Nyet Gains

I have to admit - I am not feeling good about the Nets these days. It's a weird feeling because this is when things were supposed to get good. I suffered through a 12-70 season last year in hopes that LeBron would come to the Swamp and team with Brooke Lopez, Devin Harris, Terrence Williams and CDR to bring the Nets back to prominence. Hell, I even convinced myself that Amare would be coming as well. How could any team in the Eastern Conference handle Lopez and Stoudemire up front with LeBron and Harris leading the break? Answer: they couldn't.

We are one full day into the free agent period and those hopes seem to be completely gone. I am convinced that we are going to miss out on all the big names and will be forced to overspend on a poo-poo platter of second rate players. I think LeBron, Wade, Pierce and Dirk all stay put. I think Bosh joins Wade in Miami, Boozer joins LeBron in Cleveland and Amare goes to NY. We have just heard that Joe Johnson and Rudy Gay have deals to stay in their respective markets as well. So who does that leave available? David Lee, Ray Allen, John Salmons, Luis Scola and a bunch of has-beens like Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal and AI.

I can't rip on David Lee - I actually love watching him play and would love him next to Lopez. Same goes for Boozer. The problem is that they both play PF, which is the position where Derrick Favors is supposed to be growing into. I understand that he may not be ready for a year or two, but if we sign either Amare, Lee or Boozer to 4-5 year contracts, then wasn't drafting Favors at #3 a stupid move? The fact remains that in a year with a lot of FA PF's, we drafted one hoping that LeBron would be our 3. Now that he is not coming to us, the only players of any quality left are PF's. Unless they are going to do pull the trigger on the Danny Granger for Harris and Favors deal, I have to say that the front office messed up.

Assuming all the above is correct, what is the best scenario moving forward? Personally, I love Granger and would have to think long and hard about that trade. Let's say the front office pulls the trigger - I would then sign Lee, Raymond Felton and either Ray Allen to a 2 year deal or JJ Redick. Then you could have the starting five of Lopez-Lee-Granger-Redick-Felton with Williams and Kris Humpries coming off the bench. This is actually a team I could really really get behind.

If we don't make the trade, then I think things are a little harder and have to evolved around Carmelo. Obviously putting our eggs in the 'Melo cart is like putting them in the LeBron cart - if you come up short, you're screwed. Assuming we can't get Carmelo, we are screwed. Period, end of paragraph. I won't subscribe to these ideas that LeBron signs a 2 year deal with Cleveland so he can go to Brooklyn once the Nets move. I don't buy it. I really don't.

Things might just be getting worse in New Jersey. How is that possible?