Deron Williams resigns with Nets, how good can Brooklyn be this year?

Image from the Swamp51.wordpress

Deron Williams resigns with the Nets for 100 Million and 5 years. He rejected the Mav's 4 years and 75 million, and will continue to be the face of the franchise. With Williams now resigned and Joe johnson on his way, how good can this team be in their first year in brooklyn? With D.Will at the point and Joe johnson at the 2, they now have one of the best (if not the best) backcourts in the NBA, along with Gerald Wallace you are looking at a dangerous team.
Before we can determine how good they really can be, we have to wait and see what happens with Dwight Howard. The Nets have offered the Magic, Brook Lopez, Kris Humphris, three first round picks (2013,2015,2017), and promising stud MarShon Brooks. Regardless of what happens with Howard though, expect the Nets (barring injury) to reach playoff. If they manage to get Howard, no doubt they could be as good as second in the east behind the Heat. If they don't trade for Howard then they wll resign back Lopez and have a formidable starting 5.
The reason we like this team so much is because they have addressed specific needs. While everybody is talking about D.Will and Joe Johnson, people forget about their first offseason signing of Gerald Wallace. Wallace will start in almost any team and is a proven defender. When the Nets play the Miami Heat or Oklahoma City, they will have a very good defender to guard Lebron or Durant.
Deron Williams will have a great year, last year his assist numbers went down a little bit (8.7) and his scoring went up because of a lack of weapons. Lopez missed most of the year and without him, the Net's offense depended solely on Williams scoring. This year, he will have Lopez back, and fans should not worry about injury concerns. Before this year, Lopez had not missed a SINGLE game in three years since he entered the league. Gerald Wallace can also score the ball, and then there's Joe Johnson.
Johnson is a polarizing player, many like him and many hate him. It is agreed that the Hawks made a mistake in giving Johnson a max contract. However, we cannot crucify him for taking the best available offer on the table and use it as an excuse to downgrade how good this guy is. A 6 time all-star, and a guy that can give you 20 points every night. Johnson was simply on a team where he had to be the #1 indisputable option and he's not that player. Now he goes to a team where he is the second or third option and with one of the best point guards in the league. Avery Johnson is a great coach and he will put him in situations to score, and not dribble out at the three point line for 20 seconds of the shot clock. The nets regardless of what happens with Howard, are in a great position going forward and will have home court advantage come april 2013.
-In other news, the Celtics are close to a deal with Jason Terry that will pay him 5 million for three years, which raises the question: what now for Ray Allen? The Celtics still are intent on signing him, but Allen does not like the idea of coming of the bench for Avery Bradley
-The Toronto Raptors have agreed with Landry Fields on a three year 20 million contract, he is a restricted free agent so the Knicks will have three days to match the offer
What do you think of the Net's offseason moves so far? All questions and comments are welcomed

Joe Johnson to the Nets as free agency, big mistake for nets???

Image from NYdailyNews.com

With free agency on its way the Atlanta Hawks have made the most noise so far by getting rid of Joe Johnson. The Hawks have made a great move by getting rid of perhaps the worse deal of the 2010 free agency. The trade will go through as followed: the Nets will receive Joe Johnson (who still has almost 90 million and three years left on his contract), while the the Hawks receive Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams, and Deshawn Stevenson.
The Hawks are clearly looking to clear cap space, they also traded away marvin williams for Devin Harris. So in one week they have gotten rid of their two biggest contract. This trade works perfectly for both teams, the Nets are looking to give Deron Williams a reason to stay, and now they have. This deal will only go through under the notion that Williams will resign with the Nets and he should.
The Nets will play this year in their new arena in Brooklyn, signed Gerald Wallace to a 4 year deal, and managed to keep Promising guard MarShon Brooks. The Nets will have in their starting 5 Deron Williams (should he resign), JJ, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez. People perhaps have forgotten how good Brook Lopez is, he sat out this year with a foot injury but was averaging 19.2 ppg before he went down. Joe Johnson did not deserve the contract he has, and is definitely not a first option star, but joe as a second or third option behind Brook Lopez and Deron Williams is a devastating option.
The Nets will definitely make the playoffs with this group and perhaps challenge for home court in the first round. Specially against the weaker eastern conference in which after the defending champions, there is not an established second best or third team at this point. What this does though, is take the Nets out of contention for Dwight Howard. Howard made the mistake of opting into the last year of his contract, and essentially putting the ball back in the Magic's court.
Which now leads us to the other side of the trade. The Atlanta Hawk's new general manager Danny Ferry noticed something we have known for a few years. This Atlanta Hawks group's ceiling has been no more than the second round of the playoffs for the last few years. They did not get any relevant players in comparison to Joe Johnson, but now put themselves in position to sign none other than Dwight Howard next summer. The Hawks also have promising young players Al Horford and Jeff Teague to shop around. This is one of those rare big name trades in which both teams come out winning.
For years, the Hawks have had Joe Johnson dribbling the ball at the top of the key for 20 seconds of the shot clock at the end of games. Making everybody wonder why did they give him the biggest contract in the heralded 2010 free agency. Now they position themselves to potentially make a run at Dwight Howard. That being said, Joe Johnson is a GREAT player and a proven All-Star, he just isn't good enough to be the de facto go to guy. Now he'll potentially play with one of the best point guards in the game. Now, remember this only goes through if Deron Williams resigns with Brooklyn. Meanwhile the Hawks now put themselves in position to sign Dwight Howard and another great point guard who will also be a free agent in the summer of 2013, Chris Paul.
-Any questions or comments will be responded so feel free to comment