The Hoops of Flatbush: Knicks vs. Nets - III

From the desks of:

DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BIG CITY SHOWDOWN - III

Nets lead series 2-0

I - Nets 110; Knicks 99

II - Nets 98; Knicks 93

FRIDAY

New York Knicks

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

from

BARCLAYS CENTER

Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue

New York Knicks: C'mon Phil, You Don't Really Expect Us To Believe That.., Do You?

Phil Jackson's work has only just begun.  He hasn't even experienced his first draft as the head Knick in charge yet.  To date, all he's done is rid the roster of some ill fitting players.

That's why I do not buy Phil Jackson's mea culpa one bit.

Phil Jackson didn't need to take this job, and is signed for a lot of money, which invariably means he's not going anywhere.  Therefore, saying the present state of the Knicks is his fault, at the most is a smoke screen, and at the very least, is a non issue, and certainly no skin off his hide.

I think he's just deflecting heat away from his head coach and faltering team.

This is a man who loves playing mind games.  They don't call him the Zen Master for nothing.  He once had Michael Jordan's Bulls sit silently in a dark room for 2 hours.

The merits of the triangle system are still up for debate.  There's something to it, that has nothing to do with the overwhelming brilliance of Michael Jordan.  Shaq says the system unequivocally works, and that it's the Knicks players who fail to understand it.  If Shaq can grasp, and execute Phil Jackson's system, that's good enough for me.

Should the Knicks abandon Phil Jackson's geometry, and let Coach Fisher adapt a style according the strengths of the personnel?

Well, if Phil Jackson does his job, the personnel should surely change by November.

Brooklyn Nets: Is Billy King's Finger On The Button?

There's hope for this team after all.

Right?

That's what a pair of victories against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors says.  Their previous effort in regulation time against the Raptors on Jan. 30th also did not go unnoticed.

If you want to call Brooklyn's recent effort a turnaround, consider that it came with Jarrett Jack, Alan Anderson, and Mason Plumlee leading the way.

That said, the upcoming trade deadline is fast becoming the most curious moment since the Nets inaugural opening night in Brooklyn.

Should Billy King blow this team up?

You're damn right he should.  The best days of this highly paid group are behind them, or so I think. The Nets tried with the trio of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez, and failed.

I do not necessarily believe that Billy King deserves to be the one who gets to push the button though.  However, pushing the button is nevertheless warranted.

Joe Johnson is movable because he is perhaps the most dependable player of the group.  Despite an onerous contract, he's a respected, and known commodity.

The same can not be said of Brook Lopez and Deron Williams, whom can't seem to shake nagging injuries.  If teams want any of these three, Billy King should negotiate a deal.

But what if the team really is turning a corner under Coach Hollins?

At this present time, I do not believe they are.



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Beat It Kidd, Ya Bother Me

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

"Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you."

In other words - beat it Kidd, ya bother me!

BROOKLYN NETS: He's My Kinda Comrad, But A Little More Commitment Would Be Nice.

Opening night in Brooklyn saw 17,732 fans prove the Nets have earned a measure of Borough loyalty, while the team itself showed they're building staying power.

Now if Mr. Prokhorov can just reciprocate.  Not that he's done anything wrong.  I would like more assurances from him that he's committed to this team though.  To summarize, he's not actively pursuing a sale of the team, but he'll listen.  That's just being a good businessman.  But we don't necessarily have to like it.

However, what many Nets fans loved was Mr. Prokhorov basically telling Jason Kidd not to let the door hit in the ass on the way out.

Well done boss.....

The Brooklyn Nets won their 3rd straight home opener.  They defeated the depleted Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night in Barclays Center.  Tonight, they'll host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brook Lopez stepped on the court on Monday for the first time this season, and along with Alan Anderson scored a team high 18 points.  Mason Plumlee scored 10 and pulled down a team high 8 boards.  Deron Williams scored 17 points, played a team high 37 minutes, and distributed a game high 9 assists in the 116-85 win.

The Nets have now topped 100 points in each of their 3 games this season, averaging 107.6 points, while allowing an average of 89 ppg.

Let's see what tonight offers against the T-Wolves post Kevin Love.

TONIGHT

Minnesota Timberwolves

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

from

BARCLAYS CENTER

Flatbush Avenue

Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Taking Their Talents To South Beach

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

!Nos Vamos a Miami ~ We're Going To Miami!

