Brooklyn Nets: Wait Till Next Year Reprise

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Time To Hang Up The Sneakers Till Next Year.

BROOKLYN NETS: The Nets have a good jab, and an effective left hook, but they lack a straight right to put teams away.

Wasn't it a dependency on ISO (isolation basketball) that was partly, if not largely responsible for Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo getting fired?

So, there was Joe Johnson isolated on LeBron James to end the game....  By itself, that might have been fine.  But, in truth, the first thing that came to my mind was - there's no plan here.  I thought that, because in the closing minutes, I felt Jason Kidd was guilty of designing some of the poorest plays coming out of time outs (I'm talking Mike Woodson poor), punctuated by a horrific in-bounds attempt.

Indeed, there was something very Knicks-like about the way Game Five ended, which explains why the Brooklyn Nets are free to make plans for summer vacation.  They had 14 assists all game - pondersous.

Did the Nets get screwed on a couple of whistles, or lack there of?  Sure.  Different calls could have fostered a different outcome.  In fact, I'd love the for the league to explain how it was that LeBron James went to the foul line more times than the entire Nets team.

The Nets nevertheless beat themselves.  The Miami Heat were begging for defeat this series, but on three occasions, Brooklyn could not close them out.   That's what makes this all so frustrating.

Once again, the Nets faded away late in the game, while Miami finished on a 13-3 run.  It was actually worse than that.  After Joe Johnson connected on a jumper at 4:48, the Nets missed on their next nine attempts.  They went through the next 4:37 before Joe Johnson connected on another three-pointer with just 0:11 left on the clock.

By then, the look on Paul Pierce's face said it all.  He was clearly hacked by LeBron James in the closing moments, but was also guilty of an 0 for 3 in the final minutes as well.

This is the way Brooklyn's second NBA playoff ends, having played a series of good games marred by horrible finishes.  For the record, it ends in a (second round) Game Five 96-94 loss to the defending champions from Miami.

Now what?

For Billy King, it may not necessarily be back to the drawing board, unlike after the Nets inaugural season in Brooklyn, but at the same time, the fix may not be that easy.

Billy King's top two salaried bipeds suffer from chronic lower appendages.  Deron Williams is going for an MRI on both ankles, and of course, there's Brook Lopez.  It was painfully obvious the Nets could have used a healthy Lopez against both the Raptors and Heat.

Paul Pierce's contract will be expiring.  Shaun Livingston also becomes a free agent this summer, and should parlay this season into a substantial increase.  Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson aren't getting any younger either.

What became very clear in these playoffs, is that the Nets need someone who will provide a knockout blow. Collectively, the Nets have a good jab, and an effective left hook, but they lack a straight right to put teams away.

The off-season will be interesting to say the least.




Mike.BTB

BK Nets: A Team Grows In Brooklyn

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Game Three Final

Heat      90

NETS  104

BROOKLYN NETS: Someone Please Advise George Carl The Nets Play On Flatbush Avenue Now, But That We Appreciate His Minimalist Comments Anyway.

For his part, Jason Kidd again proved adept at making adjustments.  Just ask the 12 Nets players who touched the floor in Game Three.  It was evident in the Nets reaction to double-teams, and their overall ball movement.  It was evident in Kidd's decision to reinsert Andrei Kirilenko, who, after a DNP in Game Two, played brilliant defense over 19 minutes.

It should not go under spoken how hard it is to get teams tp buy into playing defense.  Yet Coach Kidd got his guys to reinvest themselves.  After allowing 52 points in the paint in Game One, the Nets allowed 34 in Game Two, then allowed just 26 in Game Three.  The Nets additionally held the Heat under 20 points in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

The Nets also wound up limiting the Heat to just 13 assists for the game, and out-rebounded them 43-27, with Andray Blatche leading all players with 10 boards off the bench.

Six of Jason Kidd's payers scored in double-digits - all dropping near 20 points each.  While the bench, led by Mirza Teletovic, Andrei Kirilenko, and Andray Blatche, inspired the still learning Brooklyn fans how to finally host a raucous playoff game.

Teletovic made particular impact with 12 points in 19 minutes.  All 7 of his shots from the field came from beyond the arch, and he connected on 4 of them.  He also pulled down 6 rebounds.  But, it was Andray Blatche who blistered the Heat with a personal career playoff high 15 points (and 10 rebounds).  He was 5 for 10 from the field, and damn near broke Chris Bosh's ankles with a devastating cross over move in the paint.

The Brooklyn crowd was on its game Friday, their best performance by far.  So were the Nets, who shot 52.8% from the field.  When the Nets shoot with that kind of accuracy, they most often win games.  It's when they fall to the 33%-35% range when things seemingly go awry.

Deron Williams was not among the team's double-digit scorers, but his did issue a game high 11 assists, and led the floor with a +18 rating in 40 minutes.  It was Joe Johnson who once again led the Nets with 19 points, on 7/10 shooting from the field.  Kevin Garnett contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Another way of saying all this is, the Nets handed the Heat their first defeat of the 2013-14 playoffs, while another raucous night at Barclays Center awaits.




