I really think that Nets could be Heat's kryptonite this year

[RagaZ]

PP, KG, Terry = Heat killers.

They've got size in Lopez, Evans, Garnett, Kirilenko. Heat hates that.

Top 3 point shooters like Pierce, Terry, Johnson, Teletovic. Heat hates that.

Jason Kidd on the bench who knows how to beat the Heat(2011 finals).

Last year it was Pacers, who were the team that Heat struggled against. I feel that the 2013-14 Nets will be the team that will give Heat major problems this season.

[Parps]

They'll definitely have a harder time this year coming out of the East with Granger back for Indiana (3pt shooting), Brooklyn's upgrades and Drose back for the Bulls.

That being said, I think they still take it all.

...and Lebron posterized Terry, so it cancels out all the stuff you said. :D

[316MIA]

The Pacers were a threat last year because nobody on the Heat had a answer for Roy Hibbert in the "post"..Nobody on Brooklyn is known for posting up. KG did it in that playoff series against the Heat from time to time but he didn't do it consistently..And it's well known that Brook Lopez is soft

Joe Johnson shot 30% in 3 games against the Heat last year and only shot 23% from 3 point range..so um yea, you can go ahead and take him off that 3 point threat list of yours :lol & Teletovic? How many minutes has he even played last year? :biggums:

The only real threat to the Heat on that team is Kirilenko. He guards LeBron very well and I feel he doesn't get enough credit around the league

[Rose'sACL]

i really hope for a fully healthy nets team taking heat to a 7 game in a series. No matter who wins it will be a really good series if nets are healthy plus i will be in brooklyn at that time so i could go to a few games.

[scm5]

Kidd knows how to defend Lebron and he has three players that either know how to play Lebron or are capable enough to do so in Pierce, JJ, and AK.

The key in the past has been to not let Lebron get comfortable with his defender. The Mavs threw Barea, Kidd, and Marion at Lebron but Marion did such a good job that they left him as the primary defender.

With the Spurs, they followed the same formula with Green, Kawhi, and Diaw which worked for most of the series.

[Nastradamus]

They are definitely built the right way for it. Lopez is a tough matchup for them, KG and Pierce know how to defend them to some degree and they have a lot of length, depth,scoring and experience. Length and athleticism on the wing is the one question. AK helps, but the PP/JJ combo is a bit slow of foot on the perimeter. They are big though.

[salwan]

if they are 100% healthy, they will give miami a hard time.

but Im not sure they can stay healthy all year long

[LikeABosh]

Maybe if it was 2008

[Harison]

If health allows, Nets potentially can beat anyone, but thats a big if. Deron's ankle, Lopez legs, PP and KG battling injuries for years, etc.


The Pacers were a threat last year because nobody on the Heat had a answer for Roy Hibbert in the "post"..Nobody on Brooklyn is known for posting up. KG did it in that playoff series against the Heat from time to time but he didn't do it consistently..And it's well known that Brook Lopez is soft

Over 50% of Lopez points comes in the post, and since KG will provide more spacing - you can expect even more post scoring this season. Watch last Nets game for preview.

About Lopez being soft, read Nene's comments after the game few days ago - Nene was publicly crying how Lopez physically manhandled him. I know from where you're coming about softness, but situation in the team is changing, and Lopez is growing up as well.



The only real threat to the Heat on that team is Kirilenko. He guards LeBron very well and I feel he doesn't get enough credit around the league

AK probably will be the main Lebron's defender, and I agree AK doesnt get enough credit, plus Nets have many bodies to throw at Lebron, so fouls shouldn't be a big issue either.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

I wonder how much KG and Pierce have left. When healthy this squad is ****ing loaded. No doubt.

[Lebron23]

Heat would beat the nets in 5 or 6 games. They match up pretty well against Brooklyn.

[ralph_i_el]

They look good. Kirelinko should do as well as anybody can at guarding Lebron. Good size. Who's gonna D wade?

[DaSeba5]

Depends on their health and on their legs come playoff time. They won't play Miami until at least the 2nd round. I still fear the Pacers and Bulls more though.

[It's A VC3!!!]

It's too early to tell. The Nets haven't shown much of anything just yet. I guarantee that the first 10+ game winning streak they go on, fans will be saying "Nets better than the Heat".

[SilkkTheShocker]

Nets are old and led by a loser like Deron Williams.

Im not even sure they can beat the Knicks in a series

[talamo]

The Nets can definently take the Heat in a series. The biggest mismatch is Lopez - ??? whoever they fill in at center

[ProfessorMurder]

The Nets can definently take the Heat in a series. The biggest mismatch is Lopez - ??? whoever they fill in at center

You don't think that Deron Williams is a mismatch over Chalmers?
Lopez won't get stopped by Birdman.
KG historically craps on Bosh.

Both benches are strong.

If the AK/Pierce/JJ can slow down LeBron the Nets can win.

I think the Nets and Pacers have a shot at beating Miami.

[niko]

The Pacers wings are fast and athletic. They also controlled the boards. The Nets don't look like an elite rebounding team, and their starting wings are slow as shit. Miami is a terrible matchup for them, it takes some of their core strengths (the size, the experience) and neutralizes them. Miami is going to run out on every miss and almost no one on Brooklyn can keep up.

The problem with the Nets/Heat matchup is the Nets will score basket by basket and the Heat will go on little spurts.

I also rather have Lebron than the whole Nets starting lineup, who do you think is a lock to play well, Lebron/Wade or All 5 Nets starters?

[All Net]

They have a shot if everybody is healthy I suppose but the fact their best player is still Deron Williams may hold them back. Guess it depends on KG’s impact vs Bosh.

Still Heat in 6 is most likely. If not 5.

