Highs and Lows: New Jersey Nets
Vince Carter (photo. Mannion)NBA training camps start up in a couple weeks. In the meantime, we’re going team-by-team, from 1 to 30, exploring what each team’s ceiling is for the upcoming season and where their basement is. In other words, what are the realistic best-case and worst-case scenarios for each squad?
Additions: PF Yi Jianlian, C Brook Lopez, PG Keyon Dooling, SF Bobby Simmons, SG Chris Douglas-Roberts, PF Ryan Anderson, PF Eduardo Najera, SF Jarvis Hayes.
Losses: SF Richard Jefferson, PG Marcus Williams, C DeSagana Diop, SF Bostjan Nachbar, C Nenad Krstic.
Ceiling: 8th seed in the East
The youth movement is in full effect, even though New Jersey’s “rebuilding” plans are strictly geared toward the 2010 Summer of LeBron (and D-Wade and Bosh) more than developing the young nucleus they current have. Over the last eight months, the Nets jettisoned Jason Kidd, Jefferson and Krstic, basically replacing those three starters with Devin Harris (25), Yi Jianlian (20) and Brook Lopez (20). Is it an improvement? Talent-wise, no. So why is it possible that NJ could finish with a better record this year than last year — when they were 14 games under .500 and landed two slots out of the playoff bracket — in an Eastern Conference that’s gotten tougher? Because whenever you have one of the 15 best players in the League, you always have a chance at sniffing the postseason. And say what you want about Vince Carter, but he is that caliber talent. If Vince plays at the top of his game, NJ is still a threat.
Basement: Last place in the Atlantic Division
Jersey finished nine games ahead of Atlantic cellar-dweller New York, but if new Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni is worth what they’re paying him, that gap could close. Vince has the talent to carry the Nets to a playoff spot, but as always, the questions surround his motivation and toughness. It’s not like he’s in a contract year, and if Vince can read the writing on the wall, he knows this team wasn’t built to win now and that he would be traded in a second if the Nets thought it gave them a better chance at landing a big-fish free agent in 2010. So while Vince can go through the motions and still drop 23-24 points a night, the Nets’ season rests on the performance of Harris and a young frontcourt. Yi has offensive talent, but his disappearing act during the Olympics and the way he hit the rookie wall hard in Milwaukee doesn’t have anyone too excited about him. First-round picks Lopez and Anderson ideally help fortify the front line a little more, but you’re still in a situation where your “go-to” big man is Josh Boone.
‘08-09 NBA preview archives
9/17 — Minnesota Timberwolves
9/16 — Cleveland Cavaliers
9/15 — Phoenix Suns
9/12 — Milwaukee Bucks
9/11 — L.A. Clippers
9/10 — Orlando Magic
September 18th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
johnsacrimoni says:
Come on Dime, are you crazy? The Nets’ ceiling higher than the Bucks’? And their basement isn’t low enough either-they might be the worst team in the league.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
lakeshow85 says:
no way are they making the playoffs!!
they’ll be hard pressed to get more than 30 wins.
VC, Harris, Simmons, and Brook are going to have to play out of their skulls to even get close to respectability.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
mike c says:
This will be Vince Carter’s comeback year.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Sam I Am says:
BOOO Nets
This team isn’t going past the block let alone the playoffs
September 18th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
ugly_fish says:
Finally a by-partisan opinion on Vin-Sanity. Good job Austin.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
RENO says:
Vince is gonna have to play angry all year long…. Harris is gonna have to have the game of his life every night….. Boone is gonna have to get in touch with his inner KG….. and….. Who am i kidding… NO PLAYOFFS!
September 18th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Kobeef says:
Despite what most of you think I agree with dime on this team. They are young but very talented - the Trail Blazers of the east if you will.
The starting backcourt is one of the most explosive in the league with Harris and Vinsanity. Both are known to throw down a dunk in transition and have very complete games.
The Frontcourt is where the question marks start but if Yi and Lopez exceed expectations this is a very dangerous team. Yi has shown that when he puts it all together he can score from all over the court. I expect him to become more consistent in his sophmore year and I am not worried about the olympics performance. Chris Kaman sucked in the olympics yet averged a double-double last year in the NBA.
