Friday, December 19, 2008

Nets-Raptors

This game was much better than when these two teams met on Friday, especially for VC, he only shot 33% but had 20 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists. After another poor showing in the 3rd quarter and being down 11 early in the 4th the nets appeared done, but Harris led them roaring back. They were down 73-62 and harris had a 3 point play then a jumper and lay up to lead the Nets back, and he had VC on the bench. The nets ended up taking a 14 point lead 88 to 74 which was cut to 8 after 2 Raptor 3s. A series of made baskets by Toronto and missed foul shots by the Nets had them within 5 with under a minute to go but the Nets held on. The really didn't play great the first 3 quarters, especially harris, who didn't turn it on till the 4th but his 4th made up for his 1st 3. I loved the resiliency shown by the Nets to come back and win the game, and loved Ryan Anderson's 21 point, 9 rebound performance off the bench (he should be starting as Yi was ineffective yet again). He really does a lot more overall then Yi does in terms of defense, scoring, rebounding, and hustle. Despite the road victory, there's a warning sign flashing about missed free throws and the Nets inability to put teams away. The Raptors should've been done after being down 14 but the Nets let them hang around and almost come back. They can't do that and expect to compete for the playoffs, but overall they won a game they probably shouldn't have so you have to be pleased.

Nets-Bulls

Only caught the 4th quarter of this game cause I went to see "Milk", it was a pretty interesting movie, I'd recommend it. Anway I heard the Nets were up double digits in the begginning of the 2nd half but they blew the lead. They were up 3 when I got home. The 4th quarter was competitive until the last few minutes when the Nets went cold on both sides of the floor and blew the game despite leading late. The Nets can't be blowing double digit leads and they also need to finish every game like the way they finished in Sacramento and Philly, playing tough defense and hitting big shots especially when the shot clock is low. They didn't do that tonight and the result was a disapointing loss.

Nets-Raptors

Was going to go to this game but couldn't and thankfully I didn't. The Nets stayed competitive in the first half despite shooting horribly as they were only down 6. The nets then proceeded to have another horrific 3rd quarter peformance and were down 18 going into the fourth. I've tried to erase this game from my memory so I don't have much to comment about it. Really there's not too much too look into here, when you shoot under 30% before garbage time and finish shooting 32% and 26% from 3 point range you aren't going to win, especially when your best player goes a whopping 0 for 13 (I'm referring to VC in case you were wondering. He's still their go to guy despite Harris' spectacular play recently). He finished with a whopping 3 points and was just so off all night, his shots weren't even close, and his game was just really representative of the way the Nets played as a whole. Just a bad game. A bad, bad game.

Nets-Knicks

Went to this game, and it was exciting at first before turning infuriating. The Nets were awesome in the first quarter as Devin scored 14 points (finished with 32) in the first 4 and a half minutes and they had a double digit lead about halfway through the quarter. Thye were playing into the Knicks hands though pushing the tempo and taking a lot of outside jumpers instead of trying to slow the game down and take advantage of the size advantage they had with Lopez at the 5 versus David Lee (who is only 6 foot 9). Since they didn't slow it down Lopez was totally ineffective and even detrimental because he couldn't keep up with the game's fast pace and was not good in the up-tempo offense. Yi started well hiting a 3 in the first and playing very agressive as he had an alley oop from Harris and slammed home a putback dunk but then he like the Nets went down hill and he was a big reason for that. The Nets were up by 16 points at one point in the first half but were only up 6 at halftime. The 3rd quarter was awful as Al Harrington (39 points, 13 rebounds) took Yi to school, beating him off the dribble then when Yi stepped off Harrington would knock down the outside shot. My dad always use to tell me to stay square on defense and not turn my feet, and he would say that so many times he was like a broken record... well Yi could surely use my dad in his ear right now. When playing defense as soon as someone puts the ball on the floor Yi turns his feet allowing them to blow by him. Frank was too slow to take Yi out and when he did it was too late. L-Frank refuses to play matchups, Sean Williams would have been well suited to guard Harrington or his counterparts (Wilson Chandler who had 24 points and 11 boards, and Tim Thomas who had 26 points off the bench) because of his length, quickness, and athleticism, but he didn't play till late and the Nets suffered. The Nets cut the Knicks double digit second half lead to 6 with 5 minutes to play before Wilson Chandler hit a 3 and got fouled forcing me and my dad to the exits.

Nets-Sixers

Good performance a night after an easy win over the T-Wolves. The Nets had to work harder in this one against a Sixer team without Elton Brand, but that wasn't necessarily bad for them as he has yet to mesh with the run and gun young talent that led the Sixers to the playoffs last year and they played pretty decently without him. Another well rounded effort from the Nets as they got solid contributions from Simmons (11 pts) and Yi (12 pts and 7 boards) in addition to the usual performances from VC who narrowly missed a triple dobuel (14 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists) and Harris (27 points and 8 assists). Also nice contributions from Anderson and Swift off the bench. The Nets led most of the way but they let the Sixers hang around for longer than you would like, but they won so that's really all you can ask for. Another observation I made is that Keyon Dooling is quickly becoming a go to guy in the clutch, he hit some big 3s against Sacramento in their OT victory, and he hit another big 3 late in the game tonight to put it in the bag for the Nets despite only shooting 2 for 9 overall. That kind of mental toughness kind of embodies the toughness the Nets have shown late in games lately which is something you didn't see at all last year.

