What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets December 11

Tuesday, December 11^th, 2012

Pre Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Knicks will look to get some revenge in round two of the Battle of the Boroughs as they travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets.  The first time around, the Nets won a hard fought overtime game 96-89.  In the first meeting, it was the Knicks who were not at full strength; tonight it will be the Nets who will be playing short-handed.  Here are some things to watch tonight:

-Jason Kidd in the Lineup

In the first matchup of the season, the Knicks were without guard Jason Kidd.  Thankfully, this time they will have Kidd at their disposal and he should assume his regular role in the starting lineup. 

Without Kidd in the lineup, the Knicks offense struggled; the ball movement was stagnant and the offense was over reliant on isolations, especially with Carmelo Anthony.  With Kidd in the lineup, the ball movement is crisper and everyone is on top of their game.

Kidd also brings veteran intangibles that are irreplaceable for the Knicks.  He is 39 years old, but he has the hands of a 24 year old and can still make things happen on the defensive end of the court and still makes precision passes not every point guard is capable of. 

-Attack the Paint

The Nets this time will be the team without a key piece in their lineup, as starting center Brook Lopez will miss the game with a foot injury.  It will be the sixth straight game that Lopez misses, meaning Andray Blatche will take over at center for the Nets tonight again.

The Nets are 1-4 without Lopez in the lineup, with their only win coming against a lowly Orlando Magic squad.  The Nets will also have Reggie Evans in the starting lineup, replacing Kris Humphries to try and replace the defense lost with Lopez sitting out.

Without Lopez in the lineup, the Nets are allowing 11.5 more points per game; 102.2 without Lopez compared to 90.7 with him.  The shooting percentages also see a drastic change without Lopez in the lineup, as the Nets are allowing teams to shoot 50.7 percent from the field without him compared to 44.9 with him. 

Blatche has filled in admirably for Lopez, scoring 17.2 points per game to go along with 9.8 rebounds, but he leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end, blocking only 0.4 shots per game compared to the 2.5 Lopez provides.

-Bench Play

With the injuries the Nets have, their starting lineup will be shifted around much like the Knicks in the first meeting.  That means that their bench is weakened, meaning the Knicks have to take advantage.

Since Lopez has been out, the productivity of the Nets bench players has suffered as well.  Jerry Stackhouse has been shooting 30.4 percent from the field and C.J Watson is averaging only 1.5 assists and shooting 37.5 percent.

The Knicks bench has been coming alive of late, with Steve Novak finding his touch and Rasheed Wallace giving strong minutes as well.  J.R. Smith has struggled with his shot recently, but the effort he gives on defense and how he fills other stats still helps the Knicks.

With the Nets lineup change, the Knicks now have the superior bench and will have to take advantage as they cannot rely on Anthony, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler solely to carry the offense.  

Knicks Continue Strong Play at MSG

Sunday, December 9^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Denver Nuggets: 106 New York Knicks: 112

Knicks Stay Undefeated with Hard Fought Victory

In his first game back after a two game absence, Carmelo Anthony returned to the court, helping the Knicks back into the win column.  With the victory, the Knicks continued their home winning streak, winning all their home games thus far this season.  Under Mike Woodson, the Knicks are 19-1 at home in the regular season.  Also, the Knicks continued an amazing stretch in which they have only lost back-to-back games in the regular season only once.

-Positives

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• Anthony struggled early, but got his shot going when the Knicks needed it most; Anthony missed 12 of his first 17 shots. The fourth quarter Anthony finished strong, going five of seven and scoring nine key points as the Knicks were able to hold off a scrappy Nuggets squad.  Anthony finished with 34 points and six rebounds, going 10 of 24 from the field and 11 of 16 from the foul line.  Anthony showed tonight how much he really means to this Knicks team and how much a team can benefit from having a superstar to close out games.

