The Nets for the last several years have been a team that wasn’t looked at as a tougher challenge to play in general, let alone a legitimate title contender. Are they there yet?

After firing Avery Johnson as their Head Coach, and the never ending recycling machine continues, they hired PJ Carlisimo, as their Head Coach. Things have gotten back on track for the Nets as a team. Often times the teams flow can be strongly affected; in this case it was a very good choice to move on, as they have been playing better hoops since the firing. So he obviously has them doing something right.

Playing some excellent ball presently sitting at the 2 position in the Atlantic division, with a 24-16 record, looking good, especially at home, where they have been strong, but have struggled on the road. But they also have played their conference very well, which of course, is crucial. Beating Boston Indiana, and Philly, mainly behind their guard play. Although a very middling team on the offensive side of the ball, especially with their “big three” of their own, the team only scores 97 a game, which is around the same as the Kings, a bottom team, and Toronto another terrible team.

The 6-8 250 lb Reggie Evans is a muscle bound rebounding machine, who gets you 9 boards a night, and a forceful player on the court, who is very aggressive to rebound the ball. But he is by no means any threat to score, every team knows he rebounds and is immediately looking to kick it out to someone else. So far he has never scored double digits in a game. But you know what you’re getting from him every night. On the defensive side, they have been very good. Led by Andray Blatche, but in particular with defending SF, Gerald Wallace. What I find concerning though if I am a Nets fan, is the fact that with some sold rebounders in Evans and Humphries, the team overall is still sitting in the middle of the league in total RPG.

In general the Nets lack a scoring threat at the 4, between Reggie Evans and radically over paid Kris Humphries, they are getting about 10 pts and 19 rebounds between the 2 of them. They are getting the rebounding, but still not consistent scoring.

The Nets need to stay perched urgently in the 4th spot or higher, visibly. They are a fine home team and haven’t been good on the road; they want that 1st round in New York. If so, they should be able to win their 1st round matchup, against a possible Chicago or Atlanta, in Brooklyn.

The surprising Bulls, depending on how Derrick Roses returns, I nonetheless think the Nets can dismantle them, especially in New York, Nets win with offense in that series, led by Brooke Lopez. The Brooklyn Nets have a team that on paper appears to have so much that they can do on the court. They have a great point guard, who can play with the top 3-4 PGs in the game today. They have a solid shooting guard in Joe Johnson, and a center who has a great finesse game and can score.

The problem to me lies with their overall offense, can they put up 105+ can they run up the points, which they will need to do against teams like Miami and the Knicks, both teams who are very competent of lighting up the scoreboards.

And they have a poor rebounding team on the whole, which they need to fix. They have 2 guys who are good rebounders, and it ends there. And until they fix this, I don’t see the Nets being able to kick out the big dogs just yet, from their comfortable spots on top of the food chain.

Written by Frank Jordan for VegasTopDogs.com