The Najera pick-up will ensure that the Nets are a team that will beat you unless you bring your A-game. Najera can lock-down 3’s and 4’s and create havoc on offense.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
“And say what you want about Vince Carter, but he is that caliber talent. If Vince plays at the top of his game, NJ is still a threat.”
You’re absolutely right, Vince will show up against the Bobcats and the Thunder, the Wolves and etc, and threaten them for atleast 20 wins. What a talent, what a professional. And if they’re ever in a close game against a .500 team, he will pull a Taylor Hayes, again and again. And again and again and again. Again.
The Nets will not win more that 28-30 games this year. Believe it.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Big Sia says:
Brooklyn ALL DAY
VC: 25/7/5 this year.
Nets 7th seed, upset Detroit in the First round.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Big V says:
Vince Carter is not, I repeat, IS NOT, a top 15 talent in the NBA.
@Kobeef:
“The Najera pick-up will ensure that the Nets are a team that will beat you unless you bring your A-game.”
Really? What the hell are you smoking?
September 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Big Sia says:
Fuck the haters
September 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
HATE08 says:
NO FUCK THE BELIEVERS!!!
(NO LANCE BASS!!!!)
BARACK OHATEAH FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
September 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Tha Boddy says:
One of the major keys to the Nets season is Jarvis Hayes. B4 anyone gives me the business remember his rookie year b4 Stackhouse came back Jarvis was a scoring machine outscoring D-Wade and 3rd only to Melo and King James…As soon as Stackhouse got back from injury Hayes burn was reduced and his confidence was shot. If he gets his mind straight he could start at the 2 or 3 (depending on where Vince plays) and he could be a poor mans D-Wade with a better jumper
September 18th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
MSkittle says:
The question on the team isn’t Vince. He can average 27 ppg and they will still be one of the worst teams in the league!
September 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
RENO says:
“and he could be a poor mans D-Wade with a better jumper…….” You must be talking Tyrone Biggums poor… with the crack if you comparing Hayes to D-Wade.
Cocaine is a helluva drug!!!!
September 18th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Wesley says:
Vince definitely rocks!!
http://www.squidoo.com/jumplikevince
September 18th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Bron42 aka Thugnificant says:
your completely ignorin jarvis 2 bum knees which are why he wasnt gettni burn for a while.
Vince will be gone by the allstar game.
September 18th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
sbcboom says:
DO THE RAPS!!
September 18th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Tyrone says:
Them Nets are gonna be aight y’all - they got some buddin talent in the Stanford kid, Devin Harris and other cats. Chris Douglas Roberts will be mad good - dude can get major buckets and got the ability to dish dope dimes. Most importantly y’all they got the Jigga man, which means that King James will be rollin’ into town in the summer of 2010.
True thugz never lie.
Tryone
September 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Big V says:
Wade/Curry/Crawford/Lee > LeBron’s Nets
September 18th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
nick says:
vc is a top 15 talent but not a top 15 player. nets have a shot at the playoffs if devin harris gets a jump shot.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Big Sia says:
Big V is a fucking faggot get off vinsanity’s tip
Knicks wont get D Wade let alone any high profile free agents. Why? Retarded management with ZERO priority on winning.
VC + Harris + Lopez is a NICE core. Playoffs at least. Thats without lebron. When the king comes into town, VC’s gonna be lookin like frodo with all them rings
September 18th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
justice says:
This team sucks! Damnit they still look better than the knicks wtf man
September 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
johnsacrimoni says:
Harris is the only other decent player on the roster besides Vince. And we all know how Vince reacts when he has no confidence in his teammates.
September 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
miamiVIS3 says:
So I see we’re not taking requests AB?