Brooklyn Wins Series Over Toronto 4-3

I - BKN 94; TOR 87

II - TOR 100; BKN 95

III - BKN 102; TOR 98

IV - TOR 87; BKN 79

V - TOR 115; BKN 113

VI - BKN 97; TOR 83

VII - BKN 104; TOR 103

2013-2014

NBA PLAYOFFS

ROUND TWO

GAME ONE

BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

Miami Heat

FROM

The Rony Seikaly Green House

BROOKLYN NETS: If Paul Pierce is The Truth, then Kevin Garnett was The Difference.

In seven games against the Raptors, Garnett averaged 20 minutes, 8.4 points, and 5.4 rebounds.  The real story however, was told in games Six and Seven.

In the first five games of the series, KG averaged 17.8 minutes, 6.8 points, and 4.4 rebounds.  Those averages include a deflating Game Five, in which he was relegated (along with Paul Pierce) to the bench in the 4th quarter after playing only 12 minutes, and scoring 4 points with 2 rebounds.  Those five game averages are similar, if not quite up to par with KG's regular season averages of 20.5 minutes, 6.5 points, and 6.6 rebounds in 54 games played.

However, in games Six and Seven, KG averaged 26 minutes, 12.5 points, and 8 rebounds.  He posted double-digit points in each game, and in the series finale, posted a double-double (11 rebounds) for the only time in 7 games.  That's called showing up when it counts.

You also have to give him credit for his work at the other end of the floor.  Kevin Garnett was a defensive presence throughout the series, and helped neutralize Jonas Valanciunas, after the Raptors center went wild in Game One.  Garnett kept the overall battle of the boards honest.

Now we're really going to find out how much The Big Ticket has left in his tank.  He will turn 38-years old this month.  He missed 30 games in March with a cranky back, but, one month later, he appears free of discomfort.  Tuesday will technically only be his 62nd game of the year, and so Kevin Garnett might be fresher than he might otherwise have been.

In fact, his last two games more resemble his November production, than some old guy struggling to hold on. Last November he averaged 22.6 minutes, 6.4 points, and 8.4 rebounds a night.  It's the month when Garnett scored his season high 16 points, and brought down a season high 14 rebounds.  So maybe Garnett is indeed feeling fresher than anticipated.

Thanks to Garnett, and Paul Pierce, and Alan Anderson, Marcus Thornton, Shaun Livingston, Andray Blatche, Mirza Teletovic, Mason Plumlee, Andrei Kirilenko, and yes, Deron Williams, this year's Nets did what last year's version could not.  Billy King's team advanced to the second round.  And make no mistake, this is Billy King's team.  But, I don't think he's breathing a huge sigh of relief having escaped the f***ing Raptors alive.  There is still a mandate in place.

However, I small measure of congratulations are still in order.  Brooklyn has their first ever NBA Game Seven playoff victory.  For the Borough, and the brief story that is Brooklyn basketball, that's significant.

I know.  But, what of Joe Johnson?  Yes, where on earth would Flatbush be without Joe Johnson, who's contract was widely criticized upon his acquisition?  While he was already noted for hitting big shots since his Atlanta days, whether fairly or not, he also developed a reputation for disappearing for stretches, if not games at a time, which was not easily shaken upon his initial arrival in Brooklyn.

Last season, he was hobbled by a foot ailment, that sometimes was mistakenly viewed as recurring withdrawal on his part.  But this season, ever since Brook Lopez went down, Joe Johnson has been the undisputed leader, and the team's primary offensive weapon.  He basically had his way with Toronto, and is the primary reason why Brooklyn's 2nd NBA season will continue deeper into Spring.

Joe Cool, 32, ended the regular season averaging 32 minutes, 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and shot 45% from the field.  His numbers were actually slightly down from his first season in Brooklyn.

With perhaps the exception of Game Four, when Toronto threw double, and triple teams at Joe, the Raptors had no real answer, and could not stop Joe Johnson in 6 of the 7 games.  For the series, Johnson averaged 40 minutes, 21.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and shot 52% from the field.   By comparison, DeMar DeRozan shot 38%, and Kyle Lowry shot 40% from the field.

In Game Seven, Joe led the Nets with 26 points.  After getting limited to just 7 points in Game Four, he roared back in Game Five with a Nets high 32 points, albeit in a 115-113 losing effort.  In all, he scored 24+ points 4 times in the series.  He figures to draw Dwayne Wade in the next series, and should enjoy another size advantage.