Nets-Wolves

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile bloggers, but I've been very busy. Now I'll do make up postings. This game was a great bounceback to the dud they threw up against the Wiz before this. It was an easy game, the T-Wolves didn't play too well cause frankly they aren't that good. This was also a very well rounded effort for the Nets as they had 7 players score in double figures, and got contributions from the entire team. The entire starting 5 scored in double digits (Simmons, Yi, Harris, VC, Lopez) and Hayes and Dooling did as well, Carter led the charge with 18 points. Stromile Swift and Ryan Anderson also gave good minutes off the bench, and Lopez finished with 10 boards for a double-double, continuing his stellar play. Nice break for Devin and Vince as well as they only played 32 and 34 minutes respectively. Overall, the Nets "made the next team pay" as Vince said they had too after the Washington debacle. Another side note, tonight marked the return of Jason Collins to the Meadowlands. he got a mixed reaction from the fans. I always liked Collins, he was undervalued both by the fans and media I thought. He was truly an outstanding interior defender and was great at doing the intangible: setting screens, boxing out, etc. He did exactly what the Nets asked of him every night and was the ultimate team player, just an overall class act. I did a basketball camp of his once and he was very engaging and really took a lot of time with the kids. It was nice to see him back in the place where he did a lot of good things for a long time.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Nets-Wizards

What a dud. I unfortunately went to the game and witnessed their performance in person and it was painful at times. My thoughts: 1) I've noticed with Bobby Simmons that he seems to have a solid 1st quarter, hitting a 3, playing good defense, then when he comes out, usually for a long stretch, he never seems to regain his rhythm. This was on full display tonight as he played well at first but in the 3rd quarter when presented with 3-4 open looks in the first few minutes he couldn't buy a bucket. Ditto for Yi who was horrible in the 2nd half. 2) I'll give the Nets a pass for this game, they always struggle in their 1st game back from a west coast trip, losing to the Wiz this year and the Grizzlies last year. I'll cut them some slack since they came back after this game and won 2 straight. 3)The nets don't close out on 3 point shooters, the Wiz buried them with 3 after 3 in the 3rd quarter. The nets play too loose on the perimeter, they have some quick defenders like Harris, Simmons, and Carter, Dooling also, and there's no reason they shouldn't be able to handle playing tight on the perimeter. Their perimeter d is too soft for the time being. 4) Good to see CDR back, he didn't play till garbage time but he showed flashes. Got to the paint a few times and knocked down a shot or two, nothing spectacular but another positive sign for the Nets.

Nets-Suns

This team is really starting to come together after the win over Phoenix. Unlike the season opening game vs the Warriors when they were down double digits throughout the 4th but couldn't come through, this game they showed the resiliency and mental toughness they lacked all of last year and the begginning of this season. Obviously when discussing this victory you have to start and finish with Devin Harris, dropping 47 points on the defenseless Suns. Really he has been the difference for them early on, he opens up so many things for the team, watching him play is just so much fun. He seems to have developed a signature move, the stepback jumper, he loves to take that shot and hes made it quite a few times. Didn't see much of the game besides last 2 minutes so can't really comment otherwise, but obviously an awesome performance.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Nets-Jazz

Over .500, what an accomplishment. Nobody, not even myself, the biggest optimist for the nets there is could have envisioned this. I am ecstatic over this victory, you had Vince showing he's healthy and back after leaving the Kings game with a hamstring injury, and you had Devin continuing his meteoric ascent to the level of elite NBA point guards like his counterpart, Deron Williams. Despite missing Carlos Boozer and having Andrei Kirlenko sidelined after getting injured, the Jazz are still a quality team led by Williams and their arena is known as one of the most hostile environments for visiting teams in the NBA. For the Nets to come in to utah and win by 17 is a big accomplishment. Also glad to see Stro Swift return, i dont know how much of an immediate impact he will have but it's always good to have flexibility and the more bodies that are healthy the more flexiblility the coach has with his team.

Nets-Kings

What a game, this game was made exciting when it shouldn't have been made that way. The Nets were up 17 midway through the 3rd and the Kings had nothing going then the Nets managed to blow the lead and were forced to come from 6 down with 34 seconds left, but they ended up winning so that's all you can ask for I suppose. My thoughts:

1) Devin Harris displayed his mental toughness tonight. He struggled shooting all game but when Bobby Jackson gave him space with 7 seconds left for a game tying 3 he had no hesitation to take the shot. He still had the confidence in himself to take such a big shot even after having an off night, which is a big leap foward for him. Harris also made what proved to be the winning shot in overtime on what seems to be becoming his signature: a drive to the lane, a jump stop, then pop. Great way to pull through in the end when his team needed him to.

2) Obviously seeing Vince cringe after his hamstring cramped up was not pretty, but thankfully it was just cramps and he won't miss any time. 3) Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson impressed in front of some hometown fans. Lopez is quickly proving to be a force on the low block, and someone the Nets can trust to score or draw a foul when they throw the ball to him. He finished with 20 points and 8 boards something that doesn't seem shocking any more. Anderson played well with 13 and 8 in justy 18 minutes due to foul trouble. I don't like that L-Frank stuck with yi down the stretch even though he was struggling, Anderson was shooting better than yi and also contributes in ways Yi doesn't, so Anderson should have been playing with under 2 to go in regulation and OT. 4) Keyon Dooling is thriving off the bench. Playing where he belongs as the 1st guard off the bench, Dooling continues to provide energy minutes giving the Nets some perimeter scoring and solid defense. Tonight he had 2 clutch overtime 3s for the nets just as it seemed the game would get out of reach, he nailed his shots. Overall, a somewhat impressive performance. Obviously you like the resiliency the team showed, but it never should have gotten to the point where the Nets were depending on John Salmons' missed free throws in order to win.

