The Brooklyn Nets have managed to rebuild their team from an Eastern Conference bottom-feeder to a potential contender for the crown, all in a matter of four years. To add insult to injury, the New York Knicks have been attempting to return to prominence for the past 20 years, once again getting that snatched from their very hands in this free-agency period.

Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the Knicks as recently as 2001, said players have noticed the work of general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson, who have built the roster from scratch, developing their own players and making the playoffs this past season before ultimately acquiring Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this summer in one of the most epic flip jobs in NBA history:

“What Brooklyn did is stunning, it’s absolutely stunning,” Van Gundy told David Waldstein of The New York Times.

Van Gundy still cheers for the Knicks, but it hasn't stopped him from admiring excellence when he sees it. The NBA analyst, who recently coached Team USA to a qualifying spot in the World Cup, noted the resilience it takes to bring a roster devoid of assets to one with playoff aspirations. The culture inside the Nets organization has been a much better sell than the allure and glamour that emanates from the halls of Madison Square Garden.

Players are keenly noticing the substance over glitz, and Brooklyn is one place that has turned it around stunningly — now likely a model franchise of how rebuilding can be made possible in the NBA.