You know things are bad when most stories on your favorite team feature people who wear suits, not uniforms. There may even be an inverse ratio between suits and wins. Adrian Wojnarowski, who wrote for The Record during the team's glory days, says the arrival of one man in a suit, Mikhail Prokhorov, is likely to mean both an end (to the "gimmicks, giveaways and foolery") and a beginning (to the era of "what will it take to get it done?").
Quoting team sources, Woj predicts the following: Prokhorov and Jay-Z flying into Akron-Canton Airport in the new owner's Gulfstream V at midnight on July 1; a serious bid for Carlos Boozer; entreaties to Jeff Van Gundy, who remains at the top of the Nets list; much love but not too much money for Rudy Gay; a two-year extension for Rod Thorn, and an end to Kiki Vandeweghe's "trudging through inexperience."
"For everyone here, enough is enough. The bearded lady needs to leave the arena in Jersey because the Nets need to start taking themselves seriously again," Woj writes in one of several veiled--and not so veiled--swipes at Brett Yormark. "Everything changes now. The Russian is coming and, yes, it won’t be a moment too soon."
Woj is not alone, either. Henry Abbott of True Hoop, ESPN's basketball blog, has taken one look at Prokhorov and sees a different future for the Nets. "He knows what he's doing. Nets fans, free agents, journalists and all kinds of people will be eager to associate with him...Mikhail Prokhorov is going to give Mark Cuban a run for his money as the NBA's most innovative and exciting owner, and Nets fans are going to reap the rewards for many years to come.
- History behind them, Nets eye brighter future - Adrian Wojnarowski - Yahoo! Sports
- It's a great day to be a Nets fan - Henry Abbott - True Hoop
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All Systems Go for Nets' Big Turnaround - Bethlehem Shoals - Fan House