Nets-Lakers

Nets stayed competetive in the 1st half of this one, holding Kobe Bryant down and forcing the role players to beat them (the Lakers have the best role players in the game though). The 3rd quarter everything fell apart for them, they couldn't score, and the Lakers were just slicing through their defense. I shut it off 2 minutes into the 4th cause I couldn't watch them play listlessly any longer. Even though they were blown out, the 1st half is definately a positive of this game as they showed they can hang around with the NBA's best even if just for 1 half. The Lakers are really good also, I mean they have 3 all-star palyers in their lineup with Kobe, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol, then Derek Fisher also who is just one of those solid basketball player, never spectacular but he always does what he needs to do. Also Lamar Odom is their 6th man, he would be a starter anywhere else but on the Lakers they have enough scoring and talent to bring him off the bench. Also guys like Jordan Farmar and Trevor Ariza are really developing nicely, making the Lakers a tough team to play.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Nets-Clippers

Went to last night's game and loved the performance. My observations: 1) Bobby Simmons had his best game as a Net thus far. He got the Nets going in the first quarter hitting 3 threes, and playing good defense. he also shot consistently throughout the game and played solid d on Al Thornton and Ricky Davis. If he can shoot well and provide good d like last night regularly that would be a huge plus for the Nets, huge. 2) Yi broke out of his slump and did something he really hadn't done since opening night. He played well from start to finish, and did more then just shoot. While his shooting was on Yi also played good defense including a big rejection in the 3rd quarter, and showed flashes of contributing in more way than with just his shooting ability. Playing well through the course of a whole game is something Yi has struggled with so to see him do that, was a big positive. 3) All starters scored in double figures, showing the nets had a real team effort to win the game, and showing that they have the talent to produce from 3 to 15 at a level nobody would have expected before the season. 4) Brook Lopez is a very good player, finishing with another double dobule, the rookie from Stanford is quickly making a push to remain the starting center, even after Josh Boone returns. I like this move cause I think boone would do really well as an energy guy off the bench kind of like Keyon Dooling is, cause he provides strong rebounding, and solid d which can only help the 2nd unit. 5) Marcus Camby and Baron Davis are clearly frustrated on this Clipper team, you could just see it on their faces late in the game and when they came to the bench. This season can't possibly be going the way they envisioned.

Nets-Raptors

Only got to catch the last minute and a half of overtime of this game, but that was all I needed to see to know that this was a special victory. That was one of the most exciting minute and a halves of basketball I ever watched, really great game, my observations from the box score, the last minute, and highlights: 1) I'm really happy for VC, i think he's so wrongly persecuted by everyone outside of NJ, and he really is a great player and a good person also. I love to see him thrive in that hostile environment, the boos from Toronto are somewhat deserved, but he gets booed and chewed out everywhere by fans and media alike and it's not right. He plays very hard each night, and he really does have top 10 NBA talent, I don't think you can get much better than the game tying 3, the game winning dunk and also 39 points, 9 boards, and 6 assists. He was awesome. 2) Devin Harris continues to be a great sidekick for Vince, as he was the big reason the Nets got back into the agem after being down 18, playing tough d, forcing turnovers, and scoring easy buckets. He is really justifying that Jason Kidd trade. 3) The Nets role players continue to step up. Brook Lopez is begginning to perform well on a regular basis as a 3rd scorer, and it seems like each night other role guys step up as well. Tonight Jarvis Hayes had 14 points and 6 boards while Simmons finished with 8 and 8. The continued improvement of guys 3-15 is integral to the Nets success this season and beyond.

Nets-Cavs

Went to the game on Tuesday, was exciting for the 1st half when the Nets were playing well and keeping Lebron's supporting cast in check, but the game became unbearable after halftime and i left with 5 minutes to go. My thoughts: 1) Yi epitomizes the term "streak shooter". He hit his first 2 shots of the game, then was not heard from the rest of the game as he struggled: to find his touch, on defense, and with his ball handling. He must play more consistently over the course of games, and not just play well in isolated 2-3 minute spurts. Also, Yi missing a pair of free throws when the nets were down 58-52 ultimately led the Nets further downhill, and was really their last chance to get back in the game. 2) The Nets perimeter defense is lackluster. They have trouble closing out on 3 point shooters and left the Cavs plethora of perimeter weapons open, wide open actually. Delonte West and Mo Williams led the charge after halftime helping catapult the Cavs to a 12-0 run to make it 61-52 Cavs just a few minutes into the 3rd. Also every time the Nets woul score a few points, their momentum would be killed with another Cav 3 pointer. 3) The Nets must be able to come up with other scoring option when VC is having an off night, he was 3-12 shooting, and they scored only 82 points, there's definately a correlation between those numbers. 4)Brook Lopez is emerging as a potent offensive weapon for the Nets. He has a really nice array of post moves and is very comfortable getting the ball on th blocks and taking the defender 1-on-1. This is something the Nets have lacked for as long as I've been a fan a consistent offensive player on the blocks. Overall, the game was not one of the nets better performances, they couldn't find a rhythm in the 2nd half, and weren't ready for the cavs 3 point onslaught.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Home and Home Sweep

The last 2 nights have been great ones to be Nets fans. Two big wins over an up-and-coming Hawks team that came into their home and home with the Nets 6-1 and left it 6-3. Didn't catch Friday's game, but some things i liked from the box score. Gotta love Brook Lopez's 25 and 9 performance after struggling for a few games, if he can become a consistent 3rd scorer for the Nets that would be huge. Also Harris coming back obviously gave the Nets a big lift, as he scored 30 points, had 8 assists, and pulled down 6 rebounds, with Vince adding 26. My man Ryan Anderson, playing because of an injury to Eduardo Najera once again proved he's a valuable asset for this team, scoring 15 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. This guy can flat out play, and that is exactly what he should be doing for the Nets.

Now to tonights game, got to watch this one, and was nervous when the hawks made a run to cut into the Nets lead before halftime but that 3rd quarter was something to see, my thoughts:

1) Devin Harris is playing out of his mind, finished with 33 points and 10 assists, the guy has been playing with a fire lately, a fire the nets were lakcing when he was gone. He was agressive, getting to the line 14 times, and he was on from the mid-range and long distance, an overall great performance yet again for this rising star. He sets the tempo for the entire offense, as his speed and penetration ability really are game changers for this team. His presence also takes a huge amount of pressure of VC's back because as another guy that can create his own shot at any time, defenses are less inclined to double and triple team vince, especially down the stretch.