Mike.BTB

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: Please Curb Your Dog

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Team's Alter-Ego Rears Its Ugly Head Again

Series Tied 2-2

I - BKN 94; TOR 87

II - TOR 100; BKN 85

III - BKN 102; TOR 98

GAME FOUR FINAL

Raptors    87

NETS       79

BROOKLYN NETS: Ya Can't Blame This One On The Fans!

The game started off ugly for the Nets, got better, then finished in a Flatbush Avenue wreck.

This is why I have to question whether the Nets actually "tanked" the last five games of the regular season, because the team that played Sunday's game looked awfully familiar to me.  In those last five games, the Nets showed every reason why they should eliminate the Raptors, but also displayed every reason why the Nets would fail to get out of the first round.

The peaks and valleys, bumps and bruises that have been Nets basketball this season make Coney Island's famous Cyclone seem smooth and tame by comparison.  Instead of being up 3-1, the series is now a toss up, or a best of three depending how you see things.

The Nets have no one to blame but themselves.  Kevin Garnett can't blame the fans for this one.  I wonder if he would want the boo's to rain down upon him and the team, the same way he wanted fans to shower the Raptors general manager with venom?

Talk about making life difficult for yourself..........  Fuhgeddaboudit.

You kind of expect DeMar DeRozan, or Kyle Lowry, to have the types of game they did - if not both together, which is what happened.  DeRozan went for 24 points, and the Raptors got another 22 points from Lowry.  That, by itself is fine.

The Nets even provided a second straight answer for Jonas Valanciunas.  In fact, Toronto played with no bench support to speak of.  However, the only one who was able to put a stop to Amir Johnson, was Amir Johnson himself.  He started out on fire, but was forced to cool off because of foul trouble.  Otherwise, the Raptors had three players in double digit scoring, in the first quarter alone.

Amir was just one variable in Brooklyn's three part losing equation.  Deron Williams failing to at least match one or the other; DeRozan or Lowry; was a major factor, as was Jason Kidd's failure to devise strategies to free up Joe Johnson.

One can excuse Joe Johnson for Sunday's performance, but what of Deron Williams?  Well, he was 4/12 from the field, and was limited to 10 points in the game.  He was effectively outplayed by Greivis Vasquez, who came off the bench to score 9 points, and lead all players with 9 assists, while Deron Williams had 8 assists.

Did I say Greivis Vasquez?

It's ponderous, that after a horrible first quarter, the Nets still had this game tied 67-67 after three quarters. They just flat out blew it.  All the numbers added up for them.  While Toronto started the first quarter shooting a stupid 62% from the field, they ended up shooting 41.3% for the game.  The Nets ended the night shooting 41.2%, but with 7 less total shots.

However, the Nets made up for that with 6 more opportunities from the free throw line.  Rebounds were amazingly even, at 43 apiece.  If anything, the Nets lost the turnover battle, and it cost them dearly down the stretch, namely by taking a series of offensive fouls.

Scoring only 12 points in the 4th quarter ultimately doomed the Nets in their own building.  Their inability to hit a shot for long stretches at a time, is something we've definitely seen before.



Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Jason's Kidds On The Hunt For Canadian Raptors

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Kings County's 2nd NBA Regular Season Is In The Books

Nets and Raptors Split Season Series 2-2

I - BKN 102; TOR 100

II - TOR 96; BKN 80

III - TOR 104; BKN 103

IV - BKN 101; TOR 97

2013-2014

NBA PLAYOFFS - ROUND ONE

GAME ONE

BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

Toronto Raptors

FROM

The Great White North

BROOKLYN NETS: Toronto's Coach Casey Said Beware What You Ask For.  The Flatbush Hoops Playoff Hunt For Canadian Raptor Starts Now!

Here's what concerns me heading into today's Game One against the Toronto Raptors - the Nets ability to defend Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

They represent two of the Raptors top three scorers.  If Toronto's back court starts raining down from the perimeter, running up and down the floor, and generally proves too much for Brooklyn's aging legs, stubbed toes, and creaky ankles to handle, the Nets will be in for a long series.

Jason's Kidds might be better off keeping this game in the paint, securing rebounds, and imposing a physical half court affair upon the Raptors.  Controlling the tempo, utilizing their size, and getting to the line will work against Toronto, despite the Nets being accused of featuring a predictable offensive philosophy.  That's an issue for another series.  For now, this match-up is a matter of Toronto's ability to thwart Brooklyn's decided experience advantage.

Toronto's ignorance, coupled with their overall youth and athleticism, are additional wild cards to beware.  The pressure is on Brooklyn to win, not the Raptors.  Despite winning the Atlantic Division title, the Toronto Raptors are free to play unencumbered by lofty expectations.  It is the Nets who are favored to win this series.

Last season, the Nets wilted in the playoffs, because let's face it, they had no backbone.  What the Nets have now, are players who know how to close out games.  The only question is, will their bodies let them?  Nevertheless, no player on either team can match the playoff experience Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett possess.

That's exactly why GM Billy King made the move to import both veterans.  Coach Jason Kidd is also tremendously experienced (as a player that is...) at managing the closing moments of a playoff game.  The Nets should be well prepared for this aspect of play.

