Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview.  We start with the Atlantic Division, the toughest in the East, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we take a look at the Nets, a team with a great backcourt, stylish uniforms, and a really cool owner who raps. Welcome to Brooklyn.  

BROOKLYN NETS
Key additions: Joe Johnson (G), Reggie Evans (F), Mirza Teletovic (F),
Jerry Stackhouse (G)

Everybody knows that Brooklyn’s the borough. It’s one of the hottest places to live in America today, and somewhere down the road historians may look back on this period and remark with awe over all of the brilliant artists and writers who resided in early 21st century Brooklyn. Brooklyn has talent; just ask the talented people who live there and they will tell you.

The Brooklyn brand is confident, brash and attractive. And that’s why the Nets swapped their digs in the swamps of New Jersey for the bright lights of The Barclay’s Center right off Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn. Not twenty miles from New Jersey in a geographical sense, the Nets new home couldn’t be farther away in terms of perception for fans and players alike.

When the prize of the off-season, Dwight Howard, did everything in his power to force a trade to Brooklyn from Orlando, it was clear that the Nets time had come. When that trade fell through the Nets had, for what seemed like the first time in years, many other attractive options. They snatched up Joe Johnson (18.8 PPG-3.7 RPG- 3.9 APG), and then quickly re-signed point guard Deron Williams (21 PPG-8.7 APG) giving the Nets the premier backcourt in the East and perhaps in the entire league.

Brook Lopez, a classic back-to-the-basket center who scores in bunches (2010-11 season: 20.4 PPG), looks to bounce back from injury. Lopez is weak on the boards (only 6 RPG in 2010-11) and doesn’t play particularly solid defense, but he will be helped in the frontcourt by the strong rebounding of a much loathed, but talented, Kris Humphries. Reggie Evans was also brought in to help add muscle to the frontcourt and should continue to intimidate opposing players as he has for much for the last decade.

With the boost from the new location, Russian billionaire money backing, and all of the new additions on the court, the Nets look to get back to the playoffs and possibly advance a round or two. But even the confident folks out in Brooklyn don’t fool themselves into thinking these Nets are anything more than a nice team that won’t come close to challenging the Heat for conference supremacy.  

Reason for optimism: Mirza Teletovic can score from anywhere on the floor and will become a favorite of Deron Williams and fans alike.

Reasons for despair: Lopez+Humphreys+Evans≠ Howard

Projected record: 45-37