2) Ryan Anderson continues to play exceptionally off the bench, finishing with 17 points on 4 of 5 shooting, and 5 rebounds as well. This guy is basketball savvy as Jim Spanarkel pointed out during the broadcast. He does a lot of things well for this team and is proving to be a great pickup with the 21st pick. I can't say enough about this kid's shooting ability, knack for rebounding, and overall basketball IQ.

3) Sean Williams got some playing time due to Josh Boone's injury and played well, providing some defensive energy and altering a few shots with his long arms and athelticism. Also noticed that when he goes for an offensive rebound he is always in the thick of getting the ball, his long arms and jumping ability enable him to tap the ball and keep it alive very well.

4) Hayes and Dooling again provided solid minutes in relief for the starters. Hayes shot very well in his hometown, and played solid defense on Joe Johnson. However he left the game with back spasms in the 4th quarter and if he is out for an extended period of time that's not going to be good because that means more playing time for the ineffective Bobby Simmons, and also CDR is out leaving them thin at the swing positions off the bench. Keyon gave the Nets a great spark from the end of the 1st till midway through the 2nd quarter, scoring 10 points. This is what the Nets brought him in for, to be a guy that plays in bursts and gives energy for the 2nd unit, not to be a a 35 minute a game starter which he became for that horrific 3 game stretch last week from the team.

5) Vince was unconscious in the 3rd, he was absolutely lighting it up, including 5-5 from 3, he was something to watch, when he is on he's a top 5 NBA player, and he was on tonight.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Nets-Pacers Round 2

Last night's game was a disgrace, didn't watch all of it cause I couldn't bear to and decided to flip over the Country Music Awards instead (a good choice I made). The Nets couldn't get anything going offensively or defensively all game against a Pacers team missing 3 of its top scorers (Troy Murphy, Danny Granger, and Mike Dunleavy). Observations:

1) All the critics were lining up this year saying in no time VC would be giving up on the team and his teammates, well it seems like the opposite has happened, Vince seems to be the only one playing with conistent energy and effort, and producing night in and night out. No other teammate has been able to match his intensity on a game-to-game basis yet this season except maybe Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes.

2) The lack of depth in the backcourt is killing the Nets. As L-Frank said after the game the Nets are relying on VC and Dooling to play 39 minutes a game at both ends of the floor, not something you want to see especially this early in the season. Again I will recommend calling the Grizzlies to look into one of their young point guards for one of the Nets young bigs or a future draft pick maybe the draft pick they acquired for Marcus Williams because if Harris, Carter, or Dooling has to go out for an extended amount of time this year the Nets are finished. I don't want to see them give away any of their young bigs (anderson, yi, williams, lopez) but they need to fill this need and getting a young guy like Lowry or Crittenton helps them not only short term but long term as well.

3) I understand L-Frank wants to play veterans because he believes he needs a presence out there on the court with the rookies, but the truth of the matter is the veterans are less effective on the court than the rookies who they are taking minutes from. Ryan Anderson provided nice shooting and a few rebounds in some minutes last night and Sean Williams impact could be felt instantly when he came in the game, he did take 2 stupid jump shots but that comes with the territory he's not going to learn to play the right way if he's not playing. Najera and Simmons continue to be ineffective, the Nets went to Simmons early on where he had a bucket and an assist in the first minutes but after that he became invisible once again, and glad to see Najera only play 5 minutes because since replacing Ryan Anderson in the rotation he certainly didn't make a case to be there. I'd advocate starting Trenton Hassell for the time being at SF because he provides high quality defense and decent shooting ability with Simmons and Hayes coming off the bench. Hayes should be the starter based on numbers but I like what he provides to the second unit especially with CDR out and Dooling now starting. They won't bench Simmons though because Net management is intent on trying to justify the RJ trade and justify actually saying they believe Simmons could be a 3rd scorer for the team. They will do the same thing with Yi, i think Yi should be starting right now but even if he starts playing horribly the Nets won't bench him because of what they gave up for him.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Disastrous Defeat

What a bad loss last night, the kind of loss that sends a team into a horrible downward spiral. The Nets played so well for 42 minutes then let everything slip away when it mattered most. Despite solid defense and an outstanding performance from yi the Nets couldn't find a way to close out what seemed like a sure fire win. Here's why they lost: 1) They lost the rhythm of their offense down the stretch. Instead of continuing to attack and try to score they started playing conservatively and most of their shots took place with under 8 seconds on the shot clock and were not very good looks. They were playing offense like they were trying to run down the clock as opposed to trying to continue keeping distance between themselves and the Heat. 2) D-Wade finally turned into himself, making a serious of ridiculous shots. He swished a 28 foot 3 pointer, banked in another one, and hit another bank shot from a very tough angle, all single-handedly bringing the Heat back from the dead. 3) The Nets lack of another player to create their own shot with Harris out. With Devin Harris out the only person on the floor in the last 5 minutes that could create their own shot besides Vince was Keyon Dooling but he's not great at doing that, so the heat double and triple teamed Carter, not allowing him to beat them. Since the other players depend on Carter to create for them, the Heat double and triple teams were effective as they forced VC into some bad shots, and those 2 critical turnovers down the stretch. This game really makes you miss and truly appreciate everything RJ brought to the table. He would keep defenses honest because they either had to leave him or Vince with one-on-one coverage down the stretch, but now without him and with Harris out teams feel very comfortable committing alot of players to VC cause they don't feel anyone else can beat them. Bobby Simmons is also a huge bust, the man missed 2 wide open 3s in the last 4 minutes including one that was an airball. He really has yet to contribute much on offense or defense and if CDR wasn't out i'd advocate benching simmons for hayes and bringing CDR off the bench to speel both VC and Jarvis.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Nets-Pacers

Bad follow up to the exhilarating win on Friday. My thoughts:

1) The Nets need another ball handler. Keyon Dooling has only started 37 games in his 470 game career and there's a reason why, he's not a starting caliber player. He is great as a guy that come in for 20-25 minutes providing good defense, and some decent scoring ability, but as a starting PG he's nowhere near where he needs to be. He's more of a combo guard, not even a natural point, and after him the Nets have nobody to bring in off the bench to handle the ball since Harris is out. he had 17 points but if Harris goes out for a long period of time, they will need another player to complement Dooling. I will again recommend the Nets call the Grizzlies front office and offer Sean Williams or a 1st round pick for Kyle Lowry or Javaris Crittenton, with OJ Mayo and Mike Conley playing well, one of those 2 guys is expendable and either 1 could definately help the Nets.

