2. What was the Nets’ best and/or worst move during the off-season, either by free agency, trade, or draft?
Last season, the Nets suffered in the frontcourt without a dominant inside scoring and shot-blocking presence. This was even more obvious when they lost Krstic to a torn ACL. In his absence, the Nets were forced to rely on Jason Collins and Mikki Moore, solid players, but second-string at best, and Bostjan Nachbar, who is still defining his role and developing his game as an European import.
The Nets management knew they had to act quickly to fill this interior hole. They were smart and didn’t overspend to retain Moore. When Moore walked, they signed free agent Magloire. This goes down as their best offseason move from a strictly "need" standpoint in my book. The Nets needed a big man and they got one. Jamaal has to work on his speed and agility, but he is a solid addition to the roster based on sheer size and strength. Krstic is more of a finesse player whereas Jamaal is a real bruiser who will hit the boards, throw some elbows and bring fear to opponents in the paint.
Sean Williams was a great draft pick. This shot-blocking extraordinaire will get minutes here and there to relieve Jamaal and Krstic. As much as I might be tempted to say that this draft selection was one of the best offseason moves, the reality is that he’s raw and will not likely be a real and immediate contributor for a team that isn’t in rebuilding mode and needs production now.
The re-signing of Vince Carter could also be another contending best offseason move for the Nets. Carter is a tremendous player and it would be tough to fill his shoes, especially since the team doesn’t have a reliable backup swingman in Antoine Wright. The Nets would have taken a big hit offensively without him on the roster, but I’m still with the belief that the Nets need to begin rebuilding and his $60 million deal is a hindrance if you embrace this mentality.That leads into my defense of their worst offseason move. Sometimes the worst move can be not doing enough. The Nets definitely don’t embrace the "championship or bust" philosophy. I’m not trying to be a cynical New Yorker, but Nets management seems to be risk-averse to a fault. They are a team plagued by near misses, from playoffs to trades. Sure, injuries have played a role in their stunted success, but it has become clear that something is off after three seasons with the best backcourt in the league and still no ring.
Sometimes there comes a time when you just have to cut your losses. Enough with patching the leak; the Nets should have made a splashier trade for a big man or got a new lining altogether. Management toyed with the idea of dismantling the Big Three and then flirted with the possibility of acquiring Jermaine O’Neal and Kevin Garnett, but in the end, it was just a big tease. Although the decision to grab Magloire was a wise one, it was also safe; he’s big physically but did not produce big with the [link url=http://probasketball.about.com/od/portlandtrailblazers/p/portrailblazers.htm]Portland Trail Blazers. The Nets have definitely improved from last season, but are still only a second-round playoff team at best. It’s not easy to disassemble arguably one of the best starting trios in the league, but Nets management has to set a deadline for delivery. That, or they are just wasting money and time that could have been used for rebuilding. After years of trying to assemble the best pieces, it’s anti-climactic to have to face reality, cash in your chips and try all over again.
The Nets management has to ask this question: is the terrifying thought of what will happen to the Nets in the afterlife of the Big Three reason enough to endure the hardship and risk of coming up short now? I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong and see a comeback year, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for them to go all the way.
