Maybe I'm going against the grain a bit, but health is the only reason I can see that the Nets wouldn't be significantly better this year than last. Yes, 4 of their 5 starters are returning players, but only Deron and Humphries played significant minutes for them last year. Of course, Brook's foot is something of a question mark at present, but for however long they can play it, I'd expect their lineup with their best five guys to be formidable, and certainly up to the standard of a top-4 seed in the East. It's depth (if not Brook's foot) that's likely to be their achilles, and finishing 6th is probably at least as likely as finishing 4th for them.
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"He's coming off the bench aggressive right away, looking for his shot. If he has any daylight, we need him to shoot the ball. We know it's going in."
-Dirk Nowitzki on Jason Terry, after JET's 16 point 4th quarter against the Pacers.
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