Realistic expectations for 2014-2015

[Prokorov]

lopez back allows us to match up much better with the raptors. our biggest issue with them outside of lowry making williams his biotch was that we didnt have the size to handle Jonas. now, not only do we have the size to handle him, but we have the mismatch as lopez is going to give val trouble.

Jonas has got much bigger and stronger over the summer.
In FIFA play he has show more offense was with dream and much better defense except on Pick & Roll, plus he always was a strong rebounder. So still a tough match up and Stiemsma a decent back-up C.

James Johnson is 6ft( excellent defender has the ability to guard 3 positions SG, SF & PF so yes he can handle Joe.

james johnson isnt checking joe johnson. that is just absurd.

im sure jonas will improve, but he simply isnt pushing lopez around the way he did our undersized guys last year and the corpse of kevin garnett.

[Paradise]

lopez back allows us to match up much better with the raptors. our biggest issue with them outside of lowry making williams his biotch was that we didnt have the size to handle Jonas. now, not only do we have the size to handle him, but we have the mismatch as lopez is going to give val trouble.

Jonas has got much bigger and stronger over the summer.
In FIFA play he has show more offense was with dream and much better defense except on Pick & Roll, plus he always was a strong rebounder. So still a tough match up and Stiemsma a decent back-up C.

James Johnson is 6ft( excellent defender has the ability to guard 3 positions SG, SF & PF so yes he can handle Joe.

james johnson isnt checking joe johnson. that is just absurd.

This is the same James Johnson that got traded from Chicago, traded from Charlotte, let go by Toronto, let go by Sacramento and even Memphis didn't keep him last year after putting up some solid stats. Yet, somehow his excellent defense will shut down Joe.

[VinBaker6]

Jonas has got much bigger and stronger over the summer.
In FIFA play he has show more offense was with dream and much better defense except on Pick & Roll, plus he always was a strong rebounder. So still a tough match up and Stiemsma a decent back-up C.

James Johnson is 6ft( excellent defender has the ability to guard 3 positions SG, SF & PF so yes he can handle Joe.

james johnson isnt checking joe johnson. that is just absurd.

This is the same James Johnson that got traded from Chicago, traded from Charlotte, let go by Toronto, let go by Sacramento and even Memphis didn't keep him last year after putting up some solid stats. Yet, somehow his excellent defense will shut down Joe.

Nobody can guard Joe when he's on. Not even LeBron (unless he starts hand checking). The one thing James Johnson will do is not allow him to back down our small wings and get easy shots around the rim. James is a big dude and a solid defender. He can force him into tough shots, but Joe is the type of player to hit them at a solid rate.

At the end of the day, its on Joe to stay aggressive. He;s incredibly skilled, love his game. Needs to get to the FTA more though.

[jbeachboy]

what did raptors do in offseason besides add lowry back and james johnson?

[Prokorov]

what did raptors do in offseason besides add lowry back and james johnson?

they retained patrick patterson and grevis vaques... both key guys for that squad.

signed steimsma and jordan hamilton

[NyCeEvO]

what did raptors do in offseason besides add lowry back and james johnson?

they retained patrick patterson and grevis vaques... both key guys for that squad.

signed steimsma and jordan hamilton

They also added Lou Williams and dropped John Salmons.

[Stolen Identity]

what did raptors do in offseason besides add lowry back and james johnson?

Raptors also retained Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez, Lou Williams, and Lucas Nogueria (acquired from Lou Williams trade; 16th pick in 2013 draft). Will Cherry, Jordan Hamilton, and Greg Stiemsma all be fighting for the final roster spot, unless a trade happens to move other players already under contract to fit all 3. I'm not sure what will happen about that yet.

Draft Picks: Bruno Caboclo, DeAndre Daniels (he'll play in the NBL this season; might be on the team next season)

Subtractions: John Salmons (traded), Steve Novak (traded), and Nando DeColo (signed with CSKA Moscow of Russia), Julyan Stone (waived), and Dwight Buycks (waived). Nobody too significant.

[jbeachboy]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

[Paradise]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

Same here. The Raptors are the same team as last year and they still have questions of their own.

[Zachbretton]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

Same here. The Raptors are the same team as last year and they still have questions of their own.

