Brooklyn Nets.... Really?

Really, the Brooklyn Nets?  That's the next hopeful super team?  The Nets?  Of all the great franchises Dwight Howard could try to land on, he wants to join up with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson to bring the historic Nets franchise their first NBA Crown?

It started with the Boston Celtics pulling Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett together.  At the time this seemed organic - three veterans teaming up via trades to make a push for a title - but little did we know this would become the new NBA.  The young guys of the league took notice.  Why wait until you are 32 years old to make this move?  After all, this is a league with a handful of contenders (that's being generous), about six to eight teams who can top out in the second round of the playoffs, and finally another 15 or so who just flat out suck and are waiting for their break - either through the lottery (Sonics/Thunder), or in the case of a sweet city, a free agent who wants to bring his services there (New York/Los Angeles).

While the young players took notice of what the Celtics did, other teams had to take notice.  And by teams I mean ownership.  You have to land/possess that true superstar and fight your balls off to lure his pals to team up.

Obviously the Heat took this strategy to a, very clearly premeditated, extreme.  James, Wade, and Bosh teamed up guaranteed a billion titles, blah blah blah blah blah.  You know the story.  This was undoubtedly the most effective super-team creation due to the sheer talent and youth of these three players.  What it has now created is even more wannabes.  I don't particularly like it but at the same time I really can't blame players/teams for going in this direction.  If you don't try to go super team then your options are to either take lots of time and energy to carefully put together a team like the Spurs, Pistons (earlier 2000's), or Pacers. OR ruthlessly tank, gather a ton of picks, and expiring contracts in hopes of pulling off a nasty trade or luring a free agent.

There is one caveat though for getting free agents.  Your city better be desirable.  Sorry Minnesota, Milwaukee, Sacramento, Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte, Denver, Utah, Golden State, and New Orleans.  You guys are all doomed to suck unless you go the Sonics/Thunder route and win a franchise changing player in the lottery.  THAT BEING SAID, don't fuck it up with incompetent management.... Cleveland..... otherwise your free agent will head to a more desirable city to join up with another superstar.  If he doesn't leave through free agency then he'll probably try and force a trade.... Denver.... so that he can play in a more desirable city with another superstar.

So where does it leave us?  It leaves us with the New York Knicks trying to slap together Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony while (last year) hoping to lure Chris Paul.  It leaves us with the Los Angeles Lakers all but having Chris Paul to team up with Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.  And now it supposedly leaves us with the fucking NETS being a desirable team to piece together our next super team.

Now any of us with half a brain know that the Knicks aren't contending for shit.  We also know that a team of Dwight Howard and Joe Johnson as two of your best three players is about as mentally tough as an overtired 5 year old girl.  Nonetheless, the stars of the league have made it very clear where THEY want to form their team.

Is it San Antonio with the best coach in the league and tons of wily vets?  Nah, too low key.
Is it Detroit with lots of great history and a reputation of tough teams?  It's cold and crappy there.
Is it Boston who has the most championships and impeccable tradition?  Eff that I'm not going to get seen enough there...

Nope.  Trade me to the NETS!!!!!