September 18th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Austin Burton says:
In due time…
September 18th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
dagwaller says:
VC a top 15 player? Giggle.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Big Sia says:
Fuck “dagwalker”
September 18th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
GarethChantler says:
There is no way this team can possibly win more than 32 games. That’s being generous.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
T Dubbs says:
Hayes will be good coming off the bench for NJ, and they picked up some more hustle players. Yi is a joke though… his poor performances in the olympics were just a confirmation.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
dagwaller says:
Big, there are probably five players in the ATLANTIC better than VC. KG, PP, Bosh, Brand…and probably some people out there that would put VC in the same category as AI2 and Jermaine O’Neal (can’t think of anyone on the Knicks I’d put in this conversation, although Randolph could be argued). I just really don’t think that he’s a top 15 player in the League anymore.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
D-NICE says:
wow no way these nets make the playoffs this year….and JARVIS HAYES! are you serious??? should never be mentioned in the same breath as wade
September 18th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
D-NICE says:
Oh yeah watch out for sean williams this year. he’ll have a more consistent year
September 18th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
phil says:
VC a top 15??? Are you out of your mind? Lebron, KG, Kobe, Paul, Nash, Dirk, Duncan, Wade, McGrady, Yao, Amare, Brand, Pierce, Every one of the Piston 5. Most important, he’s not a difference maker like Lebron and the first few are. He’s not even an all-star. Maybe he is a top 15 talent. But what he brings is not elite.
September 18th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Stepper says:
What has vince done to deserve all this. lol. Leave the man alone, so what if he settles for jumpers instead of dunking on everyone in the league, we know he can, but maybe he just doesn’t want to. Some people strive to be monsters like MJ and Kobe and some settle for being good. I hope he wins a title, just to stuff it down your necks your soft punks.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
dagwaller says:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, Stepper. I wasn’t saying that I didn’t like him (though I don’t); I was just pointing out that he wasn’t a top 15 player anymore.
September 19th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Anonymousjeet says:
Vince is still easily a top 15 player in the league. Talent wise when hes on his A game, you can’t name 5 players that can do better than he can. His impact on the game is underrated. Take him off the team (like last year) and they struggle to put up 75 points against Utah, take Kidd off (replace him with Harris) and put Carter back on- and they beat the Jazz scoring more than 110 points. Defensively the guy is solid when he tries**. Offensively hes decent when he puts a half hearted performance, great when he actually tries. The question was never was Vince talented, its wheter he will show up. For those that doubt his talent - its still top 10 regardless of what the haters say. As a player he will rank anywhere from 10-100 depending on whose rating him.
This year is a huge year for him -character wise. He can’t jump like he used to, athletically his best days are definately behind him because he doesn’t train hard enough to preserve it like others (Kobe). But skill wise, and knowledge wise the guy is in his prime. There is no doubt hes a smarter basketball player than when he came into the league. He can do more with less. Carter’s numbers next year:
21 ppg - 31 ppg (Most likely 25), 5- 7 rpg (Most likely 6.5), 5- 6.5 apg (most likely 5.2) Shooting percentage 42-47 (most likely 44)
September 19th, 2008 at 1:23 am
solomon says:
it doesn’t matter if he’s top 15, top 15,000, top 3…if he aint got heart, he’s just waste…
and chances are, ghost injuries will come outta whince carter by december… he’d sit it out, tank it like dope, and heck, he’d be rollin’ with ricky rubio in 09 before he realizes it…
we’re out like vince’s heart
September 19th, 2008 at 3:13 am
dagwaller says:
Ok, Anonymous, so IF VC tried hard, he would be top 15 in the league? Well, not if we put Starbury and Sheed ahead of him for doing the same thing.
15 players better than VC (starting with phil’s list):
Lebron
KG
Kobe
Paul
Nash
Dirk
Duncan
Wade
McGrady
Yao
Amare
Brand
Pierce
Baron Davis
Dwight Howard
Deron Williams
Carlos Boozer
Marcus Camby
I mean, I could go on, but I still think that the fact that people would claim VC is top 15 is laughable.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Steve says:
First, Camby and Baron are not better than Vince. You also might argue about Mcgrady because he plays about 50 games a year. So yes, he is probably a top 15 talent. Besides, do you know how many guys averaged 20ppg 5rpg 5apg last year? Lebron, Kobe and yes VINCE CARTER. That’s it!! Nobody else. So I think he is definitely in the arguement for top 15. People just don’t like his effort and they think he’s weak, but the production doesn’t lie.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:59 am
dagwaller says:
Camby is just as good at defense - better, actually - than Vince is at offense, and they have similarly average skills at offense/defense. AND he’s won the DPOY. What has Vince won? The dunk contest? Let’s just say that Vince’s dunking days are farther behind him than Camby’s “good defense” days.
