My thoughts from Brooklyn last night

[Fireworks_Boom!]

is that this Brooklyn team is going to win some games. This will have a negative impact on our draft pick position.

[hwangjini_1]

Thanks for the thread. Would you also be able to provide us with the reasons, logic, observations that lead you to this conclusion?  Also, any thoughts on what their record maybe?

If you would do all this, it might give other posters better points to debate.

Thanks.

[Fireworks_Boom!]

Not to overreact to 1 game but to expand:

1. They can shoot.
2. They have one of the best "in the paint" Centers in the league (health permitting).
3. Jeremy Lin seems to provide a drive to the basket option they sorely lacked.
4. This kid Justin Hamilton is developing into a nice stretch 4 (out of nowhere).
5. They play feisty defense on the full court (created a lot of turnovers and points off turnovers).
6. Kenny Atkinson seems to be creating a good culture over there.

[Moranis]

of course they are going to win some games.  No one thought they would go 0-82.

[hodgy03038]

I have to say I was very worried last night and Brooklyn could have stole that game from us. I think Brad assumed we had this won a little too early and probably should have left a few starters in until it was a sure thing.

About Brooklyn...I was quite impressed with their lack of quitting when it looked like it was over. Coaching staff seems pretty solid from one game observation. They nearly stole this when Lopez probably had his worst game ever. Just as Skal says this team is not as bad as everyone has labeled them early.

[BitterJim]

I think that, despite Thad being better than any PF currently on the Nets' roster, the Nets are actually better at the PF spot than they were last year.  The outside shooting and depth that they have this year just firs so much better than Thad did.  With that, the new coach, and the improved PG spot, I'm gonna stick with my prediction that they'll be closer to 5th lottery odds than 1st.

Brooklyn isn't gonna be the punching bag that many of us expected

[gift]

I think that despite all the positives you guys are talking about they were a fluke run at the end of the game from being beaten by 20+ points by a Celtics team that wasn't exactly on their 'A' game from start to finish.

They are capable of winning some games this season, but we're still looking at a bottom five team most likely.

They will probably "almost" win a lot of games this year. If those almost wins somehow add up to actual wins, sure we're looking at a playoff team. And if they over-perform and win a higher percentage of those close games than could be predicted statistically, then it's just some bad luck. I don't see a good team out there.

[Evantime34]

Watching the game I thought the Nets shot above their head. I know in the first quarter they shot well enough to keep the Nets in the game. I'm now looking at the box score and they shot 34% from 3, but while I was watching the game I felt that they wouldn't be able to consistently replicate that type of shooting.

I was shocked to see that Lopez only got a couple post touches. It looks like Attkinson is running his offense and Lopez might not be the same offensive factor. The problem with that is it lessens the value of their biggest trade asset.

As to the Nets being much better I can see them making games closer than they actually were all season, but I think they are still a bottom 3 team. It seems that all the teams at the bottom got better. Philly lead OKC most of the game and the Lakers knocked off the Rockets.

[Vox_Populi]

Philly competed for 4 quarters and needed some unfortunate calls to lose. The Lakers actually won their game. Both looked better than Brooklyn against similar competition, if we're going to panic about the Nets, might as well panic about every mediocre team.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

It's hard to beat any team 3 times in 2 weeks, especially when you are still trying to figure out your offense, defense, and rotations.

The Nets will win some games this year, but the starters had them destroyed going into the 4th even though the Nets came out aggressive and comfortable against us.

They have no two-way players on their roster. They may hit some threes, but then give up points on the other end. Harris, Vasquez, Scola, Bogdon, Lin? There is a common theme.

[fairweatherfan]

You get weird results all through the season but especially early and late.  And even if Brooklyn's just as bad as last year they'll still win about 1 game out of every 4. Even bad NBA teams still have a lot of talent, and if they play hard they can beat almost anybody on any given night. Remember last year's Nets were a buzzer 2-footer by Lopez away from beating Golden St on the road.

It's easy to overreact when that happens - plenty of people did every time they won last year - or even when it comes close to happening like last night, but it's better to just wait and see how things shake out over the first 15-20 games before coming to broader conclusions.

[celts55]

The fact that they scored 117 points against a pretty good defensive team leads me to believe they might be better than I thought. I understand they came back because the Celtics played poorly down the stretch,  but the fact of the matter is, it looks like they can score the ball, and they play hard. That in itself is going to win them some games.
That being said, until they got into that full court, might as well go for it stage, their defense was pretty awful. 122 points, while scoring something like 4 in the last 4 minutes tells me they won't win a lot. Now if they could manage to score like they showed last night and play the D they did at the end of the game, they could be a decent team. Not good, but not someone you want to play.

[Evantime34]

The fact that they scored 117 points against a pretty good defensive team leads me to believe they might be better than I thought. I understand they came back because the Celtics played poorly down the stretch,  but the fact of the matter is, it looks like they can score the ball, and they play hard. That in itself is going to win them some games.
That being said, until they got into that full court, might as well go for it stage, their defense was pretty awful. 122 points, while scoring something like 4 in the last 4 minutes tells me they won't win a lot. Now if they could manage to score like they showed last night and play the D they did at the end of the game, they could be a decent team. Not good, but not someone you want to play.

I didn't think the C's looked like a pretty good defensive team last night. Especially the 2nd unit.

[apc]

The fact that they scored 117 points against a pretty good defensive team leads me to believe they might be better than I thought. I understand they came back because the Celtics played poorly down the stretch,  but the fact of the matter is, it looks like they can score the ball, and they play hard. That in itself is going to win them some games.
That being said, until they got into that full court, might as well go for it stage, their defense was pretty awful. 122 points, while scoring something like 4 in the last 4 minutes tells me they won't win a lot. Now if they could manage to score like they showed last night and play the D they did at the end of the game, they could be a decent team. Not good, but not someone you want to play.

I didn't think the C's looked like a pretty good defensive team last night. Especially the 2nd unit.

Nets got lot of open looks from 3. from both units.

[SHAQATTACK]

We really missed Smarts leadership and play making trying to win with the second stringers .  And that group needs KO size and scoring .

I did like the idea of CBS of putting the pressure on the 2 nd stringers to finish the deal.  In some ways they needed that challenge in a real NBA game.  But in their defense they had Smart to lead them in preseason . 

Once KO and Smart can get back , I think we will look better.

I loved CBS playing Brown .....the more of that he gets the better off Celtics will be in the long run.