• The ball security was at a premium for the Knicks coming into the game, as the Nuggets thrive in the open court and on fast breaks.  The Knicks were able to limit those opportunities by turning the ball over only nine times.  When the Knicks turn the ball over 12 times or less, they are now 13-0; but when they turn it over 13 times or more they are 2-5.  The Knicks shot poorly from the field, at only 43 percent, but was able to make up for that by not turning the ball over. 

• The Nuggets came into the game as one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA with players like Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee in the middle.  Without Rasheed Wallace tonight and Marcus Camby, the Knicks were dangerously thin up front with only Tyson Chandler and Kurt Thomas, equaling a potentially disastrous situation on the boards.  The Knicks weren’t having any of that though, as they were outrebounded by the Nuggets by only one, 40-39, thanks to a dominant performance by Chandler with a game high 12 and a surprising nine from J.R. Smith.

• Jason Kidd was amazing for the Knicks tonight, showing that age is just a number once again.  As Alan Hahn has said plenty of times, Kidd’s body is 39 years old but his hands are still 24.  Kidd was instrumental in the Knicks coming back tonight and holding onto the lead.  He made timely baskets and led the Knicks with seven assists.  The Knicks look much better on the court when Kidd plays.

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• Chandler continued his spirited play Sunday night, playing with tenacity and energy knowing the Knicks really needed him with Wallace and Camby both sitting out; he responded with another double-double, his eighth of the season.  Chandler finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, changing the Nuggets shots on numerous occasions. 

-Negatives

• The Knicks struggled from the free throw line tonight, but thankfully it did not hurt them at the end.  Even when struggling from the line, going 36 for 27, they made more free throws than the Nuggets, who went 21 for 29.  If the Knicks had knocked down more free throws, the end of the game would not have been so close and in question.  Five of the misses came from Anthony in the first half before he got going and into the flow of the game. 

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• The Knicks got pounded in the paint tonight also, as Chandler was the only big man along with Thomas the Knicks had to employ tonight.  The Knicks were able to keep the Nuggets off the boards pretty efficiently, but they allowed the Nuggets to live in the paint; they scored 62 points in the paint, compared to only 32 for the Knicks. 

• The Knicks were able to pull the game out night, but it should not have been this close.  The combination of poor defense (the Nuggets shot 55.6 percent from the field) and poor shooting (43.0 percent from the field for the Knicks) goes together like oil and vinegar.  Nonetheless, the Knicks scored when they needed to and got the stops that were necessary in picking up the victory tonight.

Next up for the Knicks is round two in the Battle of the Boroughs as the Knicks head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets Tuesday night and will look to exact some revenge from the loss earlier in the season the Nets handed them.

Knicks Unveil New Uniforms

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Today the New York Knicks officially unveiled their new jerseys for the upcoming 2012-2013 NBA season.  The new jerseys give a nod to the Knicks glorious championship years, and personally, I really like the new look and am glad the changes were made.

The most notable change that fans will notice was the removing of the side piping on both the jerseys and shorts.  The jersey and shorts are both solid one color now.  There was also a solid color waistband added, blue for home and orange for away jerseys, and the Knicks logo is now on the left leg.

There were more subtle changes made as well, including a more rounded neckline.  On the inside of the collar, there is also a message written that says, “Once a Knick, always a Knick”. 

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The quote is something that center Tyson Chandler really appreciates.  “This city embraces us,” said the defending Defensive Player of the Year award winner.  “That’s what New York is about.”

The color for the neckline was also changed to a trimmer gray, which stops at the neckline.  The team says it stops at the neckline to accentuate the “New York” across the front of the jersey. 

http://news.sportslogos.net/2012/09/06/new-york-knicks-unveil-new-uniforms/

The fonts for the “New York” across the chest and numbers were tweaked as well.  The arch in “New York” was lessened, while the numbers were elongated.  The token logo that used to reside on the back of the jersey has also been replaced in favor of the Knicks “roundball” logo. 

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 “I love them,” said power forward Amar’e Stoudemire, who was part of the showcase with center Tyson Chandler and former Knicks and hall of famers Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.  “These jerseys are extremely clean.”

