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Brooklyn Nets: Why 2019 shouldn’t end up like 2010

By Joshua Balasa

Brooklyn Nets Anthony Morrow Johan Petro Travis Outlaw Jordan Farmar. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Brooklyn Nets Anthony Morrow Johan Petro Travis Outlaw Jordan Farmar. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets
MIAMI – April 14: Chris Quinn #1 ,Chris Douglas-Roberts #17, Courtney Lee #6 Yi Jianlian #9 and Chris Quinn #1 of the New Jersey Nets during a game against the Miami Heat on April 14, 2010 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. 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 NBAE 2010 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What went Wrong: Dredging up the past

Looking back at the 2009-10 season, it was pretty much pre-determined that the team was not going to be very good.

After trading Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson for essentially Courtney Lee and some salary filler, the Nets main core was a hobbled Devin Harris, young Brook Lopez, future reality TV star Kris Humphries and Yi Jianlian. Not the most formidable roster out there, unless you’re a set of chairs.

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NBA Rumors: Is it inevitable Donovan Mitchell will end up with Knicks or Nets? /

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    • The next problem was finishing dead last in the league with a record of 12-70. The team came close to making history as the most dismal team in league history.

    Fortunately, they had surpassed the record for futility set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers with a 10th win against the Spurs in March 2010.

    On top of that, the Nets decided to part ways with coach Lawrence Frank after a disastrous start to the season.

    In one of the biggest mockeries of justice in history, the team’s front office decided to have long-time assistant coach Tom Barrise act as the sacrificial lamb, taking the next two losses against the Lakers and Mavericks.

    Being at the helm of those two games gave Barrise the dubious honor of being the coach of a team that set the record for the worst start to an NBA season.  GM Kiki Vandeweghe took over for the rest of the season, leading the Nets to all 12 of their wins.

    The Nets brought in Billy King and Avery Johnson together in July 2010. However, interim GM Rod Thorn had still been allowed to make decisions at the draft and in the free agent recruiting process.

    Without a real sense of direction to start the offseason and one of the worst regular seasons of all time, prospective free agents, especially big-name ones like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Amar’e Stoudemire were rightfully wary of the Nets.

    As Bobby Marks said on the Ryan Russillo podcast:

    "“We didn’t have anything to sell. What are we selling,? The third pick in the draft? I mean we had Devin Harris and Terrance Williams.“"