I also agree but, in many ways it's a toss up. I think our team is solid and is gunna do well this upcoming season, but we saw first hand that this raptor team is developing into a formidable opponent.

For them, the key is to retain, to grow the DeRozan, Jonas and Lowry pairing. That's their key to success, so I don't wanna downplay their ceiling.

I pick us 10/10 times to be a better team than them this season, but over the next couple years, I see that team getting even better as their guys mature


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Stolen Identity]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

Depends on your definition of an upgrade. Salmons and Novak were both dead weight by the time playoffs started for them, especially Salmons. Williams and Johnson at least adds more scoring and athleticism for their bench. It's nothing that significant, but it is an upgrade nonetheless and they should have better impact on a better salary too.

Both teams were close all year long, I expect it so again.

Same here. The Raptors are the same team as last year and they still have questions of their own.

What in your opinion is their biggest question mark and weaknesses ?

[Paradise]

What in your opinion is their biggest question mark and weaknesses ?

I only see about three question marks.

-Can Lowry sustain his play after a contract year?
-Internal Growth
-Health

[Prokorov]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

that "same team" played at a 55-win pace in 2014 and won the division. they didnt really need to get better, they were already good

[MrDollarBills]

james johnson isnt checking joe johnson. that is just absurd.

This is the same James Johnson that got traded from Chicago, traded from Charlotte, let go by Toronto, let go by Sacramento and even Memphis didn't keep him last year after putting up some solid stats. Yet, somehow his excellent defense will shut down Joe.

Nobody can guard Joe when he's on. Not even LeBron (unless he starts hand checking). The one thing James Johnson will do is not allow him to back down our small wings and get easy shots around the rim. James is a big dude and a solid defender. He can force him into tough shots, but Joe is the type of player to hit them at a solid rate.

At the end of the day, its on Joe to stay aggressive. He;s incredibly skilled, love his game. Needs to get to the FTA more though.

What kind of whiskey have you been drinking, Vin?

Joe will abuse James Johnson just like he abused Derozan and Ross. Please stop coming onto our board spewing nonsense.

[MrDollarBills]

i still think we are better than raptors if we are healthy, they really didnt upgrade besides bring back same team

I think that we will be the surprise team of the season.

I have a feeling that Bogs is going to be a beast.

[F3LON]

To look at the upcoming season we should look back at last offseason.

The big news from last off season was the Boston trade. I feel like both KG and Pierce came to the Nets unmotivated and/or out of shape and it showed as both played poorly early in the season.

Pierce was so out of shape that he had to be switched to PF because he was too slow to guard SFs. He took half the season to get into shape and it cost the Nets playoff seeding.

KG is known as one of the hardest workers in the NBA but he also known to be a malcontent if he is unhappy. He never looked like he wanted to be here last year and would regularly ditch media session.

AK took off from basketball last offseason and he lost the conditioning necessary to play which I believe led to his back issues.

Deron Williams chose not to get offseason ankle surgery last year and it proved to be a huge mistake. He limped through the season as a shell of the player he has been in the past.

Jarrett Jack wasnt a Net last year but he went into camp with the train wreck that was the Cavs last season. The internal turmoil caused Jack to disconnect from the team. Rumor is that the young players were running the show in Cleveland last year and tuned out proven veteran leaders like Jack and Deng.

The key to success is to buy low and sell high. And in the case of KG, AK, DWill and Jack I think we are buying in at rock bottom prices. All 4 players represent tremendous value.

- As bad as KG was last year he was still leaps and bounds the best rebounder and defensive player on the team. Word is that he is training his ace off for this season and that he plans to stay with the Nets organization in some capacity after this year. We all know what KG is capable of when he puts his heart into it and I think Hollins proven track record on defense will help KG be successful at PF.

- AK obviously didnt see eye to eye with Kidd last season and was grossly underused. It was just 2 years ago in Minnesota that he had one of his best years. Is it far fetched to think that he wont have a much bigger impact in Hollins system that utilized a similar player in Tony Allen. I see AK's arrow pointing way up for the upcoming season.

- DWill finally got ankle surgery that many of us thought he should have gotten 2 years ago. No player in the NBA has more to prove then DWill does this year. A clean bill of health can go a long way in establishing him as one of the top PGs in the game.

