by Devon Jeffreys, September 12, 2012
Training Camp is still weeks away, but Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets aren’t wasting any time as the 2012-2013 season approaches.
D-Will and some teammates have been meeting this week at the PNY Center — home of the Nets practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ — to scrimmage and run through some drills.
"I’m ready to get the season going," No. 8 told the New York Post. "I’m ready for training camp. I don’t think it can get here fast enough."
Among those in attendance for workouts on Monday were center Brook Lopez, guards MarShon Brooks, C.J. Watson and Keith Bogans, and forwards Jerry Stackhouse and Kris Humphries. Deron expects more players to join them as the week goes on.
"We had a lot of guys in today," Deron said Monday. "Joe [Johnson is] coming in tomorrow … Gerald [Wallace] is coming in tomorrow. Reggie Evans will be in by the end of the week."
In addition to those players, the Nets have added center Andray Blatche and swingman Josh Childress to the mix in the last week. Both players will bring some much-needed depth off the bench.
"Deron was a big key to the whole puzzle," coach Avery Johnson told the Dallas Morning News. "To be able to acquire some other talent through free agency or trades or re-signing some of our own guys, it’s pretty exciting for us."
With a starting five of D-Will, Johnson, Wallace, Humphries and Lopez, backed up by players like Watson, Brooks, Evans, Childress, Stackhouse, Blatche, Bogans, as well as Mirza Teletovic and Toko Shengelia, Brooklyn could be one of the deepest teams in the league. Though many still aren’t sure what to expect, that’s just fine with Deron. He knows full well what the team is capable of.
"People sleep on us and we'll let them do that. That's fine," he told the Associated Press. ''We have no excuses. I think everybody's at the point in their career where they want to win. There's no hidden agendas, there's no contract issues. Pretty much everybody's locked in and ready to focus on basketball."
D-Will told the Post that the excitement around the team and in the city for their arrival is palpable. That energy has led to more guys participating in early workouts so that they come into camp ready to go.
Training Camp begins in just under three weeks and the first exhibition game is October 13th against the Philadelphia 76ers in Atlantic City, NJ. The first preseason game in Brooklyn is two nights later against the Washington Wizards.
"We’re excited about the opportunity, the move to Brooklyn, the arena," Deron said. "I just went over there a few days ago, and it’s coming along. It’s gonna be ready for Jay-Z [concert on September] 28th. I’m excited for that."
RELATED STORIES
- Deron: Nets Getting Good Turnout for Workouts (New York Post, September 11, 2012) D-Will Gets Wish As Players Arrive (Nets Daily, September 11, 2012)
- Nets Begin Informal Practices Already (From Russian With Dunk, September 10, 2012)
- Nets' Williams open to 2014 basketball worlds (Associated Press, September 10, 2012)
- Nets Good on Paper and In the Flesh? (NBA.com, September 5, 2012)
- Avery Johnson: Mavericks’ makeover ‘had to happen’ (Dallas Morning News, September 4, 2012)
- Nets Will Play in Brooklyn but Will Practice and Live Outside Borough (New York Times, September 4, 2012)
- Brooklyn Nets Player Profiles: Deron Williams (From Russian With Dunk, September 10, 2012)
- Brook Lopez believes Nets can win NBA title (PhilStar, August 24, 2012)
- Days after Olympics, Deron back practicing at Nets facility (New York Post, August 17, 2012)
- Nets Stars Have Played With More Talent in the Past (New York Post, August 13, 2012)
