October 8th 2016
Brooklyn Nets Season Outlook
The Brooklyn Nets come into the 2016-2017 season with a new roster and a new attitude toward the game. Last season was filled with uncertainty as they had to deal with coaching changes during the early portion of the year and they also departed ways with a few key players on their roster. Former coach Lionel Hollins was relieved of his duties, Joe Johnson was bought out of his contract and Thaddeus Young was traded before the NBA Draft to the Indiana Pacers. The Nets are optimistic about this upcoming season and seem eager to silence the voices of those outside the locker-room that may not think they will have a productive year.
Let’s first dive into what new with the squad. At the helm the Nets have a new coach, Kenny Atkinson. He will be the Nets 21st coach in franchise history and he brings with him a winning pedigree. He previously worked under coach Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta Hawks) and Mike D’Antoni (Houston Rockets). He looks to bring a defensive identity to the Nets while revamping their offense schemes.
Joining the roster this season is veteran Jeremy Lin, a familiar face to the NY area as he was part of the “Linsanity” era that took over the city and the NBA a few seasons ago while he played for the New York Knicks. Lin has since played for the Rockets and Hornets, now he looks to bring some veteran leadership at the point guard position for the Brooklyn team. The Nets also added veteran guards Randy Foye, and Greivis Vasquez, forward Chase Budinger, Trevor Booker and former number one overall draft pick Anthony Bennett.
Brook Lopez, arguably one of the most solid big men in the league remains the one constant from previous Nets rosters. Brook in his 8th season in the league, all with the Nets, looks to lead a group of new faces and young talent in Brooklyn. He joked during media day about some of the players on the roster that recently took their SAT’s and said that he didn’t even remember his score on the test. The test for him this season will be to remain healthy and provide leadership for this roster.
The Nets picked up Isaiah Whitehead via trade with the Utah Jazz a day after draft night, the Brooklyn native is eager to bring that New York grit and identity to the roster in his first NBA season. Whitehead played for Abraham Lincoln high school (Brooklyn) and played for the Pirates of Seton Hall during his collegiate career. Bronx native Chris McCullough looks forward to his first full season as a professional. Last year he missed considerable time due to an injury he sustained in college however with his athleticism he will play valuable minutes for the Nets.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson showed promise on the defensive end of the floor during his rookie season. This year he looks to improve offensively for the squad especially with their new up-tempo offense. Jefferson like McCullough missed some time during his rookie season due to injury. Staying healthy will be key for him and the Nets during his sophomore campaign.
Overall the Nets look forward to new beginnings, it’s a new season and they need to forget the somewhat tumultuous 2015-2016 season. New faces mean new opportunities. The Nets will have to play with a sense of urgency every game, their talent level means that they will have to play hard for victories and compete every night. Their roster has some tough competitors who will leave it out on the floor as they go up against some of the powerhouse teams of the league. The Nets have to protect home court and play well within their division. The eastern conference is wide open as many teams are in transition.
Brooklyn Grit will be the theme this season. Welcome back and lets get ready for the 2016-2017 season.
“BROOKLYN!”
Thank You for reading.
Follow Sherman Gomez on Twitter at sherman@shermangmz1
Email: shermangmz1@gmail.com