Brooklyn Nets: Fading Away

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Now 11-games under .500, and fading fast...

BROOKLYN NETS: Look what the Utah Jazz did to Flatbush, again.

Let us tell no lies.

The 2011 trade bringing (then) 26-year old point guard Deron Williams to the Nets was a no-brainer. Negotiated under the cover of night, the transaction even stole headlines away from the Knicks upon their acquisition of Carmelo Anthony.

Despite being limited to just 55 games in 2011-12, Deron Williams' 21-ppg was his best rate as a pro, which continued ratifying the trade as a coup.

Then came the team's relocation to Brooklyn.

Beset by ankle problems throughout, Williams averaged 18.9 points and 7.7 assists in 2012-13, then fell precipitously to just 14.3 points and 6.1 assists per game last season.

Now 30-years old, Deron Williams underwent surgery to both ankles this past off-season and was off to a spirited start this season.  However, he has since been relegated to playing off the bench by Coach Hollins, and is presently only averaging 13.2 points and 6.2 assists per game.

His former team, the Utah Jazz were in Brooklyn Sunday featuring forward Derrick Favors - one of the players packaged in exchange for Williams.

Favors, 23, played a game high 38-minutes and shot 50% on 8/16 from the floor.  He was second on the Jazz with 22 points and 8 boards.  Deron Williams on the other hand, played 30 minutes and was only 2/5 from the floor.  He registered 6 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds.

The Jazz 95-88 victory over the Nets Sunday improved their record to 26-36, while the defeat dropped the Nets to 25-36 this season.  At first glance, the teams look relatively even.  The observant fan, however, knows otherwise.  While the Jazz are 10 games under .500, they are young, rebuilding and improving.  The Nets, however, are now 11 games under .500, and devolving at a accelerating rate.

The New Year turnaround experienced under both P.J. Carlessimo and Jason Kidd has failed to transpire under Lionel Hollins.  Despite impressive back-to-back victories over Golden State and Dallas, and additionally strong victories over Toronto, L.A. Clippers, and Washington, the Nets have posted a 10-20 in 2015.

They have now dropped 3 in a row, and are now 11-18 at home.  They've fallen into a second place tie in the Atlantic Division with (another rebuilding team) the Boston Celtics.  They're additionally 2.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers in the race for the Eastern Conference 8th seed along with Boston, both of whom trail Miami.

Even Jason Kidd's team, the Milwaukee Bucks, widely considered a pre-season afterthought, are presently the 6th team in the conference with a (surprising) 33-29 record.

Brook Lopez was finally reinserted back into the starting line-up on Sunday, and responded with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  It was his second straight double/double, as he scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against the Suns.

While Brook was back in, Joe Johnson was strangely out.  In a very peculiar move, Coach Hollins had Joe Johnson on the bench and put the ball in Jarrett Jack's hands for the final, and potentially game winning shot in regulation time against Phoenix.  Jack's shot rimmed out, and the Nets eventually fell apart in overtime.

Joe Johnson is playing out of position and his game is suffering as a result.  That being said, Lionel Hollins has truly been a brutal presence for Brooklyn's envisioned big three; Johnson, Williams, Lopez.

Obviously, the problems confronting this organization lay above Hollins.  This team was constructed to win in the very near term, but will clearly fail in their five year mission to win a title.  Instead they are fading away, and other than negotiating a sale of the team, the deep pocketed owner now appears indifferent to affecting change.

Translated - Billy King continues unfettered in his present capacity.

That's sad, because all indications say he engineered a bottom third club with little chance of improving.  The Nets are 23rd in scoring, 22nd in rebounds, 27th in assists, and 18th in points allowed.

Yet, Billy King stayed relatively put at the deadline (or arguably got outclassed by his competitors), so it's no surprise the situation continues to worsen.

If that wasn't enough, by negotiating the team's draft picks he's effectively compromised the near future as well.

That puts the real Nets turnaround light years from now.



Mike

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: Somewhere between Miami and Mediocrity

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS: Flatbush Big Three; Garnett, Jack, And Plumlee; Looking To Turn Up Heat In Miami.

That wasn't the plan, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Conventional wisdom..., right?

Is it conceivable that Lionel Hollins would finish the balance of the season with Deron Williams and Brook Lopez coming off the bench?  That remains to be seen, but don't put it past him.  He's made it very clear to everyone exactly how he feels.

