Have the Nets become "Knicks Redux"??

               I can still remember the conversations I had with my nephew and Godson Victor when the Nets' moves and coaching change came to fruition.  I, like most at the time liked them for the short term, and while I am normally skeptical of aging stars and short term fixes I liked this idea in part because I thought that the Nets could not wait to build through the draft since they needed to gain competitive footing quickly in this market. And even though I cringed when the trade for Gerald Wallace eventually cost them a chance to draft 6'10" uber athlete and Mount Vernon native Andre Drummond, it was still mostly if not all good to me. I did however leave the only one of my nephews who shares my love of hoops with one word of warning and I can only hope he'll vouch for me that I indeed sounded it  when he returns from visiting family in Africa. "Vic there's one thing about all these moves", I said.  "They will be quickness challenged teams that downsize and play fast or have quick guards will give them trouble."

              It's easy to see and say in hindsight now, but I was only touching on what's turned out to be a problem that is, for the foreseeable future at least, unsolvable because the draft choices given in trades with the Celtics, Hawks (for Joe Johnson) and the Blazers (for Gerald Wallace) will mean the Nets will not have a chance to draft the kind of young athletic guys needed to succeed at any time in basketball but especially these days when the game is officiated in a way that takes away many  of the tricks used by older players (arm bars, hand and hip checks etc) to guard younger quicker guys.  Most media types have already blamed the choice of Jason Kidd as coach for the problems. But Billy King's choices, and ultimately the choice of ownership to go for the bells and whistles of a quick fix are what will prove to be the team's downfall. Andre Drummond would look really nice as a shot-blocking, rebounding compliment to Brook Lopez under the basket at the Barclay's Center. Damian Lillard, whom Portland drafted with a pick garnered from the Nets would be a speedier less injury prone alternative to Deron Williams at point guard. The lesson to be learned, from ownership on down is simply to build as much as you can through the draft so that when opportunities come to add stars the team is ready to win. I know the hope in Brooklyn is that the worm will turn once players get healthy but for now it appears that they have made the same sort of mistakes the Knicks have made for years and left themselves in salary cap hell for at least two seasons. And oh by the way, that Carlesimo fella who got them into the playoffs last year despite a starting five that featured two non scorers doesn't look so bad either does he.