Realistic expectations for 2014-2015

[Paradise]

Pretty much spot on, last years 55 win pacer team is basically like the prior years 54 win knicks team. sure they won 54 games and were the 2 seed, but we all knew that knicks team had bigger issue and had alot of luck and it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down

this pacers team is the same. they were always a fraud team and having just lost their best player, they are in for a major decline.

And the Pacers have been shopping Hibbert around the league but nobody wanted him. They don't seem so interested in keeping that team together.

[Hello Brooklyn]

I don't see why you guys think the 2nd round is the best we can do. I don't think we would lose to the Heat in a 7 game series.

IF everyone is relatively healthy meaning Deron and Brook are ready to go for the playoffs and most of the season, I see a lot more.

because a team whose best players are dwill and lopez arent good enough go further. we simply arent a very good team. we are talented enough to where we cant be that bad. too many vets with talent to be a 35-40 win team, even with major healthy issues.

but we also arent good enough to win 55 or challenge a second round opponent.

I think we can win 48-52 games. There is also nobody in the East that scares me. The Bulls don't scare me. The Pacers don't scare me. The Raptors definitely don't scare me. The Heat don't scare me.

and we dont scare anyone either. our pieces dont fit well. if you run out our 5 best guys, then our defense is somewhere between average and poor. move KG to center and you are taking our best offensive player off the floor. Dwill is trash and cant be counted on.

teams would love, maybe even tank in order to face us in the playofs

The only team I think has the potential to be dominant is the Cavs. But that depends a lot on how the young guys play.

Not out of the realm of possibility for us to make the ECF with Joe/Deron/Brook all healthy.

you dont need to be dominant to beat us. we arent a very good team. our best players are fringe all-stars and are extremely soft below average defenders.

we are what we are, a 45ish win team who hopefully gets out of the first round... just like the last 2 seasons

You don't have to be good to get past the 2nd round anymore. Theres no great teams in the East. I don't see how Chicago or Indiana are clearly better than us.

And I don't think our pieces don't fit well. It depends on what type of system Hollins implements. Its definitely possible.

I'm not saying you need to be dominant to beat us. I'm just saying its possible for us to beat a team thats not dominant.

Overall, I'm not saying we will get past the 2nd round. I am saying if all goes well, I could see it happening.

[Prokorov]

You don't have to be good to get past the 2nd round anymore. Theres no great teams in the East. I don't see how Chicago or Indiana are clearly better than us.

Indy isnt, in fact it wouldnt shock me if they were fighting to make it into the playoffs. cleveland is, chicago is, the wizards are. and yes you need to be good to get to the conference finals. you dont need to be GREAT, but you need to be good. we are good enough to make the playoffs, no chance we advance to rounds without serious luck(something like a lebron/noah/wall injury)

And I don't think our pieces don't fit well. It depends on what type of system Hollins implements. Its definitely possible.

I'm not saying you need to be dominant to beat us. I'm just saying its possible for us to beat a team thats not dominant.

Overall, I'm not saying we will get past the 2nd round. I am saying if all goes well, I could see it happening.

id put the chances at less then 2% like we would need everything to go right and have something catastrophic happen to the opponent. we are a very flawed team. we have no lineup that is good on both sides of the ball, and our 2 best players are easily exposed, especially in big games.

[F3LON]

Everything comes down to health.

ALL STAR TALENT
- DWill is a wild card because he hasnt been healthy for a while. I could see him being a bum again or I can see him rebounding into a star PG.
- Lopez will be an All Star if he plays 30 minutes a game
- Johnson can also be an All Star if he carries over his play from the end of last year.

GLUE GUYS

Not everyone on the team can be a star. Glue Guys are an important part to any successful team. They lead by example. That can be practicing hard, diving for the loose ball, making the extra rotation on defense and the extra pass on offense. Their impact isnt measured by stats; its measured by floorburns and bruises.

- KG played hurt for most of the season but still made the biggest impact defensively of anyone on the team. I still view him as a valuable asset because he is the best defender and rebounder on the team and he is both a vocal and lead by example leader. His work ethic is good to have around the young guys who get to see what it takes commitment wise to play in this league. He had a bad year shooting last year but I think if he can rebound here then he will make a bigger impact then last year.
- AK also played most of last year hurt. I think he was rushed back because of our slow start. He turns 34 in Feb but I think he has a few good years left in the tank. I expect a lot more from him now that Kidd is gone. It seemed like Kidd had something against AK. His defensive impact is 2nd only to KGs and its no coincidence that we started winning when he returned to the lineup.
- Anderson resigning is vital to the teams prospects this season. He is the only guy capable of defending guards out on the perimeter effectively. He is tenacious, tough and durable. Markel Brown can now be molded in Anderson's likeness.

