Back during the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals, Dwyane Wade and a few of his Miami Heat teammates were in the visiting locker room at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center preparing to go up against the Nets. Inevitably, the conversation shifted to the player they feared the most on the opposing team, Joe Johnson. Wade talked about how strong Johnson was, and other teammates agreed about how tough he was to guard. While LeBron James and Miami dispatched Brooklyn in five quick games, the
The Brooklyn Nets wanted to improve on both sides of the ball after ending 2013 with a disappointing 10-21 record. Unlike most people’s new year’s resolutions, they’ve stuck to it. With All-Star center Brook Lopez out for the season, head coach Jason Kidd thought going with a smaller starting lineup would benefit the team going forward and afford the team versatility in many respects. It worked. Big time. [Read more…]
After a combined 19-42 record at the end of 2013, the Knicks and Nets have treated 2014 as a clean slate and a springboard to salvage their seasons. Since the start of January, the teams have a combined 12-4 record. The New Year’s winning resolution has removed both teams from the Eastern Conference cellar and back into playoff contention – a seemingly distant thought only two weeks ago when both were the laughingstocks of the league. Below are the three reasons why each