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| Finally, in Deron Williams and Brook Lopez' third season with each other on the Nets, they appear to be playing with the level of chemistry that other famous point guard-center duos have in the league's history, like John Stockton and Karl Malone for example |
Ever since it moved from Long Island, N.Y. to New Jersey in the 1970s, the Nets franchise was just about as invisible as possible, outside of its pair of lost NBA Finals in the early 2000s.
Playing in the worst facilities in the league at the time–the arena in The Meadowlands that has been Brendan Byrne Arena, The Continental Airlines Arena, and The Izod Center), the squad from New Jersey was mostly stuck in the cellar in terms of record, attendance, fanbase, and overall interest.
Sure, there were those loyal diehards here and there who made the awful schlep to The Meadowlands for the team's 41 home games or just watched the rest at home. Conversely, unlike fans of other pro sports franchises, these diehards appeared to be few and far between.
When one would make the irrational and crazy decision to go to a home Nets game during this time, especially in the latter part of the 2010s, he/she would notice that much of the crowd didn't seem to be too interested in the on-court action. On the contrary, they would rather win a t-shirt cannon t-shirt than see a winning product on the court.
But now, it is different. The Nets have moved into the most-populous borough of the United States' most-populous city, which happens to be quite different from East Rutherford and Newark, the two cities in New Jersey they had been based in.
As opposed to a relative sideshow, the Nets are now a destination.
For basically its entire existence as a franchise, the Nets have not been very competitive or successful. However, in just their first year in Brooklyn, the Nets are playoff-bound, have clinched a winning road record for the first time in team history, sold out the Barclays Center multiple times, and become a legitimate contender.
It is rare that such a transformation can be seen in a team from just one year to the next. After going just 22-44 last season, the Nets are now well above .500 and are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The move from cellar-dweller to tough contender has been made in roughly one season, although the seeds for it were previously planted with the trades for Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace. These moves, of course, have worked with more recent ones (like the Joe Johnson trade) to compile an intimidating and deep roster for P.J. Carlesimo's squad.
The credit for this cosmic shift belongs to multiple people living in multiple countries.
Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire that has financed much of the New Jersey-to-Brooklyn move, is a major figurehead for the Nets' departure from NBA bottom-feeder. Billy King, the general manager who has constructed this team's roster, has shown the ability to swing complicated deals to bring star talent back to the Nets. P.J. Carlesimo, the interim coach taking over for the fired Avery Johnson, has steadied the ship wonderfully and has utilizedthe team's varied talent and skill-sets as best as one in his tough situation could do.
All the Nets' players, especially Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, have also played a major role in the team's transformation. Without talented players, becoming a contender would be impossible.
The only main obstacle Brooklyn faces in its quest to the top of the NBA is the Miami Heat.
An almost unbeatable force so far this year, Miami is 3-0 against Brooklyn, having blown the Nets out every time the teams have faced each other. Even if the Nets are able to advance past one, or maybe two rounds in the playoffs without matching up with Miami, there is nothing short of a miracle that would allow Brooklyn to surpass the Heat to reach the NBA Finals.
Regardless of whether the Nets win a single playoff game this spring or not, the team's maiden Brooklyn season will still be a success for a bunch of reasons. The most prevalent of these reasons? Probably just cause they don't play in New Jersey anymore.
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