Matt Moore: Brooklyn Nets might not be that bad

Matt Moore of CBS Sports was never a supporter of the Nets "plan" or lack of same.  Going for broke at the NBA casino was not his idea of how you fill up the O'Brien Trophy with champagne come June.  And he said so.  Oh did he!

But in his season preview of the Nets, Moore is mostly positive, other than the obligatory recitation of lost draft picks (which everyone on this site can quote from memory ... and with deep emotion.)  He thinks the Nets got more interesting and could, yes, make the post-season.  It's not exactly a rave, but consider the source...

The Nets could make the playoffs next year. Their competition is a collection of incomplete rosters and flawed young conglomerates. It's the East, after all. They could veteran-talent their way to 40 wins and get in. It's not going to get them out of the first round, but at least they would avoid the embarrassment of sending a lottery pick to Boston.

Moore also notes that the Nets made a lot of smart moves in the off-season, specifically the signing of the two 27-year-olds, Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, and the Draft Night trade for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

So they have a team with some veterans that can compete for a playoff spot, but they're also working on getting younger and more athletic. Keep your eye on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is thought very well of by his peers.

And perhaps alone among the punditocracy (is that a word? it should be), he has nice things to say about Jarrett Jack!!

There's a perception that the Nets' point guard setup is in shambles with Jack running the team, but remember that Jack has been a contributor to good veteran teams for most of his career, and also don't sleep on Donald Sloan, who was sensational for stretches with Indiana last year.

Finally, Moore says Billy King " did a pretty good job this summer" of correcting his previous mistakes and holds out hope for the future, noting that Mikhail Prokhorov is still a very rich man and Brooklyn is a neat brand.  "If they can build some momentum this season, finish stronger than expected, and if Lopez stays healthy, they can parlay that into some free agency momentum."

Okay, now we feel better, less "putrid."

Meanwhile, HoopsHabit is out with their Nets preview, which predicts a 30-win season.

The Nets simply have too many questions at point guard and with the frontcourt depth to make a playoff run feasible.

There are a lot of parts that just don’t—at first glance—appear to fit together, even if parts of the roster look better on paper than they did a season ago.

• NBA Offseason Report: Nets got more interesting, but not much better - Matt Moore - CBS Sports