[mr beast]

both nets and pacers will give heat a lot of trouble but it depends on how Greg Oden impacts the game in the paint on the defensive end.

it really comes down to if Oden/Bosh/Birdman can hold their ground against the twin tower from Nets/Pacers

[imdaman99]

look if not the knicks, than id want anyone else to beat the heat.
then i will root for the thunder to kill the nets in the finals. works out :banana:

[It's A VC3!!!]

The Pacers wings are fast and athletic. They also controlled the boards. The Nets don't look like an elite rebounding team, and their starting wings are slow as shit. Miami is a terrible matchup for them, it takes some of their core strengths (the size, the experience) and neutralizes them. Miami is going to run out on every miss and almost no one on Brooklyn can keep up.

The problem with the Nets/Heat matchup is the Nets will score basket by basket and the Heat will go on little spurts.

I also rather have Lebron than the whole Nets starting lineup, who do you think is a lock to play well, Lebron/Wade or All 5 Nets starters?
The Nets were a great rebounding team last year and got KG and AK.. These additions will make them an elite rebounding team.

[scm5]

The Pacers wings are fast and athletic. They also controlled the boards. The Nets don't look like an elite rebounding team, and their starting wings are slow as shit. Miami is a terrible matchup for them, it takes some of their core strengths (the size, the experience) and neutralizes them. Miami is going to run out on every miss and almost no one on Brooklyn can keep up.

The problem with the Nets/Heat matchup is the Nets will score basket by basket and the Heat will go on little spurts.

I also rather have Lebron than the whole Nets starting lineup, who do you think is a lock to play well, Lebron/Wade or All 5 Nets starters?

KG is a better rebounder than Hibbert is and always turns it up during the postseason. The problem with your analysis is that you assume the Heat will be able to keep the Nets' rebounding at bay.

Let's break it down last regular season:

KG TRB%: 15.5
Lopez TRB%: 13.4
Total: 28.9

Hibbert TRB%: 16.1
West TRB%: 12.9
Total: 29.0

The front court of the Nets have roughly the same TRB% as the front court of the Pacers did.

Let's look at the perimeter players (Top 4)

Pierce TRB%:11.2
AK TRB%: 10.2
JJ TRB%: 4.9
Deron TRB%: 4.8
Total: 31.1

George TRB%: 11.3
Granger TRB% (12'): 6.8
Stephenson TRB%: 7.4
Hill TRB%: 6.0
Total: 31.5

Again, they are roughly the same.

You must have also forgotten 11' when the old as shit Mavs took Miami to school.

Or how about last year when the similarly old as shit Spurs neutralized Lebron/Wade's fast break points for most of the series.

This Nets team is going to be a nightmare for the Heat.

[It's A VC3!!!]

KG is a better rebounder than Hibbert is and always turns it up during the postseason. The problem with your analysis is that you assume the Heat will be able to keep the Nets' rebounding at bay.

Let's break it down last regular season:

KG TRB%: 15.5
Lopez TRB%: 13.4
Total: 28.9

Hibbert TRB%: 16.1
West TRB%: 12.9
Total: 29.0

The front court of the Nets have roughly the same TRB% as the front court of the Pacers did.

Let's look at the perimeter players (Top 4)

Pierce TRB%:11.2
AK TRB%: 10.2
JJ TRB%: 4.9
Deron TRB%: 4.8
Total: 31.1

George TRB%: 11.3
Granger TRB% (12'): 6.8
Stephenson TRB%: 7.4
Hill TRB%: 6.0
Total: 31.5

Again, they are roughly the same.

You must have also forgotten 11' when the old as shit Mavs took Miami to school.

Or how about last year when the similarly old as shit Spurs neutralized Lebron/Wade's fast break points for most of the series.

This Nets team is going to be a nightmare for the Heat.
thank you. great post.:applause:

[niko]

The Nets were a great rebounding team last year and got KG and AK.. These additions will make them an elite rebounding team.
KG isn't as good a rebounder as the guys you had in there before. He's better at everything else, but he's a weaker rebounder than Evans. You were 10th last year and didn't add rebounding. KG avg'd 7.8 rbs a game. He's not young anymore.

I get the Nets are better but that doesn't make every one of their players the best in the league. You can continue this conversation on your own for 2 reasons.
1) In a month we'll argue about Lopez opposite when you declare him the biggest piece of shit in the league and want him traded after he grabs 2 rebounds vs. Miami
2) It's laughable Brook Lopez is dominant. He's just not that type of player to do it game after game. Sorry.

[It's A VC3!!!]

KG isn't as good a rebounder as the guys you had in there before. He's better at everything else, but he's a weaker rebounder than Evans. You were 10th last year and didn't add rebounding. KG avg'd 7.8 rbs a game. He's not young anymore.

I get the Nets are better but that doesn't make every one of their players the best in the league. You can continue this conversation on your own for 2 reasons.
1) In a month we'll argue about Lopez opposite when you declare him the biggest piece of shit in the league and want him traded after he grabs 2 rebounds vs. Miami
2) It's laughable Brook Lopez is dominant. He's just not that type of player to do it game after game. Sorry.
KG is a weaker rebounder than evans but we didn't lose evans. he went back to the bench and will supply the bench with 5-8 rebounds a game. ak will toss in another 5, as will blatche. that's something we did not have last year. our bench will average like 5-8 more rebounds than last year's bench.

and by dominant i meant that he will average 23 ppg. for a center, that's amazing.

[abuC]

If the AK/Pierce/JJ can slow down LeBron the Nets can win.



None of those guys has ever done a good job of guarding LeBron.

[It's A VC3!!!]

