As the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets prepare for the 2015-2016 season, fans begin to wonder, will the Knicks finally get back on their feet? How will the Nets fare without any of the veteran leadership they traded all their draft picks away to get?

Looking to capitalize on a good offseason, the Knicks still have a lot to prove. They do have the right pieces to fight for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Fans were skeptical of President Phil Jackson’s decision to draft Latvian big man, Kristaps Porzingis, but he does bring what the team needs after the waiving of power forward Amar’e Stoudemire. He’s coming off a solid preseason and has shown thus far that he can make a good impact on the rebuilding of this team.

With the additions of centers Robin Lopez and Kevin Seraphin and forward Derrick Williams, New York has added some great depth to their front court that will compliment a passable backcourt. With shooting guard Arron Afflalo joining Jose Calderon and perennial all-star Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks do pose a squad that could make some noise in a weak Eastern Conference. Under the leadership of second-year head coach, Derek Fisher, my prediction for the Knicks is an eighth seed finish with a 41-41 record as they should fare well in a weak atlantic division. Stern freshman Bonga Sa thinks Anthony alone is enough to bet on this team.

“Honestly, you just got to give Carmelo a solid supporting cast and he’ll do the rest,” Sa said. “The Knicks did just that this offseason and I think it’s time they make some noise again.”

As for the Knicks’ Brooklyn counterparts though, it looks like a tough year is ahead. With the departure of point guard Deron Williams and questions surrounding this team’s defensive ability, fans and the front office have already accepted this season as a bridge year. After a sub-par offseason, Brooklyn is already looking forward to next summer to take another crack at the market as they face their own rebuilding period. This summer’s draft picks, forwards Chris McCullough of Syracuse University and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson out of Arizona both look to use this season as a smooth transition, despite the fact that they are expected to lose most nights. They will need to progress quickly, because in previous years, the Nets traded away a shocking amount of draft picks to the Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. If their draft picks from this year flop, the Nets are in for what looks like at least a decade of mediocrity at best.

Considering the weak lineup the Nets pose and their attitude entering into November, the rookies should be earning some quality play time. LS freshman Jake Wilson regretfully admitted that this season was going to be a long one for the Nets.

“Hate to say it but Brooklyn is about to enter a difficult season,” Wilson said.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, they’re going to endure a long and disappointing year. We’ll see plenty of mixing and matching from veteran Head Coach Lionel Hollins as he looks to discover what this team has to offer. The season will be one of testing new grounds and preparing for the future so there is not much room for hope this time around. The Nets will most likely miss this year’s playoffs for the first time since 2012, finishing with a 30-52 record at the bottom of the East standings.

Email Brandon Herrera at [email protected].