Then again, the trade deadline is in February, so perhaps he'll bend (if it helps Billy King seek moves).

Whatever Hollins is doing, it's starting to work.

Entering tonight's game with the Heat, the Nets seemed to have gained a measure of balance.  At 16-16, they haven't been at .500 since November 14th.  They're 8-8 at home, and 8-8 on the road.

The numbers go askew, however, when you consider their 14-3 record against sub .500 teams, and their 2-13 record against winning teams.

According to those numbers, the Nets should have a good night in Miami against the Heat, who have cooled since the departure of LeBron James.  They enter Sunday's game with a 14-20 record, and an 6-12 record at home.

The Nets have won three in a row, and six of their last seven, and are two games removed from a dominant performance against the Chicago Bulls.

The Nets should escape the heat tonight, but they're still battling mediocrity.

POST GAME: Heat Burn Nets Early; Turn Back Nets Comeback Late.

FINAL

NETS  84

Heat    88

Not so fast...!

The Nets win steak got stopped at three Sunday night by the Miami Heat.  The Boys from Flatbush fell behind 30-21 after the opening quarter, and couldn't make up the difference.

Or, you could say the Nets shooting was atrocious; your pick.

Brooklyn hoisted 86(!) shots from the field, and only connected on 34 for a 39.5% night from the field, with 24 of those attempts coming from beyond the arch.  The Heat were 31/67, for a 46.3% success from the field.

Miami was lenient in the paint.  Brooklyn scored 40 points in the paint, and only took 13 shots from the stripe.  Miami diced up the Nets with 21/28 from the line.

The Nets had five players score double digits, versus two for Miami.  Chris Bosh led all scorers with 26 points, and was followed by Dwayne Wade's 25 points.  Joe Johnson and Mason Plumlee led the Nets starters with 19 and 12 points respectively.

Off the bench, Brook Lopez scored 16 points, while Deron Williams added 13 points and led all players with 8 assists.

Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez lost a rebound battle 12/15 to Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside, whom led all players with 10 rebounds off the bench.

The important numbers dipped under par again.

The Nets are below .500 again with a 16-17 record, and are now 8-7 on the road.  Their record falls to 14-4 against teams with below .500 records.

The Nets have a quick turnaround.  They'll fly from Miami back to NYC for a Monday night game against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center.

With Sunday's convincing 109- 90 victory over the Cavaliers, the Mavs arrive on Flatbush Ave with a 25-10 record, and just 1/2 game behind 1st place Memphis in the Southwest Division.  By the way, the Mavs also feature Rajon Rondo these days, who's scoring 7 points more per game over what he scored with Boston.

Mason Plumlee averages a (per-36 minute) double/double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.



Mike.

Brooklyn Nets: January Has Usually Meant Better Days Ahead

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Nets Hoping For A Happy New Year Under Coach Hollins

BROOKLYN NETS: After Yet Another Slow Start, Flatbush Banking On A Three Year New Year's Trend.

The 2012 calender year ended with Billy King firing head coach Avery Johnson because the team was floundering at .500 under him with a 15-15 record.  The Nets then won their first game under P.J. Carlessimo and closed out December with a 16-15 record.

From January on, the Nets posted a 33-18 record to finish the 2012-13 season with a 49-33 mark.

Last season, the Nets finished the calender year with a dismal 10-21 record.  It was right around Christmas when Jason Kidd effectively fired Lawrence Frank by banishing him from the bench and practices, and relegating him to providing scouting reports.

From January on, the Nets posted a 34-17 record to finish the 2013-14 season with a 44-38 final mark.

This season, the Nets will enter their first game of January with a 15-16 record.  No one got fired this past December, but there is clearly a new alpha-male in town who takes no prisoners.

The 4th Nets head coach in the last three years has basically called the owner's money based star system to task; he demeans Billy King's roster almost nightly; and has benched the team's highest paid players in Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.

Brook Lopez enjoyed a night of redemption last Tuesday when he poured in 29-points against the Bulls in Chicago, and the Nets have won 5 of their last 6 games with Deron Williams coming off the bench.  But, Coach Hollins said that's where they'll stay for now.  The team is now riding the wave created by Jarrett Jack and Mason Plumlee instead.

After a strong start that saw Deron Williams averaging 19 points and 7 assists per game, his play has cooled off considerably, to where he now averages just 14.4 points and 6.6 assists per game.  He is also shooting a career low 39% from the field.