For Joe Johnson's beleaguered back court mate, it's time for Deron Williams to regroup, address some issues, an prepare for LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Moving forward, he needs to limit his turnovers, which at 2.7 for the series doesn't seem like much, it's just they came at the absolute worst times.  Ideally, he needs to stay aggressive and continue driving the lane.  It's getting him to the free throw line just fine, but, that's where a preponderance of his 18 turnovers have occurred.

No one is questioning his effort, but when his shooting from the field plummets to 30% levels, his game seemingly unravels, and the Nets correspondingly suffer.  He was only 3/8 (37%) from the field in Game Seven, but 7/10 from the line, and tied with Joe Johnson with (only) 4 assists.

In games One, Three and Six victories, Deron combined to shoot 23/50 (46%) from the field, averaging 23 points, and 5 assists.  In three Nets losses, Deron was 12/34 (35%) from the field, averaging 12 points, and a slightly higher 6.6 assists, mostly due to his 9 assist performance in Game Five's loss.

My last word involves the last shot of Game Seven.  Upon receiving the in-bounds pass, Kyle Lowry had three Nets players blanketing him where ever he attempted to go.  When detoured, Garnett cause him to mishandle, and Paul Pierce ultimately closed out the game with a blocked shot.

That said, how about Jason Kidd getting a bunch of very veteran players collectively buying into playing defense, throughout the season, and through Round One no less?

The additions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett indeed made a difference this season, and we're about to find out how much farther all these Nets can go.

With regards to 4 regular season meetings against Miami, the Nets swept the series, but, 3 of the 4 games were only decided by a single point - (just like Game Seven against the Raptors.....)

Nets Swept Season Series 4-0

I - BKN 101; MIA 100

II - BKN 104; MIA 95

III - BKN 96; MIA 95

IV - BKN 88; MIA 87

You know what I say - once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times starts a trend.

Defense indeed.

It's time to trade in Toronto's sweater weather, for the Heat of South Beach.

Flatbush, meet Collins Avenue - Collins Avenue, meet Flatbush.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: The Borough's 2nd NBA Regular Season Is In The Books

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Season One; 49-33

Season Two; 44-38

BROOKLYN NETS: That's A Wrap On The Second NBA Regular Season In Kings County.

The second NBA regular season of Kings County basketball is complete.  The Brooklyn Nets ended up with a 44-38 regular season record, which, considering their awful start, was quite an impressive achievement.

The early season Nets hardly lived up to the pre-season hype.  They lost their first game of the season to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and things just got worse from there.  In the month of November, the club posted a 5-11 record, and endured a pair of losing streaks, three and five games long.

Another poor 5-9 record in December seemed to be the least of the club's troubles.  Inner turmoil threatened to sabotage Jason Kidd's inaugural season as head coach.  He and assistant coach Lawrence Frank engaged in a heated exchange over philosophy, roles, and matters of control.  In effect, Coach Kidd was forced to seize his own team, and stripped Lawrence Frank of his bench role, and relieved him of his overall coaching duties.  Kidd then reassigned Frank to crunching numbers behind the scenes, and compiling scouting reports.

Compounding problems, on December 20th, center Brook Lopez played his final game of the season.  He first rolled his ankle in November.  Then, after a total of just 17 games, Lopez was ultimately felled by yet another season ending foot/ankle injury.  At the time, he was the team's leading scorer, averaging 20.7 points per game, with 6.0 rebounds.

Deron Williams also missed considerable time early in the season, as ankle issues continued to dog the point guard.  He missed 19 calender days from late November through early December, and another 2 weeks in January.  Once Deron Williams returned, he was back for good.

After Coach Kidd adjusted the starting line-up by shifting Paul Pierce to the four, and inserting Shaun Livingston into the starting line-up, the Nets started turning their season around.

Flatbush posted a 10-3 record in January, highlighted by a pair of five-game winning streaks.  In February, they came down to earth somewhat, but still posted a strong 7-5 record.  In their final game of the month, they closed within two games of .500, with a victory over Denver.

In March, they finally busted through.  On the 3rd of the month, they achieved .500 for the first time of the season with a victory over the Bulls.  In their very next game, they went over .500, with victory over the Timberwolves.  Brooklyn went on to post a pair of three game winning streaks, and one four game streak, and finished the month with a stellar 12-5 record.

Between January and March, the club posted a 29-12 record, and improved their season record to 39-33, which was a 17 game swing from their record at the end of December.

