The Brooklyn Nets had a decent season in 2013-2014. This wasn’t a runaway success, but it was better than the season before it. But how will the Nets move forward in the Eastern Conference standings?
What Went Wrong Last Season?
The Nets muddled through 82 games in their last regular season. This was not an impressive team, and that’s why it finished only sixth in the weak Eastern Conference. The Nets didn’t average even 99 points per game on offense, putting them in the bottom third of the league. The Nets were limited because they committed a ton of turnovers. Brooklyn finished in slot 29 out of 30 in terms of limiting turnovers. This team gave away far too many possessions. As a result, the Nets finished 29th in the league in the number of field goal attempts and field goals made. Those low numbers are so bad that even slight to modest improvements would only make the Nets 20th in the league or thereabouts. That might not be good enough to move forward in the coming season.
The Nets’ problems with overall field goal attempts and made shots spilled into their two-point shooting numbers. The Nets were in the bottom three in the league in two-point attempts and made shots. This team was also a poor rebounding team – 28th in offensive rebounds, 28th in defensive rebounds, and 29th overall. The team was 24th in assists, something you’d expect of a team that didn’t rate very highly in made field goals. What’s harder to determine is if the low number of assists is more about the passers on this team or its collection of shooters. This team also finished at 28 in the league in blocked shots, and at 21 out of the Association’s 30 teams in terms of fouls committed. This was an ordinary team, and that goes to the point that the Nets relied on a lot of older veteran players who do not have the footspeed of other younger teams.
Offseason Changes
The Nets’ biggest change came off the court. Coach Jason Kidd was given his big break in coaching by the Nets, but he quickly abandoned the organization by bolting to Milwaukee and ousting Larry Drew as the head coach of the Bucks. The move stunned the Nets, but this organization moved on by hiring Lionel Hollins as its new head coach. Hollins is a veteran coach, having spent several seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and leading the team to the 2013 Western Conference Finals before it got swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Hollins knows how to coach defense, but his Memphis teams were never that good on offense. Since there’s no Zach Randolph-Marc Gasol combination in Brooklyn, the Nets might have a tough time playing the kind of defense they need.
This team also goes into the season without Paul Pierce, who left for the Washington Wizards, probably sensing that he had more of a championship window with a much younger team. The Nets’ main new pickup is Jarrett Jack, who really isn’t a defensive answer, but could be a source of production on offense.
Projected Finish
The Nets did well to make the second round of the playoffs last year. They’ll find it hard to do that well this season, mostly because Cleveland is now another top team in the East, while Atlanta should be better if injuries don’t emerge. Without a dramatically improved roster, the Nets don’t have a real way forward.
Pick: 8th In The Eastern Conference
