The season kicked off with a lot of pomp as the Nets moved to Brooklyn and stars were brought to the franchise. A new rivalry was born as the New York Knicks weren't the only team in the city. However, with the firing of head coach Avery Johnson, the Nets prove that the Knicks are the true kings of New York.
Never mind that the Knicks are 21-8 and the Nets are smack at .500 with a 14-14 record, you have to look at the state of the organizations.
Mike Woodson, head coach of the Knicks, is all smiles. Even when his star, Carmelo Anthony, isn't in the game, players step up to fill in the void. Last night, it was J.R. Smith again.
The Knicks coaching staff has a friendly, competitive relationship with the players. As it has been reported nightly, if the Knicks remain their turnover game total beneath double digits, the staff has to run. Meanwhile, if 10 or more turnovers are committed, then the players have to run.
This is motivational for the players and obviously makes the staff feel good if they can develop strategies that can help their team perform. Last season, the Knicks committed the second most turnovers per game. This year, they have committed the lowest turnovers per game, averaging 10.72 per game.
When you take it over to Brooklyn and things turned sour in the month of December. Deron Williams blamed Avery Johnson for his struggles just weeks after many were saying the Nets' early season success was due to the relationship between point guard and head coach.
Now the Nets are trying to battle out of the 3rd spot in the Atlantic Division. The Boston Celtics are now in second place with a 14-13 record.
Johnson won the Coach of the Month award in November, but the month of December went completely wrong. The Nets started the season 11-4, but have been 3-10 in their last 13 games.
For now, the Nets are still a great team on paper with Williams, Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. Their bench is tough and scrappy, however, they struggle holding leads. C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche and Jerry Stackhouse as their role players, but they don't have anybody who can handle the scoring.
If this "Battle of the Boroughs" is supposed to captivate people around the NBA, the Nets will have to get it together. The Knicks are struggling as of late, but they are proving they are the best team in New York.
