Broooooooookkklyyyyynnnnn.
The elongated word commonly heard from the Eastern European Hassidic Hipster crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Well, not so much this year, but have Nets fans gotten what they’ve asked for?
Yes, and no, and it starts with the head coach, Jason Kidd. GM Billy King said before the season that the window to win a championship is one year, yet he turns around and hires a rookie head coach who is still wiping the sweat from his forehead from his last game with the Knicks. And, while Nets fans needed to give Kidd a little bit of time, it’s safe to say that time is quickly running out. No one expected a 5-13 start, not to mention a “difference in basketball philosophy” (translation: “we’re going in another direction — away from you”) that has driven assistant Lawrence Frank off the bench, and a $50,000 fine for this little move:
Okay, so the coach has no clue what he’s doing, and has proven on multiple occasions that he might not the best human being around — but that’s not the only thing wrong with this team.
Every knucklehead knew it’d take time for this team to gel, but that process has been delayed with injuries to Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, the team’s two youngest and most talented starters. Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett were all assumed to be secondary pieces, but now these old guys are being asked to carry the load until the other two get healthy.
This is not to say the Nets aren’t a fun team to watch. For one, the emergence of Shaun Livingston as a poor man’s Michael Carter-Williams is a thrill. The 6′ 6″ point guard is athletic and is doing a nice job of filling in for Deron Williams, not to mention third string point guard Tyshawn Taylor is a little spark plug off the bench and runs around the court with reckless abandon.
So, what does the future have in store for the Nets? That all remains to be seen, but as every day goes by fans can only hope that this team grows together, and that Jason Kidd gains more knowledge with every play. If he doesn’t, Larry Frank is waiting in the wings…wait, what’s that again? Err, nevermind.
Still, don’t give up on these guys just yet, as the Nets are always worth tuning in for, with elite scorers in Johnson and Pierce — two players with the potential to go off on any given night.
Oh yeah, another note about Joe Johnson: he’s the best fourth quarter closer in the game.
It’s just too bad the Nets are usually out of a contest by then.
About Ronald Haraka