The Nets 5-5 record in April provided every reason why they should prevail over the Raptors, while also putting on display every reason why the Nets can just as easily lose this series in miserable fashion.  Maybe the joke is on us, and Jason Kidd did forego the final games of the season for sake of looking ahead towards the playoffs.

Deron Williams did not play in the first two games of the season series.  In the first meeting, Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, and had 5 assists.  In the second meeting of the season, Kyle Lowry was limited to 12 points and 4 assists.  However, DeMar DeRozan dropped 26 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, and had 5 assists.

In the third meeting, Deron Williams played 29 minutes off the bench.  He scored 9 points, but led the floor with 11 assists.  Kyle Lowry however, led all scorers with 31 points, while DeRozan sat out with an ankle sprain.  In the final meeting of the regular season, Deron Williams made his first start against the Raptors, and scored 18 points, with 5 assists.  Kyle Lowry scored 21 points, with 7 assists and 8 rebounds.  DeRozan scored another 14 points, but was outdone by Shaun Livingston that night, who scored 18 points.  The same will be expected from Livingston throughout the series, with the hope his sprained toe is up for the task.

There is growing concern whether Deron Williams can still push an offense up the floor with speed. He forced the action in Utah far more than he has with Brooklyn.  Ankle problems have clearly affected his style since his arrival.  These days, he most often settles for walking the ball up the floor.

Shaun Livingston might be a better option for that role, while Williams plays off the ball.  In any event, this post-season will be Deron Williams' chance to prove his naysayers wrong.  He has been experiencing increasing criticism, and is now in position to change his narrative once again.

Three is always better than two, and so, Joe Johnson stands out as someone who could break the Raptors back in crunch time.  After all , that's when he's best.  The triad of Johnson, Livingston and Deron Williams should prevail.

Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said, if in fact the Nets tanked a few games in order to set up a match-up against his club, that they had better be careful of what they asked for.

On that note, let the games begin!  The Hoops of Flatbush playoff run, starts now.



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 Down Celtics; Keep Chipping Away At Toronto's Lead

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FINAL

Boston      98

Flatbush  114

BROOKLYN NETS - Flatbush Closes To Within 1.5 Games Of Toronto Raptors In Atlantic Division Race.

Fifteen Games Left In Regular Season

Big man on campus, Mason Plumlee, did to the Celtics what Kevin Garnett perhaps wanted to do to his former team, but because of a cranky back, couldn't.  Instead, Mason Plumlee helped the Nets gain a measure of revenge over the Boston Celtics, with 3 steals, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, and 18 points, in just 21 minutes.  He was a very efficient 6/7 from the field, and a perfect 6/6 from the line.

After bowing to the Celtics last time they met, Brooklyn wins the season series 3-1 over Boston.

Joe Johnson had the hot hand, scoring 27 points to lead the Nets, and igniting them in the third quarter in particular.

On this night however, Jason Kidd made extensive use of the bench.  Thirteen different Nets received minutes, which included a rare Jorge Gutierrez sighting, who clocked 18 minutes, and scored 10 points.  Andray Blatche also scored in double digits off the bench, matching Gutierrez with 10 points.  In all, five Nets scored in double digits, as Paul Pierce chipped in 14 points in just 18 minutes.

While still 5th in the Eastern Conference standings, Brooklyn is now just one game behind the Chicago Bulls.  The Nets can potentially leapfrog Chicago, because they are now just 1.5 games behind the first place Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division standings.

It's off to Dallas now, where Brooklyn will begin a three game road trip.  The Nets defeated the Mavs last time they met.  They'll also play in New Orleans before facing off against the Charlotte Bobcats again.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Team Now Doing Billy King's Talking For Him

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS: There Are Several Reasons For The Successful Turnaround, And General Manager Billy King Is At The Heart Of Them All.

How do you like me now bitches?  For an older team who many thought were better suited for the playoffs rather than a long haul, the Nets are showing they're a pretty good regular season team after all - not to mention resilient.  In fact, Brooklyn is playing their best ball of the season, and are the hottest team in the NBA.  They own a 25-10 record in the new year, and an 8-2 mark in March.

This team was thought to be done way back when they started the first two months of the season with a troubling 5-12 record.  In the 2013 portion of the schedule, the Nets endured losing streaks of five and four games respectively, and lost back to back games on four other occasions.  They finished the old year with a worrisome 10-21 record.

At the height of these troubled times, Billy King never hid.  He was front and center, fielding any and all questions regarding the team he put together, and the coach he put in place.

In the more successful 2014 portion of their season, the Nets have endured just one three game losing streak, and instead have twice posted winning streaks of five games, one four game streak, and in Friday's game against the Boston Celtics, they will be attempting their second three game streak.

Billy King has been very quiet lately.  Right now, his team is doing the talking for him.  The Nets can point at several reasons for their successful turnaround, and Billy King is at the heart of them all.

First, the GM's choice of head coach is now justifying a rather inspired selection.  Jason Kidd was always accused of having a brilliant mind on the floor.  Now we're seeing it at work on the bench.

In what will ultimately go down as a defining moment of the season, Jason Kidd stood his ground against an old friend, and removed a source of conflict from his bench.  In hindsight, the Lawrence Frank incident was perhaps very beneficial, as it got the players focused on one person - their head coach.

