Around the League

I talked to YESNetwork.com columnist Lou DiPietro about the upside and flipside of the Nets’ new lineup.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired a lot of experience, especially championship experience, when they imported Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry from Boston this summer and added Andrei Kirilenko as a free agent – but as Nets on YES analyst (and 1985-86 NBA Coach of the Year) Mike Fratello warns, experience also could mean a little bit of a breakdown if the team isn’t careful.

“The team’s biggest X-Factor…can I say the team’s medical staff? Because I think that their biggest concern is going to be the status of these older players as they go through the season,” Fratello said. “The big question is, can they remain healthy for an 82-game season? They’re relying on a lot of guys who have a lot of mileage on them, and while these guys have always kept themselves in good shape and have always been in good health, in a season where the expectations are as high as they are in Brooklyn, the team can’t afford to have key guys go down with big time or serious injuries.”  Read more…