New York City is a basketball town, we love the game there is no denying it. From the playground to Rucker Park, to Madison Square Garden, it is a great game that has been passed down from generation to generation. With our love for the game comes our loyalty fan hood; fan hood that has been dominated by the New York Knicks. The New Jersey Nets have always been on the outside looking in. But could roles be switched this upcoming season? Could the Nets overtake the Knicks as the superior New York Basketball team? Now I don’t think that Knicks’ fans are going to just switch sides overnight (if they did then I wouldn’t call them fans). But it seems that the Nets are doing all the right things to make them a contender for that top spot of basketball.
We all know about the move to Brooklyn and the new black and white logo and design that seem to be popping up all over the city. But what is really making the Nets contenders is what they are doing personnel wise. After a terrible draft where their first pick did not occur until the 41st spot, they resigned wingman Gerald Wallace, managed to get Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson without giving up MarShon Brooks or Brook Lopez, and resigned Deron Williams (the top player in this year’s free agency class) for a hundred million. They also signed Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic from his Spanish team Saski Baskonia – - all on the same day, a pretty good day for a team wouldn’t you say so! The off season is far from over, as it seems that they are one of the frontrunners to land big man Dwight Howard, which would make a big three comparable to Miami. Overall I would say it has been a successful off-season.
The Knicks, on the other hand, cannot say the same thing. Like the Nets, they did not have a pick in the draft until the second round, the 48th pick. Put the real disappointment happened when two-time MVP Steve Nash spurned them for the bright lights of L.A. The Knicks put on a band-aid on the open wound of losing Nash by signing Jason Kidd to a three year nine million dollar deal. Next order of business is keeping Jeremy Lin in a Knick uniform as he has been offered a thirty million dollar offer from the Houston Rockets. The Knicks DO NOT want to lose Linsanity so expect them to match any offer.
Whichever team you choose to root for, it should be an exciting upcoming season in the NBA now with two teams playing in the city.
Posted by Alex Ritscher
on July 22, 2012. Filed under FAMILY,Sports.
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