GDHQNBA15_2pg-Brooklyn Nets

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EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION Brooklyn Year Two of the Brooklyn Experiment was supposed to contain so much more than just a new home, retro look and splashy arena. The arrivals of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett would lift the Nets into Eastern contention and make even the Heat worry. Or, at least that’s what was supposed to happen. But Brooklyn only made it to the postseason’s second round, where Miami made quick five-game work of it. A year later, Pierce is gone, and Garnett will be lucky to play 50 games this year. The Nets are back on the Eastern Conference periphery, and new head coach Lionel Hollins, who is in after one year of Jason Kidd, is faced with trying to fashion a contender out of a roster that is in transition and with some big names who have injury problems that will limit their effectiveness. The good news is that Brook Lopez is back in the middle, after playing just 17 games last year due to injury. But his presence alone can’t lift the Nets into conference title contention. Defense The idea that Lopez and Garnett would combine to form a toughto handle interior tandem never quite materialized, as Lopez was hurt less than a quarter of the way through the season, and Garnett can no longer must the consistent energy and fight to be an inside stopper. Having Lopez healthy will help, but remember that he is about 15 pounds lighter this year, the better to take strain off his foot, and therefore a little less prone to waging consistent wrestling matches with other team’s top pivots and power forwards. Lopez will still block close to two shots a game, so that helps. It will be interesting to see what Hollins does with the Nets’ D. Brooklyn wasn’t awful in this regard last year, and it did do a pretty good job in the first-round playoff win over Toronto of making sure the Raptors didn’t get rolling. But there is work to be done, if only to protect Garnett and Lopez from too much strain at the defensive end. Johnson and Williams aren’t going to overwhelm too many people up top. Williams wasn’t ever the quickest guy in the first place, and now that his ankles have been repaired, he is even less prone to staying in front of the League’s faster point men. He is tough, though, and his physical presence does help. But that only counts for so much. Johnson has never had a reputation for his defensive game, so unless Hollins can implement a system that can shield the Nets from his deficiencies, whatever Johnson produces will be matched at the other end. The loss of Shaun Livingston hurts. He was a strong presence at the defensive end, able to guard a couple positions and be disruptive. Jack isn’t in that league defensively, but the versatile Kirilenko is at the three, again provided he is healthy. Losing Pierce hurts, too. He wasn’t that quick and wasn’t going to dazzle with a lot of blocks, but Pierce understood how to handle forwards, particularly inside and most importantly, against the top threats like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Expect Plumlee to draw some tough interior assignments because of his 6-11 frame and his quickness, which will allow him to step out on shooters and recover to the inside if the ball heads into the post. Offense Even with Pierce last year, the Nets averaged just 98.5 ppg, good for 21st in the League. While he wasn’t close to his prime, he still provided a good complement to gunning guard Johnson and gave Brooklyn someone on whom it could depend when the shot clock started to bleed toward zero. Without him, the Nets need Lopez to stay healthy and produce and forward Kirilenko, who struggled with injuries last year and scored only 5.0 ppg, to contribute more. Johnson is clearly the primary offensive weapon on this team, and after averaging just 15.8 ppg—his lowest total since 2002-03—he will need to score more. Johnson has a good eye behind the arc and the ability to score off the dribble. He cut back on his shots last year, and Joe Johnson Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images


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