Flatbush ended the April portion of the regular season with a 5-5 record - their worst mark of the new year.  They wound up losing four of their last five games, and their last two in a row.  They additionally finished five victories shy of last year's mark.  However, most would agree, this team is far better equipped for a playoff run than last year's edition.  While many in the media accused Jason Kidd and the team of tanking their last 5 games, in order to align a first round series against Toronto, Jason Kidd merely says he was resting players, and trying to get them healthy for a playoff run.

Just be careful of the soda on the court please.

When the NBA playoffs begin this weekend, the Brooklyn Nets will be the only local team representing New York City.  Their opponent will be the Atlantic Division champs, Toronto Raptors.  Back in October, no one would have thought that.   The Knicks and Nets were pre-season favorites to win the division.  Of course, with a losing record, the Knicks failed to even qualify for the playoffs, while the Nets finished 2nd in the division standings.

At 15.8 points per game, Joe Johnson posted his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. However, his .454 shooting percentage was his 4th best mark.  Make no mistake, Joe Johnson was money this season.  He did not take those confounding nights off, that pockmark his career.  He's been present, and nothing short of clutch this season.

Deron Williams was limited to 64 games this season.  He averaged 14.3 points, and 6.1 assists per game.  Like Joe Johnson, those were Deron Williams' worst averages since his rookie season.  In his final 23 games however, Williams averaged 16 points per game, and 7 rebounds.

Shaun Livingston's play this season presents one of Billy King's largest off-season dilemmas. Somehow, the GM must find a way to retain Livingston, who, after signing for the veterans minimum, will become an unrestricted free agent.  Any player debate regarding team MVP must include him.  He played 76 games, but after Coach Kidd inserted him into the line-up, Shaun started 54 games.  In his 36-minutes per, he averaged 11.5 points, and 4.5 assists.

Paul Pierce averaged less than 30-minutes for the first time in his career.  In fact, he averaged a full 8-minutes below his career 36-minute average.  At 36-years of age, he still impacts games.  Per his 36-minute averages, he gave the Nets 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.  This season, he became only the 18th player in NBA history, to achieve 25,000 points in a career.  Paul is presently the 4th leading active scorer in the league.

Heading into the post-season, the Nets are well positioned at center with the emergence of Mason Plumlee, the return of Kevin Garnett, and with Andray Blatche leading a very strong cast off the bench, which also features Mirza Teletovic and Alan Anderson.

Billy King's 2013-14 acquisitions should not go under spoken.  As noted, Shaun Livingston became invaluable to the Nets this season.  The signing of Andrei Kirilenko, who has played steady minutes lately, is showing how effectively smart he is on the floor.  Marcus Thornton has been flat-out huge since his trade deadline acquisition, and will be coming off the bench launching back-breakers.

Perhaps more so this season than last, the Nets enjoyed a distinct home court advantage.  Arena attendance was strong, and the crowds were Brooklyn loyal and loud.  Barclays Center averaged over 17,000 per home game.   The Nets rewarded their fans with a 28-13 record, and at one point, won 15 consecutive games at home.

With a 44-38 record for the season, that means the Nets struggled on the road.  Indeed, they posted a troublesome 16-25 record away from Flatbush.

Brooklyn's second ever NBA post-season starts Saturday.





Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Mirza Teletovich Leads Bench Over Cavaliers

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FRIDAY NIGHT FINAL

Cleveland   97

Flatbush   108

BROOKLYN NETS: With Kevin Garnett Still Out, And Andrei Kirilenko Joining Him, Mirza Teletovic Provides The Difference Against Cavaliers.

Looking like a team that slept in their own beds last night, the refreshed Nets resumed their march towards the playoffs Friday night at Barclays.

Playing the first of three games at home, the Nets handled the Cavaliers with relative ease, taking an 11-point lead into the half.  Flatbush led by as many as 17 points, until they went cold, and let the Cavs creep to within 8 points with 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter.  Marcus Thornton did well to keep the Cavaliers at bay, and put the Nets up 85-77 before the 3rd quarter buzzer sounded. However, Cleveland outscored the Nets 27-24 in the quarter.

Early in the 4th, the Nets went on a 9-0 run.  Blatche put Brooklyn up by 10, and two possessions later, the Nets were back up by 12 points again.

Shaun Livingston immediately followed with an uncontested drive down the lane, and then rattled home a jumper on the very next possession, to put Brooklyn up by a 93-78 margin.