HIRED GUNS

Hired guns are the guys you bring in to help carry the offensive load. Look no further than LeBron's entourage (Ray Allen, Mike Miller, J Jones) to see how important it is to have guys like this.

- Jared Jack is going to be in contention for 6th man of the year this year. He has produced on the biggest stages and IMO will more then fill the hole created by Pierce's departure. His addition is widely being downplayed because of his time in Cleveland. It was just two years ago when Jack carried an injured Golden State team to the playoffs. He makes Deron expendable IMO if DWill plays at a substandard level again to start the season.

- Bogdanovic can also be a significant contributor. He doesnt lack in confidence that is for sure. Unlike in Euorpe, Bogs wont have the defensive attention. He will have a ton of good looks which I think he can do well with.

- Mirza picked his level of play up towards the end of the last year and is going into the final year of his contract. Unlike his first year as a Net when he came into camp out of shape, I would expect a highly motivated Teletovic to be in tip top shape. Our 2nd unit of Jack - Bogs - AK - Mirza - KG might be the best in the NBA IMO.

YOUNG LEGS

Our biggest addition to this years lineup is the young athlethic guys who are among the top athlethes at their position.

- Plumlee was a breath of fresh air last year with his elite finishing ability. Make no mistake, he will be the starting PF. He is among the top athletes at PF and is a legit 7 footer. He added a couple of post moves to his game this off season. It doesnt matter if he can hit a shot because he was 3rd in the NBA last year at finishing in the paint. I dont want him doing anything else besides putting pressure on the center of opposing defenses.

- Markel Brown has a 43.5 inch vertical!!!!!!! Not only can he jump out of the gym but he can shoot and pass really well. I hope Hollins brings him along slowly but Brown has a pretty good shot of being very good in the next few years. I look forward to seeing him finish in transition.

- Corey Jefferson is another great athlete. He can jump very well for a PF and has a decent stroke. IMO he can develop into a Hump type of player IMO. He is a mature player who can contribute if needed this year.

WATCH AND LEARN

These guys are a few years away.

- Karasev
- Teague

CONCLUSSION

I dont see why we cant win 52-56 games this year if healthy. Our core all have a year under their belts playing together outside of Jack. This team is more balanced between Scorers, Shooters, Defenders and Playmakers. I think the roles will be clearly defined when the season starts and we have enough depth to deal with the nagging injuries we are sure to deal with this year. I think we will get a 3 or 4 seed and can make the Eastern Confrence Finals.

[Prokorov]

i dont think health is that big a key. we had major injuries all over last year and a terrible coach and still won what 45ish games. to me plumlee moving forward instead of back, jack being a top 6th man, bogdanovic/mirza being reliable players and joe johnson playing at the same level as last year are the real keys.

but most importantly. DEFENSE. we lack defenders. we need find a way to make it work. hopefully hollins can improve this and get the best out of everyone. when we put our 5 most talented guys on the floor it includes some of our worst defenders.

[MrDollarBills]

Good team defensive habits can help to disguise bad individual defenders imo. It wasn't like last year's roster was full of lock down defenders but the emphasis on creating turnovers made the Nets a decent defensive club for the most part once they got hot.

- Plumlee was a breath of fresh air last year with his elite finishing ability. Make no mistake, he will be the starting PF. He is among the top athletes at PF and is a legit 7 footer. He added a couple of post moves to his game this off season. It doesnt matter if he can hit a shot because he was 3rd in the NBA last year at finishing in the paint. I dont want him doing anything else besides putting pressure on the center of opposing defenses.

I think Net fans are really selling the kid short. He had a bad playoffs but it was a good learning experience to get his ass kicked like that. He's got a great head on his shoulders, he's coachable, if he can up his rebound rate and become more disciplined defensively he'll be in business. That fact that he is an elite finisher is more than enough reason for him to start.

[kerry kittles]

i dont think health is that big a key. we had major injuries all over last year and a terrible coach and still won what 45ish games. to me plumlee moving forward instead of back, jack being a top 6th man, bogdanovic/mirza being reliable players and joe johnson playing at the same level as last year are the real keys.

but most importantly. DEFENSE. we lack defenders. we need find a way to make it work. hopefully hollins can improve this and get the best out of everyone. when we put our 5 most talented guys on the floor it includes some of our worst defenders.

