The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2001 season with only 26 wins but bounced back in 2002 to win 52 games and make it all the way to the Finals. The team made another run to the Finals in 2003 before losing again to the Los Angeles Lakers. They finished last season as the Atlantic division champions before losing to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern semifinals. The Nets had an adventurous off-season because they seemed to slow down near the end of last season when point guard Jason Kidd began to have knee injuries. The Nets traded away Kenyon Martin to the Nuggets and Kerry Kittles to the Clippers to cut costs but signed Richard Jefferson to a huge contract extension that Kidd wasn’t pleased about. The team also signed players like Eric Williams and Rodney Buford in free agency but lost Rodney Rogers.
The Nets have played in the weakest division over the last few years and they’ll continue to play in one of the weaker divisions again this year even with the realignment of the NBA. They’ll match up with the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, and Toronto Raptors and although each of those teams will compete, the Nets will still be the favorites to win the Atlantic for the fourth straight season. Their biggest competition will likely come from the New York Knicks, a team that made numerous moves in the off-season. The Nets will have one of the better starting lineups in the division and the conference but they’ll win most of their games through their backcourt with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson starting. Jason Collins will start at center with Aaron Williams starting and power forward and new signee Eric Williams at the small forward spot.
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