On the Hardwood
While this has just been a challenging season for the Brooklyn Nets, there is no question that things are starting to look up. Last week brought two significant changes that will have a major impact on the direction of this franchise.
First off, the Nets have solidified their commitment to Kings County by moving their team practice facilities to Industry City in Sunset Park. This means that the Nets are all in with Brooklyn and this is something that their fans certainly want to hear. Now the team does not have to deal with the agonizing travel time of going back and forth from Brooklyn to East Rutherford. It helps when your practice facilities are 10 minutes away from your arena as opposed to being having a drive that is almost an hour away.
KCP had a chance to attend the press conference last week and the facility itself is immaculate. Just an express train stop away from Barclays Center, this transition can bring some much needed convenience to a team that has had a very hectic season. The amenities speak for themselves but what is amazing about the state of the art training center is the panoramic view of New York City’s skyline. Hopefully, this can serve as one of the key turning points as the Nets try and make it out of the bottom of the NBA barrel.
Aside from the training center, the Nets made a major move last week hiring Sean Marks as their General Manager. Collectively there were two key factors that drew the Nets to Marks. On one hand, he has a certain level of championship credibility because of his connection to the San Antonio Spurs. Over the last decade and a half the Spurs have become the best run organization in the NBA by far probably all of professional sports. Year in year out this team competes for titles, and they have the hardware to prove it, with five championship rings.
In addition to his background to San Antonio, the Nets also liked the fact that Marks has a very extensive and diverse resume. Despite not having any actual GM experience, Marks has been a player in the NBA, he worked as a coach under Gregg Popovich and he worked in the front office under R.C. Buford.
Only time will tell if this is the right decision, mainly because Marks lacks experience, but right now, fans are assured that this team is heading a different direction. Hosting one of the worst records in the NBA, any type of chance is good.
Unfortunately the losing will most likely continue for this team as they push through the rest of the year. They made no moves at the trade deadline and they cut Andrea Bargnani over the weekend. In his time in New York with both the Knicks and Nets, Bargnani did nothing but underachieve for both teams during his time in the Big Apple.
Last week, the Nets were able to bring some cheer to Brooklyn as they topped the Knicks at Barclays Center 109-98 in their first game back since the All-Star break. They followed that up with another loss at home to Charlotte on Sunday night 104-96.
This week the Nets hit the road for a west coast road swing that could make things much worse for this team. Brooklyn will now on be on the road for their next nine games and they do not play at Barclays Center until March 13th against Milwaukee. The Nets will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
On the Ice
As the calendar gets ready to turn to March, the New York Islanders find themselves right in the middle of a packed Eastern Conference playoff race. With 69 points the Isles have shown that they are capable of making a strong playoff push.
Last week, the Isles had three games all against possible playoff teams and they were definitely able to hold heir own with two wins. After beating the Red Wings on Presidents’ Day 4-1, the Isles lost a brutal Overtime nail biter against the Caps 3-2. Finishing off the week, the Isles headed over to Newark to beat the Devils in a 1-0 defensive battle.
Now the Islanders get ready to hit the road. Beginning on Tuesday night, they begin a six game stretch of away games that could certainly help give this team some much needed momentum in the standings. With four out of the six teams hosting below .500 records, this could certainly provide the Islanders with some points, which are at a premium right now with the playoffs around the corner.
