Brooklyn Nets: 2015-16 Outlook And Prediction

Apr 8, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov addresses media during a press conference before the Brooklyn Nets play the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Team Strengths:

• Money – The Brooklyn Nets have had the same strength for the past several years: money and a willingness to spend it. The Nets’ billionaire owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, is the type of man who values winning and prestige. Unfortunately, that isn’t something that this year’s roster will be able to live up to. As soon as next season however, the Nets will have the free cap room to put together a roster capable of winning for the foreseeable future. They were in a similar place just a few years ago, and they inexplicably turned that into aging former stars with mega-million contracts (Johnson, Pierce, and Garnett).
• Clutch Shots – Let’s call it what it is, the Nets aren’t going to win very many games this season in all likelihood. Odds are the games they do manage to win though, will be decided by 4th quarter heroics by a man who has made a career out of hitting well timed shots late in games: Joe Johnson.
• Tradable Pieces – Brooklyn has the potential to truly solidify their future by being sellers come the mid-season trade deadline. No one on this roster should be off limits as the Nets field inevitable offers from teams looking to fortify their rotations as the playoffs get closer. Teams will certainly be trying to fill holes in February (and possibly sooner) so expiring deals, young talent, and draft picks would be ideal returns for players like Johnson, Lopez, and Young who could be moved.

Team Weaknesses:

• Everything on the Court – The Nets’ few strengths this season are based around what they can do off of the hardwood (trades, free agency, and the 2016 Draft). When it comes to the actual game of basketball itself, the Nets are in a world of trouble. The big man rotation that this year’s edition of the Nets boast are all offensive minded. They’ll struggle mightily as a team to pull down their fair share of rebounds or defend the interior. On the perimeter, the guard rotation (and Joe Johnson at the 3) is similarly offensive minded. They lack any real defensive stoppers which will lead to big nights for opposing offenses.
• Consistency/Chemistry – While changes to the roster via trades will certainly help (hopefully) in building the franchise for the future, it’ll make the current locker room a very toxic environment. The team will swing up and down depending on who they have readily available on any given night, and the disfunction of the players and coaching staff will certainly be palpable.

Next: Team Goals