Although trading Vince Carter cleared some cap space and might turn out to be a smart move in the long run, the absence of Carter will inevitably make New Jersey worse in 2009-10. In the first game of the season, Devin Harris and the Nets will head to Minnesota Timberwolves where they will take on the equally struggling Timberwolves on Thursday at midnight GMT.

Without any doubts, Minnesota’s fan base and front office were equally frustrated when their number five overall pick Ricky Rubio decided to sign a multi-year deal in Barcelona instead of playing NBA ball for the Timberwolves. While their draft rights of the heralded point guard from Spain may become even more valuable over the next years, it will not be of much use in their efforts on the floor this season. Nonetheless, sixth overall pick Jonny Flynn will provide Minnesota with a dynamic point guard for years to come. In the preseason, Jonny Flynn averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals in just 27 minutes per game. Moreover, GM David Kahn signed Ramon Sessions from the Milwaukee Bucks who should provide the Wolves with a promising guard-tandem in combination with Flynn.

Much like Minnesota, the New Jersey Nets accepted their faith outside of the playoff picture and shipped out former NBA All-Star Vince Carter in exchange for sophomore Courtney Lee and veteran point guard Rafer Alston. Where as Alston might not see much playing time behind Devin Harris, Courtney Lee certainly looks like he could become a great player if he continues to improve. Likewise, Brook Lopez and Jianlian Yi have shown a lot of potential and might help the team to make it back to the playoffs in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, it will take some time to get there, which leaves Nets’ fans with very little hope for the upcoming season.

Considering these circumstances, the game between the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves could go either way. Both teams have a lot of young players on their roster and have yet to get used to playing with each other. Even though Al Jefferson and the Timberwolves may have slightly more talent on board, it remains to be seen whether it will have any measurable impact on the game on Thursday night.

You can watch all games of the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves right here on www.watchlivenba.com, the home of NBA live streaming.