The Brooklyn Nets can expect to be underdogs on most nights this season.

After winning a league-low 20 games in 2016-17, Brooklyn traded away last year's top scorer, Brook Lopez, for point guard D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.

However, none of that matters to Nets guard Jeremy Lin, who believes the Nets are playoff bound.

"We're making the playoffs. I don't care what anybody else tell me," Lin proclaimed while answering fan-submitted questions over the weekend.

Brooklyn will have to put together a dramatic turnaround if it's going to prove Lin correct, though. A stripped-down Eastern Conference makes the task a bit easier, but even so, the Nets look hard-pressed to churn out a .500 record and a potential playoff berth.

Bold predictions aside, Lin also spoke about Brooklyn's acquisitions of Russell and forward DeMarre Carroll.

"I can't wait to play with (Russell). We're going to do some serious damage next year," Lin said.

"Versatility, veteran leadership. We need leadership a lot," Lin said of Carroll.