Baron Davis IS better than Vince. Baron scores more (desipite the fact that Vince is a shooting guard) and passes more, while only rebounding at a slightly lower rate (Vince is 3 inches taller, mind you). He also gets more steals (by a sizeable margin) and blocks (again, despite being 3 inches shorter than Carter). I’m not going to get into the injury thing (although Baron played in all the games last year, vs Vince’s 76), or the heart thing (since that should be a no brainer in Baron’s FAVOR).
Ok, you want to play the numbers game? Since Baron was .3 of a rpg away from that club you’re talking about? How many players do you think scored 21 ppg, 4 rpg, and 7 apg? Lebron, CP, and yes BARON DAVIS. That’s it!! Nobody else.
And peep the All-NBA teams this past season. There were three of them; Vince Carter was on exactly none of them. Nor was he on either of the All-Defense teams.
This guy is a legend in some people’s minds…
September 19th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
bless says:
haters wanna hate me….bye hater bye hater
Nets will prove a lot of ppl wrong this yr.. i mean they might not take the 8th seed…if u’re a nets fan ..give em one last chance….if they blow it in 2010..then screw em….but i’ll be willing to sacrfice for brooklyn….cuz with our “big three”…it juss wasnt working…..so they did the right thing….trade away big contracts…bring in talented rookies….and DHarris is gonna have a breakout season…jus watch
September 19th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
dagwaller says:
Bless, you make a REALLY good point, I think, about how the big three wasn’t working. I’m a Wizards fan, and at some point, you just have to admit that while what you have is competitive, it just isn’t going to win that many playoff games.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
BJ says:
dagwaller, I am not a VC fan but you are an ass if you think some of those players listed are better than VC Stop being a dick and look at the numbers, that alone will disqualify half of your list. KG and Pierce didn’y do crap until they got paired. McGrady sucks and can’t carry a team. Dirk with all the talent around him has won jack, same goes for Nash . . . need I go on?
VC’s got talent,lots of it. You don’t have to like the man but the fact is he is a baller.
September 20th, 2008 at 2:50 am
dagwaller says:
BJ, I don’t like the man.
But this will be easy, and I kind of feel bad for you.
First of all, I’ll say - for the second time, for the illiterati amongst you - but VC wasn’t amont the 3 top 15 players (3 all-nba teams). He’s not even among the top 15 scorers in the league anymore. Check it, all the doubters. So what he’s best at, he’s not even in the top half of the League at anymore. So let’s see. Not an elite scorer, and not top 15 all-around. So…what do you have?
Bj and etc…who on the list is worse? I listed them…disprove them. Please. You can’t, and you/I know it. I forgot to add Ginobili, but he’s on the list of guys DEFINITELY better than VC.
BJ, sorry for “being a dick” (how? please come at me, I would LOVE to tell you what’s up), but the numbers alone prove that VC has fallen from the elite. And “the numbers alone” prove that my entire list is better than VC, which is what prompted my giggle. Pierce was better than VC for the last couple years, and KG has ALWAYS been better, and I would love for you to argue otherwise.
McGrady is equal to Vince, except that McGrady has always had an equal/worse supporting cast than him, so he’s been focused on. I don’t like either player, but they both are the same gunner type player. That having been said, T-Mac does better in a tougher Conference even though he has a comparable supporting cast…so please don’t compare them. “Your man has talent, but not success”…
…which leads us to Nash and Nowitzki. Three MVPs between them, more points, more 3 fg%, better ft% and most importantly, MUCH FARTHER in the playoffs, much more versatile, and much more impact on the game than your weak ass boy. Yes. Please go on. I would like to hear a real reason that VC is even top 20, let alone top 15.
Pathetic…
September 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am
heartbreaker85 says:
to say that the nets would make the playoffs would be too much..
but give the guy a break, no one here can beat him one on one and stop vs from dunking on their heads. he just doesnt bring it 65 games out of the possible 72.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:10 pm
dagwaller says:
Heartbreaker, I can’t beat Gerald Green 1v1 or in a dunk contest - that doesn’t make him a top 15 player.