Well, this isn’t the Bobcats-Nets game we expected ten games in. The 3-7 Brooklyn Nets are in North Carolina tonight to take on the Charlotte Bobcats, in another game of youth vs. experience.
With five losses in their last six games, the Nets aren’t slumping. They haven’t been good enough this season to be considered as slumping in any regard. They’re one loss away from being the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Bobcats — who have challenged for the title of worst team in the NBA in recent years — are off to a 5-6 start, boasting the seventh-best defense in the league, no rotation players over 30 years old, Michael Jordan as owner, and former New York Knicks great Patrick Ewing as assistant coach.
After missing two games, Deron Williams (ankle) says he’ll return without restrictions, but Brook Lopez (ankle) is not confident that he’ll play. Andrei Kirilenko (back) will be out, but he’s making the trip with the team. The Nets haven’t put together a full 48-minute game since their victory against the Utah Jazz, by their own admission — and though the Bobcats aren’t exactly championship contenders, they’ve still had a better season than the Nets thus far.