2) The inconsistent Yi show continues as Yi was awful last night, he had 11 rebounds but shot 1 for 10 and looked lost offensively.

3) Ryan Anderson should be playing. Yes Najera provides more of a defensive edge and presence but he can't score, and when your #2 scorer is out and you score 80 points against one of the league's weaker defenses you need to be thinking offense, which means thinking Ryan Anderson.

Nets-Pistons

What an exciting victory, a nice win for the team to get back on track after playing poorly in their last 2 games. My observations:

1) Devin Harris was the star. He had a career-night scoring 38 points and toughing out the last of the 3rd quarter and entire 4th quarter with a bum ankle. He was on in all facets of his game. He had showed a nice touch in his midrange game forcing the defense to respect him and play up on him. When defenses are forced to respect his jumper, he can blow by them for easy scores and that is exactly what he did shooting 24 foul shots. He was in total control of the offense this game, knowing when to push the tempo and when to pull back and run the set offense which was very nice to see considering he had been playing a bit schizophrenically the previous few games, as he was all over the place.

2) Josh Boone is developing into a Udonis Haslem-esque player. He is like a vaccum on the boards, something the Nets have desperately needed for quite some time and he does it on both ends. He also is improving his offensive game, developing a game within 10-15 feet, when 2 years ago him shooting outside 4 feet had you covering your eyes. He's playing very agressively, definetly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the low block.

3) Yi continued to be inconsistent. After a great opening night performance, Yi played poorly the next 2 nights then came back with 12 points and 9 rebounds last night, but he did foul out.

4) Eduardo Najera has replaced Ryan Anderson in the rotation. Don't like this move, Anderson was showing a lot of progress in the 1st few games, showing good range on his jumper and also good rebounding ability. He is an offensive threat while Najera is not and with the Nets struggling to score points in some games, I think they shouldn't be benching Anderson, a guy that can stretch defenses and open things up in the paint.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Nets-Warriors, Nets-Suns

Went to the home opener on Saturday, here are some observations I had:

1) Poor turnout for home oepner, the arena was probably 3/4 full, not what you want on opening night

2) The center tandem of Boone and Lopez has alot of talent, Boone has become a very tough interior defender showing alot of agression and shot blocking abaility. He can also rebound well and score, he gets a lot of point blank looks but he must convert more of them. Lopez has a ton of offensive talent, every time he touches the ball you just see he can do things with it.

3) Devin Harris looked disoriented offensively. He was very sloppy, running 1 on 3 fast breaks and seeming lost within the tempo of the offense. He had alot of shots blocked and didnt seem to mesh with the other players on the floor well.

4) L-Frank needs to play matchups. He has said he's going 10 deep this season and Sean Williams didn't start out as 1 of the 10 guys in the rotation, but he should've been on the floor Saturday cause the Warriors are so athletic and they have their 4 man standing on the perimeter shooting 3s and Sean Williams with his long wingspan and athleticism would've been a good matchup against the likes of Al Harrington and Corey Maggette.

5) Maybe the Nets were right giving up on Marcus Williams. He didn't sniff court time for the Warriors and he coudl've helped them cause Damarcus Nelson and CJ Watson aren't true points and you could see it. The Warriors didn't even pick up his option for next season. Looks like ahe could an utter waste of alot of talent.

6) Sat near Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond which was really cool

Nets-Suns

Didnt see the game but obviously the final score was not something you liked to see

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Big Opening Night Win

Maybe this season won't be as bad as everyone says after all. The Nets came out of our nation's capital with a solid 95-85 victory over the Washington Wizards. A couple things I noticed during the game: 1) Vince Carter is good. Really good. Everyone outside of NJ hates on VC and thinks he's a quitter who doesn't play hard, he's not. The guy showed off his talent making alot of nice one-on-one moves and taking over on some possessions when the offense was struggling but he kept everyone involved but asserted himself when he needed too. Very impressed with his 21 point, 6 assist performance. 2) Yiiiiiii for 333333333 might become Gary Sussman's new catchphrase for home games. Yi was very impressive shooitng the ball, showing a very nice touch and stroke. He was also more agressive on offense then I had seen watching him play in other games. Still must work on defense as he's not strong enough to body up big guys, and he can't compete for boards down low without help due to his lack of strength. 3) The rooks impressed. All 3 saw time and Brook Lopez was most impressive finishing with 8 points and 8 boards. 4) Free agent signings Jarvis Hayes and Keyon Dooling both played well. Hayes may prove to be that lights out shooter the nets have needed off the bench for some time, he finished 6 for 9 for 14 points. he has a quick release suited for the dribble drive offense. Dooling ran the offense well for the 2nd unit, not allowing much off a dropoff from 1st unit production. 5) L-Frank will be much more comfortable playing his bench this year then last year. You can see he trusts the guys on his bench to get the job done, as he played 10 guys and all 10 played over 12 minutes. This is a good sign because i dont think he utilized his bench neither enough over the past few years. Overall a very nice start to the year, look foward to the home opener Saturday

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Season Preview

With the Nets season starting tommorow night in DC I figured it'd be a good time to give my team preview for the upcoming season:

