When I told my son last night that KD and Kyrie were heading to Brooklyn, he said "I hate the Nets" and stormed out of the room. I get the frustration. To be a Knicks fan is an exercise in heartache and perceived inequities.
But, if he were a little older, he would know that this organization has been a dumpster fire for a long time. Jim Dolan is a disaster. The culture with the team starts with him, and there are simply too many bad stories about this franchise during his tenure to ignore. There are too many over-promises and miscalculations. Too frequently they peddle hope, in the form of cap space, and then never even get the meetings with the top guys. New York is still a draw, MSG should be a draw...but clearly you get most of that, plus a better-run organization, by going to Brooklyn right now.
I don't think the Nets will steal Knicks fans in droves. There is a longevity to Knick fandom that has passed through generations, from parent to child, that is stronger than Dolan's ineptitude. But, the team itself will continue to suffer as long as he is the face. I don't think the perpetual failures will cease until he is no longer the guy in charge.
In the mean time...
