Giving himself plenty of outs while still being generally positive about the Nets future, Stephen A. Smith says the Nets are "confident" they will keep Deron Williams and that Dwight Howard still wants Brooklyn and is doing "everything he can" to get there next season.
"They are confident, not guaranteed, and not proof positive, but they are confident they are going to be able to keep Deron Williams in a Nets uniform," he reports on ESPN's Stephen A's State of Mind. "So are you going to get Dwight Howard? I'm here to tell you that he wants to be in Brooklyn next season, that he is doing everything he can to make sure he gets to Brooklyn next season.
"You get Dwight Howard, you're instantly a contender in the Eastern Conference with Deron Williams. Without him, you're still a reclamation project. It's really that simple. If they get Dwight Howard, this you can argue, they may very well be better than the New York Knicks."
Meanwhile, Chad Ford said in a chat the Nets are in the lead position for D-Will. "I'm not sure how confident the Mavs are. They have a good shot, but Brooklyn is still the odds on favorite."
-
Stephen A.: Nets > Knicks? - Stephen A. Smith - ESPN