Brooklyn State of Mind

Turns out the big bucks do matter after all. Billy King and Russian financial uberman Mikhail Prokhorov have thrown bucket-loads of money at every dude capable of handling a basketball and it appears to have worked. The Brooklyn Nets have the newest (and therefore best) brand in basketball and everybody’s waiting to see how it turns out. They’ve somehow, somehow, somehow managed to turn an ugly New Jersey Nets team that finished 22-44 last season into something halfway decent at the center of the basketball universe in New York. And they have a legitimate superstar for the future in D-Will. The question now is: How good are the Brooklyn Nets going to be?

Firstly, they’re a fiscal nightmare. Mikhail Prokhorov has committed to an astounding amount in salaries over the last week; well in excess of $ 200 million. The contracts Prokhorov just signed off on? No other NBA owner would do that in the current CBA. The Nets have guaranteed $ 50 million in salaries to Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson for next season, with the salary cap at roughly 55 million. After retaining Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries and accounting for Bosnian forward Mila Teletovic’s mid-level contract, they’re going well into the luxury tax. And these contracts run for four more years, which means that the Nets will almost certainly not add any more major contributors in the next four years.

Why is Prokhorov awesome? Because in two years, apart from contract payouts, he will be paying other NBA teams in excess of $ 40 million dollars as a penalty for being so far ahead of the luxury tax threshold (assuming they use the mini mid-level over the next two years). Think about it. He’s gifting 40 million dollars to his competitors. So he’s, in the most literal sense of the term, bought a quality NBA team.

How far can they go?

Deron Williams/Joe Johnson will be the best starting backcourt in the Eastern Conference. While Johnson’s bloated contract is in no way a measure of his value to a team, he is still a good player, especially as a volume shooter or iso-scorer. He averaged 19 ppg last season on 45% shooting for a Hawks team that made the playoffs. He’s a current All-Star, though only just. His 6’ 7” frame means a plethora of pick-and-roll possibilities with D-Will, who is a top-3 player in the pick-n-roll in the league. JJ can really knock down the 3-ball, shooting at a 39% clip from downtown last year. He’s going to give the Nets more of the same. His scoring will probably dip, and he’s a liability on defense but he’s a known quantity, as is forward Gerald Wallace. Wallace’s greatest value to this team will be on the defensive end. Wallace averaged 14p/7r last year, but he scores mostly on account of his athletic ability, which is due to decline soon (he’s 30). We all know D-Will’s a transcendent point guard, and we know that JJ and Wallace can help, but not by much.

Which brings us to Brook Lopez and Mirza Teletovic. And therein is the rub. How well these big men play will decide the potential of this Nets team. Let’s start with the Brook Lopez Conundrum. Lopez was drafted 10^th in that spectacular 2008 draft (other top 10 draftees: Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook) and was the second best rookie that year. He averaged 14p/8r/2blocks in a promising rookie campaign. Given that he was 7 feet tall and played like a legitimate center, he appeared to be the future of the league at that position. With each passing year after his sophomore campaign though, he’s gotten progressively worse, mainly in rebounding and efficiency. Why? Because he played for the New Jersey Nets, laughingstock of the NBA. If he plays the way he did in 2009-10, especially in terms of rebounding and defense, the Nets are going to be a scary team.

Mirza Teletovic is probably the biggest unknown for the Nets. Coming off an excellent Euroleague campaign where he led all scorers with 21.7 ppg, he could either be the piece that pushes the Nets over the top and makes them contenders in the same league as the Heat or stagnate as a decent top 10 NBA team. Mirza appears to be a stretch 4 who can shoot the hell out of the ball. If his game translates to the NBA, the Nets have got themselves a real steal at 3 years, 16 million. If not, well…they’re the Brooklyn Nets. The pick-and-pop possibilities with D-Will and Mirza, coupled with JJ in the corner and Lopez in the high post are simply scary. What’s the flaw in the plan? Thing is, Mirza is not that keen on rebounding, the department in which he sort of really terribly sucks.

Which brings us to Brook Lopez (it’s like a cycle). And there’s the bench – it doesn’t exist, except for robot rebounder Kris Humphries (who the Nets can’t start if they plan to start their best five) and second year guard MarshOn Brooks. They don’t have the cap space to offer anything but minimum salary contracts. So this team’s what they have moving forward.

Which brings us to Brook Lopez. (And the 0.001% possibility that the Nets get Dwight by trading Lopez.)

Good luck, Brooklyn Nets.