Yesterday, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry were officially traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Since that trade, the Nets have been called the new “super team” in the NBA. Many people feel this is the team that can finally dethrone the Heat from being Eastern Conference Champions. Yes, the Nets got Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but are they going to be able to produce every single night? No, Garnett and Pierce are aging stars, nearing the end of their careers. Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 was probably their last serious playoff run. And as long as they’re a major part of the Brooklyn Nets, they Nets are not going to be good enough to go to the Eastern Conference Finals.
I’m not saying the Nets aren’t talented. They have a load of talent on their team this year. Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. That’s a scary starting five right there. And with Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko coming off the bench, this would seem like a team that could represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. But let’s face reality for a second. Are these teams really on the level of the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers? No. Let’s not forget that the injury-ridden Chicago Bulls beat the Nets in the first round of the playoffs WITHOUT DERRICK ROSE. With a healthy D-Rose coming back and a healthy team all around, the Bulls are on a completely different level. The Nets would have no chance against the Bulls. There’s also the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were one win away from the NBA Finals last year. They have Paul George, a rising superstar in the NBA. And with Roy Hibbert and David West, they could easily beat the Nets. And let’s not forget about the Miami Heat. They have that one guy, Lebron James. He’s pretty good you know. The Miami Heat would make the Nets look like garbage. Miami is known for sometimes demolishing some of the NBA’s best, and that’s the case here.
It’s going to be a rough year for Nets fans when the Nets don’t even get past the second round of the playoffs. The only team the Nets are better than right now is the Knicks, but that could change. This topic is something that just seems to always get on my nerves. The Nets haven’t even played a game yet with these new players. How can you assume they’re going to be good? I said the same thing about the Lakers last year. Looks like I was right in that situation, and I know I’m right here.
So there may be very high expectations for the Nets, but really, the farthest they will go in the playoffs is the second round. Sorry Nets fans. The truth hurts.
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