Most analysts predict the Nets to at the bottom or right near the bottom both in the east and in the league, predicting around 25-30 wins for the team. I'd have to disagree, I think people are underestimating the amount of talent this team has, and I believe the young players will develop more quickly then people think. I predict 35-40 wins for the team this year, but the keys to them contending for a low playoff seed are:

1) Staying healthy. This is the most important thing for the Nets, particularly having VC and devin stay healthy. If either of those 2 go down for an extended amount of time, figure for it to be a long season. The Nets created a frontcourt glut and are slim in the backcourt. They only have 3 guys who L-Frank would feel comofortable running the offense with, Harris, VC, and Keyon Dooling so if either vince or devin or even keyon goes out the number of point guard options will be extremely limited. It doesn't help that Dooling and Vince are not natural PGs. CDR and Mo Ager could see some emergency PG minutes but if you see them playing point at all this season, that's a major problem. They also must stay healthy up front though they have more depth and more options then there then they do in the backcourt.

2) Rapid player development, especially up front. Besides Eduardo Najera and Stro Swift the Nets front court is incredibly young, and both vets are injured now so every player in the front court has less then 3 years experience. Brook Lopez looks like he can be ready to contribute right away as he seems to have a nice skill set and seems to pick up on thigns very quickly which has greatly helped him adjust to the NBA. Yi, Ryan Anderson, and Boone also seem ready to contribute right away as each played well in preseason and each contributes in a different way. Sean Williams is still raw but if he can play well in energetic spurts he will be a very nice piece on this team. Also would like to see CDR emerge as the player Eddie House was supposed to be 2 years ago off the bench, an instant offense guy who will keep scoring up when the starters come off the floor.

3) Become a consistent outside shooting team. With the dribble-drive offense in place the Nets will need their shooters: Anderson, Yi, Jarvis Hayes, Devin, etc. to be on. They must capitalize on their open looks because the way the offense is constituted they will get a lot of pick and flare or drive and kick shots and they must knock them down for the Nets to stay in games.

Other notes:

I'd like to see the nets trade 1 of their young bigs for some backcourt help. I think sean williams is a tremendous talent but he just can't seem to put it all together at times and would be most expendable. i'd like to see them package him with Stro, Hassell, or Ager to the Grizzlies for one of their young point guards: Javaris Crittenton or Kyle Lowry. This move would provide much needed ballhandling skills and point guard depth, 2 things the roster currently lacks. The nets could have had lowry or crittenton if they signed-and-traded Krstic so i'd like to think the grizz would reopen talks with them about such a move.

Don't get scared by a slow start the Nets have a tough 1st 4 games playing at Wizards then t home vs Golden State, Phoenix, and Detroit. A 2-2 start would be very solid I hink and would even take 1-3, 0-4 well...

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Centers

Today we will examine the center position, the last position outlook of the pre-season. Centers: Brook Lopez, Josh Boone, Sean Williams, Stromile Swift. Starting job is between lopez and boone, both bring different thing to the table. Boone is a hard nosed, pick and roll oriented player who is tough inside, a solid defender and rebounder. Lopez brings more of an offensive presence, with range up to 18 feet, and a nice array of post moves, as well as alot of length on the defensive side of the ball. Look for them to split minutes early on, I'd like to see Boone start because he's such a good pick and roll player that would benefit greatly from being on the floor with VC and Devin, and I'd like to see Lopez come in off the bench and he will get more offensive opporunities to score on the second unit. Williams looks like he will play in short spurts, and Swift is out for ahwile

Nets-Knicks

Didn't see any of Nets-Knicks game but looking at the stat sheet, Devin and VC both played well finsihing with 16 and 20 points repectively. Good to see a nice game out of Bobby Simmons who was 6 of 9 for 16 points, about time he got it going on offense. Keyon Dooling also played well shooting 6 of 10. Nets again failed to finish though, the last few years they have a habit of giving up big leads in the 4th quarter, like anywhere from 8 points and above under 6 mintues left, they held on, but that won't happen if they continue to blow double digit leads late

Friday, October 24, 2008

Roster Cuts

The nets cut Brian Hamilton, Eddie Gill, Keith Van Horn, and Julius Hodge today. The onyl one who is somehwat surprising is hodge who played well in the pre-season and was thought to have a good chance at making the roster as a 3rd point guard. Dissapointed to see him go, he has talent and you could see that, given time to work on his game i think he could turn into a nice role player off the bench for the nets. would have liked to see mo ager cut and hodge remain

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Nets-Sixers

Didn't catch any of the Nets 118-100 loss yesterday to the Sixers. Noticed a few things from the box score and game recap though. The Nets "Big 3" of young big men: Yi, Ryan Anderson, and Brook Lopez continued to impress. Lopez and Yi led the team with 16 points apiece and Anderson contributed 11 points along with 9 rebounds. All 3 players have shown alot of promise this pre-season and Id say the 3 of them and Josh Boone will start off getting the majority of minutes at the 4 and 5. Sean Williams has been unimpressive in the pre-season but reports say hes had a good camp overall though, expect him to start off season with minimal minutes or out of rotation, ditto for Stro Swift. Najera is still injured so he probably wont play significant minutes for at least the 1st week or so

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Nets-Celtics and Nets-Knicks

Didn't see any of Nets-Celts game Sunday though Ryan Anderson had an impressive day on the stat sheet returning from his shoulder injury, he finished 5 of 11 shooting for 20 points and Yi chipped in 10 on 5 of 9 shooting. Team only scored 66 points though and VC didnt play so maybe a sign of how porous the offense will look if hes not in uniform. Caught the end of Nets-Knicks game yesterday and 2 players stood out in final 5 minutes of the game: Brook Lopez and Julius Hodge. Lopez was a low post presence on both sides of the court showing off some offensive versaitlity in the post, making a series of nice moves on Eddy Curry. He also had a defensive presence blocking a shot and forcing players to shoot floaters over the top of him, some went in but he's forcing players to adjust their shots when they get in the paint which is something no net defender has been able to do since kenyon martin left town. Hodge has impressive length, he plays a little like keyon dooling which is why i think he'd be a good fit on the team. He has improved his ball handling skills markedly, and is working on developing a consistent mid range game and a defensive presence, many of the things dooling brings to the table, so i think hodge would be a good guy to have around in case dooling gets hurt and to also contribute in certain sets as a point foward.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Frontcourt Slimming Down in Numbers

