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Brooklyn Nets: Schedule For 2016-17 Released

By Sandy Mui

May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks listens to Brooklyn Nets new head coach Kenny Atkinson answer questions from media during press conference at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks listens to Brooklyn Nets new head coach Kenny Atkinson answer questions from media during press conference at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NBA released the Brooklyn Nets’ schedule for the 2016-17 season Wednesday night.

At first glance, one would notice the amount of back-to-back of games on the schedule, which includes playing three games in four nights. This set of matchups begins on the first day of March, when the Nets face the Sacramento Kings, followed by contests against the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. The NBA did not go light on the Nets’ schedule, as Brooklyn also has multiple instances when they have to compete four times in six nights.

The Nets, who finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference last season, will not be getting much spotlight on national television next season. Their only nationally-televised game is another “Battle of the Boroughs” against their same-state rival. They face the New York Knicks on the fourth of December.

May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; (left to right) Brooklyn Nets players Rondae Hollis Jefferson, Sean Kilpatrick, Markel Brown, Chris McCullough and Thaddeus Young, listen to new head coach Kenny Atkinson answer questions from media during press conference at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; (left to right) Brooklyn Nets players Rondae Hollis Jefferson, Sean Kilpatrick, Markel Brown, Chris McCullough and Thaddeus Young, listen to new head coach Kenny Atkinson answer questions from media during press conference at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s no surprise that the Nets do not have many contests in the limelight. Despite that, one might have expected at least a few nationally-televised games for the team, especially after the addition of media sensation Jeremy Lin. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and they will only be seen once on national television. This is a huge downgrade from the prior season, when the Nets appeared on national television four times.

Although not all of the Nets’ games will be featured on the nation’s major television channels, there are a few important games to note.

On February 3, Thaddeus Young will return to Brooklyn as a member of the Indiana Pacers. Young was traded to the Pacers for a set of draft picks during the offseason. He will likely receive a positive reception from Nets fans when he steps foot onto the court in Barclays.

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Jarrett Jack, now part of the Atlanta Hawks, will make his way back to Brooklyn on January 10. Jack, who spent the past two seasons with the Nets, was sidelined for a majority of the 2015-16 season with a right knee injury. He was waived during the offseason.

Now with the Jazz, Joe Johnson will return to the Barclays Center just after the holidays, on January 2. Johnson was bought out by the Nets midway into last season. He played the remainder of the season on the Miami Heat. However, this season marks the first time he will be playing in Brooklyn since his departure. It should be interesting to see what type of greeting he will get.

Brooklyn, after showing no progress since the Jason Kidd era, is looking for some sense of direction under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson, who was previously part of the Hawks’ coaching staff, also served as an assistant coach for the Knicks from 2008 to 2012.

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With many new changes to their roster, the Nets have a good chance of improving from last season, when they only won 21 games. Hopefully they’ll be able to prove ESPN’s forecast wrong, which predicts Brooklyn will win one less game than the previous season.