As a corrective to the bullshit Knicks, the Nets had exactly one or two things going for them. Now they have one fewer.
Since they arrived in Brooklyn, the Nets have spent lots of money to field a competitive team that has at times, very briefly, looked like it had a chance to sneak out of the moribund East if everything (like LeBron’s femur) broke just their way. This is an admirable top-level strategy, but it’s also left the Nets with many players who, while vaguely effective, are not very fun to watch. One player who was fun was Alan Anderson, who did all of the veteran wing-type stuff you’d want, but whose principal skill—and what set him apart on the Nets—was looking like he knew what the fuck he was doing. Anderson is a Wizard now; he signed last night for one year, $4 million.
Here is a morning workplace conversation between someone who attends Nets games and a Wizards fan:
[9:15 AM] kyle: fuck you btw
[9:15 AM] kyle: alan anderson was like the only Net who i enjoyed watching
[9:16 AM] Burneko: yeah and he’s gonna hit like 250 corner 3s next year
[9:16 AM] kyle: somehow going to nets games is going to get even more miserable
[9:16 AM] kyle: which seems impossible
[9:16 AM] Burneko: didn’t they get ... someone?
[9:16 AM] Burneko: or something?
[9:17 AM] Burneko: oh right, they traded a plumlee for STEVE FUCKING BLAKE
[9:17 AM] Burneko: jesus, i’m sorry man
[9:17 AM] kyle: plumdog millionaire was my other favorite net
[9:18 AM] kyle: his cinderella clock ran out, but he could at least run sort of fast and jump sort of high
[9:18 AM] kyle: which was a unique talent on the roster
[9:18 AM] Burneko: of all the people to trade him for
[9:18 AM] Burneko: Steve Blake
[9:18 AM] Burneko: what in the hell
[9:19 AM] kyle: steve blake doesn’t run fast at all, and has never jumped high
[9:20 AM] Burneko: “pretty pumped to watch Steve Blake make sound decisions and work hard on defense” - Brooklyn
Hopefully Rondae will do enough cool dunks to make up for Alan, who will be missed.
Original photos via Getty