Nets making playoffs is "part of the takeover" of New York

Deron Williams had New York on his mind when addressing the media this morning before Tuesday's regular season finale between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks. The Nets will be competing in the playoffs this weekend unlike the Knicks. "Good for us, good for our brand, good for Brooklyn basketball," Williams said. "It's part of the takeover." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Deron Williams says again that Nets being only NY team in playoffs is good for the brand: "It's part of the takeover."
— Stefan Bondy (@NYDNInterNets) April 15, 2014

The Nets could clinch the fifth seed in the East with a victory over the Knicks, who are eliminated from the postseason. The Knicks went from the second best record in the Eastern conference a season ago to having to watch the playoffs from home this weekend.

For both teams, tonight's game is essentially meaningless and both Jason Kidd and Mike Woodson recognize that. Williams, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Shaun Livingston, four of the Nets' starters, are listed as a game-time decision or have already been ruled out because of rest or minor injuries. Carmelo Anthony will "probably not play" for the Knicks according to coach Woodson.

Brooklyn possesses a different aura about them that they didn't have last season. It is true they will be finishing this season with a regular season record worse than last season's but the mentality has changed. The mentality in Brooklyn is not to win a insignificant regular season game but to get healthy for a run at an NBA championship. It has been a process but it is finally upon us: a Brooklyn Nets takeover.

The Nets will either play the Raptors or the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

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