“I like them a lot,” Chandler added.  “They’re really comfortable.”

There is some speculation as to why the changes have been made and one common belief is that it is in response to the Nets move to Brooklyn this season.  There is a chance that could be the reasoning behind the Knicks thinking, but it should be noted that the Knicks did not rip off the Nets new old school look.  The Knicks new jerseys have been in the works for months, even before the Nets new look started to become leaked. 

With all of this being said, it really does not matter what the Knicks are wearing and what they look like; what matters more is that they win.  They could run around the court dressed like Dave Chappelle in his Prince Basketball skit and it wouldn’t matter so long they are winning.  Fans should care more about the results on the scoreboard.  

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Nets sign Donte Greene

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Nets sign Donte Greene

The Nets have come to terms with Donte Greene to give him a training camp invite with a non guaranteed contract.

Greene is a former first round pick from Syracuse, as the 6-11 forward is now the 14th person under contract with the Nets and would be a backup for Gerald Wallace, and Mirza Teletovic.

He has played his first 4 seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings mostly in a backup role. Greene has averaged 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds in his career. There is some potential in Greene who in his one year at Syracuse did put up some nice stats averaging 17.7 pts, and 7.2 rebs per game but hasn’t seen that kind of success at the NBA level.

Nets to Re-Sign Keith Bogans

nj.com

Keith Bogans is expected to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets after playing five games for them last season before tearing a ligament, and fracturing his ankle which required season ending surgery.

In Bogans five games with the Nets, he averaged 4.2 pts and 2.2 reb per game after coming off a season with the Bulls in which he started all 82 games.

The 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls may have been Bogans best as him and MVP Derrick Rose started in the backcourt together, and the Bulls made the Eastern Conference Finals losing to the Heat in five games.

Bogans will provide a good defensive back up for Joe Johnson, and Gerald Wallace while being able to shoot from beyond the arc with some success as he is a career 35% three point shooter.

Kris Humphries Returns to Nets

nba.com

Kris Humphries to Return to Nets

Brooklyn Nets were able to sign free agent Kris Humphries to return with the team for 2 year 24 million dollar deal.

"Kris has been a very consistent player for us over the past two years," Nets general manager Billy King said in a statement. "He has developed into one of the top rebounding forwards in the league, and we are very pleased to welcome him back."

Humphries has seen his career take off with the Nets as in the last two seasons he has the most double doubles of any Power Forward in the NBA with 58, and a short stint on reality T.V as he was married to Kim Kardashian for 72 days.

Humphries best year was last year as he averaged 13.8 pts, 11.0 reb, and 1.2 blk per game making it his second year in a row of averaging a double double.

With the signing of Humphries the Nets starting lineup should be set for the regular season with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, and Brook Lopez.

Nets Sign C.J. Watson

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Nets Sign C.J. Watson

The Brooklyn Nets were able to land free agent point guard C.J. Watson to be the backup for Deron Williams.

Watson’s new deal will be for two years at the veteran’s minimum making this a very good signing for Brooklyn; they are getting a very good backup for Deron at a good price.

"We are very pleased to add a veteran with the savvy and experience of C.J. Watson to our roster," Nets general manager Billy King said in a statement. "C.J. has the ability to be productive in a variety of roles, and he will add quality and versatility to our backcourt rotation."

C.J. Watson played in 49 games and started 25 for the Chicago Bulls last year as he played a lot with injuries to Derrick Rose throughout the season and in the playoffs. He was a reason the Bulls stayed at the top of the East, landing the number one seed still in regular season.

Watson averaged 9.7 points, 4.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 23.7 minutes per game in the regular season and in playoffs against the 76ers played 30.8 minutes per game with 8.0 points, 5.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds.

Nets Resign Brook Lopez

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Nets Resign Brook Lopez

The Nets and 7 foot center Brook Lopez, who was a restricted free agent, have been able to come to a agreement on a 4 year $60 million dollar max contract.

