MYFOXNY.COM -
Santa is coming to New York early this year. He's even coming before the Pilgrims get here for Thanksgiving!
On November 1st, the Brooklyn Nets will host the New York Knicks in the season opener for both teams.
Yes, I know its July, but if you are not excited about this, go to the doctor for a check up.
A new arena, a new logo, a new city, a new team for Brooklyn, what better opponent to open your reinvigoration with than your cross-town rivals?
Kudos to the NBA, they did not disappoint by giving the fans what they wanted. Throughout all of the off season, the anticipation heightened for the Knicks and Nets showdown.
It is absolutely no question that the Nets gained the most from the off season. The re-signing of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries keeps the vital components of the Nets roster from last season. The addition of Joe Johnson, C. J. Watson, and Mirza Teletovic, adds more flavor and makes the Nets a definite contender in the Eastern Conference.
"The Core Four" (Williams, Lopez, Johnson, and Wallace) of the Brooklyn Nets may not be as powerful as Miami's big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh; however, they do possess a young and gritty play that can compete with the Miami Heat. Improvements need to be made but with a young team, the Nets have what the Knicks lack: longevity.
Across the Brooklyn Bridge the Knicks loom in the Garden, with a better team than last year, yet lacking one thing.
You guessed it: longevity.
The Knicks brought back JR Smith and Steve Novak and added veteran players Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Raymond Felton, and Kurt Thomas. However, the departure of Jeremy Lin leaves a gaping hole for development for the Knicks. While Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Amar'e Stoudemire are the Knicks' big three, Raymond Felton, JR Smith, and Steve Novak are the only long-term options the Knicks possess.
Camby, Thomas, and Kidd are in the twilight of their careers and certainly cannot guarantee long minutes on the court and will need to stay rested if the Knicks are in the hunt for a championship. Case in point, Knicks have the talent and potential, but as usual, even with the off season transactions, no guarantees can be made about this team until they begin play.
So what is going to happen in Brooklyn on November 1st?
The better team is going to prevail and the better team right now is the Brooklyn Nets.
Sorry to say it Knick fans, but the Nets did everything right and the Knicks did a lot of wrong. It has been a sad off season as both teams have been polar opposites. The Knicks have been bad with the departure of Lin, the alleged drunken driving of Kidd, and signing a handful of, dare I say, old players.
The Nets obtained longevity, a core group to build young talent around, and a team that has indeed propelled itself to be above the Knicks.
This game can solidify the Nets' legitimacy in the Eastern Conference. Yes, one game never says anything about a team, but for a team that has revamped and grown in the blink of an eye during the off season, a season-opening victory over the Knicks would sound very sweet and be a very big catapult to begin a road to the playoffs.
The Knicks need this game more than the Nets, though. So much drama in the off season and so many questions about this team that if they lose, more criticism will be directed toward them than if the Nets lost. If Carmelo and company want to make a statement to the critics and the rest of the league, here's your chance.
Ask and you shall receive New York, the rivalry will begin on November 1st. The line in the sand will be drawn and a matinee will take place. The days of the Knicks owning New York has reached its breaking point. On the horizon, the Brooklyn Nets look to take New York away. It will all come to a collision in the house that Jay-Z built with prime-time lights shining on Brooklyn for the nation to see.
Expect a high scoring game, a raucous crowd, and a great start to the NBA season.
