The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to look forward to in the near future as the team has moved on from the superstar era of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to an era filled with potential and draft assets. One of the aspects that Brooklyn will have to look forward to is what rivalries they have.
According to Geoff Magliocchetti of All Knicks, one of the biggest rivals for the New York Knicks is the Nets. As Magliocchetti points out in his article, the rivalry between the Nets and Knicks isn’t the typical rivalry given that both franchises have not been on the same footing in recent memory.
For example, as of right now, Brooklyn is expected to be a team fighting a play-in tournament spot while New York is regarded as one of the teams that will definitely make the playoffs outright. However, the part of the matchup that makes it a rivalry is because of the teams sharing the same city.
Here’s why Magliocchetti picks the Nets as one of the Knicks’ biggest rivals:
“The Knicks and Nets’ cross-borough nature and New York City’s love of all things basketball ensure that their respective get-togethers are the talk of the town. Beyond Gotham, however, there has often been little reason to get excited about a Knicks-Nets game.
When it comes to forming the perfect crosstown rivalry, the Knicks and Nets have perpetually failed to get their timing right ever since the latter moved from across the river. When one looks like a contender, the other always seems to be rebuilding and that trend appears to be on its way back for next year thanks to Brooklyn’s latest fire sale that ditched Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Besides, this metropolitan melee loses a good deal of luster when it’s clear that each side is fighting for New York basketball’s silver medal until further notice thanks to the Liberty’s rise up the WNBA leaderboard.”
Story originally appeared on Nets Wire