The dust around the Nets never seems to stop swirling. Some of it is caused by the fellas in the rafters after one too many tall boys, and some of it by the constant media storm that seems to follow this team. Whatever the cause, at least we can put the constant rumors to bed for the rest of the season.
Brook Lopez, everyone’s favorite Big Lug, the most loyal man in Brooklyn, the longest tenured Net, has survived the trade deadline and will remain in black and white. And thank god. No, not because he’s indispensable, but did you hear the piece de resistance the Nets would get in return? Russell Westbrook’s backup, Reggie Jackson! This is no knock on Reggie. I love guys named Reggie. But don’t we already have some guy with more fragile ankles than me, making roughly $20 million a year, who’s supposed to be the face of the franchise?
So, what’s the best that could have happened? Reggie comes in, starts, does the damn thing for the final few months of the season, and the Nets give him max money when he becomes a free agent this summer. Great, two point guards making max money. And Deron Williams, with his injuries, contract, and diminishing talent has all but ruled himself un-tradeable.
The Big Lug survives, but the Big Ticket does not. Kevin Garnett was shipped off to his original home, Minnesota, where he will get to yell at a lot of young kids. The very reason he waived his no-trade clause, no doubt. Seems like an ideal fit for both parties. Man, we are going to miss that guy.
There is nothing I love more than ruffling the feathers of your opponent and KG could do it with the best of them. We’ll pour out some Olde E for you, KG. You aren’t dead, but you are in Minnesota, so you might as well be.
And whom did the Nets get in return you ask? Thaddeus Young, who is younger than Garnett, so we have to chalk this up to a win for the Nets. Young will reunite with the man who drafted him, Billy King.
Then again, if King was involved, the automatic assumption is that the Nets got fleeced — and who can blame Brooklynites for reacting that way? With the departure of KG, all the Nets have to show for shipping out three first-round draft picks and a couple half-warm bodies is Thaddeus Young, one playoffs series win, and half a loaf of rye bread. They didn’t even really get the rye bread! I just added that so the deal didn’t seem so lopsided!
Thad Young is a fine player. The type of guy who brings some athleticism to a team full of stiffs. I don’t know if it’s the beers or the distance from my vantage point in the rafters, but I swear sometimes these guys are playing underwater. Young should speed things up a bit.
But he’s certainly not enough to push the Nets beyond the battle for the eighth seed. Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying this cold winter, Nets fans, because with aging stars making too much money, and no draft picks, the next few are only going to get colder in Brooklyn.
At this point, I’d trade Deron Williams for that loaf of rye bread. It’s probably more than they could get for him, anyway.