- Jack represents something the Nets have never had, a legit 6th man and backup for DWill. Jack was the lynchpin on switching the culture in Golden State two years ago. He checked out mentally last year on the Cavs so we could see a return to his 6th man of the year play.

Both KG and AK are capable of playing all-NBA level defense when healthy.

Jack has been one of the top 6th men in the NBA 2 of the last 3 years.

DWill has been a top 10 PG when healthy.

I like all four of these guys to play much better then they did last year. If only half of them do then we are a much improved team from last year and should be a top 3 team in the East IMO

[Paradise]

To look at the upcoming season we should look back at last offseason.

The big news from last off season was the Boston trade. I feel like both KG and Pierce came to the Nets unmotivated and/or out of shape and it showed as both played poorly early in the season.

Pierce was so out of shape that he had to be switched to PF because he was too slow to guard SFs. He took half the season to get into shape and it cost the Nets playoff seeding.

KG is known as one of the hardest workers in the NBA but he also known to be a malcontent if he is unhappy. He never looked like he wanted to be here last year and would regularly ditch media session.

AK took off from basketball last offseason and he lost the conditioning necessary to play which I believe led to his back issues.

Deron Williams chose not to get offseason ankle surgery last year and it proved to be a huge mistake. He limped through the season as a shell of the player he has been in the past.

Jarrett Jack wasnt a Net last year but he went into camp with the train wreck that was the Cavs last season. The internal turmoil caused Jack to disconnect from the team. Rumor is that the young players were running the show in Cleveland last year and tuned out proven veteran leaders like Jack and Deng.

The key to success is to buy low and sell high. And in the case of KG, AK, DWill and Jack I think we are buying in at rock bottom prices. All 4 players represent tremendous value.

- As bad as KG was last year he was still leaps and bounds the best rebounder and defensive player on the team. Word is that he is training his ace off for this season and that he plans to stay with the Nets organization in some capacity after this year. We all know what KG is capable of when he puts his heart into it and I think Hollins proven track record on defense will help KG be successful at PF.

- AK obviously didnt see eye to eye with Kidd last season and was grossly underused. It was just 2 years ago in Minnesota that he had one of his best years. Is it far fetched to think that he wont have a much bigger impact in Hollins system that utilized a similar player in Tony Allen. I see AK's arrow pointing way up for the upcoming season.

- DWill finally got ankle surgery that many of us thought he should have gotten 2 years ago. No player in the NBA has more to prove then DWill does this year. A clean bill of health can go a long way in establishing him as one of the top PGs in the game.

- Jack represents something the Nets have never had, a legit 6th man and backup for DWill. Jack was the lynchpin on switching the culture in Golden State two years ago. He checked out mentally last year on the Cavs so we could see a return to his 6th man of the year play.

Both KG and AK are capable of playing all-NBA level defense when healthy.

Jack has been one of the top 6th men in the NBA 2 of the last 3 years.

DWill has been a top 10 PG when healthy.

I like all four of these guys to play much better then they did last year. If only half of them do then we are a much improved team from last year and should be a top 3 team in the East IMO

We're basically going to trot out a similar lineup from last season.

35-14 Nets team:

Deron/Livingston/Gutierrez
Anderson/Thornton
Johnson/Kirilenko
Pierce/Teletovic
KG/Blatche/Plumlee

2014-15 team:

Deron/Jack/Gutierrez
Anderson/Bogdanovic
Johnson/Kirilenko
KG/Teletovic
Lopez/Plumlee

Hollins also confirmed they will run motion offense with ball movement and post ups which is exactly what we ran under Kidd. Long as we stay healthy, we should be contending for the Top 4 seeds.

[Paradise]

To look at the upcoming season we should look back at last offseason.

The big news from last off season was the Boston trade. I feel like both KG and Pierce came to the Nets unmotivated and/or out of shape and it showed as both played poorly early in the season.

Pierce was so out of shape that he had to be switched to PF because he was too slow to guard SFs. He took half the season to get into shape and it cost the Nets playoff seeding.

KG is known as one of the hardest workers in the NBA but he also known to be a malcontent if he is unhappy. He never looked like he wanted to be here last year and would regularly ditch media session.

