Personally I am not into celebrating an injury to a player but it is no secret around these parts that a disastrous season by the Brooklyn Nets would be a very good thing for the Atlanta Hawks.
If you haven't read Jason Walker's excellent explanation of Atlanta's draft situation regarding Brooklyn's pick then you need to do so now. Essentially the Hawks can swap picks with the Nets in each of the next two drafts which given Brooklyn's struggles could eventually turn into something significant for Atlanta.
CBSSports' Matt Moore just released a very early look at the 2014 NBA Draftwhere the Atlanta Hawks get the No. 5 pick via the swap with Brooklyn. The prize at No. 5 in Moore's scenario is Arizona forward Aaron Gordon.
5. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets swap): Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona: He gets to start as a fireplug off the bench and learn from two great big men in Paul Millsap and Al Horford, allowing Danny Ferry to then decide after a year whether to go with Gordon and move Millsap or re-sign Millsap.
Now we will caution that we are barely a quarter of a way into the season so its not wise to get the hopes up too high just yet. However, Brook Lopez going down for the season puts the Nets in a really tough situation given that he is the one player that they really can't replace.
They are an older team that has been forced to battle injuries from the outset of the season. Losing Lopez just puts a bigger strain on players like Kevin Garnett who are already struggling. Not to mention the pressure on head coach Jason Kidd that comes with being in a pressure cooker like Brooklyn. Its truly a combustible situation.
For Hawks fans its not time to get excited but there is no harm in keeping an eye on the situation.