Predictions for the 2014-2015 Nets

The Nets are coming off of a 2013-2014 season filled with ups and downs. After a slow start that saw the Nets at 9-21, one Joe Johnson buzzer beater against the Oklahoma City Thunder sparked a turn-around that had the Nets finishing as the sixth seed in the East. After knocking out the Toronto Raptors in game seven of the first round, the Nets fell to the Miami Heat in just five games in the second round.

Free agency rolled along, and the Nets saw two key pieces go elsewhere, as Shaun Livingston left for the Golden State Warriors, and Paul Pierce took his talents to the Nation's capital to play alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal.

With those losses came quite a few additions. The second oldest team decided to go on a bit of a youth-movement. The biggest addition was the signing of Bojan Bogdanovic, the Nets' highly touted Euro-stash. The Nets also sent Marcus Thornton to Boston in a three-team deal that brought back Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev.

Not to mention the Nets are now on their fourth head coach since moving to Brooklyn in the 2012-2013 season. With Kidd taking his lackadaisical coaching to Milwaukee, the Nets brought in Lionel Hollins, a defensive minded coach who coached the Memphis Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals just two seasons ago.

So much turnover over one off season can be an issue for teams, especially when the additions made have little to no experience playing in an NBA game. So I'm not overly confident in this Nets team.

I hate predictions with a passion. Especially because anything can happen in the world of sports. But if I have to do it, I predict a record of 45-37 for the Nets, and I have them finishing sixth once again in a mediocre Eastern Conference. The additions they made aren't amazing. This is also assuming that we are going to see huge bounce-back seasons from Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, and the aging Kevin Garnett.

I can see Deron Williams getting back to being a top seven point guard in the NBA if he can avoid further ankle issues. Now that he had corrective surgery, my expectations are higher than ever for the $98M man who has yet to earn that paycheck. My faith in the 30 year old D-Will is fading fast, but it isn't gone yet.

As for Brook Lopez, I expect Lionel Hollins to help him become a more well-rounded big man, much like the way Hollins developed Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in Memphis.

Lionel Hollins' Nets are going to be much different from what we saw under Jason Kidd last season. We can fully expect to see a disciplined team on the basketball court. A team that will give 110 percent night in and night out.

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