New Jersey Nets 2008 Season Preview

Vince Carter has a slew of new help as the New Jersey Nets battle for redemption in the harsh Atlantic Division.

New Jersey Nets: 2007-08 Overview

The New Jersey Nets entered the 2007-08 NBA season built around the veteran trio of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson. The talent of the “Big Three” was mostly wasted due to a poor surrounding cast. The New Jersey Nets soon realized that having talent in only three positions would not be enough to win the Atlantic Division, especially with the Boston Celtics fielding a deep team.

Trading of Jason Kidd mid-season grabbed headlines all over the nation as fans thought that the veteran could be the New Jersey Nets ticket to the playoffs. The trade did land the New Jersey Nets several young prospects and gave greater depth and overall talent to the New Jersey Nets. The influx of youth secured a bright future for the New Jersey Nets, but the 2007-08 season was a wash as they fell to a 34-48 record.

New Jersey Nets: Offseason

The Jason Kidd trade gave the New Jersey Nets many high draft picks in the 2008 NBA Draft. The first pick by the New Jersey Nets was C Brook Lopez who could evolve into a force in the middle and is already in the New Jersey Nets starting lineup. The New Jersey Nets also traded away Richard Jefferson for Yi Jianlian and reserve Bobby Simmons. The New Jersey Nets added more depth to their defensive unit in free agency and the draft. The result of the offseason was a new-look New Jersey Nets with young talent in place at every position.

New Jersey Nets: Offense

Leading scorer SG Vince Carter (21.3 PPG) returns, and the dunk master will again be the centerpiece of the New Jersey Nets attack. PG Devin Harris (14.8 PPG) works well with Vince Carter and gives the New Jersey Nets another great shooter and is also a fantastic passer. New Jersey Nets tickets feature new SF Yi Jianlian (8.6 PPG), who is a raw talent but has the size and instincts to rule the paint for the New Jersey Knicks for years to come.

Rookie C Brook Lopez will be asked to start right away, and his size makes him a great threat inside. The Stanford standout should also factor in with many offensive rebounds. C/PF Josh Boone (8.2 PPG) will rotate in at both positions and could be a difference maker with tall Yi Jianlian on the other side. Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, and Josh Boone give the New Jersey Nets a powerful force in the paint.

New Jersey Nets: Defense

Power forward Sean Williams is a pure defender for the New Jersey Nets and is only in his second year. Fans with New Jersey Nets tickets can see PG Devin Harris in action as he ignites the New Jersey Nets offense. Devin Harris’ presence on the outside enables him to force many turnovers against perimeter shooters. Yi Jianlian and Eduardo Najera are also strong blockers and will secure the paint on defense as strongly as they do on offense. The size of the New Jersey Nets could make them one of the top defenses in the NBA.

New Jersey Nets: Lineup

Point Guard: Devin Harris, Keyon Dooling
Shooting Guard: Vince Carter, Jarvis Hayes
Small Forward: Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons
Power Forward: Sean Williams, Eduardo Najera
Center: Brook Lopez, Josh Boone

New Jersey Nets: Outlook

The New Jersey Nets have totally changed the composition of their team in less than a year. All the changes will bring some growing pains of course, but the New Jersey Nets have a great team ready to fly. Fans with New Jersey Nets tickets will hardly recognize this new unit from the 2007-08 team. Deeper talent at all positions and a great increase in overall size means that the New Jersey Nets are destined to grab many more wins.

The Atlantic Division of the NBA is headlined by the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. The good news is that the talent level of the Atlantic Division drops off sharply after the Boston Celtics. The New Jersey Nets do not have the talent to go toe-to-toe with the Boston Celtics yet, but they do have the ability to take down the other teams in the Atlantic Division on their way to the playoffs where their size will be a key advantage.