The Lopez signing will take the Nets out of trade talks with the Orlando Magic, as once Lopez signs the new deal he can't be traded until January 15th. Lopez was the center piece of the offer heading to Orlando, so the Nets Magic trade rumors will stop for the summer.

Lopez is coming off a year in which he was only to play five games due to various foot and ankle injuries. Lopez has shown he can be good offensive center in the NBA, but his rebounding dropped in the 2010-11 season to only 5.9 rebounds a game, which is very low for 7 foot center who plays over 30 minutes a game.

Lopez in four seasons has averaged 17.4 points 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for his career, but coming off a year of only playing five games should raise some concern about his health going forward.

Jerry Stackhouse to Sign with Nets

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Jerry Stackhouse to sign with Nets

Nets were able to reach a verbal agreement for 37 year old guard Jerry Stackhouse to sign a one year 1.3 million dollar contract.

Jerry Stackhouse’s best days a long behind him as this is more of a signing to fill the roster and for a good influence and leader in the locker room as Stackhouse can mentor young shooting guard MarShon Brooks assuming he isn’t traded in part of a Dwight Howard deal.

Last year in 30 games with the Atlanta Hawks Stackhouse averaged 9.1 minutes and 3.6 points per game a far cry from his great Pistons days.

Knicks Land Marcus Camby from Rockets

Knicks Land Marcus Camby in Sign and Trade with Rockets

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The Knicks were able to land another important piece today in center Marcus Camby.  He will backup both Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire and can start at either power forward or center if injuries do occur.

The Knicks signed Camby to a three year $13.2 million deal, with the third year being only partially guaranteed.  It will turn into a 2 year $10 million if the third year isn’t picked up. 

Most people are under the impression that the Knicks have no cap space, so the first thought that comes to mind is how do the Knicks keep adding players? In this scenario, it was by a sign and trade.

The Knicks agreed to send Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan, Josh Harrellson and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015 for Camby. The deal cannot be finalized until July 11^th, once all deals can be finalized for NBA players. 

The 38 year old and 16 year veteran had narrowed his choices down to the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat ultimately choosing the Knicks because of money.  The Heat and Nets could only offer the veteran’s minimum, with no assets to trade.  The Knicks had assets to trade, in turn being able to give Camby more money.

Camby has still been productive even this late into his career.  He averaged 7.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in 59 games between the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.  The addition of Camby gives the Knicks one of the best one-two punches at the center position in the NBA. 

This will be Camby’s second go-around with the Knicks, as he played with them from 1998-2002.  Hopefully his tenure this time can be as successful as his first time, as he started for the Knicks in the NBA Finals in the 1999 series against the San Antonio Spurs.  

Nets Summer League Roster

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Brooklyn Nets Summer League Roster

The Brooklyn Nets played their first Summer League game losing to the Magic on Monday morning with many speculations of a trade between the two teams.







The Nets roster for the Summer League will consist of:


MarShon Brooks- Guard
Stephen Dennis- Guard
Bryant Dunston -Forward
Jeff Foote- Center
Ashton Gibbs- Guard
Taurean Green- Guard
Adam Morrison -Forward
Carleton Scott -Forward
Tornike Shengelia- Forward
Garrett Stutz- Center
Tyshawn Taylor- Guard
Al Thornton- Forward
Edwin Ubiles- Guard
Julian Wright - Forward

If rumors are true and a Dwight Howard deal is close it will probably shake up this roster a bit as definitely MarShon Brooks will be heading elsewhere as he is a big piece in the move to get Howard.

Reggie Evans to land with Nets

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Reggie Evans to land with Nets

The Brooklyn Nets were able to get Forward Reggie Evans from the Clippers in a sign and trade deal sending, a 2nd round pick to the Clippers for Evans.

The Nets signed Evans to a three year $5 million dollar deal. The trade was consummated using the $3 million dollar trade exception, giving them a tough player down low to help fill out their roster.

Evans last year with the Clippers averaged 1.9 pts and 4.9 rebs in 56 games in the regular season. In 11 games in the post season, Evans saw his averages jump up to 3.0 pts and 7.3 rebs per game, as he played a big role in Clippers beating the Grizzles in the 1st round.