With that out of the way, Jason Kidd was left to coach.  He altered the playing system twice, when a faltering situation demanded his attention.  He initially revised the plan while Deron Williams struggled with his ankles, and began moving the ball through Brook Lopez.  Brook's injury then made Coach Kidd readjust.  That's when Paul Pierce was re-positioned.  Perhaps hardest of all things to inspire, Jason Kidd also got his men to play defense.  The Nets have been on a three month rally since.

As such, Billy King's big ticket item, Deron Williams, is finally performing like the big ticket player the GM thought he signed.  Lately, he's been playing with a chip on his shoulder, and that's a good thing.  His ankle troubles (knock on the hardwood floor) are seemingly a thing of the past.  His step is confident, and getting increasingly stronger.  In fact, he just registered his first dunk of the season.

The bench depth Billy King assembled, is prevailing in their efforts to minimize numerous team injuries, like losing Brook Lopez for the season, DWill's earlier ankle troubles, Kevin Garnett's unforgiving back situation, and nagging issues affecting Andrei Kirilenko.

On that note - big man on campus - Mason Plumlee's on the job training is coming along just fine. He is getting quality minutes, and putting up representative rebounding numbers.  In the back court, Billy King's off season signing of Shaun Livingston is paying huge dividends.  In fact, Shaun has become indispensable.  I do not know how - because his potential price tag would become virtually untouchable under the Nets projected salary cap - but Mr. King needs to figure a way to retain him. I'd say he is a strong 6th Man Award candidate.

Rounding out the top reasons for the Nets turnaround, Billy King's big trade for Paul Pierce (and KG) has provided this team its backbone.  It is my observation, Paul Pierce has been the answer man, who responds when needed.  When opponents threaten, or begin to sway momentum away from the Nets, Paul Pierce answers back with buckets.

Neither least , nor last - Mr. Big Shot - Joe Johnson has hung in to grind out damn near every game this season, lest we forget, the harshest criticism previously levied against him, was that he used to disappear for games at a time.  Not so this season.  In Brook Lopez's absence, Joe Johnson leads the team in scoring.  He has been a more consistent scorer, and active participant without the ball this season.

Remember how last season such a big deal was made over the Nets beating up on scrubs, and posting a losing record against teams with records above the .500 mark?  This season, the Nets currently have a 9-12 record against the other top seven teams in the Eastern Conference.  Against the top nine Western Conference teams, the Nets own a 10-6 record.  Combined, that's a 19-18 mark.

The Indiana Pacers, by the way, swept the four game series over the Nets, and Washington so far has taken three games from the Nets with one left to play.  Meanwhile, in three meetings the Heat are yet defeat Brooklyn.

At a minimum, the Nets need to win a second round playoff series, if they want to improve upon last year's results.  Last year, they couldn't get by a depleted Chicago Bulls team.  The Nets had their chances, but in most cases, lacked a knockout punch.  Despite defeating the Miami Heat three times this season, the biggest question still facing Billy King is, can his Nets defeat the Heat in a seven games series?

Although there is another year remaining in owner's mandate to win a title within five years of his purchase date, Billy King, however, expedited the process, putting his cards on the table this season.  That was pretty bold of him - but then, everything he's done since becoming general manager of the Nets has been bold.

Billy King may yet have his day in the sun.





Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Paul Pierce Lifts Flatbush Over South Beach

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

WEDNESDAY FINAL:

Brooklyn   96

Miami        95

BROOKLYN NETS: Flatbush Turning Up The Heat On The Eastern Conference; Move Into 5th Spot With Road Victory Over Miami.

Who's Doubting Jason Kidd Now?

Look what Brooklyn did to the Heat - again!  In their first clash away from Flatbush, the Nets defeated Miami for the third time in three meetings this season.  For what is now officially the hottest team in basketball, oh how sweet it was.

The Nets improved to 33-30 for the season, and 6-1 in March.  Toronto destroyed Detroit, so Brooklyn remains three games behind the Raptors for first place in the Atlantic Division.  The Nets however, improved their standing in the Eastern Conference, by moving into the fifth spot.

Once again led by Paul Pierce, the Nets gained victory Wednesday evening with another offensively strong third quarter, more hustle on defense and key stops down the stretch, with continued strong bench play, and despite Deron Williams committing yet more late game turnovers.

Whatever works, right?

Lately, we've been getting the best and worst of Deron Williams.  His turnover with 2:30 left in the 4th quarter allowed Miami to tie the game 92-92, a play which closely mirrored his late game turnover against the Raptors in Monday's game.  He then buried a huge pull-up jumper to put Brooklyn ahead 96-92 with 35.8 seconds left.  But he then missed on the Nets last possession, allowing Miami to gain possession, and call a time-out with 3.5 seconds left, and down by a point.

For the game, Deron Williams was a mere 2/8 from the field, and 1/3 from beyond the arch.  He only scored 6 points, but dished out a game high 8 assists.  Joe Johnson had a similar night, finishing the night with 8 points, on 2/10 shooting from the field, and a worse 1/6 from beyond the arch.  And, Kevin Garnett missed his seventh straight game.

