| With a win over the San Antonio Spurs on March 29, | | | | have the most security as far as remaining with the |
| 2010, the New Jersey nets avoided becoming the | | | | team is concerned, Devin Harris could also fall into |
| second team to fail to win 10 games in an 82-game | | | | that category. Harris set the league on fire last |
| NBA season. The Nets flirted with the pace of the | | | | season, averaging 21 points, three boards and seven |
| 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who ended up winning a | | | | assists in his first full year with the team. He's |
| mere nine games that season, throughout the year, | | | | struggled in 2009-10, though, shooting less than 40 |
| until a recent stretch in which they won three of | | | | percent from the field and less than 30 percent from |
| four and wiggled their way out of the back pages of | | | | three. |
| the record books. One might assume that a | | | | Last season he looked like a star in the making; this |
| franchise that flirted with such a record would be in | | | | season he appears to be better-suited as a |
| dire straits, but I don't believe this to be the case | | | | complementary player. Next season will probably |
| with the Nets. Yes, the team struggled mightily this | | | | determine what direction his career truly takes, but |
| season, but I think this is an organization with a bright | | | | it's no guarantee that he'll be wearing a Nets uniform |
| future. | | | | in 2010-11. The Nets were rumored to have |
| There are several reasons why I think that <a | | | | shopped Harris around the trade deadline, though no |
| rel="nofollow" | | | | deal was struck. If New Jersey lands the number |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | one pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, it's all but assured |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" Jersey Nets | | | | they'll select John Wall and look to move Harris in the |
| tickets</a> will be increasingly popular in the | | | | offseason. |
| coming seasons. The first is the young talent that | | | | That brings me to another thing I like about the |
| this team boasts. Brook Lopez is already one of the | | | | team; they're going to have the best shot at landing |
| best centers in the Eastern Conference at 21 years | | | | John Wall. Though I'm not quite as sold on him as |
| of age. He's averaging 19 points and nine rebounds | | | | most people seem to be, Wall is considered to be a |
| per game this season and chipping in nearly two | | | | franchise-altering pro prospect, drawing comparisons |
| blocks a night as well. He's quite the offensive | | | | to Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. A lot of |
| talent, both in the low post and in the mid-range | | | | scouts think he has even more potential than Rose, |
| game. He's also proven to be a lot tougher down | | | | which tells you how highly they think of him. If the |
| low than initially expected. Lopez projects to be | | | | Nets landed Wall, they'd be building around him, |
| one of the best centers in the league for the next | | | | Lopez, Lee and whatever package they could get in |
| decade or so, and that's a good place for a franchise | | | | return for Harris, which would likely be at least one |
| to start. | | | | player of note. That's a pretty solid foundation for |
| The team has another talented youngster in | | | | a team that was just purchased by a new, exciting |
| Courtney Lee. Lee has had his ups and downs this | | | | owner and could be on its way to a bigger market, |
| season, as well as his fair share of injuries, but I'm still | | | | not to mention all of the salary cap space the team |
| fairly confident that he can develop into a quality | | | | will have. |
| starter in the pros. Lee is averaging 12 points, three | | | | They'll likely finish the 2009-10 season with one of |
| rebounds and two assists on the season, as well as | | | | the worst records in the history of the NBA, but that |
| more than a steal per game. His offensive game | | | | doesn't necessarily mean that all hope is lost for the |
| has shown a lot of promise, but night-to-night | | | | Nets. This team has young talent, an upcoming |
| consistency is what he truly needs to work on. He's | | | | lottery pick and a new owner that will look to inject |
| capable of becoming an elite perimeter defender and | | | | some life into the organization. The Nets may have |
| could become a solid third option on a playoff team. | | | | bottomed out this season, but that means that they |
| While Lopez and Lee are the two players that I think | | | | have nowhere to go but up. |