Official Brooklyn Nets Thread

aussiemjfreak said:

Can't see how people are so excited about all this!? Garnett and pierce are past their prime..... How joe Johnson is inconsistent these days and has deron for the will to perform night in and night out when others don't? Especially at the longer end of the season let alone playoffs!?! Sure, I can see why the nets fans are excited to a point, but if you break it down, there are way to many probables that could go wrong, excluding the gelling of the team and lack of a bench too!?!? Or am I just way off track!?!? Don't see them touching Miami, Indiana or Chicago??? Maybe I don't know enough about what Brooklyn is doing!?! I just can't see it being what it's being made out to be!!

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They may be past their prime, but they both still have game and a lot of playoff experience, plus we got JT off the bench too (3 champions). We got rid of Wallace and his contract (was never a fan of him) and also Humprhies who had lost his starting spot.

Big step up IMO.

Oh yeah a massive step up I admit that , Wallace was a useless at the best of times a definite a win getting rid of his contract Still gonna be tough . Ecfs are 90-95 games into a season that's a lot of games into aging legs . Ask the Knicks . Deron need to turn up a few more times , brilliance is to far in between for a guy with that much talent

Interview with KG
Matt Wrightson

As I prepared to sit down for my allocated 10 minutes with new Brooklyn Nets player Kevin Garnett, I wondered if he felt the same nervous anticipation and excitement as I was experiencing right now. He had just come out of a closed door team meeting. A new team, but straight in as the veteran leader. Alongside of Paul Pierce of course. They had been the perfect on court-off court duo with the Boston Celtics over the past 6 years and won an NBA Championship in 2008.

He looked years younger since I remember seeing him, pissed off after their game 6 playoff loss to the New York Knicks. The infamous perspiring was evident, not even having played basketball today. I liked to think that it comes from a fire within. One that has fueled the rise from first picking up a ball, to becoming an NBA champion. A fire that will not be extinguished until the heart stops beating.

The Nets were suddenly energised, and with a focused, driven, intense owner, not worried about venturing well into luxury tax territory, the expectations are high for the 2013-14 NBA season.

Garnett and Prokhorov are very alike. The same characteristics mentioned above are often used to describe Garnett. He is a culture changer. The ultimate hard worker and teammate. Heading in to his 19th season, he is a certain first ballot Hall of Fame inductee and a member of an elite club: the only player in history to tally more than 25000 points, 13500 rebounds, 5000 assists, 1750 blocks and 1500 steals.


MW: People are saying you are over the hill. What can you do for this team Kevin Garnett?
KG: Is a pitbull ever out of a dog fight? Does a champion boxer ever quit? I never quit on nobody, never. And I'll stop playin' this game on my damn terms, not anyone else's. Not any coach, not any GM, and certainly not no damn muhfkkn journalists ya feel me? Been doin' this a lotta damn years now and I still bring it 100%. Pre-season, Practice or game day. Plenty of miles on these legs and that translates to experience. Game time real time crunch time bonus points. I want the ball. I don't never wanna go off the court, coach the one gonna be keeping my minutes limited. Saving for the playoffs I guess. Probably a good idea but I like to keep warm, keep the motor running ya know? 48,000 minutes and counting......

MW: For sure. Why did you decide to waive your no trade clause?
KG: I spoke to Mr. Prokhorov, we clicked. He thinks like me. He has vision for this team that I respect and he inspires like no one I've heard since Kevin McHale. So why wouldn't I? In that short time I came to respect him as a person. That's gotta be there otherwise why would we go through what we do season after season?
And get a chance to come here with my homies Paul and Jet? AND play with JJ and DWill??? Man that kid can flat out ball. We up on this, y'all better watch out!

And for the record, the way PP34 got treated, that didn't sit well with me. He put blood, sweat, tears, heart, life into that ball club. He earned the right to retire a C in my opinion. Oh well, this here's a business. The school of life. So here we are. Let the lesson begin....

MW: Meaning?
KG: Meaning we all about to teach some people about respect. Loyalty. Heart. Brooklyn in the house.

MW: Well the sold out season ticket allocation would indicate that Brooklyn is excited, what are your hopes for this season? Realistically.
KG: Realistically? We can win it. We can win it. Me, Brook, Reggie Ev, Paul, Joe, Jet, Deron. I love our team. That's shit's the real deal. 100%

MW: Last question regarding the past. Were you sad to leave Boston?
KG: Boston was and is great. The fans - amazing. I'll never forget their support. The owners - brilliant. Danny (Ainge) did a great job assembling a team for one purpose and we achieved that goal the first year. That came to an end, everyone knows what we went through, the bad run of injuries, but I'm not about what might have been, we had a great run. I'll miss playing along side Rondo. And Jeff and Sully, they some good people. Now, my focus is winning in Brooklyn.