AK took off from basketball last offseason and he lost the conditioning necessary to play which I believe led to his back issues.

Deron Williams chose not to get offseason ankle surgery last year and it proved to be a huge mistake. He limped through the season as a shell of the player he has been in the past.

Jarrett Jack wasnt a Net last year but he went into camp with the train wreck that was the Cavs last season. The internal turmoil caused Jack to disconnect from the team. Rumor is that the young players were running the show in Cleveland last year and tuned out proven veteran leaders like Jack and Deng.

The key to success is to buy low and sell high. And in the case of KG, AK, DWill and Jack I think we are buying in at rock bottom prices. All 4 players represent tremendous value.

- As bad as KG was last year he was still leaps and bounds the best rebounder and defensive player on the team. Word is that he is training his ace off for this season and that he plans to stay with the Nets organization in some capacity after this year. We all know what KG is capable of when he puts his heart into it and I think Hollins proven track record on defense will help KG be successful at PF.

- AK obviously didnt see eye to eye with Kidd last season and was grossly underused. It was just 2 years ago in Minnesota that he had one of his best years. Is it far fetched to think that he wont have a much bigger impact in Hollins system that utilized a similar player in Tony Allen. I see AK's arrow pointing way up for the upcoming season.

- DWill finally got ankle surgery that many of us thought he should have gotten 2 years ago. No player in the NBA has more to prove then DWill does this year. A clean bill of health can go a long way in establishing him as one of the top PGs in the game.

- Jack represents something the Nets have never had, a legit 6th man and backup for DWill. Jack was the lynchpin on switching the culture in Golden State two years ago. He checked out mentally last year on the Cavs so we could see a return to his 6th man of the year play.

Both KG and AK are capable of playing all-NBA level defense when healthy.

Jack has been one of the top 6th men in the NBA 2 of the last 3 years.

DWill has been a top 10 PG when healthy.

I like all four of these guys to play much better then they did last year. If only half of them do then we are a much improved team from last year and should be a top 3 team in the East IMO

Yeah, I'm starting to see some of that optimism. We're basically going to trot out a similar lineup from last season with a healthier Brook and D-Will.

34-17 Nets team:

Deron/Livingston/Gutierrez
Anderson/Thornton
Johnson/Kirilenko
Pierce/Teletovic
KG/Blatche/Plumlee

2014-15 team:

Deron/Jack/Gutierrez
Anderson/Bogdanovic
Johnson/Kirilenko
KG/Teletovic
Lopez/Plumlee

Hollins also confirmed they will run motion offense and post ups which is exactly what we ran under Kidd. Long as we stay healthy, we should be contending for the Top 4 seeds. I'm very very happy to know Hollins wants them to pick up where they left.

[MrDollarBills]

Lots of post ups with Johnson and Lopez sounds like a good idea to me. I'd prefer Lopez get some looks rolling towards the rim though.

[Prokorov]

We're basically going to trot out a similar lineup from last season.

35-14 Nets team:

Deron/Livingston/Gutierrez
Anderson/Thornton
Johnson/Kirilenko
Pierce/Teletovic
KG/Blatche/Plumlee

2014-15 team:

Deron/Jack/Gutierrez
Anderson/Bogdanovic
Johnson/Kirilenko
KG/Teletovic
Lopez/Plumlee

Hollins also confirmed they will run motion offense with ball movement and post ups which is exactly what we ran under Kidd. Long as we stay healthy, we should be contending for the Top 4 seeds.

i dont view those lineups as similar at at all. one is a small ball team that cant trap the pick and roll anywhere on the court, switch on pretty much any matchup, get up and down the floor. Also, I think its a bit misleading to put andersonin the starting lineup that went 35-14 when it was really livingston who started. I LOVE anderson, one of my favorite players we have, but livingston started the bulk of those games

that first group was a fast team, that could defend, generated a TON of steals, and really moved the ball.

That second group is slower. it has more size. it has more post offense. it is more succeptable to being exploited defensively and in the full court.

I dont view those lineups as really anything alike. I know Dwill/AA/Joe are hold overs, but KG/Brook is simply an enormous disparity to Pierce/KG. not even speaking to if its better or worse, its just a complete 180 of ability, team dynamic, style, pros and cons.

I really dont see them being comporable.