None of those guys has ever done a good job of guarding LeBron.
True. The Nets are not going to beat the Heat because they stopped LeBron. No team is going to ever stop LeBron at this point in his career. The well-oiled Spurs thought that they had figured out a defense to contain LeBron and he erupted in game 6 and 7 and shut them up.

The only way we're going to win is 1) Brook averages 25-30 PPG in that series. 2) Wade is held to under 20 points for the series. 3) Our bench dismantles the Heat bench.

Do I like our chances? Somewhat.. Heat are too familiar with each other and they still have LeBron. My fanism will say that the Nets would beat the Heat but realistically the Heart are still better and would win in a 7 game series.

[zoom17]

Sorry but the packers and bulls are bigger threats to the heat.

[zoom17]

I don't know whats worse when knicks fans thought they would be a threat to the Heat when they got melo or now this overrated Nets team accept the same result Nets fans:oldlol:

[niko]

True. The Nets are not going to beat the Heat because they stopped LeBron. No team is going to ever stop LeBron at this point in his career. The well-oiled Spurs thought that they had figured out a defense to contain LeBron and he erupted in game 6 and 7 and shut them up.

The only way we're going to win is 1) Brook averages 25-30 PPG in that series. 2) Wade is held to under 20 points for the series. 3) Our bench dismantles the Heat bench.

Do I like our chances? Somewhat.. Heat are too familiar with each other and they still have LeBron. My fanism will say that the Nets would beat the Heat but realistically the Heart are still better and would win in a 7 game series.
The problem is you are slow, and the Heat are not, and slow teams get eaten alive by the heat. The Pacers are big, but not slow. The Nets are big and slow. Lebron will be stopped by who in transition? PP? JJ? KG?

Did you see the Bulls/Pacers game? Those are teams that can play with Miami. The Nets look like an NBA built contender from 15 years ago, not now.

[PJR]

Why is this myth that Brook Lopez is some force that gives the Heat problems being perpetuated? Bosh has throughly outplayed him every time. He's one of the few starting 5's that's actually softer than Bosh. :oldlol:

And no one is scared of any team who's best prime player is Deron Williams.

[longtime lurker]

Nets don't have the athleticism on the perimeter to deal with the Heat. Imagine if they had signed Corey Brewer the team. Perfect fit.

[RagaZ]

I think Dwill will be good again now that he's got 2 HOF'ers and Kidd as a coach.

2 years ago KG and Pierce took Heat to 7 games. You could argue that the Nets team they play on now is better than that 2012 Celtics team.

[DuMa]

I think Dwill will be good again now that he's got 2 HOF'ers and Kidd as a coach.

2 years ago KG and Pierce took Heat to 7 games. You could argue that the Nets team they play on now is better than that 2012 Celtics team.

you can also now argue that the Heat have gotten so much better since then with the addition of Ray Allen and better chemistry with players on offense knowing their roles so much better.

[TheReal Kendall]

:facepalm


If they play like they do on 2k14 then..... yea

[RagaZ]

you can also now argue that the Heat have gotten so much better since then with the addition of Ray Allen and better chemistry with players on offense knowing their roles so much better.
Heat were much better in the 2012 Playoffs than 2013.

At the end of day both Pacers and Spurs took them to 7 games last year. Even Roseless Bulls played them tough.

[talamo]

You don't think that Deron Williams is a mismatch over Chalmers?
Lopez won't get stopped by Birdman.
KG historically craps on Bosh.

Both benches are strong.

If the AK/Pierce/JJ can slow down LeBron the Nets can win.

I think the Nets and Pacers have a shot at beating Miami.

I agree and who ever doesnt is a scared Heat fan

[Joey3000]

I really think that Nets could be Heat's kryptonite this year

You think or you hope?

[Eric Cartman]

You think or you hope?

Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

[All Net]

Heat were much better in the 2012 Playoffs than 2013.

At the end of day both Pacers and Spurs took them to 7 games last year. Even Roseless Bulls played them tough.

It's about match-ups.

[jzek]

PP, KG, Terry = Heat killers.


Not anymore since they're all 40 year olds...

[aj1987]

2 years ago KG and Pierce took Heat to 7 games. You could argue that the Nets team they play on now is better than that 2012 Celtics team.
2 years ago KG and Pierce were 35 and 33 years. You could argue that the Heat team now is much better than the '12 Heat.

[secund2nun]

They are really old. The Heat will run them out of the building.

[The JKidd Kid]

The problem is you are slow, and the Heat are not, and slow teams get eaten alive by the heat. The Pacers are big, but not slow. The Nets are big and slow. Lebron will be stopped by who in transition? PP? JJ? KG?

Did you see the Bulls/Pacers game? Those are teams that can play with Miami. The Nets look like an NBA built contender from 15 years ago, not now.

Dallas was slower. Who will stop Brook Lopez and then Andray Blatche? Do you really want Mario Chalmers guarding DWill for the entire series since the Nets wings are too big for Lebron/Wade to switch out on him? Who's going to prevent the Nets from getting offensive boards, since they were one of the best last season?

On the other hand, who in this league can stop Lebron on the break anyway? Not Paul George or Luol Deng, I don't think even Scottie Pippen would be able to.

[niko]

Dallas was slower. Who will stop Brook Lopez and then Andray Blatche? Do you really want Mario Chalmers guarding DWill for the entire series since the Nets wings are too big for Lebron/Wade to switch out on him? Who's going to prevent the Nets from getting offensive boards, since they were one of the best last season?

On the other hand, who in this league can stop Lebron on the break anyway? Not Paul George or Luol Deng, I don't think even Scottie Pippen would be able to.
Dallas had a ton of speed on the wings, plus Dallas had a player (Dirk) who had a better series than Lebron did. Also, Lebron if you recall suffered a nervous breakdown.

