Charles Barkley thinks the Nets are the best team in New York. Whether that's true will ultimately be settled on the floor and in the standings, but the Nets are obviously more qualified to compete with the Knicks and the best teams in the Eastern Conference, now that they're moving forward, with trade rumors in their rear-view mirror.
Avery Johnson tells USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt that the Nets are "a hungry team," but they can't waste any time, because their core is primed to win now.
"Guys know that time is running out, that they don't have 10 more years," Johnson told Zillgitt. "The meat and potatoes of our rotation are guys who have a three- to five-year window."
- Backcourt of Williams and Johnson becomes Nets' backbone - Jeff Zillgitt - USA Today
- 2012-13 Brooklyn Nets Preview (Video) - Vince Cellini & Charles Barkley - NBA.com