Yet, the Nets prevailed.  Paul Pierce was big man on campus.  A sore shoulder has apparently enhanced his game.  He scored 17 in the third quarter, and made it rain with 5 three-pointers throughout the game.  Pierce led all scorers with 29 points,but none bigger than with less than two minutes to go, he burst through the lane for a lay-up which put Brooklyn back up by a 94-92 score.  He was resilience at its finest, and retro all night long.

The Nets out-rebounded the Heat - something they did not do against Toronto.  Wednesday's game however, boiled down to one defensive play at the very end, when Shaun Livingston deflected Miami's in-bounds pass to end the game, and preserve a 96-95 Brooklyn victory.

Shaun Livingston scored 13 points, and pulled down a team high 7 rebounds.  He and LeBron James tied with a game high 38-minutes of floor time.  Off the bench, Mirza Teletovic (or MT3), was huge with 17 points and four rebounds, and Andray Blatche scored another 11 points.

Chris Bosh was high scorer for Miami with 24 points.  Dwayne Wade scored 22 points, while LeBron James was held to 19 points, on 6/13 from the field, and was kept especially quiet in the 4th quarter.

As noted, the Nets climbed into the fifth spot of the Eastern Conference standings, one-half game ahead of the Washington Wizards, whom they face Saturday night in the nation's capital.  Washington has gotten the best of Brooklyn in two previous meetings this season.

*     *     *     *

How do people like Jason Kidd's coaching skills now?  When he and Lawrence Frank were still working together, the Nets got off to a 5-12 start.  Their beef reportedly erupted somewhere around November 4th or so, resulting from many growing differences of opinion, but their main disagreements reportedly involved defensive issues.  After the falling out, the team suffered through the rest of the month with a 4-10 record. Since Jason Kidd jettisoned Lawrence Frank from the sidelines in early December, the Nets have posted a 28-18 record.  The Nets are now 23-9 in the new year, and counting.



Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: It Just Got Worse; Brook Lopez Suffers Broken Foot

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Another Bad Break;

Brook Lopez' Career Continues To Be Haunted By Injuries.

BROOKLYN NETS:

Back To The Drawing Board For Jason Kidd.

 

Kevin Garnett Must Now Fill A Role

He Was Not Acquired To Play.

More and more it seems Brook Lopez and Deron Williams were destined to never play together.  I'm starting to believe that.  The mailman brought bad news this morning.  The ballerina brothers have been separated once again.

Brook Lopez', the Brooklyn Nets' and their fan's worse nightmare has been realized.  The team's top scorer is down, and will likely miss the rest of the season with a fractured foot, the same right foot and ankle, that has plagued, if not ruined, the center's short career.

The initial damage may have come against the Clippers, when Brook left the game in the third quarter after rolling his ankle.  He then missed the Detroit Pistons game, and returned Friday to face the Sixers, when it is believed he once again fractured his three-time surgically repaired foot.  Lopez played the entire game.

Without Brook Lopez, the Nets bench depth will now play a starting role.  Andray Blatche will lead the M*A*S*H unit, backed up by Mason Plumlee and Reggie Evans.  I do hope the rotation settles in that way.  In fact, I would even suggest Plumlee should start, so as to continue having Andray Blatche coming off the bench together with Paul Pierce, which is a role Blatche has been most effective playing since his arrival.  After an education under Coach K at Duke, Plumlee will at least play a fundamentally sound game, and adds athleticism on the floor.

Andrei Kirilenko may yet become a factor this season, but the biggest x-factor becomes Kevin Garnett, who may slide over to center, while the others fill in at power forward.  That's not necessarily good news, considering Garnett missed Friday's game for sake of rest.  Brooklyn now desperately needs a little more of the old KG, or at least the one who averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds a game during his last five years in Boston.

That's a questionable proposition, and unfortunate, because Garnett was not brought here to fill that roll.  He was supposed to be a supplementary player, and a mentor to Brook Lopez.  Without trying to be critical, what the Nets got over the first 1/4 season was a Kevin Garnett that looked like the player who contemplated retirement prior to being acquired by Billy King.  Garnett is averaging 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 22 minutes for Brooklyn.  A small increase in minutes, and just 10 points per game would greatly help the Nets at this juncture.

Any way you shake it, the Nets must account for Brook Lopez' 20 ppg average, and need more than just the big back-ups chipping in.  For as well as he's been this season, Joe Johnson must now take extra special precautions to ensure he stays relevant.  The Nets can not afford to have Johnson  disappear for quarters, halves, and games at a time, similar to last season.  Mister Big Shot must now factor all the time.

Two more factors loom large.  Jason Kidd was only beginning to reap the benefits of his post-Lawrence Frank decision to move the ball through Brook Lopez.  The new offensive scheme also substantially benefitted Joe Johnson's style of play, while having Paul Pierce coming off the bench worked better than imagined.  Now it's back to the drawing board for Coach Kidd, who has to rethink everything yet again.

