Bill Parcells once said, "you are what your record says you are."
So while the Brooklyn Nets won three out of four during the preseason, a Maddenism comes to mind that rings true for this squad.
"Winning is the greatest deodorant".
Clearly, win/loss records are not an indicator of success in the preseason where starters play limited minutes while coaches have the opportunity to evaluate the roster top to bottom.
The Nets had great contributions from Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and a plethora of guys on an individual basis.
The most disconcerting trend of the preseason was Brooklyn's abysmal transition defense and lack of a paint and rim protector.
The Nets were among the lowest scoring offenses last season and are banking on the addition of Julius Randle and Brown Jr. to bolster that weak point.
Brooklyn has volume scorers, but they'll need to outscore teams this season if there's any hope of reaching or exceeding the .500 mark.
Sean Marks will need to look outside the organization to find big men to complement Day'Ron Sharpe and Mo Wagner.
Based on the Nets brutal early season schedule and the warts on defense that have shown up this preseason, it could be a long season for Brooklyn.
