The NBA off-season’s biggest surprise: The Brooklyn Nets

After their blockbuster trade from the Boston Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will look to end their career with at least another title. (Getty Images)

While many may think that the Houston Rockets were the most active team this off-season, they are, in fact, wrong. The Brooklyn Nets, without a doubt, have made the biggest splash since the 2012-13 season ended.

They’ve added a new coach in Jason Kidd, and a whole new arsenal of players, including Boston Celtics legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Andrei Kirilenko to their roster.

Let’s take a look at the new acquisitions and the implications they could have on the Nets upcoming season.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

On draft night, the biggest surprise wasn’t that Nerlens Noel failed to go first to the Cleveland Cavaliers; it was that the Celtics completed a mega-deal with the Nets that sent Pierce, Garnett and Jason Terry to Brooklyn for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph and a bunch of draft picks.

It was extremely surprising that Pierce – the unquestionable captain of one of the greatest NBA teams – agreed to potentially end his career in a uniform other than the Celtic green and white. Pierce spent 15 years with Boston, sticking through some of the worst seasons and cementing his place in Celtic lore.

While not terribly athletic, Pierce has time and time again proved that he can compete with the best players in the league. Pierce is an all-round player, who averages six RPG and five APG in his 15-year career. He brings immediate scoring and floor spacing to the Nets (something Wallace never did), as well as a strong leadership presence in the locker room.

However, Pierce is coming up on his 36th birthday and is at the fag end of his career. It remains a huge doubt if he can average 35-plus minutes every game, especially on previously injured legs that have seen over 1200 games.

‘The Truth’ also shot a dismal 43% from the field last season, and on a team with Garnet, Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Kirilenko, he isn’t going to get the same number of shots he’s been used to getting.

To be effective, Pierce is going to have to pick his shots more carefully and learn to impact the game through his overall play. His PPG is sure to drop next season, but hopefully he can make up for it in the rebounds and assists column.

Initially, my first thoughts about the move were rather negative. Pierce is well-loved by Bostonians and it’s not like he hasn’t won a championship ring before. This move wasn’t a necessity, despite the departure of coach Doc Rivers to Hollywood, as Pierce still has one of the league’s top three point guards in Rajon Rondo.

However, after thinking it through, I’ve realized that it isn’t a bad trade. It is clear that the Celtics will not be title contenders this season, and most likely, for the remainder of Pierce’s career. He leaves playing with Rondo to play with another one in Williams. If he can adjust his game accordingly, he can have a positive effect on the Nets and elevate their chances of competing with the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference title.

The arrival of K.G. makes much more sense and is completely beneficial to the Nets. The only downside, similar to Pierce, is his age. At 37, K.G. is on the last legs of his hall-of-fame career.

Brook Lopez #11 and Deron Williams #8 along with KG, Pierce and Joe Johnson will make up the starting five for the Nets. (Getty Images)

However, his play is still at an above-average NBA level and he will bolster the Net’s frontline this upcoming season. Well-known for his trademark physicality and hustle, K.G. will give 110% effort every game and is certainly an upgrade from Humphries.

Similar to Nets centre Lopez, Garnett is a dependable mid-range shooter. This will allow both Lopez and Garnett to draw their defenders out of the paint and allow the other to operate inside. As both K.G. and Lopez boast an impressive arsenal of post moves, this combination can prove to be deadly during the upcoming season.

Garnett also hasn’t lost his defensive intensity, as the former Defensive Player of the Year (2008) can still shut down opposing players for extended periods of time. While his rebounding numbers have fallen off from his career high of 13.9 in 2004 to 7.8 this last season, the presence of Lopez and Kirilenko should make up for that as both are excellent rebounders.

Both Pierce and Garnett are well-respected players and command a strong locker room presence. The only worry is that their arrival could cause dissent amongst the previous leaders of the team, specifically Williams and Lopez.

Andrei Kirilenko trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Nets has been shrouded in controversy. (Getty Images)

Andrei Kirilenko

While the terms of Kirilenko’s contract with the Nets are a little shady, let’s analyse the impact of the Russian swingman in Brooklyn and not speculate how many roubles owner Mikhail Prokhorov is paying Andrei on the side (because no one just takes a $7 million pay cut for no reason).

The arrival of Kirilenko shuts up critics who say that there is no depth to the Nets’ bench. ‘AK47’ will anchor a bench that is composed of rebounding machine Reggie Evans, Andray Blatche and Shaun Livingston.

Kirilenko can do everything: rebound, pass, score and execute the fast break to perfection. He averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds during an injury-plagued campaign last season with the Timberwolves but is capable of averaging close to 20 points a game.

If he can resist the urge to shoot from the perimeter, and focus on his defence (which he is very good at), he could be an early favourite to win sixth man of the year. AK47 is the perfect back up for Pierce.

The 35-year-old is no longer able to play 35-plus minutes per game so Kirilenko will play a crucial role coming off the bench for Pierce. Because he is so versatile, he causes match-up nightmares for the opposition. Imagine a frontline with Kirilenko, Garnett and Lopez; teams will be hard-pressed to contain all three players when they are on the floor together.

The long and short of it is that this is a great move by the Nets, given they now have a talented and veteran starting five (Williams, Pierce, Joe Johnson, Lopez, Garnett) with a dependable bench that is capable of holding on to leads and maintaining a high level of defensive pressure.

The Brooklyn Nets introduced Jason Kidd as their new Head Coach at a press conference at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York, on June 13, 2013. (Getty Images)

Coach Jason Kidd

It was a huge shock when the Nets announced that they had appointed Jason Kidd (who played with the New York Knicks last season) as head coach.

There were many other coaches (Stan & Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMilllan) that were available that had decades more experience and success than Kidd. The Nets just assembled a veteran team that had players who had played for the same number of years as Kidd.

It seemed like there could be issues with respect and authority. With a possible championship-contending roster, did the Nets really want to take a gamble and place a coach with no experience at the helm of the team?

Despite the drawbacks, though, one can see why the Brooklyn front office did it: Kidd is a Nets legend. He elevated the franchise to new heights while wearing a Nets jersey and brought a mediocre team to the finals in 2002.

Kidd is also arguably one of the best point guards in the history of the NBA. He is second in all-time assists and steals and has led the NBA five times in assists. He is considered one of the best “rebounding point-guards” of all time and is third all-time in three-point field goals made.

His excellent court vision should translate well in his coaching career and he has surrounded himself with highly experienced assistant coaches, such as former Nets coach Laurence Frank. He is also gaining valuable experience in the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues in preparation for next season.

If given the proper guidance and handed a dose of luck, Kidd could do wonders with a team that is led by a premier point guard in Williams. But it is only fair to wonder if this was the right time to put such a “green” coach in charge of the Nets.

Overall, the additions of Pierce, Garnett and Kirilenko have done nothing but strengthen the Nets roster. They have an elite starting five and a solid bench – a necessity for any team hoping to win a title.

While their coaching change is a little puzzling, the Nets have taken a calculated gamble. The experienced coaching staff they have assembled around Kidd should guide him through the season.

All said and done, the Brooklyn Nets have the tools to upset the reign of the Miami Heat and shake things up next season.