Of course, once again all fingers point to Deron Williams.  While D-Will has always been looked upon as this team's star, Brook Lopez without a doubt buttered this team's bread.  Williams will need to exert his presence on the floor, unlike perhaps, he has so far while playing for Brooklyn.  That's been mentioned before, but it's true.  If the Nets need just a little of the old KG to get them through this crisis, then Deron Williams needs to recapture a measure of his star play from Utah again, and quick.  To his credit, Williams has played very well since returning from his own ankle injury, but now his team needs more.



 Mike.BTB

The Brooklyn Nets Are Practiced In The Art Of Firing

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

"Pocks on you and all your ancestors!" - Ed Norton

 

BROOKLYN NETS: My Spider-Sense Tells Me, Jason Kidd's F-Bomb Laced Tirade Directed At Lawrence Frank May Have Gone Over Very Well With His Two Bosses. 

Once is an occurrence.  Twice is a coincidence.  Three times is a trend.

And so it struck me today, they are three of a kind.

Lesson: When in a position of power, use it!

By the end of the previous decade, the New Jersey Nets were entering another down period, and clearly needed to rebuild.  Despite a new regime, it seemed logical to think that Rod Thorn, who had quite successfully constructed a Nets team which gained back to back NBA final appearances, was the natural choice to reconstruct the Nets again.

Upon seizing majority control of the club, one of Mikhail Prokhorov's initial moves was to unceremoniously dump former GM Rod Thorn.  Suffice to say, the parting of ways took many by surprise.

Mikhail Prokhorov then hired former Philadelphia 76ers GM, Billy King.

The new GM inherited then head coach Avery Johnson.

Just two months into their inaugural season in Brooklyn, and fresh off winning coach of the month honors for November, Avery Johnson, some might say, was unceremoniously fired by Billy King promptly after the team suffered a pair of embarrassing losses, first against the Celtics on Christmas Day, followed by another uninspired effort against Milwaukee, which dropped the Nets to .500, with a 14-14 record.

After P,J, Carlesimo finished out the season as interim head coach, Billy King, with Mikhail Prokhorov's approval, decided to hire Jason Kidd as the new head coach of the Nets.  Once again, many were surprised by the move, but this time for more obvious reasons.  The Nets also hired Lawrence Frank back into the organization, for the purposes of assisting Jason Kidd with his transition from player, to head coach.

While December is most commonly associated with the holidays, in Barclays Center, the month is fast becoming associated with pink slips.  This year's dismissal however, is uniquely different from your standard coach firing.  This year, Jason Kidd felt the need to stage a hostile take-over of his own job title, and fired Lawrence Frank as an assistant coach, and relegated him to pushing papers and filing reports.

Jason Kidd admitted a rift existed between the two since opening night.  Along the way, matters came to a head, and Jason Kidd felt compelled to act.  As head coach, I believe Jason Kidd made the right decision to consolidate his power, and reaffirm his position as THE Coach.

News broke out today, that Kidd's "exit interview" with Lawrence Frank was in fact an F-Bomb laden lashing into his friend and former coach.

In a move that surprises no one for a change, Lawrence Frank is now hiring a lawyer for the purposes of negotiating his exit, and a buy-out agreement on the remaining money owed him by contract.

It is becoming clearer to me, and striking me as no wonder why Mikhail Prokhorov and Billy King seemed so enamored with Jason Kidd, enough so, to hire him as their next head coach while lacking a stitch of coaching experience.  He's cut-throat - just like them.

Now, whether, Billy King, Jason Kidd, and the team can pull themselves together, and right this ship remains to be seen.

Be sure however, twenty games have gone by, and Mikhail Prokorov is watching.



Mike.BTB

Nets vs. Knicks: Voyage To The Bottom Of The Atlantic Division Standings

From the desks of:

THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH  &  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Local Basketball Plight Night:

 

New York Knicks

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

FROM

Barclays Center

Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn

 

 

 

In 2013, the burgeoning big city basketball rivalry has devolved into a ferocious battle for last place of the Atlantic Division.  Both teams have so far spent the first quarter-season setting new lows in futility.  And on any given night, one product stinks more than the other.  Tonight was just the Nets turn.  The stench is getting so bad, the NYC Department of Sanitation should consider ticketing both owners for polluting the city's courts with such garbage play.

 

The Knicks and Nets are a combined 8-26 this season.  With a 5-13 record, Brooklyn is actually the better of two.  But only for the moment.  Paul Pierce broke his hand, and Nets fortunes could soon plummet even further as a result.

Meanwhile, the Knicks own last place to themselves with a 3-13 record, but because the Atlantic Division is so pathetic, they are only three games out of first.

 

Denver Nuggets Hold A Dunking Clinic On Flatbush Avenue, As Ex-Knick Timofey Mozgov Pulls Down 20 Rebounds, And Provided The Two Hand Slam That Sent Brooklyn Fans Scattering For The Exits.

Depleted Nets Pan Fools Gold Against Nuggets:

FINAL

Denver Nuggets  111

Brooklyn Nets       87

 

3rd Qtr.

Nuggets   31

NETS      15

The Nets finally halted a five game losing streak with a victory over Toronto, then promptly dropped a pair to the Lakers and Rockets, before defeating the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

Entering Tuesday night's game against a 10-6 Denver Nuggets team, the Nets hadn't yet won two games in a row, and were winless in their last four attempts at Barclays Center.  The Nuggets entered the game winners of six in a row.

