let’s take a look at five things to watch during training camp for the 2015-16 season.
Next: 1. Johnson's Role