Brooklyn Nets Rally Ignites Fans and City

Joe Johnson (left) and Deron Williams (right) were introduced as "Brooklyn's Backcourt" to fans and media present at the rally. (AP Photo) 

The Brooklyn Nets are new to life in New York City. So they planned a rally on the steps of Brooklyn's Borough Hall. They hoped to get their mission across and to introduce some of their new top players. The Nets did exactly that Friday.

The rally began with a remix of M.O.P.'s "Ante Up," which stated, "Respect mine, we Brooklyn-bound" and included play-by play calls about the Nets' new dynamic duo, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams. General Manager Billy King and Head Coach Avery Johnson tried to address the focus of the franchise and answer questions about the future of the team.

One of the obvious highlights of the rally was the introduction of Johnson and Williams. Both can shoot, pass, and defend the ball quite well. Either one is capable of taking over a game and scoring 30 or more points. Referred to as "Brooklyn's Backcourt," many claimed during the rally that the duo is the best the NBA has to offer.

The Nets have also signed Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans. This definitely gives the team some of the pieces to become a playoff team. There's still a need for some important back ups, but they are well on their way to postseason success. The Nets have put the disappointment of not being able to trade for Dwight Howard behind them for now. There is a possibility of their renewing talks in January if Howard is still available. But for now, the Nets will proceed accordingly.

Lastly, the Brooklyn Nets got some jabs in against new crosstown rival, the New York Knicks. Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn borough president, announced to the crowd, "For nearly 40 years, the Manhattan Knicks have shown that they can't bring the championship home to New York City. So it's going to take the Brooklyn Nets to get the job done." While that may still be something to be accomplished in the more distant future, it gives their new fans and followers something to look forward to. The Brooklyn Nets are in a new home and beginning to look like a brand new franchise. That's certainly something worthy of celebrating.