Trade gives Nets mental toughness
Less than 24 hours after the Nets made a deal that shook the NBA, the surreal quality began to wear off and the questions began to bubble to the surface.
Yes, future hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are coming to Brooklyn to play for the Nets — the blockbuster deal between the Nets and Celtics was agreed to on Thursday, but can’t be approved by the league until July 10.
But how is this all going to work?
Here’s what we know, undoubtedly: the Nets are better than they were a week ago. Just ask the oddsmakers — one bumped the Nets’ championship odds from 40to-10 to 10-to-1 after the deal.
The biggest leap isn’t on the court, but in the mind. The Nets were painfully short on mental toughness in their first Brooklyn season. Don’t believe us? Just ask guard Deron Williams, who explained it clearly after the Nets were outplayed by an injury-ravaged Chicago Bulls team in the first round of the playoffs.
“That’s what got us this series,” Williams said after defeat. “It’s just toughness, mental breakdowns. This team this year has had stretches — it might be a quarter or two quarters — it just seems like the wheels fall off all at once, and we can’t get them back.”
With Garnett and Pierce on the floor, it’s hard to imagine a wheel would dare wobble. Garnett is the NBA’s embodiment of toughness; his competitive attitude is the type that can change the culture of a franchise. And Pierce is a player that has always found a way to contribute and make the huge play, no matter what he’s battled physically. Most importantly, they’ve done it together, in every imaginable pressure-packed NBA postseason scenario. The chemistry of Garnett and Pierce, along with their bulletproof confidence, will surely rub off.
Strategically, this trade should work well, too. The Nets new starting lineup should include Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and Brook Lopez. It’s a group that should be much-improved both offensively and defensively. Garnett provides muchneeded interior presence on defense. And Pierce is consistently solid perimeter defender.
But the most exciting possibilities are on offense.
Perhaps no player will benefit more from the trade Williams. A mere 14 months ago, he was the lone standout on a bad team playing out its New Jersey string. His frustration grew with seemingly every game.
Now, Williams has more quality options at his disposal than most point guards in the league. With a full complement of offensively capable teammates, Williams can do what he does best: facilitate. And with so many options drawing the attention of the defense — including Johnson and Lopez, both capable scorers — he’ll also have more room to look for his own opportunities to score.
Pierce is the small forward who can score that the Nets so desperately needed against the Bulls. Meanwhile, Johnson and Lopez have always been able to create their own offense. With this new offense, that should increase.
With so many other competent options on the floor, it’s hard to imagine that teams will be able to double team either Johnson or Lopez with any regularity or success. Meanwhile, Jason Terry — also part of the trade — will provide the Nets an important 3-point shooting option off the bench.
But while the Nets are inarguably better than they were a few days ago, there’s no guarantee that they will contend for a title, or even finish with a better record than they had last year.
One must only look back less than a year for a cautionary tale: the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. That squad boasted a starting lineup that included four hall of fame candidates in Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. But the aging Lakers battled injury, chemistry issues and coaching drama. They barely qualified for the playoffs, and were swept by the Spurs in the first round after Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon late in the regular season.
No matter how good a roster looks, things change once the season starts. With Pierce (36) and Garnett (37) both near the end of their careers. If their health crumbles, so will the Nets’ title chances.
But that speaks to how far this deal has brought the Nets so quickly. Just a few days ago, they were a 49-win team without an identity or sense of toughness. That squad wasn’t winning a title. This one just might. Sure, it’s gamble, and everything must go right.
But what if it does?