ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Says Brooklyn Nets are Best Team in NY.
Stephen A. Smith has spoken, or at least tweeted.
ESPN retweeted the following on Monday morning:
"Until we know for sure that @amareisreal's back & knees are healthy, Brooklyn has the best team in NY." - @stephenasmith
This comment comes amidst the trades and signs that both teams have done to improve their 2013 chances at winning a championship.
The New York Knicks were the better team in 2012.
They played with Jeremy Lin at the point and stars like Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony. Their bench was deep with players like J.R. Smith and Steve Novak.
Their biggest weakness however came from the forward position played by Amar'e Stoudemire.
Stoudemire looked like a completely different player after playing with injuries throughout the season. He started 47 of the Knicks' 66 games and only averaged 17.5 points a game.
That was down from his 25.3 averaged in 2011, his first season in New York, and is four points below his career average which is 21.6.
Without a doubt, the Knicks have trouble scoring from the paint when Amar'e is not playing well. Chandler provides an able body down in the post, but he is a player the Knicks rely on to play defense.
With Anthony and Stat, the Knicks have two of the most dominant forwards in the league, but without Stoudemire's usual performance, the Knicks went through stretches of bad basketball and could not compete in the playoffs.
It is still too early for Brooklyn Nets fans to mock Knick fans and celebrate their 2013 success. The season has not even starter.
However, on paper, the Nets look like the favorable team.
They have Deron Williams returning and they acquired Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks.
Though many might look at it as a minimal victory, the Nets were able to retain Kris Humpries and Brook Lopez.
Humphries averaged a double-double scoring almost 14 points and grabbing 11 boards a game. Lopez played in only 5 games in 2012 but averaged 19 points. More importantly, in 2011 when given a chance to start, he averaged 20 points a game.
Add that to Williams' 21 points and Johnson's 18.8 points a game, and the Nets have solid contributors on the floor day in and day out.
Rounding out the Nets' starting five is forward Gerard Wallace. He is a veteran and averaged 15 points a night in 16 games with the Nets in 2012.
As of now, the Knicks' starting five has Iman Shumpert playing guard, Toney Douglas at point, Stoudemire as the power forward, Carmelo Anthony is the strong forward and Chandler is at center.
In reality, Douglas would not get a chance to start, that is, if Mike Woodson is in the proper state of mind. The coach will be forced to start Jason Kidd and let Douglas come off the bench.
Lin has an offer on the table with the Houston Rockets, which the Knicks still have to match in order to guarantee Linsanity will once again rule in New York.
As of now, the Nets do possess in fact the strongest team in New York City.
