The tip-off of the long-awaited 2011-2012 NBA season happens on Sunday. Well, Monday for the New Jersey Nets when they hit the road to face the Washington Wizards. Here are some pre-season odds and power rankings for the Nets as their final season in New Jersey begins.
↵Oddsmakers expect the Nets to win a paltry 21.5 games out of the 66 on their schedule. They are 12-1 to win the Atlantic Division, longer odds than the New York Knicks (6-5), Boston Celtics (5-4) and Philadelphia 76ers (7-1).
↵A question that might be more important to Nets' fans is whether or not Deron Williams will be with the team beyond this season. Odds right now are 3-2 that he will, 1-2 that he won't.
↵As far as pre-season power rankings go, SI.com has the Nets ranked 24th in the 30-team league. SI says:
↵↵↵Waiting for Superman is a documentary about the dysfunctional education system in America -- and the theme of the Nets' season. If New Jersey can indeed pair Deron Williams with another potential 2012 free agent, Dwight "Superman" Howard, it'll possess arguably the league's best players at the game's two most important positions heading into a spanking new arena in Brooklyn next year. Until and unless that happens, however, Williams will wage an uphill battle to keep the Nets relevant down the stretch.
↵