I very strongly believe that the 2011-12 New Jersey Nets have a roster that hipster NBA fans will be in awe about in 2024.
Are they good in general?: Uh, no.
Are they good against the Wizards? Dear Lord, please give me the strength to forget the events of December 26, 2011.
Are they fast or slow? Avery Johnson-coached teams are never fast-paced, and the Nets are no exception, currently sitting at 25th in pace.
Are they especially good at anything? Well, they have Deron Williams, and he's pretty awesome. Williams' numbers have taken a bit of a hit this year, but that's because he's been forced to take so many contested shots with his teammates being terrible. So many of the Nets' relative strengths (offensive rebounding, for example) flow from Williams doing just enough to get a decent shot off and draw defenders to him.
Are they especially bad at anything? This is, by a pretty decent margin, the worst defensive team in the league. They're dead-last in opponents' effective field goal percentage, so the Wizards should be able to get open looks. It's just a matter of knocking those shots down.
Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really likes? Jordan Farmar is randomly having a great year. That came out of nowhere.
Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really doesn't like? I'm pretty agnostic on everyone on this team, including Brook Lopez, who remains injured.
Are there any players poised for a breakout? Does everyone remember when Shaun Livingston resurrected his NBA career by playing well for the Wizards after the entire team was traded away in 2010. A similar thing is playing out with Gerald Green and the Nets. Signed 12 games ago, Green has emerged as a legitimate offensive threat, averaging over 11 points per game on 51 percent shooting. Amazingly, he may be finally finding a niche in the league.
Are there any players the Wizards especially need to worry about? It all flows from Williams, but one other newcomer to watch is Gerald Wallace, who was acquired at the trade deadline. If Williams can't get something going, it's usually on Wallace to give it a shot. That's not really what he's best at, but it's still something to watch.
Is their mascot cool? See this.
Any other random quirks: A certain Wizards center is making his debut tonight.
For more on the Nets, visit Nets Daily and SB Nation New York.