With the Nets relocation from Jersey to Brooklyn back in 2012, the entire franchise and fan base had something to look forward to. With a revamped roster, new coaching staff, brand new general manager and owner, the Nets’ future looked bright in Brooklyn. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is a Russian billionaire who imagined nothing short of excellence. He promised the team a championship title within the next five years. Well, five years have passed and the Nets have gone from a deep playoff team to a team that might want to consider rebuilding.
Last season, the Nets finished as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 38-44, granting them the final playoff spot in the Conference. It was a rocky start to the season for the Nets, beginning with the trade of Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young. After trading their veteran center to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for power forward Young, the Nets experienced changes that led to necessary adjustments for the team. For an aging Nets roster midway last season, a youthful player like Young was an opportune pickup for the Nets. The primary serge last year for the Nets came from players like Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack. These two players revived what seemed like a hopeless season last year.
Before the 2015-16 season commenced, the Nets decided to release their All-Star point guard, Deron Williams. It was no surprise to Nets fans everywhere that this occurred. Williams was supposed to be the team’s franchise player when they gained him back in 2010, but due to multiple injuries and a lack of cohesiveness between the team’s core players, he never established himself as the player the Nets expected him to become. As for the rest of the roster, center Brook Lopez is back and healthy, Jarrett Jack is ready to take on the role as the starting point guard, and Joe Johnson will be utilized as the go-to player. The young acquisitions, known as Shane Larkin, Markel Brown, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, will undeniably be major assets to the team's overall success.
Although this season has just begun and despite the low expectations for the Nets this season, no one saw them opening up with a 0-7 record. The Lakers, Grizzlies, and Bucks already defeated the Nets, and the team’s toughest downfall this season was evident at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, with a loss of 27 points. When Brook Lopez was put in the game, he conquered a high of seventeen points but had very little help from the rest of the team. The Spurs had five players in double figures for points, and their composed style of play was enough for their overwhelming victory.
Despite the 0-7 start, the Nets bounced back game last Wednesday night in Houston, Texas. The Rockets are projected to be a fierce competitor in the league this year as well as one of the favorites to make it to the finals. For the Nets to snap out of their losing streak and grab a 106-98 victory over the Rockets might mean the team is back in action. It was a complete team effort, and Nets fans finally observed their team demonstrating teamwork. Having five players in double figures with Bogdanovic putting in 22 points, Lopez grabbing a dozen boards, and Johnson dishing out 10 assists was key to the first win of the season.
Achieving this victory in Houston might be enough to turn the Nets early season sorrows around. The Nets have a series of winnable games ahead of them, so this means that landing themselves a record of at least .500 might secure them a playoff birth in the Eastern Conference.
