NBA: All-Time Starting 5 of the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets was formed in 1967 as part of the American Basketball Association. The Nets won two ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 as the New York Nets led by Julius Erving. They entered the NBA in 1976 during the merger and relocated in New Jersey a year later.
The Nets spent 35 years in New Jersey before moving to Brooklyn in 2012. The team had early success in the mid-80s making five straight trips to the NBA playoffs. But their most successful run came in the early 2000s with two straight NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.
In New Jersey, the Nets produced a lot of great players. They have 11 former players now in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The only problem for the Nets is they had many key players who did not stick around that long. Nevertheless, here is the all-time starting five for the Brooklyn Nets.
#5 Center – Brook Lopez
The all-time leading scorer in franchise history, Brook Lopez is arguably the best player of the Nets in the past decade. He was drafted tenth overall in 2008 and he was an All-Rookie First Team. However, the early part of his career was marred by injuries to his foot.
Still, Lopez developed into one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. He was named an All-Star in 2013 and he averaged 20.7 points per game that season. He will surely get his No. 11 jersey retired by the franchise someday when it is all said and done.
Honourable Mention: Center – Derrick Coleman
The first overall pick in 1990, Derrick Coleman was a beast during his five-year stint with the Nets. He was an All-Star in 1994 and made the All-NBA Third Team twice. Coleman led the Nets to the playoffs three times but the lack of help doomed them from the start.