I'm sorry, but the Heat dismantled you and although you got better, you didn't address the weaknesses at all that allowed them to be so much better. I don't see why Lebron who gets better and better would be threatened by a much better but old and still slow Net team.

[poido123]

Dallas had a ton of speed on the wings, plus Dallas had a player (Dirk) who had a better series than Lebron did. Also, Lebron if you recall suffered a nervous breakdown.

I'm sorry, but the Heat dismantled you and although you got better, you didn't address the weaknesses at all that allowed them to be so much better. I don't see why Lebron who gets better and better would be threatened by a much better but old and still slow Net team.

Time will tell on the Nets.

May take a year to get the chemistry, which they probably only have a 1 or 2 year window anyways.

Your post sounds more biased than actual reality.

This Nets team with the pieces they added essentially addressed all their weaknesses ie. Leadership, Defense, 3 point shooting and now have a team (if healthy) with the talent to beat anyone.

[scm5]

Also, you have to think that KG will get on Lopez about rebounding.

[aj1987]

Time will tell on the Nets.

May take a year to get the chemistry, which they probably only have a 1 or 2 year window anyways.

Your post sounds more biased than actual reality.

This Nets team with the pieces they added essentially addressed all their weaknesses ie. Leadership, Defense, 3 point shooting and now have a team (if healthy) with the talent to beat anyone.
KG is 37 and Pierce is 35. Terry is 35+ (I think). They either win the title with this team this year (they won't) or they won't at all, until they completely rebuild.

[The JKidd Kid]

Dallas had a ton of speed on the wings, plus Dallas had a player (Dirk) who had a better series than Lebron did. Also, Lebron if you recall suffered a nervous breakdown.

I'm sorry, but the Heat dismantled you and although you got better, you didn't address the weaknesses at all that allowed them to be so much better. I don't see why Lebron who gets better and better would be threatened by a much better but old and still slow Net team.

I've been saying it all summer. This team is going to look and play completely different from last year, I don't think that losses from last year which were mainly caused by lack of effort and adjustments will be a problem this season. If you watch the games against the Heat last season, the Nets would be close at half time and then the Heat would pull away in the 3rd quarter because of the Nets lack of adjustments made at half time and lack of a sense of urgency. (This happened with most teams, not just the Heat. Even with scrubby teams we would go out to a 20 pt lead and then it would all go to shit in the 3rd quarter.) i do t think adjustments will be a problem since we have defensive genius like Frank and offensive genius like Welch and Kidd on our sidelines.

You're right about Dirk and Lebrons mental breakdown but the only speed Dallas had came from the 6'2 Terry and 5'8 Barea. I honestly believe this team has the offensive ability, rebounding ability zand the veteran understanding to control the pace of the game and force Lebron to beat them by HIMSELF in the half court.

[niko]

I've been saying it all summer. This team is going to look and play completely different from last year, I don't think that losses from last year which were mainly caused by lack of effort and adjustments will be a problem this season. If you watch the games against the Heat last season, the Nets would be close at half time and then the Heat would pull away in the 3rd quarter because of the Nets lack of adjustments made at half time and lack of a sense of urgency. (This happened with most teams, not just the Heat. Even with scrubby teams we would go out to a 20 pt lead and then it would all go to shit in the 3rd quarter.) i do t think adjustments will be a problem since we have defensive genius like Frank and offensive genius like Welch and Kidd on our sidelines.

You're right about Dirk and Lebrons mental breakdown but the only speed Dallas had came from the 6'2 Terry and 5'8 Barea. I honestly believe this team has the offensive ability, rebounding ability zand the veteran understanding to control the pace of the game and force Lebron to beat them by HIMSELF in the half court.
Stevenson, Matrix, Brewer also. Not just Terry and Barea. Essentially Dallas spread the floor, shot threes, Chandler sat in the middle and everyone chased the fast guys around. And Miami was still in there Wade/Lebron taking turns mode.

It's a terrible matchup, i get everyone is all optimistic in Net land, but the Nets lack of speed and athleticism on the wings will be so exposed vs. them it's not funny.

Unless the Nets destroy them on the boards or become a top two/three defensive team it's a really horrid matchup.

[The JKidd Kid]

Stevenson, Matrix, Brewer also. Not just Terry and Barea. Essentially Dallas spread the floor, shot threes, Chandler sat in the middle and everyone chased the fast guys around. And Miami was still in there Wade/Lebron taking turns mode.

It's a terrible matchup, i get everyone is all optimistic in Net land, but the Nets lack of speed and athleticism on the wings will be so exposed vs. them it's not funny.

Unless the Nets destroy them on the boards or become a top two/three defensive team it's a really horrid matchup.

I really don't think it's a bad matchup at all. This team is going to spread the floor extremely well with our perimeter players all shooting close to 40% from 3 last year. And you know that I'm not as high on Lopez as most Nets fans, but he's a MUCH better offensive threat than that Dallas team. You also forget that that was back when Wade could actually take a turn and not just play off of Lebron. The way Dallas stopped the break wasn't with speed, it was by fighting for offensive rebounds and preventing the outlet pass. The way they stopped Lebron was by placing a long defender in Marion(Kirilenko) on him and by doubling/triple teaming him when he had the ball and forcing him to pass. People don't give enough credit to Dallas defensive schemes and pretend like it was a Lebron meltdown, when it was probably more Dallas.

I don't see how it's a bad matchup honestly and speed doesn't equal good defense. The a Bulls had Jimmy Butler and Nate and they lost in 5, the Bucks had Jennings, Ellis and Mbah amoute, if it was all about speed they probably would've lost one game by less than 10 points. Westbrook,Sefolosha and Durant basically got swept, the Bulls with Rose/Brewer/Deng were basically swept too.