With 5:35 to go, Alan Anderson put Brooklyn ahead by a 100-84 score, and they never looked back.  The Nets completed their recovery from a pair of overtime road losses in convincing fashion with a 108-97 victory over Cleveland.

Bench play was the highlight of the night.  The Nets finally won a battle of the boards.  They pulled down 41 boards, with 34 coming on the defensive glass.  Mirza Teletovic was the lead window washer, as he cleaned up with 10 rebounds, 8 defensive, and contributed 9 points in 28 minutes. The bench as a whole contributed 48 points.  Alan Anderson led the supporting cast with 13 points. Andray Blatche and Marcus Thornton added 10 points each.

Paul Pierce, who is increasingly dealing with various aches and pains, got off to a hot start in the 1st period, but later left the floor for a short spell.  He returned to complete the game, finishing with a game high 22 points.

Kevin Garnett has yet to play in March.  The Nets improved to 11-4 without him, with one game remaining before month's end on Sunday against KG's former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Nets improved to 38-33 overall.  They have now won 12 in a row, 19 of their last 21, and own an overall 24-11 record at Barclays Center this season.  They were not able to gain ground on Toronto though, as the Raptors defeated the Magic in overtime.  Therefore, the Nets remain mired 2.5 games behind the Raptors in the Atlantic Division standings.  The Chicago Bulls lost however, bringing Brooklyn within 1.5 games of the Eastern Conference 4th seed, and the benefit of home court advantage.

Eleven games remain in the regular season.  Of the Nets 9 remaining opponents, Minnesota is currently one game above .500, while Miami and Houston are the only others.  The rest are sub .500 teams.  Two of those teams are terribly desperate, as the Knicks are hot on the heels of the Hawks for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference standings.  The Nets must play the Knicks twice, and the Hawks once.  Otherwise, the Magic (2 games), Pistons, 76ers, and Cavaliers are all in the second division.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Evan Turner Bobs And Weaves Sixers To Overtime TKO

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Stand And Fall

BROOKLYN NETS: Evan Turner Dribbled Through The Defense Like They Were Orange Traffic Cones.

Get ball, dribble around four trees donned in Nets jerseys, attempt a floating lay-up with time expiring, and win game. That's exactly what Philadelphia's Evan Turner did.  It was literally that simple.   So much for brotherly love.

Paul Pierce's trey put the Nets ahead 120-119 with 0:16 left in overtime.  After Tuner had an initial shot attempt blocked, Philly maintained possession with 0:06 left.  Turner received the near side inbound pass, and shake-n-baked his way around the left elbow extended, then bowed back into the paint for a lay-up, which could have easily been whistled for an offensive charge.  But no such luck - no whistle - and no time left - the buzzer sounded on Brooklyn's venture into Philadelphia. Nets lose by a 121-120 final.

Just like that, the night went, crush.

Flatbush played without the services of Joe Johnson, and Kevin Garnett.  Even without them, they still scored enough points to win, just like they did against Washington.  But just like against the  Wizards, the Nets were overwhelmed on the glass.  The Sixers outrebounded Brooklyn 49-36, which helped provide Philly with fifteen more field goal attempts than the Nets.  Offensively, it was essentially one shot and done for Brooklyn, who managed just 5 offensive rebounds, while the 76ers cleaned up with 37 defensive rebounds.

The Nets three-point shooting, and their ability to get to the line were what kept them in this game.  But their non-existent interior defense is what ultimately failed them.  More than half of Philadelphia's total points came in the paint.  To be exact, the Nets allowed 66 points in the paint, with none bigger than Evan Turner's pair to end it.  All told, Philadelphia outscored Brooklyn 102-84 from the field.

Evan Turner posted a triple-double.  He led all scorers with 29 points, and issued 10 assists, and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Coach Kidd stuck with an eight-man rotation.  Four Nets starters eclipsed 40-minutes.  Deron Williams posted his own double-double, his second straight, leading all players with 14 assists, while scoring 17 points.  Deron was only 5/12 from the field, but was the only Net to get to the free throw line with any regularity.  Alan Anderson led the Nets with 26-points, followed by 24 from Paul Pierce, who was back in a starting role this game, and also led the team with 10 rebounds.  Shaun Livingston issued 11 assists off the bench.

The loss drops the Nets to 9-17, and 4-10 away from Brooklyn.




Mike.BTB