By night's end, the Nuggets were winners of seven straight, while Brooklyn dropped to 0-5 in their last five games at Barclays - their longest losing streak at their new arena, dropped to 5-13 on the season, and have yet to win two games in a row.

Tuesday, the Nets owned a 29-27 lead after the first quarter, but trailed 58-50 at the half.  Once again, the third quarter has been Brooklyn's kryptonite, as the Nuggets opened up a 20 point lead over the Nets.  By the end of the third, Denver led 89-65; a 24-point margin the home crowd did not appreciate.

Boos rained down from the Barclays Center rafters.

When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard indicated that same 24-point margin for a Denver victory, in a 111-87 final.

The Nets walked off to boos.


BROOKLYN NETS: Jason Kidd Consolidates His Power;
Head Coach Claims Tension And Philosophical Differences As Reasons For Demoting Lawrence Frank.
 

Third quarter melt downs, ballerina ankles, Soda-Gate, a fractured hand suffered by Paul Pierce, and now Lawrence Frank effectively gets pink-slipped - the season just gets more ponderous with every night that goes by.
 

Deron Williams continues to miss time with bad ankles - as in the plural variety.  Those ankles will bother Williams all season long.  I'm sure of it.  In fact, the rash of early ankle injuries, not just to Deron, but to Brook Lopez, and Kevin Garnett as well, was something remarkable.

 

Without their star point guard, the Nets are in a bind.  The offense is clearly fractured, if not disjointed.  Shaun Livingston has done admirable work in his place, but was never considered a good shooter.  He is also only averaging 3.4 assists per game.  Behind him, Tyshawn Taylor is averaging 15 minutes, 2.6 assists and 5.9 points.

Most notably, the offense has slowed again, which is something that has worked to Joe Johnson's advantage, and his recent results on the floor bear that out.  He is the Nets second leading scorer with 15.6 points per game.  He dropped 26 points on Memphis, to go along with 6 assists and 5 rebounds.

The return of Brook Lopez has also changed the face of the offense again.  But now that Paul Pierce will miss between two to four weeks, there is no reason not to double-team Brook Lopez..., all the time.  Enter Andray Blatche.  With Pierce down, he remains one of only three Nets players on the floor averaging double-digit points.  Blatche has averaged 11.1 points per game this season, mostly off the bench.

Both Lopez and Blatche trail Kevin Garnett's 7.7 rebounds per game.  Garnett is averaging 8.6 ppg.  Many people argue he needs to do more.  But he wasn't brought here for that.  It's the aforementioned who need to do more.  Right now, Kevin Garnett's voice is the only one worth listening to, because even the head coach wasn't sure his message was getting through.

Jason Kidd's effect on the team was looking questionable, although many insisted, he was in charge. Getting tuned out by his players was much more troublesome than Soda-Gate.  Now we have a revelation.  Jason Kidd admitted he and Lawrence Frank shared a difference of philosophical opinions, and that there has been friction between the two since the season opener.  Jason Kidd announced Frank will no longer join the team on the bench, nor will he participate in practices.  Frank has been reassigned, or should I say, demoted, relegated to processing daily reports.  It's only my hunch, that Kidd came to this decision between losing pitifully to the Rockets, in which Jason Kidd benched all his starters, and their recent victory against the Grizzlies.

I suspect Lawrence Frank will be amicably leaving the organization shortly.

This is a good move by Jason Kidd.  He needs to cement his position as head coach, and be the team's alpha.  For now, diagramming X's and O's is another matter.  But of his now infamous spillage, I'll give him an E for Effort, and a C for creativity, but I certainly do not care to ever see that repeated.  That was embarrassing.

This game against the Knicks will be number nineteen of the season.  Billy King put the number at twenty games before initiating his first reassessment of the team's overall situation.  Jason Kidd is well aware of that, and perhaps decided on a proactive, or preemptive measure in order to change the conversation moving forward.

Meanwhile..............


NEW YORK KNICKS: The S.S. Dolan Rests At The Bottom Of The Atlantic.

James Dolan gave Mike Woodson the proverbial kiss of death in a recent interview, by declaring his confidence in the Knicks head coach, and adding that he had no intentions of firing him.  Meanwhile, "Fire Woodson" has become the subversive anthem at the Garden lately, but Woodson said on numerous occasions that he doesn't coach scared.  Good for him, because the Knicks are in last place, in the midst of a nine game losing streak, and Tuesday, a local tabloid rocked the back page with Jeff Van Gundy.

Another thing James Dolan proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that he is obsessed with Mikhail Prokhorov.

On the court, Eman Shumpert continues to make an enemy of Coach Woodson.  Coach Woodson continues to growl at J.R. Smith.  But of all people, it was Amare Stoudemire who launched the first salvo at a team mate.  That said, Carmelo Anthony will be made to look like a rat fleeing a sinking ship.  I'd want out of this mess too.  Melo would be smart to opt out, and get away from NYC if he wants to win a championship.