The teams that either took the heat to 7 games or beat them were the Pacers, Spurs, Celtics and Dallas. Dallas had a slow perimeter of Kidd/Stevenson/Marion and they beat them, the Celtics had 6' Rondo, crippled Allen and injured Pierce and they took them to 7, the Spirs had 160 pound Parker, Green who isn't fast and Kawai Leonard who is a worse defender and smaller and weaker than Kirilenko. The Pacers had Hill who's tiny and then Stevenson who isn't fast and then George who really isn't fast either. What Dallas and the Pacers had were size on the perimeter not speed, like the Nets. The Celtics only fast or big guy was Rondo and he's not stopping anyone on the break. It isn't speed, it's know how and coaching schemes that prevent the fast break.

[It's A VC3!!!]

you didn't address the weaknesses at all that allowed them to be so much better.

Wait, what? The reason the Heat whooped us was because we were soft mentally and physically. We were also a middle-of-the pack defensive team and relied on too much isolation basketball, which the Heat can guard very well. On top of that our bench was very inconsistent and we weren't very deep. Gerald was out with an injury against our first matchup with the Heat and Brook was out our second matchup with them.

I don't know what cave your living in but the Nets upgraded every weakness they had last year. Toughness, heart, defense and isolation basketball will not be a problem for us. Will it rear it's ugly head once in a while? Sure, it does for every team and we're not immune to that but the 2013-2014 Nets do not resemble last year's Nets at all.

People are forgetting that Deron averaged 18/8 last season while playing through injury all season long. Dude is going to be healthy (hopefully) next season.

[ChuckOakley]

As a Nets fan I will openly admit that no, we will not be.
No one will be.

But, if anyone is it will be Indy.

We thought we were last year because or strengths (PG and C) were there weaknesses. That proved to be meaningless.

We don't have the athleticism and quickness to guard them. Simple as that. Chicago is a bigger threat as well.

But.... if somebody else does take out Miami, I think the Nets come out of the East

[AintNoSunshine]

:facepalm Nets is not the kind of teams that sweats the Heat. Pacers, Bulls, Celtics with big 3 are

[niko]

The Net fans act like they've built this perfect dynastic team. You're very talented, you're also very slow, lack athleticism on the wings, and old. If you were building the prototype to take Lebron's Heat out, it would look nothing like the team you built. No team is a good matchup for everyone, according to the Net fans they are the ideal matchup for everyone, despite the fact everyone plays differently.

[ChuckOakley]

The Net fans act like they've built this perfect dynastic team. You're very talented, you're also very slow, lack athleticism on the wings, and old. If you were building the prototype to take Lebron's Heat out, it would look nothing like the team you built. No team is a good matchup for everyone, according to the Net fans they are the ideal matchup for everyone, despite the fact everyone plays differently.
There is no protoype but SAS and Indy have come close and both would be closer with better shooting.

Brooklyn is mainly lacking 1 elite perimeter defender to check LBJ ala George or Leonard. I don't think AK is that guy. Maybe 5 years ago he could have.

[niko]

There is no protoype but SAS and Indy have come close and both would be closer with better shooting.

Brooklyn is mainly lacking 1 elite perimeter defender to check LBJ ala George or Leonard. I don't think AK is that guy. Maybe 5 years ago he could have.
What made Indy such a bitch in the playoffs was the jump their perimeters guys made (and that Hibbert improved). They are fast, strong, and can score. It's really tough.

[G-train]

All depends on Wade's health.
If Beasley and Oden integrate in as well it could get nasty.

[G-train]

I see Miami timing their run a little better this season.
27-0 didn't mean much. They need that form in final month leading into playoffs.

[The JKidd Kid]

There is no protoype but SAS and Indy have come close and both would be closer with better shooting.

Brooklyn is mainly lacking 1 elite perimeter defender to check LBJ ala George or Leonard. I don't think AK is that guy. Maybe 5 years ago he could have.

I would take AK over Leonard 10 times out of 10 if I could. There is no evidence to support the idea that you need athleticism to beat the Heat in the play offs because the only team that beat them was Dallas and that whole Dallas squad really sticks out when you compare them to other teams that won the championship. In essence, you can say that no one has actually beaten the Heat, so then why are you saying you need athleticism to beat them. I honestly don't see how athleticism is better than size/know how when guarding the greatest player in the game. Paul George couldn't guard Lebron and neither could Khawai Leonard, so why are we pretending that they are the only kinds of players that can beat the Heat? Indy, the Bulls and Spurs tried playing the Heat using youth and athleticism and it didn't work, why not give length and veteran experience a try?

[ChuckOakley]

I would take AK over Leonard 10 times out of 10 if I could. There is no evidence to support the idea that you need athleticism to beat the Heat in the play offs because the only team that beat them was Dallas and that whole Dallas squad really sticks out when you compare them to other teams that won the championship. In essence, you can say that no one has actually beaten the Heat, so then why are you saying you need athleticism to beat them. I honestly don't see how athleticism is better than size/know how when guarding the greatest player in the game. Paul George couldn't guard Lebron and neither could Khawai Leonard, so why are we pretending that they are the only kinds of players that can beat the Heat? Indy, the Bulls and Spurs tried playing the Heat using youth and athleticism and it didn't work, why not give length and veteran experience a try?
We tried size last year.
Didn't help as we got our ass spanked every time.
Veteran experience will help, but won't be enough.

[The JKidd Kid]

We tried size last year.
Didn't help as we got our ass spanked every time.
Veteran experience will help, but won't be enough.