MW: There is quite the evolving rivalry with the Knicks, what do you make of it?
KG: Listen, any team with Melo is gonna be a threat, but truthfully, they ain't bringin' the firepower that we got. It's definitely gonna be entertaining for the fans this year. The main focus is gonna be on the Lakers/Clippers and the Heat. That's fine with us. We keep grindin' then everyone will look up and there we'll be, about to kick the door down. They too old. He will run out of gas. Anyone who knows me knows that is fuel to the fire. That keeps me going.

MW: Have you had time to tour the arena and facilities yet?
KG: Oh hell yeah. We played here once last season so I got to check out the visitors side, and now I seen how much better the home facilities are, all the good stuff over this side! (Laughs)
First class all the way. The weight room is epic, the recovery pools are amazing and I can't wait to meet the head trainer, that's the only thing I haven't got to do yet.

MW: Have you chosen a number yet?
KG: Oh, and that (Laughs) Not yet. What about 2? Goin' for ring number 2?
34 again? Na, my man Paul digs on that, probably wanna brawl for it ha ha. He got enough scars, I'll let him have three four.
Gotta have meaning you know? It'll come to me. And while I'm thinkin' on it, remind me to tell Jet he don't need to get no Net tattoo. That boy don't got any space left anyway does he? (Laughs)

MW: I thank you for your time KG, and I look forward to more conversations throughout the season.

KG: Any time.
Well, not really any time, but you know.
Peace.



Disclaimer: Entertainment purposes only. I'm not a real journalist

I worry about you Matt, if I hadn't known better I coulda sworn you reached in an took a hold of KG's persona to write that interview!

Then my job here is done

Kyle korver being added to the bench from what I hear

liljza said:

Kyle korver being added to the bench from what I hear

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Sounds good to me!

Whaaaaa


http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/br...8/nets-face-record-80-million-luxury-tax-bill

LOL damn!!

OVERRATED!! Honestly, this team will struggle to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. I don't know why everyone is getting so pumped for this team, how do we know that this team will work together? Pierce, Johnson and Williams all need the ball in their hands to be effective. In the clutch, do you go to Johnson or Pierce? How will J-Kidd go, no coaching experience. I don't know why you would build a team with old players when the east is getting better and younger...Miami, Indiana, Chicago, New York (not young but at least their best player is priming). Teams like Washington and Cleveland on the rise as well. And they gave up was it something like 3 first round picks in this trade!?!? Why!?!? This team will not be as good as everyone thinks.

Haters gonna hate

GarnettFan4Life said:

Haters gonna hate

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Win a couple C's with this group, then when Pierce and KG come off the books we all good. Pierce has only one year left on his contract, so can resign him next year for much less if we want to, then after 2 years we have a shitload of players coming off the books including KG, Terry.

With an owner willing to spend the money it's a no lose situation. Attendances will be great at that arena and look at the buzz and chatter created. Even create a good image for future big name signings.

Not number 2!?

Source: Andrei Kirilenko to Nets
Mike Mazzeo
Special to ESPNNewYork.com | July 11, 2013
After missing out on Kyle Korver and being unable to reach a buyout with Bojan Bogdanovic's team overseas, the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to terms with Andrei Kirilenko, a league source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com Thursday.

The Nets will use their taxpayer mini mid level exception to bring Kirilenko aboard. It's a two-year contract with a player option for the second year, a source said. Kirilenko will make $3.1 million in the first year of the deal.

Kirilenko, 32, signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves worth $20 million last offseason, but opted out of the final year worth $10 million to become a free agent again this summer.

Kirilenko will make significantly less money in Brooklyn, though he'll certainly be playing for a contender. The Russian native has ties to Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, having played for CSKA Moscow (1998-2001), which was formerly owned by Prokhorov.

Kirilenko, known for his versatility, can back up forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

The Nets originally targeted sharpshooter Korver, but he ended up with the Atlanta Hawks for four years, $24 million.

Brooklyn then agreed to terms with Bogdanovic on a three-year contract starting at $2.5 million, but came to an impasse in buyout talks with Fenerbahce Ulker.

Kirilenko, who spent his first 10 NBA seasons with the Jazz, averaged 12.4 points and 31.8 minutes per game for the Timberwolves last season. He was an All-Star in 2004, when he averaged 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.

The Nets are now projected to have a starting lineup of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and Brook Lopez, with a bench that features Shaun Livingston, Jason Terry, Kirilenko, Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche. Their blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics for Pierce, Garnett and Terry is expected to be made official on Friday.

The re-signing of Blatche and the signing of Livingston became official on Thursday.

wow AK is a good move, they can run all sorts of lineups!

Very deep team looking forward to it

This team is very interesting. I can't believe someone above is mentioning the Cavs and Wiz in the same League as these guys.

Brooklyn tied with the Pacers for wins last year (49) and now they have added GREAT players and lost nothing. G. Wallace I used to love but he was terrible last season.

This team will be fine, AK is a huge bonus. You can't tell me Prokhorov isn't paying him something extra under the table???

This team is reminding me of the early 00's Blazers team.

They could easily beat the Knicks or Bulls in a series, maybe even the Pacers.

Health is always an issue. Youth doesn't mean you stay healthy, ask D. Rose and Westbrook about that.