His name also continues to get included in trade rumors.


Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Bad Just Got Worse

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

BROOKLYN NETS: Rift between Coach Hollins and Brook Lopez widening; team's downward spiral continues; and don't look now, but here comes Jason Kidd!

Joe Johnson's attempt at a preemptive kick in the ass has seemingly resulted in a major case of team indifference.

How else do you describe it?

New coach; new players; I get it.

Not really; not to this degree.

The graffiti is spray painted on the brick wall.  Three games on the west coast proved how vulnerable the plodding Nets are to small line-ups.

Three games; three losses.  They played well at times, but not well enough, and clearly not long enough.  They played in spurts; the Brooklyn Spurts.

In Phoenix, the Nets were up by as many as 19 points, and took a 63-49 lead into halftime.  Then their shooting soured; they only shot 27.5% in the 2nd half.

But in truth, the game changed on a dime when the Suns imposed their style in the second half.  The Nets still led 84-78 after three quarters, but the defense took the rest of the night off as the Nets were outscored 34-20 in the 4th quarter en route to a 112-104 defeat.

Joe Johnson manned-up with 21 points, and Kevin Garnett posted a double/double with 12 points and 10 boards.  Mirza Telotovic and Brook Lopez chipped in with 16 points each, but all Lopez could manage was 3 rebounds.

Making a Point:

• Eric Bledsoe - 18 points, 3 assists.  Isaiah Thomas - 21 points and 2 assists off the bench.
• Deron Williams - 14 points and 5 assists in 34 minutes.

The Brooklyn Spurts were at it again in Oakland against the Warriors.  They jumped out to a 36-32 1st quarter lead, but trailed 66-54 at the half.  They played to a 3rd quarter stalemate, and the Nets even outscored the Warriors 24-20 in the 4th, but the damage had already been done.

Brooklyn's lack of interior defense was all too clear, allowing Golden State 50 points in the paint, and getting outpaced on fast-break points by a 30-9 margin.

They also got out-rebounded, and trailed Golden State 30-19 in team assists.

The Nets shot a sub-par 43.8% from the floor, and suffered through 3/16 from beyond the arch.

They ultimately fell 107-99, and failed to score 100-points for only the 2nd time this season (until....)
All 5 Warriors starters scored in double digits.

For this game, Deron Williams' standard of measure came against Steph Curry.

Making a Point:

• Stephen Curry - 17 points and 5 assists in 32 minutes.
• Deron Williams - 18 points and 5 assists in 33 minutes.
• Jarrett Jack scored a team high 23 points off the Nets bench.

The city of Portland provided yet another let down.  Poor shooting that began in Phoenix, and worsened in Oakland , bottomed out against the Blazers.

The Nets only scored 15 first quarter points, and shot an abysmal 39.3% for the game.  And if you can imagine it, the Nets 3/16 three-point experience against Golden State worsened, as the Nets connected on just one of 19 attempts from beyond the arch in Portland.

They were also out-rebounded, and handed out less team assists yet again.  Adding insult to injury, Portland played minus two main cogs; LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum.

Making a Point:

Damien Lillard - 28 points and 10 assists in 38 minutes.

Deron Williams - 19 points and 6 assists in 37 minutes.

That doesn't even begin to tell the story.  When Deron Williams wasn't getting defensively switched off Lillard, the Portland point guard was lighting up Williams like a roman candle.  More, Steve Blake stepped in with another 7 assists off the bench.

You would have thought the next best place for the Nets should have been home.

But in their first home game back at Barclays Center on Monday, they encountered a quiet, apathetic crowd.  The Nets responded in kind with a lethargic effort against the LeBron-less, Wade'less, and generally undermanned Miami Heat.

On this night, all Flatbush could manage was 83 points.  Their best effort came in the 2nd quarter when they scraped together 22 points, but were held to just 19 points in the final quarter en route to a 95-83 defeat to the Heat.

How's this for a downward trend:

• 104 points versus Phoenix
• 99 points versus Golden State
• 87 points versus Portland
• 83 points versus Miami

And how's this for Making a Point:

• Mario Chalmers - 22 points and 5 assists in 34 minutes.
• Deron Williams - 14 points and 7 assists in 35 minutes.

Throughout this time, the relationship between Coach Hollins and Brook Lopez continued to deteriorate even further.

