New Rosters: Nets vs. Knicks

Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets revamped their rosters with new pieces. The Nets made headlines by trading for two future Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while the Knicks stayed relatively under the radar, but added key role players to their squad. 

Knicks added:
Andrea Bargnani, Metta World Peace, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Nets added:
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko

Obviously, Brooklyn added more star power and more salaries, as Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov does not care whatsoever about the luxury tax; they have the most expensive roster in NBA history. The trade with Boston landed them championship veterans, but the real steal was adding Andrei Kirilenko, who surprisingly signed for so cheap (their mini-MLE) that NBA executives believe there to be an under the table deal between the two Russians. 

The Knicks, on the other hand, didn't make quite as much of a splash this summer. Bargnani has an above-average outside shot, especially for a seven-footer, but was so underwhelming in Toronto that he got booed every time he checked into games. He is practically invisible on defense but should be fine playing with a former Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler. Perhaps he will thrive without the pressure of being the primary scoring option while in a new situation without the expectations Toronto wanted out of the former number one overall pick in the 2006 draft. The artist formerly known as Ron Artest brings some much needed depth to the Knicks bench and Hardaway Jr. replaces the recently retired Jason Kidd (now the Nets head coach) as a back up point guard. The expectations of the Knicks have changed, but not as much compared to the Nets.

The Nets have a championship-or-bust mentality but even with the players added this offseason, they still might not be talented enough to beat the Miami Heat. We know that Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and  Brook Lopez will all produce, but a rather important unknown is what we will see in rookie head coach Jason Kidd. Naturally, he will have the respect of this veteran squad but will he be able to outsmart bright coaches like Erik Spoelstra, Frank Vogel or even Mike Woodson? Can Kidd draw up the right play in the last seconds of a game for a quick bucket or change defensive rotations when things aren't going well? It has yet to be seen but being a rookie head coach is undeniably tough, even for a former player. Kidd does have a high basketball IQ and has been in more than enough clutch situations as a player, but being in the coaching seat is different. 

Brooklyn had the better offseason and made themselves contenders in the East, but with Carmelo Anthony leading the Knicks, it's tough to say who is the better team. Often-injured Amar'e Stoudemire is the looming question mark for the Knicks, most people believing that his superstar days are behind him. With an average Stoudemire the Nets are the better team, but if he's healthy the Knicks could be the best team in New York. 

Watching these two rivals slug it out throughout the season will make some of the most exciting games of the year and it couldn't be better from a fan's perspective. Jason Kidd or Amar'e Stoudemire might end up dictating who rules New York and hopefully a competitive rivalry remains between these teams for years to come.