If you’re a Brooklyn Nets fans I feel bad for ya son, cuz the Brooklyn Nets can 99 problems and the ownership is one. Not that there’s anything specifically wrong with Jay-Z’s leadership role in the franchise, it’s just that the team is already being blown apart. The people at the top might be giving up, and all that exorbitant amount of money that was spent went for nothing.
Brooklyn set the payroll record last year and “achieved” a lop-sided loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semi-finals as their return on investment. With Paul Pierce gone, the team takes a step back in 2014-15.
As the season is about to commence, ESPN had their lead team of commentators, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, on conference call to preview the upcoming season with the media. They were asked to assess the management of the Brooklyn Nets and their prospects going forward.
Van Gundy: “they have had some things where they haven’t been stable. I give them credit for even though the moves weren’t necessarily great moves, but for at least trying to give a great product to their fans. Trying to win.
Now, they didn’t work. It’s going to cost them in the future, obviously, with a lot of draft picks and things of that nature. But I’m going to be very interested to see how they play this year.”
But he does believe the Brooklyn Nets are headed to the postseason.
“I like their team. I think they’re a playoff team. But a lot of it goes to health as it always does and are Deron Williams and Brook Lopez going to be healthy. And if they are, they’re going to have a chance to be a top four seed in the East.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2