....All since Joe Johnson tried administering the team a swift kick in the ass, remember?

Next:

On Wednesday evening, Jason Kidd and his Milwaukee Bucks come to Flatbush.  This will be the first meeting between clubs since Jason Kidd was jettisoned out of Barclays for attempting a coup d'etat.

This will also be the first time these clubs meet since Mikhail Prokhorov and Kidd served and volleyed through the media.

I don't know that a Brooklyn crowd will let bygones be bygones, and give Jason Kidd a well deserved ovation for being the best Nets player of all-time.  Obviously, New Jersey isn't across the continent, but it wasn't Brooklyn Jason Kidd led to back-to-back Finals appearances.  There's the rub.  How much of Kidd's playing history gets lost on Wednesday night's crowd remains to be seen.

In Empire State fashion, however, he just might get the Benedict Arnold treatment one might argue he deserves.

Mike

Brooklyn Nets Tip-Off Season In Beantown

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2014-2015

Regular Season Opener

TONIGHT

Brooklyn Nets

vs.

Boston Celtics

from

Beantown

BROOKLYN NETS: Billy King Facing His Most Uncertain Season On Flatbush.

The Nets won 49 games during their first season in Brooklyn.  After a horrific start last season, the Nets still managed to post 44 victories.  They finished in 2nd place of the Atlantic Division each time.

So what does Billy King's ever changing roster, and the 2014-15 Brooklyn Nets have in store this time?

• Key Losses: Shaun Livingston, Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans, Coach Jason Kidd.

• Key Additions: Jarrett Jack, Bojan Bogdanovic, Sergey Karasev, Jerome Jordan, Coach Lionel Hollins.

• 2014 Draft: Billy King has compromised the Nets draft for years to come.  Somehow, he managed to purchase the 44th overall pick (from Minnesota) guard Markel Brown, and 60th overall pick (from the 76ers) forward Cory Jefferson.

• Returning: Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Mason Plumlee, Alan Anderson, Mirza Teletovic, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jorge Gutierrez.

I'll start by saying this will perhaps be Billy King's most uncertain season.

His biggest worry is split between his two top players.  Deron Williams and Brook Lopez are both returning from off-season surgery, and the latter will miss the season opener Wednesday evening in Boston.

Lopez missed nearly all of 2 of the last 3 seasons with recurring foot injuries.  More so than even Deron Williams, Brook's presence on the court, or absence, factors most in Nets success, or lack thereof.  He also effectively dictates what style of play the Nets utilize (although Coach Hollins is trying to dispel that notion).  Nevertheless, the Nets open the 2014-15 campaign with front court issues.

Deron Williams had off-season surgery performed on both ankles.

The big trade with Boston didn't work out the way Billy King had hoped.  Paul Pierce is now with the Wizards, while at 38-years of age, Kevin Garnett returns for his 20th NBA season.

Andrei Kirilenko, Joe Johnson, and Alan Anderson, albeit all good players, are no spring chickens either.  Andrei will turn 34-years old in February, Joe-Jo turned 33-years old in June, and Anderson turned 32-years old this month.

There will be a huge spotlight shining upon 31-year old veteran Jarrett Jack - Billy King's big acquisition (via the Cavs) of the off-season.

Joining him will be a pair of European imports.  After a few years playing in Turkey, Bojan Bogdanovic is an NBA rookie, while Jerome Jordan is returning to the NBA after playing last season in Italy.  He was drafted in 2010 by the Bucks, and played one NBA season (2011-12) with the Knicks.

On the more familiar side of things, Mirza Teletovic and Mason Plumlee perhaps represent two of the Nets more promising players.

The grand plan ultimately circles back around Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson - the three main constants of the Brooklyn era.

Coaching on the other hand, has been far from settled.  The Nets are on their 4th coach since moving to Brooklyn.  Lionel Hollins is the new man in charge promising more team cohesion, and less isolation.  Defense remains to be seen, rebounding will pose a big problem, and forget about team speed.

The Nets competition across the river is in Phil Jackson's hands now.  They will also be contending with Toronto, Indiana, Cleveland, Miami, Washington, and Chicago makes 7 teams.

Include any other team you like, but the 2014-15 Nets season looks like it will be a battle for the 6th to 8th seed in the conference....again.

Ending the regular season between 44 and 49 victories will be quite a challenge.




Mike