The BK Nets are still the NY Knicks' "Little Brother"

There is nothing quite like a crosstown rivalry, two teams battling it out for bragging rights and plain old glory. Add the fact that the town/city we are talking about is New York and you have the makings of a great spectacle for the city to bare witness to. But what makes a good rivalry? Bad blood maybe? Or animosity between players on the opposing teams? As of now though, the bad blood and animosity only seems to exist between these two team's fan bases. But through time and a few gritty games, things could change in half a heartbeat.  I would also like to note that it is wonderful that these two teams are relevant at the same time. They are more than likely to make it to the postseason. And there is a very good chance that their paths cross deep into the playoffs.  

Melo & D-Will

What gives the Knicks an ever so slight edge over these brand new Nets? Not much to be honest, but its something. Let's start with the obvious, their line ups. I'll go ahead and assume (once healthy) Iman Shumpert will start at the 2 for New York. So match up by match up, we will have Raymond Felton vs. Deron Williams. This one easily goes to the Nets, as Williams is a top 4 point guard in the NBA and Felton is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. One thing Felton has going for him is that he has just enough size and girth to bump heads with Deron from time to time. Although still solid, Felton will have much to prove this year. At shooting guard we have Iman Shumpert vs. Joe Johnson. Now, at first glace, the typical NBA fan will give this one hands down to "Iso Joe". But don't be too quick to count out just how effective and sometimes devastating Shumpert is on the defensive side of the ball. He is 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan. Shumpert will have enough, foot speed and agility to  adequately contain  Johnson more often than not, assuming he recovers 100% from his knee injury. With all that in mind, it would be foolish to ignore Joe's reputation as a big time scorer and facilitator. And because of this, I'd have to give a slight advantage to Joe Johnson. Nets 2, Knicks 0. 

Sorry Kris

On to the two forward spots. To kick things off, we have maybe the most intriguing match up of all. Carmelo Anthony vs. Gerald Wallace. Melo in my own honest opinion is the NBA's most devastating scorer. He can get it done from any spot on the floor, high post, low post, it doesn't matter. He can take it to the hole. He can shoot at will off the dribble, he's got a sweet stroke from distance, and on top of all that, he's stronger than you'd expect so his post game is no joke. On the other hand, Gerald Wallace defends with such heart and hustle that he is capable of shutting down any wing player in the NBA outside of those who are truly elite. Taking all of this into account, Melo still holds quite an advantage due to his reputation as a killer, plus he is coming off a wonderful Olympic performance which I expect to him carry over into the NBA regular season. For the 4 spot, Amar'e Stoudemire vs. Kris Humphries. Although Humphries is a very solid power forward and a walking double double. Amar'e is coming into the season more motivated than ever. Taking 2 weeks to learn from Hakeem Olajuwon and vowing to bring more focus and effort on defense. If these things come into fruition, the NBA better watch out. I firmly believe that synergy between Amar'e and Melo is closer than most people think. Advantage Stoudemire, Nets 2, Knicks 2. 

Don't expect this too often

The center position, the giants of the game. Here we will see defensive juggernaut Tyson Chandler against the talented yet still unproven Brook Lopez. Lopez has a knack for scoring and is easily good for 19 to 22 points per outing. But here is where Chandler comes in, he is more than capable of limiting not only his counterpart's scoring, but his touches as well. Tyson Chandler is the reigning DPOY and not too bad in the pick and roll. He also defends the pick and roll as well as anybody. I forgot to mention that he is one of the NBA's more efficient players. So in conclusion, Chandler is capable of stopping or at least containing Lopez, as well as dunking over the top of his head. I also forgot to mention that the Heat's shooting guard is a better rebounder than the Nets' starting center. Advantage Chandler. Nets 2, Knicks 3. 

Experience with a capital E

Both team's benches are quite interesting, the Nets boast Marshon Brooks, a very dynamic scorer with a high enough ceiling to make the average fan excited. The Knicks will have J.R. Smith, fully capable of exploding on any team he faces and on the faces of the team he plays for. The Nets have Keith Bogans, who defends well, the Knicks have Ronnie Brewer, who defends better. And in come the dinosaurs, the Nets boasting former scoring champion Jerry Stackhouse and the Knicks coming forward with Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby, both of whom have proven to be more effective than Stackhouse at this stage of their respective careers, not to mention they will work wonders for New York in the locker room. There is wild card Mirza Teletovic, the 6'9 forward from Bosnia, we hear good things about him but until we see those things on the NBA hardwood, they count for nothing. Oh yeah, Knicks have an automatic shooter from downtown coming off the bench in Steve Novak. And of course there is Reggie Evans and Kurt Thomas coming off the pine to start a few fights and brawls to spice up this thing. Over all, I pick the Knicks 2nd unit over the Nets'. Nets 2, Knicks 4. 

Finally, there is experience and over all chemistry. Sure the Nets have yet to enter training camp as one unit and the Knicks have been a disaster for the better part of the past two seasons. But you can count on the Knicks figuring things out before the Nets do, due to their experience on the hardwood together. With Mike Woodson firmly at the helm for the Knicks, I believe their coaching staff will find a way to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Not to overlook that Avery Johnson is no slouch either, once leading the Dallas Mavericks to a Western Conference Championship in 2006. If you noticed, as far as the starting 5 goes, the Nets hold the backcourt advantage while the Knicks rule the frontcourt. Why not just combine the two and make one "Ultra Team"? Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself.   This budding rivalry should be one to keep an eye on for years to come. But for now, all we can do is wait and wonder. Perhaps we will know just how great of a rivalry this will be when they finally clash in Brooklyn's brand spankin' new arena, the Barclays Center on November 1. I expect that game to be as competitive as any. Consider it Round 1 in a grueling heavyweight match up. This is good for the NBA, a new rivalry to help take it to the next level in the East.