FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.The Nets finished last season with a 34-48 record, and then went ahead and traded their second-leading scorer, Vince Carter, to Orlando. Yet they head into the 2009-10 season with more optimism than a team in their position should rightfully have.
Hey, that's the wonder of cap space. Virtually all of what New Jersey had done over the past two or three seasons has been leading to the summer of free agency in 2010.
It's not like the Nets don't have talent to work with right now, though. They've got a nice, young backcourt tandem in Devin Harris and Courtney Lee, and a big man, Brook Lopez, who has the look of a solid NBA center for the foreseeable future.
But it's New Jersey's salary cap situation that makes them intriguing, and the plan is to try to be a major player in the free-agent market. While there are qualifying offers and team options to consider, only Harris and rookie Terrence Williams are guaranteed for next season.
Put one free agent superstar into the Nets' mix next season and they really might have something in New Jersey. But first the Nets must play this season.
Coach Lawrence Frank, starting his sixth full season, has an explosive backcourt, and it will be worth watching whether he will allow them to play as uptempo as they want to play.
Williams, whom the Nets drafted with the No. 11 pick, could provide immediate defensive help on the perimeter. Not to mention he's athletic and is at his best in transition.
Lopez showed steady progress over during his rookie season and is the kind of big man who fits well here. Lopez is willing to defend and rebound and yet not demand touches at the offensive end.
No team in the NBA will have more cap space at season's end than the Nets. Who knows if they will be able to lure a big name? But there is nobody in next year's class beyond their financial reach.
The goal in New Jersey is to improve on last season's 34 wins ... maybe push it to .500 and make the playoffs. That would be a step in the right direction, and would likely go a ways when it comes to enticing that special someone.
Rare is the big-time free agent who wants to sign with a rebuilding team. For the most part, the best free agents like to go to franchises that already have foundations because it's easier to become an elite team from there.
For the Nets, this season is about setting the table for what they hope will be a summer to remember.
Last Season By the Numbers
Record: 34-48 under Lawrence Frank. Finished 3rd in the Atlantic Division, 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Offense: 108.3 points per 100 possessions, 18th in the NBA. 17th in shooting, 10th in turnover rate, 22nd in offensive rebounding, 14th in free throw rate.
Defense: 111.0 points per 100 possession, 24th in the NBA. 21st in shooting defense, 19th in opponent turnover rate, 15th in defensive rebounding, 29th in opponent free throw rate.
Top Performers: Devin Harris led the team in scoring (21.3 points per game), assists (6.9) and steals (1.7). Rookie Brook Lopez led the team with 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.
Player to WatchFanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Nets forward Yi Jianlian.
Yi's terrible shooting efficiency is what truly stands out. Among the Class of 2007 products who played 400 minutes last season, only Adam Morrison was less efficient with the shot. Adam! Morrison!
Why has Yi been so inefficient? He is utterly devoted to the jump shot -- 75 percent of his FGAs came on jumpers last season, says 82games.com -- and utterly terrible at converting jump shots. And as bad as his jump-shooting percentages are, his conversion rate near the rim is even worse -- the data reports Yi's inside FG% as an astounding 36.3 percent. (By comparison, Yi's much shorter teammate Devin Harris converted at a 54.7 percent rate near the rim. Even Keyon Dooling was at 54.1 percent.)
See Ziller's full post on Yi.
Fantasy Sleeper
FanHouse's Tom Lorenzo previews one fantasy sleeper to watch from each team. Here's a preview of his post on Nets guard Courtney Lee.The 2009-10 New Jersey Nets have a number of up-and-coming talent waiting in the wings. Maybe the most promising of them all is newly acquired swingman Courtney Lee. As a rookie Lee averaged 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.1 three-pointers (40.4 percent), 45 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the free-throw line in just 25.1 minutes per game. In New Jersey he won't only see his minutes increase, but he'll also see an increase in touches -- he had a relatively low usage rate (14.0) in Orlando.
See Lorenzo's full post on Lee.
Offseason Tracker
IN: Courtney Lee (trade), Rafer Alston (trade), Tony Battie (trade), Terrence Williams (draft).
OUT: Vince Carter (trade), Ryan Anderson (trade).