The Nets will definitely have Evans in the rotation as he is a great rebounder. Whether he is needed to start or not will depend on the rest of the Nets off-season as they pursue Dwight Howard and other free agents.

Deron Williams to stay with Nets

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Deron Williams to stay with Nets

The Nets got great news on Tuesday, as superstar Point Guard Deron Williams will be staying with the Nets as they make their move from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

Williams will be getting the 5 year $100 million dollar max deal from the Nets. This deal is $25 million dollars more than the Dallas Mavericks were able to offer, as the Mavericks offer was only able to be 4 years at $75 million.

Williams had another great season last year despite very little help on the court. Williams averaged 21pts, 8.7ast, 3.3reb and 1.2stl per game.

Joe Johnson was acquired by the Nets on Monday, as the Nets have hopes that him and Williams will be the best back court in basketball and lead them to the playoffs.

The Nets still hold out hope that they can get Dwight Howard on the team as well with a trade. This Johnson trade also means that a Jason Kidd return seems unlikely. It was said he wanted to be a backup for Williams wherever Williams decided to go.

Now that Williams is signed, it would appear all focus will move to trying to trade a package featuring Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks, and a bunch of future 1^st round draft picks to the Magic for Howard to establish a big 3 in Brooklyn.

Nets to acquire Joe Johnson

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With many rumors flying around the last few days about a trade between the Nets and Hawks for All-Star guard Joe Johnson, it is confirmed that the two teams have reached a agreement to send Johnson to Brooklyn.

The trade sends Johnson to the Nets for Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson, and the Houston Rockets lottery protected 1^st round draft pick.

Joe Johnson was handed a huge 6 year $119 million contract two years ago by the Atlanta Hawks and has not lived up to it, and it is considered by many to be a very bad contract. Johnson is now 31 and has 4 years and almost $90 million left on the deal.

The Nets still believe that Deron Williams is resigning and that him and Johnson will become one of the best back court duos in the NBA. With this trade, the Nets are also covering themselves to a certain degree that if Williams does in fact leave, they do have an All-Star to market for the move to Brooklyn, and can try to make a run at Steve Nash or maybe Jeremy Lin.

If Williams resigns, with the trade for Joe Johnson and his contract, it would seem extremely unlikely that Dwight Howard will get his wish to be playing for Brooklyn as the Nets wouldn’t be able to pay him.

The Nets starting lineup is looking good if they get their players to sign as it would be Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Mirza Teletovic, and Brook Lopez, but it all depends on if they are able to sign Williams and restricted free agent Lopez. If they can, the Nets should definitely be a playoff team but them challenging Miami still seems a ways off.

Wallace to Resign With Nets

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Gerald Wallace to resign with Nets

Sources are saying that the Nets and Gerald Wallace have agreed verbally to a 4 year $40 million deal but can't sign until July 11th. Wallace opted out of the final year of his contract worth 9.5 million, but had always intended to resign with the Nets.

The Nets had to give up their 1st round pick for Wallace in the trade to Portland, which ended up being the 6th pick in the draft. It was a high price, making it really a necessity for the Nets to keep Wallace around to try and provide Deron Williams some appealing pieces; getting Williams to resign as that is the main goal.

Wallace is very injury prone but when healthy is a great defender and made the All Star team in 2010 with the Bobcats. Wallace is now 29, and last season in his time with the Trail Blazers and Nets he averaged 13.8pts, 6.7reb, 2.8ast, and 1.5stl while shooting 45% from the field in 58 games.

Farmar to stay with Nets

nba.com

With NBA free agency kicking off, Jordan Farmar exercised his $4.25 million dollar player option to stay with the Brooklyn Nets.

Farmar is coming off a season in which he played in 39 games, starting 5 of them.  He averaged 21.3 minutes a game and scored 10.4 points and 3.3 assists.  Farmar shot 46 % from the field and 44% from 3 point land.