The logjam at the powerfoward and center positions seems to be working itself out with 4 big men battling various ailments. In addition to Najera being out with a wrist injury and Anderson having a strained shoulder, Josh Boone experienced "chest discomfort" and Stromile Swift took a scary fall in yesterday's practice, making Sean Williams, Yi, and Brook Lopez the only healthy bigs currently

Celtics 111, Nets 108

Went to the Nets-Celts pre-season game Thursday, here are some observations:

1) large crowd for a preseason game, much larger than could have been expected

2) lawrence frank doesnt deserve to be head coach, its a meaningless preseason game and he has devin harris playing 30 minutes, frank has a tendency to play his starters extended minutes, why wear them out during the PRE-season? Each time Devin Harris would collide with Glen Davis, all i was thinking was why subject him to that behomoth of a player 2 weeks before games start to mean something. Also limited minutes for guys fighting for roster spots like Mo Ager, Eddie Gill, and Julius Hodge, why not let them take the hits from davis and see what they can bring to the table in game situations.

3) Yi is soft on defense. He doesn't man up and can't stay with quicker players, turns his body alot allowing opposing players easy access to the rim. Picked up 4 fouls early so some tentativness lies in the foul trouble but he was unimpressive even before getting in trouble. He has a nice stroke but other than his shooting his offensive game is less than impressive, he's very clumsy with the ball and seems disbombulated at times.

4) Josh Boone will be a solid contributor this season and beyond. He blocked or altered at least 5 shots while I was there (till midway through the 3rd), rebounded well, and he also showed some limited shooting range something he had none of last year.

5) Backup guards Keyon Dooling and CDR are both players who can create on their own and Dooling is a pesky defender as well as a pretty good shooter

6) Expect little out of the small forward position this year. With Najera and Hayes out that leaves Bobby Simmons and Trenton Hassell, you barely noticed when they were on the floor, hardly touching it on offense.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Power Fowards

Today we will look at the power foward position for the upcoming season.

Power Fowards: Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, Sean Williams, Stromile Swift

This is the deepest position on the Nets roster as they have a lot of young talent stockpiled at this position, as well as some veterans who can play here. Yi will be the the starter and get alot of minutes. He looked very good in his 1st game scoring 17 points and showing a nice chemistry with Vince. He will need to consistently knock down those 15-18 foot jumpers because he will see alot of open shots and pick and flares, or get open looks on the perimeter as a result of the dribble drive offense. He has a nice stroke, solid passing skills, and can be a good rebounder if he wants to. He tends to shy away from mixing it up and stand around on the perimeter offensively/settle for outside shots and not be aggressive with the ball. If he becomes more assertive and shows he can be a legitimate threat that the defense has to respect from outside he will turn into a very good player for the Nets. I would limit his minutes early on at about 30 a game to prevent him from hitting the wall he hit last year because he has played a lot of basketball in tis past 12 months. Anderson will become a very solid player in this league. He has a great stroke, is agressive on offense, and has a Jason Kidd-like knack for knowing where the ball will go when rebounding. He must work on his defense and strength but expect him to contribute alot more this season than people think. I wouldnt be surprised if he became the best player out of the Nets draft class from this year. Sean Williams is a project, he has incredible potential but needs to reach it. He is an unbelievable athlete, and an extremely versatile defender he can defend any position on the floor. All reports out of camp are that he has been very impressive, he has matured and improved his offensive game. If he can cut down on his mental lapses expect to see him play alot, also expect to see him shift around and play anywhere from the 3 to the 5 position. Swift is like an older version of Williams, he has boatloads of talent but hasnt reached his potential. the major difference though is Swift is entering year 7 of his Nba career while Williams is entering year 2, though some people expect him to get his act together since this is a contract year for him. Expect to see him play occasionally, he probably wont crack the regular rotation. Najera will also see minutes here in addition to at the 3

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Euro Trip

The Nets trip to Europe was largely a success, heres a breakdown of the 2 games:"

France (Thursday): An overtime 100-98 victory. The Nets got a scare when Vince hurt his hamstring while attempting a runner, but luckily he turned out to be ok though he didn't return. No worries though as Chris Douglas-Roberts stepped in and scored 18 points off the bench including leading the Nets on a 12-2 run toward the end of the 1st half. That kind of instant offense off the bench is something the Nets have badly needed for years and hopefully this performance is a sign of things to come. Devin Harris played well shooting 7 of 11 for 21 points but he did have 5 turnovers. Despite not shooting the ball well (3 for 12) Ryan Anderson finished the game with 9 points and 9 rebounds, if given minutes he will be a consistent double digit rebounder in this league. Josh Boone played well off the bench scoring 10 points and pulling down 9 boards, he continues to impress with his play and is proving doubters wrong that he cant be a starting caliber player in this league. Eddie Gill made a case for a roster spot finishing with 14 points, while Mo Ager struggled. Stromile Swift and Trenton Hassell also struggled in extended minutes.

London (Today): Another close game decided down the stretch but the Nets prevailed 94-92, they must close out close games like these this year which has been a problem for them in the past few years. Vince Carter returned from injury to lead the team with 19 points while Yi scored 17 (7 of 13)in his Nets debut. Brook Lopez also impressed in his 1st live game action finishing with 8 points and 13 boards (7 offensive). Camp invitees Brian Hamilton and Julius Hodge did nothing to help their chances as both played poorly. CDR came back to earth after his 9 of 15 performance in france, finishing with just 5 points.


