Al Iannazzone takes a look at the Nets' young prospects and veteran presence in two articles he wrote as The Nets Insider on the YES Network site. The bottom line for him is that in spite of it all --the losing, the coaching changes (plural), the impending and long delayed ownership change, the distractions related to Newark and Brooklyn and oh yeah, the losing-- the Nets' roster kept its cool.
There were issues with Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams early in the year and some difficult times overall, but "collectively, the Nets accepted the situation, knew this was a rebuilding year, a developmental year, and handled it maturely and professionally." That's never easy to accept and as the season ends on a high note, it's shown its value.
Dave D'Alessandro focuses on Brook Lopez's ability to get past his frustration and start playing well again. Lopez has averaged 20.9 points on 53 percent shooting over the last eight games, including a strong performance against Tim Duncan in the Nets' most important win of the season. Now, Lopez can focus on becoming the best center in the league. Trenton Hassell says he's close already.