2006-07 NJ Nets Preview

Heading into the 2006/07 season, the New Jersey Nets are one of the biggest question marks in the NBA. While they’ve had enough talent to make the playoffs consistently for a long time, they’ve never been able to get over the hump and win a championship.

The good news for the Nets is that they reside in one of the weakest divisions in the NBA. None of the other teams in the Atlantic division pose a serious threat to the Nets. Other than that, though, the Nets are made up of three star players and one or two good role players. Jason Kidd is no longer the best point guard in the league, as surgeries and age have slowed him down. However, he can still take good care of the ball as he prepares his talented teammates.

The Nets’ best players are high-flyers Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. Carter has long been one of the most talented players in the NBA and is a threat to explode for a large number of points in any game during the season. His health issues have not been a factor with the Nets, as he has only missed 8 games the last two seasons. Richard Jefferson is another talented forward who doesn’t have as much NBA experience as Carter. He should be averaging around twenty points per game as usual.

In the Nets’ spot are Nenad Kristic and Jason Collins. Kristic is a talented young center who had the Nets staff raving at the end of last season. He is expected to improve further and help solidify a shaky center position for the Nets. Collins is another young post who has disappointed in his first five seasons in the league. His 5.3 career point average just isn’t doing the job nor is his 4.9 career rebound average. New Jersey should expect at least a 50 percent improvement in both categories from Collins.

Aside from their five starters, the Nets really don’t have much depth to rely on. Clifford Robinson is a player who’s been around the league forever, but he’s too old and unreliable to rely on for backup. Eddie House is a good spark plug off the bench, but there’s a reason he’s bounced from one team to another in recent seasons.

The New Jersey Nets have enough talent to win a weak division with their five-star rotation, but without any depth, they’ll again fall short in a title race.