Every month, YES produces the Nets Magazine, which is not posted online. In the initial edition, which began airing this week, Billy King and Deron Williams talked about the team's future, the recent concluded free agency, and who King thinks MarShon Brooks looks like...and it's not Kobe this time.
"It's a building process. We knew there wasn't going to be anything we can do in free agency that we can say, "Now we're going to be a contender'... [So] we'll find some guys, maybe via trade, or maybe at the end of this season, you know, we'll put ourselves in position to have more cap space if we can't find the right players this year."
Williams praised both King and Avery Johnson's efforts. "Definitely definitely he's a players' GM, Coach is a players' coach and he's a player's GM. They're great guys. They can relate to us. they both played basketball at a high level, so it's easy to relate to them. we're going in the right direction. We're getting pieces, Billy's working hard to put a team here that's going to be a championship caliber team".
King's big surprise? He compared Brooks to Allen Iverson. "He has the ability to score a lot of points, and playing with Deron, wow. It's a lot of pressure to put on a rookie, but I think with his air of confidence, I think he's ready for the challenge. I was with Allen Iverson and he could score in his sleep and I think MarShon has the ability to score at will also."
KING ON THE FUTURE:
It's a building process. We knew there wasn't going to be anything we can do in free agency that we can say, "Now we're going to be a contender". It's been great to be able to talk to Deron and get my thoughts, his thoughts and coach's thoughts and ownership's about this process. You don't wnat to rush into it because in this league, once
you make a mistake, it takes a long time to recover.
I look at a lot (when making a decision). I look at talent, I look at character,and then I look at health, because there
are a lot of guys out there who may meet the first two criteria, but health wise they may not have been consistent. And you dont want to give a guy a big time contract that you know historically hasn't been playing a lot of games. So all those go into factor and we'll find some guys, maybe via trade, or maybe at the end of this season, you know, we'll put ourselves in position to have more cap space if we cant find the right players this year.
KING ON WILLIAMS:
He and I talk about it together. Let's not sign guys that are going to cripple us going forward. He's competitive. he's the leader of the team, the franchise guy, but also a guy who doesn't want to take 20, 25 shots, so it's up to me to add some more guys who can take some the load off of him.
WILLIAMS ON KING AND JOHNSON:
It's been great from the beginning. Definitely, definitely he's a player's GM, Coach is a players' coach and he's a player's GM. They're great guys. They can relate to us. They both played basketball at a high level, so it's easy to relate to them. We're going in the right direction.
We're getting pieces, Billy's working hard to put a team here that's going to be a championship caliber team. I just want to have a chance to play under Avery and see how everything goes this year, then I'll make a decision when the time comes.
KING ON BROOKS:
He has the ability to score a lot of points and playing with Deron wow.... It's a lot of pressure to put on a rookie, but I think with his air of confidence, I think he's ready for the challenge. I was with Allen Iverson and he could score in his sleep and I think MarShon has the ability to score at will also.
KING ON CURRENT NEEDS:
I know where we need help. we have the flexibility and the cap space, two picks. we're going to be patient and add the right pieces as we go along. we need to get guys on the front line. We need to get a small forward that can help there, but it will come.
They've got to play defense. If I can get a guy who can score and play defense at the four, that will help. if I cant, I'd rather have them play defense and rebound because in the NBA you going to win with that.
At the three man, I need someone I can put on the floor who can help create to take some offensive pressure off other guys. it may not be out there. You want as many bigs as you because if you play against guys who are big and physical, they're going to get fouls and injuries do occur, so I look at both of them as important.