\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/files\/2012\/10\/image.jpg\" "\\"Newsday\\"")
<\/a>Taking a look at the Knicks\u2019 offseason moves, we can clearly see the mindset of the Knicks\u2019 management: win now. To anyone who has been following the Knicks for the past couple of years, such a short-term goal by the Knicks\u2019 management shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise.<\/p>\n
In 2011, the Knicks announced a blockbuster trade, giving up young talent such as Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari for Carmelo Anthony, now the franchise centerpiece and superstar of the Knicks. This year, the Knicks acted no differently, letting off young, developing players such as Jeremy Lin, Toney Douglas, and Landry Fields and signing proven but aging veterans in Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, and Marcus Camby. Many players that the Knicks signed are over 35 years old, meaning that the Knicks will only have a couple of years to shoot for a championship before having to rebuild the roster.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the largest question mark on the Knicks\u2019 roster is floating around Carmelo Anthony. In his ten year career, Anthony has been selected to the All-Star and All-NBA teams five times each, but he\u2019s only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once. He\u2019s often viewed as a ball-hogger, a play-stopper, and a single-minded scorer; he\u2019s even been compared to LeBron James, since they were drafted in the same year, play the same position, have similar skill sets, and were derided by critics. After yet another first-round exit in the playoffs to the Miami Heat and watching James finally lift a championship trophy, Anthony is determined to silence his critics.<\/p>\n
However, the Knicks have a long road ahead of them if they\u2019re aiming for the top prize. Firstly, the two star players on the Knicks \u2013 Carmelo Anthony and Amar\u2019e Stoudemire \u2013 have shown difficulty in sharing the floor together; Anthony thrives in isolation plays while Stoudemire shines in pick-and-roll situations, but each play is incompatible with the other. There\u2019s also the question of chemistry. More than a third of the Knicks\u2019 roster is composed of newcomers, and since most of them are veterans, the players need to find a way to mesh quickly before their championship window closes.<\/p>\n
The Brooklyn Nets<\/strong><\/p>\n Two headlines punctuated the Nets\u2019 off-season: a move from New Jersey to Brooklyn and a revamped roster. The Nets\u2019 management launched a campaign titled \u201cHello Brooklyn,\u201d plastering signs of the Nets\u2019 roster everywhere around New York City in the hopes of drawing fans in (mostly from the Knicks).<\/p>\n Along with snagging a new arena, the Nets also assembled a revamped roster, re-signing All-Star point guard Deron Williams, Kris Humpries, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez while bringing in All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks. Both critics and fans alike have touted the back court pairing of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson as one of the best in the league. Williams is known for his penetration and passing abilities while Johnson is regarded for his isolation and scoring, allowing the two to feed off each another and giving one the opportunity to step up if the other falters.<\/p>\n While the Nets don\u2019t have the highly publicized superstars their neighboring Knicks have, they do have a solid roster and chemistry. Out of the five players in the starting lineup, four players (all except Johnson) are returning players and have already spent a year getting to know each other\u2019s play styles. While Wallace, Lopez, and Humphries are not anywhere near superstars, they\u2019ve each given solid contributions to the team over the past year and can only be expected to get better. Aside from their starting five, the Nets have also brought in reliable backups such as CJ Watson.<\/p>\n It\u2019s obvious that the Nets have the pieces and willpower to become a regular playoff team; the bigger question is whether they can turn their talent into playoff success and have enough to finally bring an NBA championship to New York City.<\/p>\n