Two writers, two views of the Nets season

Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders and Steve Lichtenstein of WFAN both cover the Nets. They can be found at games as well as practices, press conferences, etc. throughout of the year.

With the 2017-18 season a day away, the two are offering up their predictions on how the Nets will do ... and they are at opposite ends of the prognostication scale. Their headlines will tell you what you need to know...

Let’s Not Sleep On The Brooklyn Nets is the headline for Hamilton’s story.

Nets Not Yet Ready To Take The Next Step heads Lichtenstein’s preview.

Both are well-argued with all the necessary data to prove their points ... and that conundrum is how a lot of fans feel. Who knows what we’re getting?

Hamilton argues...

Heading into this season, around the NBA, not much attention is being paid to the Nets. As a team, they’re not of the caliber of the Toronto Raptors or the Washington Wizards, much less the Cavs or Celtics. But still, evident progress is being made, especially when compared to last season’s team.

“I think we’re a little more sure of ourselves,” Atkinson said when comparing this year’s team to last year’s.

“I’m a second-year coach, I’m a little more confident in what I do… The guys we brought in have a confidence about them—DeMarre and D’Angelo, they’ve been in the league. I feel like we’re not newbies. We have some scars under our belt and I think that’s gonna help us.”

Lichtenstein counters...

The Nets have a relatively easy schedule out of the gate, which would be great if they had their ducks in a row. Unfortunately, they don’t. The roster is too unbalanced and it will take time to develop chemistry. By then, it will be too late to make this season interesting to anyone but Cavs’ fans. Oh, the Nets will continue to play hard for Atkinson and be somewhat more fun to watch, along the way achieving the “small victories” Marks talks about. They just won’t get enough real ones.

Hamilton doesn’t put a number on his optimism; Lichtenstein says think 26 wins, a six-game improvement but nowhere near relevance in the East.

Both make good points, but as they say in the newsrooms and twittersphere, only time will tell. It’s why they play the game.

• NBA Sunday: Let’s Not Sleep On The Brooklyn Nets - Moke Hamilton - Basketball Insiders
• Nets Not Yet Ready To Take The Next Step - Steve Lichtenstein - WFAN