We didn't try anything last year. When you have Avery and PJ as coach and Reggie Evans as your starting power forward you didn't actually "try" anything. Gerald Wallace is also smaller than Kirilenko...

Your comment made absolutely no sense considering last years team vs this year.

[ChuckOakley]

We didn't try anything last year. When you have Avery and PJ as coach and Reggie Evans as your starting power forward you didn't actually "try" anything. Gerald Wallace is also smaller than Kirilenko...

Your comment made absolutely no sense considering last years team vs this year.
We were one of the biggest teams in the league last season and continue to be this season. Size did not help last year like we hoped.

Overall, I just don't get the need for homeristic optimism.
We clearly are a better team than last year, but we are not better than the Heat.

[Trollsmasher]

If Brook Lopez is the guy the Nets fans think will beat the Heat, then I am happy:lol

[niko]

I would take AK over Leonard 10 times out of 10 if I could. There is no evidence to support the idea that you need athleticism to beat the Heat in the play offs because the only team that beat them was Dallas and that whole Dallas squad really sticks out when you compare them to other teams that won the championship. In essence, you can say that no one has actually beaten the Heat, so then why are you saying you need athleticism to beat them. I honestly don't see how athleticism is better than size/know how when guarding the greatest player in the game. Paul George couldn't guard Lebron and neither could Khawai Leonard, so why are we pretending that they are the only kinds of players that can beat the Heat? Indy, the Bulls and Spurs tried playing the Heat using youth and athleticism and it didn't work, why not give length and veteran experience a try?
You'd take AK47 over Leonard 10 out of 10 times? Really?

[The JKidd Kid]

You'd take AK47 over Leonard 10 out of 10 times? Really?

To defend a star SF, yes. Leonard doesn't have AK's length, strength, hustle, anticipation, versatility, experience etc. they're really on different levels when it comes to defense. Yay he can jump... That sure helped him a lot in the finals.

[The JKidd Kid]

We were one of the biggest teams in the league last season and continue to be this season. Size did not help last year like we hoped.

Overall, I just don't get the need for homeristic optimism.
We clearly are a better team than last year, but we are not better than the Heat.

It's not homeristic optimism, it's the idea that this team hasn't even played the Heat yet. This years team and last years are completely different, the only similarity is the Home court they play on. You're saying that you need athleticism to beat the Heat. Bull shit. Pacers, Spurs and Bulls tried athleticism and they got their asses handed to them. No one knows how to beat the Heat and no one has tried to use a combination of size and experience against them in the play offs, so how can you say it doesn't work? According to you there is no way to beat the Heat and we might as well not watch the season at all.

We're not a better team than last year, we're a completely different team than last year. Different defense, different offense, different players at every position etc. If this years team didn't have "BROOKLYN" on the front of their jersey's, you wouldn't even recognize them.

[ChuckOakley]

It's not homeristic optimism, it's the idea that this team hasn't even played the Heat yet. This years team and last years are completely different, the only similarity is the Home court they play on. You're saying that you need athleticism to beat the Heat. Bull shit. Pacers, Spurs and Bulls tried athleticism and they got their asses handed to them. No one knows how to beat the Heat and no one has tried to use a combination of size and experience against them in the play offs, so how can you say it doesn't work? According to you there is no way to beat the Heat and we might as well not watch the season at all.

We're not a better team than last year, we're a completely different team than last year. Different defense, different offense, different players at every position etc. If this years team didn't have "BROOKLYN" on the front of their jersey's, you wouldn't even recognize them.
Spurs and Indy got their asses handed to them?
Really?
Are you just trying to troll now?

The Spurs nearly won it if not for Ray Allen and the Pacers need 1 more year of experience to go along with their improved bench and shooting and they can beat Miami.

And if we are a completely different team we're in trouble as we need some sort of chemistry and continuity. Our 2 best and most important players haven't changed, nor has our lack of speed and athleticism on the wings.

[The JKidd Kid]

Spurs and Indy got their asses handed to them?
Really?
Are you just trying to troll now?

The Spurs nearly won it if not for Ray Allen and the Pacers need 1 more year of experience to go along with their improved bench and shooting and they can beat Miami.

And if we are a completely different team we're in trouble as we need some sort of chemistry and continuity. Our 2 best and most important players haven't changed, nor has our lack of speed and athleticism on the wings.

The Pacers and Spurs both lost their series and most people had no doubt that the Heat would win both series. Even when the Spurs were up by 6 in game 6, I had no doubt that the Heat would pull it out. We actually did fix athleticism on the perimeter by adding Kirilenko, who will undoubtedly play more minutes against the Heat than Pierce if they meet in the play offs. Speed and athleticism aren't as important as you are making it out to be. Speed and athleticism doesn't equal defense and there is no evidence supporting that these kinds of players beat the Heat.

By saying were a different team I mean that this years offense will be nothing like last years, this years defense will be nothing like last year and this years leadership and intensity will be nothing like last years. You're acting like all we did was add players, instead of changing the whole identity of the team.

I don't understand how anyone can say we can't beat the Heat even though this team hasn't even played a game yet and no team like this one has ever played the Heat in a playoff series. Plenty of athletic teams have played the Heat in the play offs and guess what? They lost.