If you want defense, I see no reason why this lineup couldn't mirror what we were able to do when we went small:

DWill/Anderson/Johnson/AK/Plumlee or KG

The two differences in the lineup bring Anderson who actually started at times, first 7 games of the New Year albeit alongside Livingston and not DWill and games 6-7 where he was alongside DWill. He's not the versatile defender Livingston who can guard 3 positions effectively and was a key in forcing turnovers, but he's no slouch either. He's a tough man to man defender and can guard the 2/3.
I think AK at a minimum can give us what Pierce gave us last year on the defensive end. He can guard multiple positions, has a high IQ, can disrupt passing lanes, and cause turnovers.

I still think health is an issue. I also miss Pierce more than other posters. He played great as a 4 in our small ball lineup. Our current options are:
1. Mirza - inconsistent player who seems more disengaged on the defensive end and on the boards when his shot is off.
2. AK - health concerns
3. Plumlee / never played the 4 before and I question the fit. Hate the shooting 3's stuff.

I think Pierce helps there.

[MrDollarBills]

Can you point to where anyone has spoken about Mason shooting 3s? I thought that he was developing the mid ranger J?

I think that we need to toss last year out. We dont have a 1 thru 3 defender. AA can give us some toughness or fouls at the 2-3 spots. That's it

[F3LON]

Good team defensive habits can help to disguise bad individual defenders imo. It wasn't like last year's roster was full of lock down defenders but the emphasis on creating turnovers made the Nets a decent defensive club for the most part once they got hot.

- Plumlee was a breath of fresh air last year with his elite finishing ability. Make no mistake, he will be the starting PF. He is among the top athletes at PF and is a legit 7 footer. He added a couple of post moves to his game this off season. It doesnt matter if he can hit a shot because he was 3rd in the NBA last year at finishing in the paint. I dont want him doing anything else besides putting pressure on the center of opposing defenses.

I think Net fans are really selling the kid short. He had a bad playoffs but it was a good learning experience to get his ass kicked like that. He's got a great head on his shoulders, he's coachable, if he can up his rebound rate and become more disciplined defensively he'll be in business. That fact that he is an elite finisher is more than enough reason for him to start.

I think we are covered on defensive vs just about every kind of scorer in the NBA

Lopez is a liability when pulled away from the paint but his size and shot blocking ability plays well vs post up bigs like Al Jefferson and Pau Gasol.

Garnett doesnt have the size to stop the post up bigs but he is still very good vs face the basket bigs like Al Horford and LaMarcus Aldridge because of his awareness and defensive positioning.

AK is one of the best in the NBA at guarding these new wave combo forwards like LeBron, Melo, Durrant and George.

Alan Anderson is the guy we can use on the smaller slashing players like Harden, Wade and Wall.

Good offense beats good defense as the saying goes but we have an answer for just about every type of scorer in the NBA.

As for your point on Plumlee you know where I stand on him. I agree with you that Net fans are drastically underselling him. They keep referencing his inability to shoot which then leads into conversations about floor spacing an the inevitable comparisons to Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace. The part they leave out is that Evans had loads of scoring opportunities playing next to Lopez, he just was a poor finisher. Plumlee never got to play with a post up player who commands defensive attention like Lopez does.

Here is a preview of what to expect from our offense.

- Lopez will post up on the left block (Low Post)
- Plumlee will play on the left elbow of the free throw line (Hi Post)
- DWill will handle the ball at the top of the 3 pt line
- Anderson will camp out in the left corner
- JJ will flank DWill on the right bend of the 3 pt line.

Play 1
DWill will run PnR with Plumlee and look for the lob over the top of the defense if Plum's guy doubles or drive to the rim if Plum's guy stays home.

Play 2
DWill will pass the ball down to Lopez. Lopez will have the option to pass to Anderson in the corner or DWill if their guys come to double. Once Lopez gets his shoulders turning to the rim when he posts up Plumlee's guy will be forced to double. This will open the offensive glass to Plumlee who was a very good offensive rebounder last year and should be even better playing next to Lopez. If we play vs a good defense, JJ's guy will have to rotate to Plumlee and JJ will roll to the right corner 3. Lopez will get a lot of assists if he can locate JJ in the corner.