The Nets are beginning to have a log jam at the guard position. Farmar joins Marshon Brooks and Anthony Marrow under contract in addition to the drafting of Tyshawn Taylor in the 2nd round of Thursday's draft.

With the hope that Deron Williams is coming back and the talk of Jason Kidd  following where ever Williams decides to go, it would appear that Farmar maybe used in a trade. The Nets have been linked in conversations for Joe Johnson, Dwight Howard, and Luis Scola to try and give Williams some help.

Brooklyn Nets 2012 Draft Recap

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Brooklyn Nets 2012 Draft Recap

The Brooklyn Nets only had one pick going in to the draft, which was 57^th overall, due to trading their first rounder at the trade deadline to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gerald Wallace. The Nets pick was only top three protected and their pick ended up being 6^th sending it to Portland.

There was some speculation of the Nets buying a pick in the first round, but the first 30 picks came and went with no pick from Brooklyn.

But, they were not quite on the trade front all night. The Nets traded for the 41^st pick, sending cash to Portland and received Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor in return. Taylor had a great four year career at Kansas. In Taylor’s Senior year at KU he averaged 16.6ppg, 4.8ast, 2.3reb and 1.3stl. Combined with Thomas Robinson, he helped lead Kansas to the National Championship where they fell to Kentucky.

Taylor was able to get some individual accolades along with playing on one of the best teams in the nation. During his time at Kansas, he was a Bob Cousy Award finalist in his Junior and Senior seasons, and was named to many All-America 3^rd teams in his Senior year. He was also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team by the media in 08-09 season.

The Nets future is very uncertain as it all is riding on what happens with Deron Williams, who has said he's only interested in staying with the Nets or going to Dallas, but Taylor is a good talent and has shown he can take over games at the college level. He should be able to give the Nets some minutes off the bench in his rookie year.

With the 57^th pick the Nets selected a draft and stash player in Ilkan Karaman who is a 6-9 forward from Turkey averaged 10.7pts and 6.4rebs per game in the Turkish League but he probably wont be in the NBA anytime soon.

Brooklyn Nets Launch

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The long awaited move for the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn is finally taking place.  This past season was the last for the Nets in New Jersey and will now call the $1 billion Barclays Center on Atlantic and Flatbush in Brooklyn.

With the move, the Nets now have a new logo and color scheme.  Out is the red, white and blue Net fans have been accustomed to for years; in is a new black and white color scheme.  Rapper and part owner Jay-Z played a major role in the decision making for the colors and new logos.

From the teams press release, it is said, “Jay-Z’s design for the team’s brand identity incorporates a timeless black and while color palette of the old New York subway signage system, including its clean ‘RollSign’ typeface.  The treatment celebrates the history and heritage of Brooklyn by drawing upon the familiar classic signage from when the borough last had its own major professional team in 1957.”

The launching of the new Brooklyn Nets brand has created a buzz around the Nets that hasn’t been seen in years.  Sales through Brooklynnets.com have been more than double the team’s sales for all of the 2010-2011 season.  Modell’s Sporting Goods, the Nets official sporting goods retailer, sold more merchandise on the night of the launch than all of last season.

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The sales of season tickets have also seen a spike because of the launch, as the Brooklyn Nets have now sold three price points.  Traffic to their new site has also seen a gigantic spike, increasing 1,700% between April 30^th and May 2^nd. 

Understandably with a launch of a new product there is going to be a lot of excitement.  I do not blame people for being excited because if the team I liked had a launch like this you better believe I would be first in line for all this stuff. 

With saying that, I am not a huge fan of the actual logo and color scheme.  It is a little boring and bland for my taste.  I understand that there is a reason behind it, trying to get the old school feel of Brooklyn, just I thought there could be more done.  Don’t get me wrong I’m not an artistic or creative person by any means, but with as much money and resources the Nets owners and management have you would think there would be a little more creativity put into it.  It is a nice, clean, simple logo and color scheme that will please plenty of people.  Just for my taste, it is a little bland.