The two teams based in New York – the Knicks and the Nets – were supposed to be powerhouses in the Eastern Conference, so what’s gone wrong?
The day the Brooklyn Nets traded for both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce everyone got the sense it was Championship or bust for the star-studded team.
The plan was Kevin Garnett would return to his favoured position of power forward and Brook Lopez would be the starting centre. The two would form a formidable frontcourt, along with Paul Pierce at the small forward.
Not many teams can boast a starting backcourt which consists of three All-Stars.
So why hasn’t this turned out to be a winning formula for Brooklyn, whose record currently sits at 3-9?
Is it that age has finally caught up with Kevin Garnett?
Have injuries taken their toll?
Is the lack of chemistry holding this team down?
Is it because Jason Kidd isn’t ready to coach a powerhouse?
All of the above are at the stem of this disaster.
Kevin Garnett was beginning to slow down last season and was contending with multiple injuries throughout his final season with the Celtics.
Effort and passion is never in question with KG, but it is hard to give 100% when your body won’t let you.
The Nets have had awful luck in the injury department this season.
Brook Lopez and Deron Williams have been sidelined for multiple games and there are question marks on when they will return to the court.
To put further salt in Brooklyn’s already deep wounds, Jason Terry is in doubt for the next couple of games with a knee injury.
Brooklyn has become the perfect example that chemistry can’t be bought in today’s game. No matter how good your players are, chemistry and trust in each other is still needed and without it you will battle for wins, let alone a Championship.
Then there’s Jason Kidd, the rookie coach who last season was playing for the Knicks. Kidd hasn’t been willing to make enough changes when needed and has paid the price.
Finger pointing has begun and maybe, just maybe, they are too far gone and this could be another wasted season in Nets history.
The Nets are by no means the only team in New York struggling; the Knicks are also fighting to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.
All-Star Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks in February of 2011. Since then has only guided the Knicks to one Playoff series win, which came against a depleted Boston team in last season’s Playoffs.
Still, the expectation for this season’s Knicks team was to win a Championship.
The Knicks’ very outspoken and controversial guard JR Smith, boldly declared, “I’m 100 percent sure” the Knicks would win the Championship this season.
Days later Smith tested positive for marijuana and was slapped with a five game suspension. Not a great way to start a Championship winning season.
Heading into the season, no one thought scoring would be a problem – having the league’s leading scoring in the 2012-13 season is a good start – JR Smith and Metta World-Peace are handy too.
Surprisingly, scoring has been a problem for the Knicks, who are currently ranked 24th in the NBA for points per game with 93.3.
When their offensive isn’t working, their defence suffers too, through lack of energy and teamwork.
The big question mark for the season was just that; defence. So far, their defence hasn’t stood up either.
This was put in focus even more after Tyson Chandler was ruled out for over a month. He is their defence. Without him, New York’s defence is completely below par, and nowhere near a Championship contending one.
Currently sitting with a record of 3-10, things need to be turned around quickly.
If the Knicks fail completely this season, there could the huge consequence of losing Carmelo Anthony in free agency – simply because he could go elsewhere and have a better chance of getting a ring.
Both teams are in luck, it is less than a month into the NBA season and there is plenty of time to turn their seasons around.
They are also lucky they find themselves in the weak Eastern Conference, if they were in the West, their respective Playoff chances would be shot already.
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