This is where Plumlee will excel and a good coach like Hollins knows this. In both instances he is moving towards the basket and will get to play above the rim. Plumlee will have a size advantage playing the 4 and his ability to jump a number times in a few seconds is ideal for offensive rebounding. So not being able to shoot wont play a factor with him. His defender will be forced to stay home and keep a body on Plum thus making life easier for Lopez and DWill.

[MrDollarBills]

There weren't floor spacing issues with Plumlee last year and there won't be this year. He will punish the defense if they leave him floating. Defenses know that.

We have a good team. I'm telling people this squad is heavily underrated imo. We have a lot of versatility and a combo of vets/youth.

[MGrand15]

There weren't floor spacing issues with Plumlee last year and there won't be this year. He will punish the defense if they leave him floating. Defenses know that.

We have a good team. I'm telling people this squad is heavily underrated imo. We have a lot of versatility and a combo of vets/youth.

There were no spacing issues because he played next to Pierce or Mirza Teletovic at PF. Worst case scenario, he played next to Blatche for a bit.

Him playing at PF is a completely different ball game. It's what I worry about. I don't want Plumlee turning into a super-Reggie Evans on offense. We got away with Evans on offense because Deron, JJ and Lopez were tough to stop even when it was 2 on 1. I'm not willing to try that offense out again (and who knows if Lopez/Deron will be at that level again). And I don't want Lopez floating and taking 18 foot flat footed jumpers all game. Nor do I want Plumlee taking 3 mid-range jumpers a game.

Luckily, this should only be an issue if Plumlee/Lopez play heavy minutes together. In small doses, it should be fine. I see no problem with Plums/KG playing together.

[MrDollarBills]

I see no spacing issues with a Lopez/Plumlee/Johnson/Anderson/Williams line up. None.

Compare that to Lopez/Evans/Wallace/Johnson/Williams. Evans and Wallace led to spacing issues because both were offensively inept. Anderson can stretch the floor.

[Paradise]

Anyone remember this?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkDOh-xWIiU&sns=em[/youtube]

Mason/Brook as a duo will come down to interior passing. If Mason can continue to show improvement in passing, both can co-exist. In the highlights, Evans rebounded as usual but he made plays with interior passing. Both are going to be threats offensively which should open up scoring opportunities for Joe, Deron and the starting SG/SF.

[jbeachboy]

it took 3 or 4 years for hollins to get that grizz team to west finals and east is much improved with cavs, bulls, wizards, pacers next year, bobcats, hawks,

im expecting around 5 to 8 seed and a 2nd round or so, maybe conference finals if things break right and guys are healthy but thats asking alot

[SV1113]

i'm expecting our depth chart to look like this

Lopez/KG/
Teletovic/ Plumlee/ Jefferson
Ak47 / bogdanovic / karasev
JoeJesus / AA/ Brown
Dwill/ Jack/ teague/ guttierez

if Lopez KG and AK47 can all play at least 66 games each we are in great shape. I think D-will returns to being an all-star and hollins gets Joe to maintain agressiveness on offense throughout the season i got the east looking like this.

1 Cavs
2 Bulls
3 Nets
4 Hornets
5 Raptors
6 Wiz
7 Hawks
8 Heat

[De8]

i can see us anywhere from 3-8. i dont see us missing the playoffs. everyone on every site is underrating us and im fine with that

[jbeachboy]

you have miami and wizards too low , they will be higher seed

[F3LON]

1. Chicago

C - Noah | MIrotic
PF - Gasol | Gibson
SF - McDermott | Dunleavy
SG - J Butler | Snell
PG - D Rose | Hinrich

This team is loaded in the front court but their wings look exploitable. Health will be an issue as Rose, Noah and Gasol are all players who miss games quite frequently. Mirotic is a huge X factor. He can be a difference making player. Coaching will put this team in 1st.

2. Washington

C - Gortat | Gooden
PF - Nene | Hump
SF - Pierce | Porter
SG - Beal | Webster
PG - Wall | A Miller

The big question for Washington is how much will they miss Ariza. He was by far their best wing defender. They have good size as long as Nene stays healthy. Otto Porter is the X factor on this team. I could see him starting if Pierce is unable to guard his position.

3. Brooklyn

C - Lopez | KG
PF - Plumlee | Mirza
SF - Johnson | AK47
SG - Anderson | Bogs
PG - DWIll | Jack

I still think we have the deepest team in the East. Lopez and DWill have been given clean bills of health. Health will be a concern but a healthy Nets team is a top 3 team in the East.

