New Jersey Nets : from the outside looking in

The New Jersey Nets have been a little busy of late. As an outsider looking in, here is a viewpoint on how they stand. Nets fans with passionate views, feel free to add your one-fiftieth of a dollar to the discussion.

SUMMARY: They've made all the right moves to prepare themselves for their reincarnation in Brooklyn. They're young (most guys are 24 and under -- and when you discount dead contracts Armstrong and KVH and veteran leader Carter no one over 30). They're low on salary (except for Vince and the two "contracts" listed above) so they're well prepared for their shot at LeBron in Summer 2010. And they're deep with talent and promise at quite a few positions. I like their PGs -- Harris and Williams are two very nice prospects on the rise. Vince can handle the scoring in the interim until they hopefully get their hands on LBJ. CDR is a very nice pickup where they got him in the draft... he slipped a lot due to refusing to workout for a lot of teams like Detroit but has a solid college pedigree and ability. Jefferson may be gone, but they have three very different looks at SF in Yi (tall, versatile and athletic), Simmons (scoring) and Hassell (defensive stopper). Their big men department is stacked with young talent of all shapes and sizes (plus Stromile Swift.....). This just in: this analysis could have been very different, with the ironic revelation that Vinsanity almost joined LeBron in Cleveland, if you believe this story.

DEPTH CHART:

PG Devin Harris / Marcus Williams

SG Vince Carter / Boston Snackbar / Chris Douglas-Roberts

SF Yi Jianlian / Bobby Simmons / Trenton Hassell

PF Sean Williams / Josh Boone / Ryan Anderson

C Brook Lopez / Nenad Kristic / DeSagana Diop

ROSTER:
2008-09 Roster

NUM PLAYER POS HT WT DOB FROM YRS

13 Maurice Ager F-G 6-5 202 02/09/1984 Michigan State 2

Ryan Anderson ** F 6-10 240 05/06/1988 CaliforniaR

10 Darrell Armstrong G 6-1 180 06/22/1968 Fayetteville State 14

2 Josh Boone C 6-10 237 11/21/1984 Connecticut 2

15 Vince Carter G 6-6 220 01/26/1977 North Carolina 10

14 DeSagana Diop C 7-0 280 01/30/1982 Oak Hill Academy HS (VA) 7

Chris Douglas-Roberts ** G 6-720001/08/1987 Memphis R

34 Devin Harris G 6-3 185 02/27/1983 Wisconsin 4

44 Trenton Hassell F 6-5 233 03/04/1979 Austin Peay 7

12 Nenad Krstic F-C 7-0 240 07/25/1983 Serbia & Montenegro 4

Brook Lopez ** C 7-0 260 04/01/1988 Stanford R

7 Bostjan Nachbar F 6-9 221 07/03/1980 Slovenia 6

Bobby Simmons F 6-6 230 06/02/1980 DePaul 6

6 Stromile Swift F-C 6-10 220 11/21/1979 Louisiana State 8

22 Keith Van Horn F 6-10 245 10/23/1975 Utah 9

1 Marcus Williams G 6-3 205 12/03/1985 Connecticut 2

51 Sean Williams F-C 6-10 235 09/13/1986 Boston College 1

Yi Jianlian F 7-0 238 10/27/1987 1

** unsigned rookie

(Roster per NBA.com as at today, 30 June 2008)