Overall the trip seemed to be a success, the team won 2 close games and saw promising performances from many of its young players including Yi, Lopez, Anderson, and CDR.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Small Forward

Today we will look at the small forward position

Small Forwards: Bobby Simmons, Eduardo Najera, Jarvis Hayes, Trenton Hassell

This is by far the Nets weakest position on the roster. This position has taken a severe hit with the trade of RJ. Simmons who was acquired in the RJ trade will be the starter. Best case scenario for him is he becomes a reliable 3rd scoring option, averaging double digit points per game, nailing his open shots, and becoming a solid defender on the wing. Worst case is that he becomes one of the least deserving and more unproductive starters in the NBA. I think he will fall somewhere in the middle, he will be a solid defender and decent scorer, don't think he will be the 3rd scorer on the team. Most of his opportunities to score will come from getting open shots so he has to be able to hit those. Najera provides toughness, defense, and rebounding off the bench, he was brought in for the same reasons as Keyon Dooling. He's exactly the kind of player you want coming in for 15-20 minutes a game off the bench and doing all the dirty work. Will also be a veteran presence in the locker room that commands respect. Ideal player for L-Frank's system he also has the ability to step outside and shoot, but his offense is not the reason he was brought here, and won't be the reason he gets on the court. Hayes is an unknown, he has to stay healthy and be a consistent 3 point shooter to see minutes. He's unimpressive defensively and shouldn't get minutes if he can't shoot from outside or improve his defensive play. Figure him to have some big games and some where he doesn't leave the bench. Hassell is a lock-down defender and will see situational minutes. He's the kind of player you bring in during the last 2 minutes and subsitute out offense-defense. A non-factor on offense, only tries to score when he has wide open looks. Will see minutes when defense is poor, or to be a stopper.
All these guys are solid role players but i woudln't feel comfortable having any of them play 30+ minutes a night.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Shooting Guards

Today we will look at the shooting guard position

Shooting Guards: Vince Carter, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Mo Ager, Brian Hamilton (possibly)

Vince will need to be a star this year, the success of the team depends on his health and production. He really picked up his play after the Kidd trade last year and must continue playing at the superstar level of which hes capable. However he must not take on a Kobe Bryant-esque attitude and not have any trust in his teammates and try to play 1-on-5, that helps noboby. He must be willing to carry the load but also be patient with the talent around him in order for them to be successful. Must also take on leadership role, has to be someone the young players feel they can look to in the 4th quarter or after a tough loss. CDR should impress, if you watch him play he's incredibly awkward in his style and the way he looks on the court, his shooting style is also unconventional. Despite these atypical characteristics, the man can play. he's stellar off the dribble and attacks the rim, he can also can defend pretty well. Should help make up for the loss of RJ, as they have similiar attributes on the wing. Must develop a consistent mid range shooting game. Mo Ager will probably not see many minutes here, he may even get cut. hes small for an nba player and to have any chance of playing or even staying on the team he must prove he can shoot lights out from outside. Hamilton is a camp invitee but is extremely atheltic, and a lock-down defender; nets must make other moves in order to find spot for him on roster. Jarvis Hayes, and Keyon Dooling will also see minutes here

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Nets Open Practice

I attended the Nets open practice today at Ramapo College. It was a pretty full house with about 800 people there. Practice started with a Blue-White scrimmage, the rosters looked like this:

BLUE: Vince Carter, Eddie Gill, Sean Williams, Ryan Anderson, Mo Ager, Julius Hodge, Stromile Swift, and Trenton Hassell

WHITE: Yi, Devin Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Brook Lopez, Josh Boone, Brian Hamilton, and Bobby Simmons

Eduardo Najera, Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes, and Awvee Storey didn't play due to injuries

Ryan Anderson looked very good, he has the touch and range to shoot from downtown, but he doesn't settle and is very agressive. he also does the dirty work down though keeping the ball alive and getting rebounds. Look for him to surprise alot of people this year.

Stromile Swift alos impressed, the man has a ton of athleticism and talent, hopefully he will finally get his head straight, everyone talks about Sean Williams maturing and capatilizing on his potential but look for Stromile Swift to do so also this year. Williams also played well in the scrimmage.

Carter took over a few times including a monster dunk at 1 point. brook lopez also showed some promise down low, hes a presence down there and will need to be respected when in the game, also has range to shoot from 15-18 feet.

Yi and Bobby Simmons the package we got for Richard Jefferson didn't impress. Yi was unagressive and missed a lot of open shots. Simmons was barely noticeable.

The practice ended with some interactive games with fans and some autograph signing.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Welcome

Everyone--

Welcome to my Nothing But 15 Nets blog. I am a die-hard fan, and follow the team's every move to a T. I am creating this to share my thoughts on the team, and to create a place to discuss the Nets because I don't know too many people who follow the team closely, and would love to engage with others who follow the team.

I will start off the blog by doing outlooks for the season based on position, today i'll look at the point guard position.

Point Guard: Devin Harris, Keyon Dooling, Julius Hodge (hopefully)

i like what we have at the position, harris is extremely close to becoming a top 10 pg if hes not 1 already. he needs to step up and live up to his defensive reputation which suffered after his ankle injury though, and be a consistent mid range shooter. I like the pickup of Dooling, hes he kind of player L-Frank has wanted for quite some time, hes hard nosed, defensive minded, and can knock down shots when needed. Will provide energy off the bench that was lacking last year. Dissapointed to see Marcus Williams go, he had so much talent, and when given significant playing time he put up some very solid numbers. However if team is emphasizing the "team" concept and defensive accountablity i could see where marcus didn't fit into those plans. Julius is low-risk, high reward guy they should sign, played well in scrimmages, was a playmaker with ability to create for himself at NC State and still young enough to capitalize on his potential