New York Knicks: 5 Reasons Team Needs to Answer Nets' Moves

It's very clear that the Brooklyn Nets organization is making some of the biggest moves during the NBA offseason. They have already agreed to a contract with Gerald Wallace for $40 million over four years, re-signed Deron Williams for five years, $98 million and they're still in the running for Dwight Howard.

If the Knicks want to have any chance of being a contender next season, they'll have to make big moves like Brooklyn has done. Here's some things New York must do in order to answer to the Nets' recent moves.

Deron Williams Gives Nets Upperhand with Point Guard Position

Jason Kidd is a veteran point guard, but it's not certain as to whether he will be starting for the Knicks at the beginning of next season.

In a recent interview with ESPN's Ian Begley, Kidd acknowledged that he doesn't mind whether he is on the bench at the start of the game, and that all he wants to do is be able to contribute.

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"I'm not 25 years old and I don't need the fireworks when my name is called (for) the starting lineup," Kidd said. "I just want to be in there at the end of the game to try to help the team win. ... The last six minutes of an NBA game is where you make your name, so hopefully I'm in there trying to help my guys win."

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If Kidd isn't the starting point guard, who will be? That question has yet to be answered. If the Knicks are lucky, they'll find themselves re-acquiring Jeremy Lin. The eruption of Linsanity last season gave Knicks fans something to cheer for, and the Harvard graduate took the NBA by storm. You couldn't turn on the television without hearing Lin puns being thrown around as if they were going out of style. But will Lin re-sign or decide to go to another team that he feels is worthy of his talents?

Lin may be headed to Houston where he was said to be offered a $28.8 million contract for four years and when free agency begins next Wednesday, the Knicks will have three days to match the offer from the Rockets.

It's in the Knicks best interest to find a point guard they feel comfortable with and stick with it. If not Kidd or Lin, it must be someone that's capable of filling a void. Lin and Baron Davis were both injured towards the end of last season, making Knicks fans wonder who would be the starting point guard for the 2012-2013 season. Time will tell as to who New York will use for the position, but it's definite that this should be one of their biggest concerns if they want to succeed.

They Were in New York First

The Brooklyn Nets are coming into town and the New York Knicks organization can't possibly be happy about it. New York is one of the most profitable cities in the world for sports organizations, and the Nets are going to take full advantage of that. 

Forbes recently released an article where it seems that the Nets are ready for an all-out takeover of the big apple. They have a new city, a new roster and a new arena. New York City is also one of the most popular places and people from all states come to Madison Square Garden to relish in the historical arena. However, with the Brooklyn Nets moving in to the new $4.9 billion Barclay's Arena, fans that once only attended Knicks games might find themselves interested in attending a few games in Brooklyn as well.

The Knicks used to be the only New York team, and the competition will now be fierce. Who will sell more tickets? Who will have a better record? New York is now the only state in the nation that has two professional teams in each major sport (football, baseball, hockey and basketball). It will be a battle between the city that never sleeps as to which arena fans will flock to. The Knicks organization must not forget who was in New York first, and they need to be careful as to not let the Nets to overpower the Knickerbockers club that joined the NBA in 1949.

They'll Be Competing for Fans

So what happens if you live in Brooklyn, but have been rooting for the Knicks your entire life? Now, the Brooklyn Nets come to town. Do you stop rooting for a team that has disappointed you time and again in recent years, or do you start fresh with a roster that seems to be spilling over the top with talent? Most people might stay loyal to the team they're comfortable with, but it's almost inevitable that some fans will convert to Nets fans overnight.

Having fans is what it's all about. If there was no one in the stands to watch the game, then what would be the point of playing? Who would the players be playing for? The Knicks need to make a move, and make one fast if they want to keep all of their diehard fans piling into Madison Square Garden. 

The other day, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton were discussing the Brooklyn Nets on their show. Carton said that the Nets contacted him and told him that they had received more phone calls in a 36-hour period last week than they had in their entire history of the organization when it was founded in 1967.

Fans are calling for season tickets, inquiries about single-game tickets, packaged plans, merchandise and more. If the Knicks organization wants to keep a majority of their fans, they must make a move soon for some stand-out, talented players.

The Nets Can Smell a Championship

The Knicks made the playoffs for the second straight year, but they still were disappointing as they fell to Miami in five games during the first round of the 2011-2012 playoffs. 

The Nets have been a franchise in the NBA since 1976, almost 30 years after the Knicks made their first appearance. The Nets have only had two conference titles, and the Knicks have had eight. The Knicks have also seen two championships and the Nets have yet to see their first. The Nets want a ring, and they want it bad. They've built a team this offseason that will be a sincere threat in the league. The Knicks are lagging behind and haven't done much besides signing 39-year-old Jason Kidd.

If the Nets team looks as good on the court as it does on paper, they might see themselves in a run towards being champions for the first time. They have talented players, a new arena, a new following and pumped up team owners that have been making great moves thus far. The Nets need a championship more than the Knicks and Brooklyn is ready to cause some chaos this NBA season.

They Have More to Prove

The Brooklyn Nets have more to prove this upcoming season. With a new arena and practically a new roster, they better hope that everything comes together perfectly when the regular season begins. The Knicks haven't been terrible in recent years, but they haven't been considered much of a threat either. They were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in 2011 and the Miami Heat in 2012. The Knicks have a roster that consists of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, but they can't seem to get to the second round of the playoffs.

The Nets on the other hand finished this past season with 22 wins and 44 losses. If any team has something to prove this offseason, it's Brooklyn. They have to prove they're worthy of the new All-Stars, new arena, new season-ticket holders and everything else they've gotten thus far.

The Knicks must make moves and they need to make them fast. Brooklyn is creeping up behind the boys in orange and blue, and if the New York Knicks organization isn't careful, the new New York team in town might soon be the most popular one.