Nets poised for playoffs.

Since purchasing the Brooklyn Nets Mikhail Prokhorov hasn't been shy about his expectations for his basketball team.  Prokhorov doesn't intent on playing second fiddle to the New York Knicks in the largest basketball city in the country.  He and James Dolan have taken slight shots at one another in the media. 

At this point the Nets are far from a championship contender.  Miami and Indiana are the only teams in the eastern conference that have earned the right to be considered serious contenders.  Brooklyn has been up and down all season.  In the last few weeks the microscope has been off the Nets.  Right now the Nets are only three games back of Toronto in the loss column in the Atlantic Division.  If they can manage to reach 46 wins that should be enough to capture the division. 

The Nets are actually one of the deeper teams in the NBA.  Their veteran roster could pose match-up issues for teams in the eastern conference come playoff time.  Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are no strangers to post season basketball.  Having Jason Kidd on the sideline adds almost 20 years of playoff experience as a player.

If the playoffs began today Brooklyn would open up in Toronto.  The Nets have the ability to knock off any team in the east outside of Miami and Indiana.  A second round series with Brooklyn and either the Pacers or Heat could be a possibility this spring.  The Nets would be huge underdogs. 

I'm certain Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are salivating over one more opportunity to knock LeBron James off his pedestal.