[Fudge]

The Pacers were a threat last year because nobody on the Heat had a answer for Roy Hibbert in the "post"..Nobody on Brooklyn is known for posting up. KG did it in that playoff series against the Heat from time to time but he didn't do it consistently..And it's well known that Brook Lopez is soft

Joe Johnson shot 30% in 3 games against the Heat last year and only shot 23% from 3 point range..so um yea, you can go ahead and take him off that 3 point threat list of yours :lol & Teletovic? How many minutes has he even played last year? :biggums:

The only real threat to the Heat on that team is Kirilenko. He guards LeBron very well and I feel he doesn't get enough credit around the league
Spoken like a true idiot Heat fan. :oldlol:

[niko]

The Pacers and Spurs both lost their series and most people had no doubt that the Heat would win both series. Even when the Spurs were up by 6 in game 6, I had no doubt that the Heat would pull it out. We actually did fix athleticism on the perimeter by adding Kirilenko, who will undoubtedly play more minutes against the Heat than Pierce if they meet in the play offs. Speed and athleticism aren't as important as you are making it out to be. Speed and athleticism doesn't equal defense and there is no evidence supporting that these kinds of players beat the Heat.

By saying were a different team I mean that this years offense will be nothing like last years, this years defense will be nothing like last year and this years leadership and intensity will be nothing like last years. You're acting like all we did was add players, instead of changing the whole identity of the team.

I don't understand how anyone can say we can't beat the Heat even though this team hasn't even played a game yet and no team like this one has ever played the Heat in a playoff series. Plenty of athletic teams have played the Heat in the play offs and guess what? They lost.

People say you can't beat the heat for 2 reasons.
1) The reasons you couldn't beat them were not addressed. (the fact you have the reasons you match up badly wrong don't change that)
2) The Heat basically beat you on cue last year. You saw the games. Nets were doing well, Lebron said "this is boring, nets die", and they wiped the floor with you.

Are you reading what you write? You're not saying the Nets "can" beat the heat, as in if things go very well, you're in. You're saying they will and should. That's optimistic to the point of almost delusional.

[The JKidd Kid]

People say you can't beat the heat for 2 reasons.
1) The reasons you couldn't beat them were not addressed. (the fact you have the reasons you match up badly wrong don't change that)
2) The Heat basically beat you on cue last year. You saw the games. Nets were doing well, Lebron said "this is boring, nets die", and they wiped the floor with you.

Are you reading what you write? You're not saying the Nets "can" beat the heat, as in if things go very well, you're in. You're saying they will and should. That's optimistic to the point of almost delusional.

Actually no. You're the one claiming that you can see the future and saying that they have no chance. I'm the one saying that there is no basis for saying that they have no chance considering that no team like this Nets team has ever faced the Heat in a play off series.

1) How do you know what it takes to beat the Heat if no one has done it in a play off series, other than Dallas who many will agree is an outlier. Many teams have tried using athleticism on the wings and they all lost, so how can you say that's the only way to beat the Heat?

2) It wasn't Lebron deciding that he was bored, it was the Nets deciding that it was too much effort to play well in two halves of the game. It was the same shit that happened with every team last season. We would be up by 10 or 20, or in the Heat's case within 5 points and then for some god forsaken reason the 3rd quarter would come and everything would go to shit. Was it because of a lack of effort? Probably. Was it because of the inability of our coaches to make adjustments? Probably. Was it because the other teams best player got "bored"? Absolutely not.

[niko]

Actually no. You're the one claiming that you can see the future and saying that they have no chance. I'm the one saying that there is no basis for saying that they have no chance considering that no team like this Nets team has ever faced the Heat in a play off series.

1) How do you know what it takes to beat the Heat if no one has done it in a play off series, other than Dallas who many will agree is an outlier. Many teams have tried using athleticism on the wings and they all lost, so how can you say that's the only way to beat the Heat?

2) It wasn't Lebron deciding that he was bored, it was the Nets deciding that it was too much effort to play well in two halves of the game. It was the same shit that happened with every team last season. We would be up by 10 or 20, or in the Heat's case within 5 points and then for some god forsaken reason the 3rd quarter would come and everything would go to shit. Was it because of a lack of effort? Probably. Was it because of the inability of our coaches to make adjustments? Probably. Was it because the other teams best player got "bored"? Absolutely not.
Is that a joke? You can easily look at a team and pinpoint what their weaknesses are and what their strengths are. Overcoming them, not so easy, knowing what they are, very easy. Everyone knows what you need to do to best play against Lebron, the same with Jordan years ago, the problem is actually being able to accomplish it.

And I'm sorry, but you talk like last year if the Nets really wanted to, they could have knocked off the Heat. The Heat's effort, not the Nets was spotty. The Heat were the team cruising to open games, not the Nets. You didn't lack effort, you got mauled. You are talking as if the losing team is the one dictating if the winning team wins. That makes very little sense.

[The JKidd Kid]

Is that a joke? You can easily look at a team and pinpoint what their weaknesses are and what their strengths are. Overcoming them, not so easy, knowing what they are, very easy. Everyone knows what you need to do to best play against Lebron, the same with Jordan years ago, the problem is actually being able to accomplish it.

And I'm sorry, but you talk like last year if the Nets really wanted to, they could have knocked off the Heat. The Heat's effort, not the Nets was spotty. The Heat were the team cruising to open games, not the Nets. You didn't lack effort, you got mauled. You are talking as if the losing team is the one dictating if the winning team wins. That makes very little sense.

I'm not saying that we could've beaten them, I'm saying that we could've not lost by an average of 30 points, which is extremely pathetic. I doubt any other team had an average deficit against the heat worse than us.

And no, it was obviously the Nets effort as the same thing happened with every team. Start out strong, finish like shit. That's how it went with 95% of our games and that's why we struggled so much against winnin teams you can't play half a game and expect to beat good teams.

I don't think it takes athleticism to beat the Eheat and there's no evidence to say that it does. Kirilenko has actually played Lebron very well throughout their careers and this season. Same with Joe and Wade. I just don't understand how anyone can say this team has no chance

[305Baller]

If the Nets have a good year this year and become cohesive they have a small shot at upsetting either the Bulls, Pacers or Heat but most likely it will take another year for this team to jell.

