Over the last few years, as the rest of the NBA has embraced cost-efficiency, the Brooklyn Nets have gone the other way. They have a $101 million payroll, $15 million more than their closest competitor. As a result, they will pay a staggering $87 million in luxury tax penalties this season, a number that would bankrupt many owners. If the Nets resemble anyone, it’s the George Steinbrenner-era New York Yankees, with All-Stars at every position.

Brooklyn’s starting five of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez has 35 All-Star appearances between them. Of course, the group has also combined to play 58 seasons in the NBA. The question becomes whether all five will be healthy and near 100 percent in the playoffs. That, however, is where the $101 million payroll comes in. Brooklyn is extremely deep, with one of the most loaded rosters from top to bottom in the league.

It starts upfront with Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche. They would be an above average pair of starters and are coming off the bench. Kirilenko, even at 32, can play three positions at a high level. Blatche, meanwhile, has the size and skill to play either interior spot. If anyone in the Nets' frontcourt gets injured or has to sit out a back-to-back, they can slide one of the two into the starting lineup, have the other be a super sixth-man and be fine.

At 6’9 210 with a 7’4 wingspan, Kirilenko is one of the most unique players in the NBA. He has the length of a center and can move his feet like a guard. Last season, he was the key to Minnesota’s 12th rated defense, an impressive number given their injuries. Combine that with his ability to score, pass and rebound and Kirilenko is one of the top contenders for Sixth Man of the Year. Shawn Marion has a similar game and is still effective at 35.

Talent was never the issue for Blatche, who has reinvented himself since leaving Washington. He had the most efficient season of his career last year, with a 19.6 PER in 19 minutes. Blatche murders second-string big men; a 6’11, 235 player with his skills coming off the bench is ridiculous. At 27, he is a nine-year NBA veteran who is just now entering his prime. If Garnett rubs off on him in a positive way, who knows what could happen.

The presence of Blatche and Kirilenko means the Nets won’t have to rely on Jason Terry; whatever offense he provides is a bonus. At 36, the Jet is clearly in decline, but shooting is one of the last things to go. He’s still not a guy you can give a bunch of open 3’s. In Dallas, watching him shoot in practice was an eye-opening experience. After about five minutes, I realized he’s basically never going to miss if he sets his feet and gets a clean look.

Terry should work well with Shaun Livingston, the new backup point guard. At 6’7 180 with a 6’11 wingspan, he can cross-switch with Terry, letting him play off the ball and defend smaller guards. Livingston isn’t the player he was before the devastating knee injury, but he’s turned himself into a solid pro. In 49 games with Cleveland last year, he had a 14.6 PER. As a 28-year-old with a role on a contender for the first time, he will be ready to go.

All that experience should make life easier for Mason Plumlee, their first-round center. Mason is way more skilled than his older brother Miles. At 6’11, 235, he’s a live body who can move his feet, finish around the rim and rebound. He was one of Duke’s best passers last year and has a 36’ vertical; every once in a while, he will do something that will surprise you. A 23-year-old who spent four years in college, he should be able to help immediately.

When injuries happen, replacing the replacement is often as big a problem as replacing the injured player. The Nets spent money to prepare for that too. Over the course of a season, Alan Anderson, Mirza Teletovic and Reggie Evans can step in and fill a role for 15-20 games. They all have useful skills: Anderson and Teletovic can shoot 3’s, while Evans is one of the best rebounders in the NBA. Evans started last year and can’t even get minutes now.

All that depth gives Brooklyn a lot of versatility. They can match-up with anyone. They have the size to play big, with two 7’0 line-ups, and the ability to play small, with Kirilenko as a stretch 4. At every position, they have guys in their prime or great players on the downswing of their careers, declining from a huge peak. The Nets can run offense through any position on the floor. They have Pierce and KG are in the Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem roles.

The spending has indirect benefits too. Blatche and Kirilenko signed with Brooklyn for significant discounts, something veterans aren’t willing to do for mediocre teams. While there were fairly unique circumstances surrounding both their decisions, the broader point stands. Players will take less money to sign with Prokhorov. If the Nets have your Bird Rights, there’s a chance you get an unreasonable contract. They gave Kris Humphries $24 million!

Brooklyn has exploited a loophole in the CBA that will never be completely closed: overpaying their own players. A big-money short-term deal creates a salary slot, which can be used to grab contracts from teams trying to sell. Look at the Johnson trade: it didn’t require a ton of assets, just a willingness to eat his salary. Even if the Nets had been unable to offer a future first-rounder, the Hawks would still have jumped at the chance to dump Johnson’s contract.

While Atlanta has not improved since dumping Johnson, they do have a lot more “roster flexibility.” In contrast, after Brooklyn acquired Johnson, everyone decried how inflexible they had become. Since then, they have acquired Pierce, KG, Kirilenko and Blatche. Is Johnson “worth” the $21.5 million he will make in 2014? Probably not. However, if money is no object, he’s a 32-year-old former All-Star who can help a team on both ends of the floor.

For all the concern about the small window in Brooklyn, their two best players are 25 (Lopez) and 29 (Williams). With so much talent around them, they could both make a run at an All-NBA team. They aren’t Top 5 guys, but with three other above-average starters and a deep bench, they will win a lot of games. If you have the biggest stack of chips, you don’t have to be the best player. As long as Prokhorov cuts the check, the Nets aren’t going anywhere.