Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch as 2018-19 dawns in Detroit
By Phil Watson
As the 2018-19 season dawns, the Brooklyn Nets head into their opener at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit looking to reverse some opening night trends.
The Brooklyn Nets have reached opening night of the 2018-19 season, as they will be at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to take on the Pistons in the first of two “hey, didn’t we just see you guys?” matchups to open the season.
The Nets and Pistons played nine days ago, on Oct. 8, in a preseason battle won by Brooklyn 110-108 in overtime.
It is also Detroit’s opener after a 2-3 preseason that included wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers bookended around losses to the San Antonio Spurs, the Nets and the Washington Wizards.
Brooklyn went 2-2 in the rehearsal season, with wins at Detroit and New York, a loss at home to the Knicks and a blowout loss in a neutral-site game against the Toronto Raptors in Montreal.
The Pistons have a new coaching staff this season, with reigning NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey taking over after four seasons of Stan Van Gundy at the helm. Detroit has missed the postseason eight of the last nine seasons and has just one winning record in the last 10.
This is the seventh season for the Nets in Brooklyn since their move from New Jersey in 2012 and they last reached the postseason in 2015. After making the playoffs in each of their first three seasons in the borough, Brooklyn has missed the party in each of the last three years.
It marks just the fourth time the Nets have faced the Pistons to open a season, the last coming at Prudential Center in Newark on Oct. 27, 2010.
New Jersey beat Detroit that night 101-98 behind 25 points and three blocks from Brook Lopez, with rookie Derrick Favors grabbing 10 rebounds and Devin Harris dishing nine assists.
This will be the third time the Nets have opened on the road at Detroit, but the first time since opening back-to-back seasons at two different venues in 1978 and 1979.
The teams met in 1977 at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit before New Jersey opened the 1978-79 season against the Pistons at the Pontiac Silverdome.
Here are three things to watch as the Brooklyn Nets tip off the 2018-19 campaign.