4. Cleveland

C- Varejao | Haywood
PF - Love | Thompson
SF - Marion | Miller
SG - Lebron | Waiters
PG - Iriving | Dellavedova

Yes they have Lebron, Love and Iriving. But the rest of this roster looks suspect. Varejao is an OK center but hasnt played a full season in years. Looking at the frontcourts of Chi, Was and Bkl and I dont see how the Cavs are going to match size wise. Bosh is a lot taller height wise then Love and was a much better defender. Bosh was able to play small ball center very well because of this. I cant see Love playing that many minutes at C. Looking at the glut of SFs (Marion, Miller, J Jones) I expect Lebron to play SG. Im not sure how well Irving will play next to Lebron either since he is ball dominate. There will undoubtedly be a feeling out period early since none of their big 3 have ever played together. Unless you see the Cavs finishing with a better record than Chicago, you cant put them higher then 4th. I predict that Chicago will win the Central, Washington will win the SouthEast and that Brooklyn will win the Atlantic.

5. Charlotte

C - A Jefferson | Biyombo
PF - Marvin Williams | Vonleh | C Zeller
SF - MKG | J Taylor
SG - Stephenson | G Henderson
PG - K Walker | G Neal

I like what the Hornets are doing. Stephenson will be Harden-like on this team and his size at the 2 will help balance Walkers lack of size. Its a little known fact that Lance was one of the best catch and shoot players in the NBA last year. That should play well with Al Jefferson. I really liked Vonleh also. He will be one of the top rookies this year. His ability to space the floor will help make up for MKG and Walkers shortcomings. Marvin Williams was also a good pickup. He can play both the 3 and the 4. I think the Hornets are the biggest sleeper team in the NBA.

6. Miami

C - Bosh | C Anderson
PF - McRoberts | Haslem
SF - Deng | Granger
SG - Wade | Ennis
PG - Chalmers | Napier | Cole

I think the Heat will still be a very good team. Health will be a huge concern with this team but the talent is there. I think we will find out that Spolstra is a very good coach and he has a lot of flexibility with this roster. I think Danny Granger was a very good under the radar signing. This is the 2nd year after his knee surgery and we have seen football player bounce back in the 2nd year.

7. Atlanta

C- Horford | Antic
PF - Milsap | Payne
SF - Sefoloshia | D Carroll
SG - Korver | Bazemore
PG - J Teague | Schroder

This team was playing really well towards the end of the season and I can see them being even better as long as Horford can stay healthy. Teague is one of the better young players no one is talking about. I really liked Payne coming out of Mich St and I think he will make an impact as a rookie.

8. Toronto

C- Valanciunas | Hayes
PF - A Johnson | Patterson
SF - DeRozan | Fields
SG - T Ross | LWill
PG - Lowry | Vasquez

I see a big fall for the Raptors. Gasol, Lopez and Horford are all back this year and will expose the weakness the Raptors have in the front court. Lowry and Derozan are good players but they are 2nd tier guys IMO. Their success last year was a surprise even to their own front office. They benefited from the division being down. Brooklyn took 3 months to find their way. NY never recovered from Chandler breaking his leg, Boston never had a fully healthy Rondo. All three of these teams are going to be improved this year. This team is middle of the pack. I just dont see any ALL-NBA talent on this team to get me excited.

[MrDollarBills]

I agree with your assessment about CLE. I wouldn't be so quick to hand them anything.

I think we place no lower than 5th. We have a solid team. Good health + 2 of the new guys becoming solid contributors will make us dangerous imo.

I see Brown being a contributor. A commitment to defense and insane athleticism? He will play.

The Hornets have a sick roster imo. People are seriously overlooking them

[therealbig3]

Cleveland can finish as high as #2 even if Chicago wins the division, btw.

I think people are sleeping on Cleveland. What did they really give up to get Love?

Wiggins? He's completely unproven, even though he obviously has talent.

Bennett? He sucks.

A 1st rounder? Cleveland's pick is going to be pretty high anyway, and again, it's all potential at this point, not actual, on-court impact.

They basically just ADDED LeBron and Love to a team that won 33 games last year. You don't think that together, they're worth an additional 27 wins (which would put the Cavs at 60 wins)? LeBron might have been worth that by himself.

Not to mention, they've already added Miller, and they'll probably sign Marion and Allen as well.