clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Is It Now or Never for Brooklyn Nets? ESPN Poll Predicts D-Will To Mavs

By Net Income
March 6, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) drives to the basket past Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) in the first quarter at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE
March 6, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) drives to the basket past Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) in the first quarter at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Will Leitch of New York Magazine writes Monday about just important the next 10 days are for the Brooklyn Nets.

His bottom line: "There's a school of thought that if the Nets don't immediately grab the city's attention, they might never grab it. Which means the next ten days might be among the most important of the next decade," he writes. "It's Deron Williams or bust."

Leitch says that without D-Will, the Nets could be as bad as the 12-70 Nets (although the Nets front office would remind him that without Williams, the Nets would have $42 million in cap space to pay and overpay free agents and note there was no Mikhail Prokhorov in 2009-10).

Meanwhile, ESPN's Sports Nation conducted a poll among its viewers on where D-WIll will wind up. By a 60-40 margin, more than 15,000 voters believe D-Will will wear blue and white rather than black and white. The only states where the Nets come out ahead? New Jersey and...Montana. MONTANA?

Still, not everyone thinks it's that dire or that risky. Chris Broussard, arguably D-Will's favorite writer, said on ESPN Monday that the Nets are still in the lead for Williams and that Dwight Howard continues to tell Magic officials behind closed doors that he still wants Brooklyn. And Ric Bucher writes about how athletes will often avoid going home.

More From NetsDaily