[guy]

They have a really good shot I think. KG and Pierce were the Celtics best players last year and they led them to the playoffs. Now, at best there the Nets 3rd and 4th best players, maybe 4th and 5th. Thats huge.

[ChuckOakley]

If the Nets have a good year this year and become cohesive they have a small shot at upsetting either the Bulls, Pacers or Heat but most likely it will take another year for this team to jell.
The Pacers aren't much for the Nets. 3-0 last season, 1 game with no Deron both teams won 49 games.

The Bulls we lost to which was a blessing. We lost because of a lack of leadership, chemistry, coaching and experience. We identified and addressed all those and improved much more than they did by adding KG, PP, AK, JT vs. Rose. If they kept Nate and Marco I would fear them much more.

Heat...no. Pacers and Bulls match up better with Miami than us.

[RagaZ]

2-0 against Heat this preseason :cheers:

[pauk]

They are pretty god damn stacked yes

[jzek]

if by kryptonite you mean losing two games to them in a series then yes

i see no way the nets are beating the heat 4x in 7 games.

[poido123]

if by kryptonite you mean losing two games to them in a series then yes

i see no way the nets are beating the heat 4x in 7 games.

You see no way? Your homer glasses are getting a little foggy :lol

Nets have the scoring, ball movement and defense to beat the heat. Not saying they will beat them, but they can and so can the Bulls and Pacers.

[Papaya Petee]

They beat them in preseason without Wade in the first game and LeBron and Bosh in the second game :roll: Lets see what happens when April is here.

[Pointguard]

Wait, what? The reason the Heat whooped us was because we were soft mentally and physically. We were also a middle-of-the pack defensive team and relied on too much isolation basketball, which the Heat can guard very well. On top of that our bench was very inconsistent and we weren't very deep. Gerald was out with an injury against our first matchup with the Heat and Brook was out our second matchup with them.

I don't know what cave your living in but the Nets upgraded every weakness they had last year. Toughness, heart, defense and isolation basketball will not be a problem for us. Will it rear it's ugly head once in a while? Sure, it does for every team and we're not immune to that but the 2013-2014 Nets do not resemble last year's Nets at all.

People are forgetting that Deron averaged 18/8 last season while playing through injury all season long. Dude is going to be healthy (hopefully) next season.

This. And they are going to be a cohesive defensive team this year with the possibility of being a top three defensive team. Lopez not only looks tougher (Garnett) but more aggressive overall. People talking about the wings running on the Nets you hardly saw that in the later rounds in the East at all last year.

They are two deep at every position. Shaun Livingston looks like he did in his rookie year and I wasn't expecting that (jumping over people for rebounds, and showing his great vision). Nobody is expecting much from Alan Anderson but he looks like he's going to contribute solidly with Terry. Obviously Blatch, Evans and Kirlenko could be starters on other teams. The bench is going to come on aggressively.

Miami seemingly has trouble with older smart aggressive teams on a mission. This Nets team has more talent than SA or Dallas and is should be more aggressive. For whatever strange reason the media is setting out to paint Miami as the villains knowing that Lebron had trouble handling that role. So they will have more pressure than ever before for the three peat. I really think teams are going to go after Lebron this year to see how Miami reacts with him isolated. Its not going to be easy for Miami this year unless Oden pans out like he was once projected.

The Nets are likely to be the four seed as they will rest key players through out the year. The second round will be tough for everybody. The Nets have the ability to adjust better than everybody because their team is really deep with different quality pieces. Garnett will keep them focused and energized. They have the urgency.

[Eric Cartman]

They are pretty god damn stacked yes

This.

[HylianNightmare]

it's up to the nets, pacers or bulls to take the heat down

[Fresh Kid]

If the Nets have a good year this year and become cohesive they have a small shot at upsetting either the Bulls, Pacers or Heat but most likely it will take another year for this team to jell.
u forgot about tha knicks:no: even tho tha nets won't beat them anyway:lol

[ChuckOakley]

The Pacers were a threat last year because nobody on the Heat had a answer for Roy Hibbert in the "post"..Nobody on Brooklyn is known for posting up. KG did it in that playoff series against the Heat from time to time but he didn't do it consistently..And it's well known that Brook Lopez is soft

Joe Johnson shot 30% in 3 games against the Heat last year and only shot 23% from 3 point range..so um yea, you can go ahead and take him off that 3 point threat list of yours :lol & Teletovic? How many minutes has he even played last year? :biggums:

The only real threat to the Heat on that team is Kirilenko. He guards LeBron very well and I feel he doesn't get enough credit around the league
The Nets will be a very good 3 point shooting team (unless Miami is simply one of the worst at defending it). 17-27 last night as D.Will, JJ, PP, Terry, Anderson, Teletovic are all players you have to guard.

[VCDrivesAPorscheToWork]

we already have ESPN ****-ysts with their wishy washy non-committal:

"oh maybe next year... if this and that gels... maybe... if..."

take a stand with your opinion.

Either Lebron is GOD and will win every title the rest of his career and Nets suck

or

Nets have a really good shot and neutralizing the Heat.


This in between stuff is for people with no basketball experience but like attention like Bill Simmons

[Wally450]

I don't call Terry a Heat killer after LeBron absolutely ended his life when he yammed on him Last year.

[ChuckOakley]

They beat them in preseason without Wade in the first game and LeBron and Bosh in the second game :roll: Lets see what happens when April is here.
Why bring up who the Heat were missing and not the Nets?
No D.Williams, AK, Terry game 1 for BK.
No KG, AK game 2 for BK.

[RagaZ]

:cheers: