Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

The Brooklyn Nets could foil the Cleveland Cavaliers’ plans

By Andrew Hughes

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: Sean Marks, GM of the Brooklyn Nets, introduces D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov during a press conference on June 26, 2017 at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: Sean Marks, GM of the Brooklyn Nets, introduces D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov during a press conference on June 26, 2017 at HSS Training Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Brooklyn Nets were not given respect after Sean Marks upgraded the talent of the team. After three preseason games, the Nets look definitively better than last year. That could be a big problem for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yes its preseason. As the pundits always love to point out, you can’t put too much stock into preseason action.

You can take away some things from preseason though. The Brooklyn Nets are playing well and playing cohesively alongside each other in Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense.

The prevailing wisdom regarding the Nets was always that the team would be good when they had the talent to compete. Atkinson had the team playing the right way and Marks was using his few available outlets to acquire talent that fit the system. The wins, so they said, would come when the team improved.

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And then it did. The Nets added high-level talent on the wings (DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe), in the post (Timofey Mozgov and Tyler Zeller) and in the backcourt (D’Angelo Russell and a healthy Jeremy Lin).

The wins have followed this preseason. Russell is shooting the lights out of the basketball and dishing out assists at an encouraging rate. Quincy Acy is proving that he can be a serious asset off the bench with his shooting, rebounding and toughness. Mozgov is even taking AND making 3-pointers.

All of this spells trouble for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Granted, the draft pick is still a first-rounder. Maybe the Nets will regress to the mean in the regular season. Injuries can always happen too.

That draft pick will not be #1 though. The New York Knicks are far worse. Phoenix will lose plenty of games as well. Who is to say the 76ers don’t experience growing pains (or actual injury pains) with their young studs?

Either way, the value of the Nets pick dropped as soon as the team blitzed the Knicks last Tuesday. It fell further when they thoroughly outplayed the Heat. That draft pick is not the asset it once was.

Good thing Cleveland has LeBron James and thus the ability to add future Hall-of-Famers on minimum contracts. Otherwise, the Nets will have mucked up their long-term plans.