Joe Johnson: Nets are best team in New York

The Brooklyn Nets have been in existence for all of a whopping two and a half months, but that’s all it took for them to declare dominance in the state.

“Definitely Nets,” new acquisition Joe Johnson said when asked which basketball team was the best in New York, according to the New York Daily News. “Brooklyn Nets.”

Johnson was set up by the question and was speaking at a pep rally, so his answer was predictable. At least he didn’t get as boastful as the Miami Heat during their “Three Kings” intro party (not one, not two, not three …). And at least Johnson didn’t get as carried away as Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who really brought out the comparative crap talking.

“For nearly 40 years the Manhattan Knicks have shown they can’t bring a championship to New York, so it’s going to take the Brooklyn Nets to get the job done,” Markowitz said. “So move over Manhattan — enough air balls. You had your chance.”

That’s about as strong of a burn as the one from the New Jersey governor who went off on the Nets for leaving the state.

The Knicks made a few moves including signing Jason Kidd and acquiring Marcus Camby, so they should be a playoff team again. The Nets are a better team on paper and should finish with a better record, but I’d be surprised if either team advanced past the second round of the playoffs. Still, it will be fun to watch the teams trade zingers over the years, with the New York tabloids providing a play-by-play and hyping up every angle.