Season Predictions

First, I want to correct a few misconceptions. The Nets are not really that young of a team. They have the the 12th youngest roster in the NBA and their starting lineup, with 31 yr old Carroll, 31 yr old Mosgov, and 29 yr old JLin is actually a pretty experienced starting 5. In other words, this is not a team that will be sacrificing wins for development of younger players.

If JLin didn't get hurt last season, they win close to 30 games. This year they have a huge talent upgrade that is obvious when you see Whitehead inactive and SK not even getting PT in the preseason. This team is at least 15 games better than last year with the talent upgrade as well as the weakened East.

This team reminds me a lot of the 2015 Hornets which I predicted would be a playoff team when no one else did. Lots of versatility but actually more depth and better shooters than that Hornets team.

My Nets win prediction:

45 Wins 5th/6th place in the East


There is no doubt in my mind that JLin is the leader of this team. DLo has a lot of talent and can look great at times, but he is still only 21 years old with a tendency to have the ball stick and with questionable shot selection. The one great thing I heard from Kenny is that he needs the team to not just play hard but to play smart. This tells me that he will reign in DLo and with the depth of this team, don't be surprised to see him benched when he is forcing shots. JLin fits much better with Crabbe or Levert at the 2 anyway.

With that being said, the 3 most important players on this team are JLin, Carroll, and rookie Allen. Carroll will be the grit leader with a 3 and D type game. They key is Allen who needs lots of early season minutes for development. With his length and athleticism, he should become a top flight rim protector who is also a strong finisher on the pick and roll. We all know what JLin can do when given the keys. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be given the keys as the season progresses and at end of game situations. No choice if you're trying to win.

JLin Stats prediction:

18 pts and 6.5 asts in 31 minutes per game