The Nets yesterday practiced at Barclays Center for the first time and “raved about the team’s new digs, giving a thumbs-up to just about everything while taking thinly veiled shots at their last home in Newark,” according to Stefan Bondy of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Nets F Kris Humphries said, “Everything is so much bigger and nicer than what we’re used to.” Nets G Deron Williams indicated the arena, unlike the Prudential Center, was "'built for basketball,' meaning the shooting sight lines and depth perception were more suitable." Coach Avery Johnson “talked up the lighting, which shined brightest on the court like it was a Broadway stage.” Johnson said, “The focus and the light is all on the floor.” But he “detailed one small issue: the open entrance to the street allowed sunlight to shine through to the arena, which could become a problem during afternoon games” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Scott Cacciola writes with black seating throughout and the lighting focused squarely on the court, the arena “creates a stage-like effect for basketball -- similar to Staples Center ... and Madison Square Garden.” The arena also “feels more vertical than horizontal, with the tiers rising at a steep pitch” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/8). In N.Y., Howard Beck writes the “initial reviews were positive.” The stands are “close to the court and rise quickly, giving shooters a close backdrop behind the basket stanchions.” The lower bowl is “mostly free of advertisements and other visual distractions, with a few exceptions.” The scorer’s table at midcourt “flashed a Starbucks logo,” while a baseline display “flashed a promotion for the YES Network.” Johnson said it is a “tight arena” and an “intimate environment." Beck notes the players also were “thrilled with their spacious new locker room, which includes an array of electrical outlets in every locker so they can keep their phones and iPads charged” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/8).
