There's no doubt Prudential Center is a louder, more racuous home than the Meadowlands had been for a while...or maybe ever. Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Avery Johnson have credited the crowd for team success, particularly during their two late game comebacks. The arena was filled with chants of "Let's Go Nets" and "Defense".
The question is why. The team only moved a few miles down the Turnpike, the fans are basically the same people...and while "It's All New" is a neat marketing tool, there's a downside too: less familiarity, less loyalty.
So what is it? David Aldridge's theory is pretty simple, "Everything is better than the soul-sucking experience of exiting at 16W". Can't disagree. But after Game 1, Billy King told Ian Eagle it may just be something much more basic.