Carmelo Anthony and Mike Woodson are joined at the hip.  Coach Woodson made it so the first day he took over.  If you remember, getting Melo to buy into the team concept is what got Mike D'Antoni fired in the first place.  In so many words, Woodson declared himself no dummy, and said he was going to give Carmelo Anthony the ball, and ride him like a mule.  That was a brilliant set-up by Woodson, because it's hard to get criticized for relying on your star player.  Instead, Woodson's potential downfall lies with the team's overall lethargy of play.  Hearing Melo repeat how the team, in which he always includes himself, didn't sell-out on the floor, or on defense, is getting tired.

It's funny that Melo should be the one who points out the team lacks cohesion, just like it was odd of Stoudemire to launch scuds.  But if the team lacks cohesion, he's the chief reason why.

There is hope yet, when Tyson Chandler returns, and if Ray Felton ever gets his act together.  Otherwise, Tim Hardaway's recent play is screaming for more minutes.  But none of that may be enough to save Jim Dolan's monster from the villagers baring pitchforks and torches when they come.





Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets Get Ravaged By Timberwolves

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Friday Final:

NETS          81

T-Wolves  111

BROOKLYN NETS: Depleted, Depressed, Demoralized, and Defensively Deficient; Jason's Kidds Wrestle With Defeatism.

The Flatbush Hoops received a lot of Love last night in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  Kevin Garnett enjoyed his customary warm welcome from the crowd, but that was the full extent of affection for the visitors.

On the the court, Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love entreated Garnett and the Nets to an inhospitable 17 points and 16 rebounds.  Love would also have nothing to do with Garnett's forearm checks, or his close quarter chatter.  Garnett's personal foil wasn't alone in extending Brooklyn a rude welcome.  All five Minnesota starters finished in double-digit scoring, with Kevin Martin joining Love in tying for game-high with 17 points.  Joe Johnson was the only Nets starter to record double-digits, with 15 points.

Kevin Love was also the only player in double-digit rebounding.  Of his 16 boards, 10 came on the defensive glass.  Somehow, the Nets managed to strike a 47-47 tie on the boards.  But Minnesota displayed superior ball distribution, issuing 28 team assists for the game, while Brooklyn's lethargy only produced SEVEN! assists all game.  Ricky Rubio had 8 by himself, and led all players.  In fact, only three Nets players even recorded an assist.  Joe Johnson led with 4, while Garnett had 2, and Paul Pierce recorded one.

Wait, it gets worse.  Brooklyn turned the ball over 20 times as well, which the T-Wolves converted for 22 points.  In all, Minnesota outshot the Nets 97-78 from the field, outscoring them 80-62 off similar shooting percentages.

Brooklyn's lack of speed on the floor was also clearly evident.  Minnesota outscored Brooklyn 17-7 on fast-breaks.

The Nets best play was provided by their bench.  Andray Blatche led the team with 16 points, and Mirza Teletovic led with 7 rebounds.  Tyshawn Taylor added 13 points, and Alan Anderson added ten.

If hospitality is king, what then, does than make GM Billy King?  This game without a doubt represents his team's new season low point.  They are now 3-9 for the season, losers of four in a row, and only 1-7 away from Flatbush.  Word on the local airwaves is that he, and Mikhail Prokhorov give this experiment 20 games before interceding.  With what measures, remains to be seen.

Playing without Deron Williams and Brook Lopez no doubt presents numerous problems.  But even with them, there is a recurrent problem - the Nets continuing lack of effort, particularly on defense, and in the interior, that worries most.  Second on the list of things to worry about, there seems to be no clear offensive philosophy.  Sure, a myriad of injuries may be a contributing factor, especially to Deron Williams, and their leading scorer, Brook Lopez.  But what we're seeing indicates something even more troublesome - Jason Kidd's self-admitted inability to penetrate his team's psyche.  Uh oh.

Being depleted is one thing.  Getting repeatedly demoralized is another.  What Jason Kidd was supposed to have working on is side, was a roster of veteran players who required little mental management.  On that note, Kevin Garnett's recent attempts to adjust the team's attitude seems to have fallen on deaf ears.  Instead, the Nets have sunk even deeper into their malaise.

What started out as a perceived third quarter problem, is now a much bigger and growing monster.  Brooklyn has a first and fourth quarter problem as well.  Additionally, things have dramatically gotten worse from the first six games, versus their last six games.

Here's the breakdown of total points allowed and per-quarter averages over their first 12 games:

• 1st Qtr - 307 points; 25.5 avg.
• 2nd Qtr - 287 points; 23.9 avg.
• 3rd Qtr - 311 points; 25.9 avg.
• 4th Qtr - 306 points; 25.5 avg.

With those numbers in mind, the Nets currently rank 24th in the league in points allowed.

Here's the disturbing part.  In their first six games, the Nets allowed 30 points in a quarter 4 times.  They additionally allowed over 25 points in a quarter another 6 times.  They held their opponents to 20 points or less, 7 times.  This does not include the 13 points they scored in O.T. versus Washington.

In their last six games, the Nets allowed 30 points in a quarter 5 times.  They allowed over 25 points another 11 times, and held their opponents to 20 points or below just 2 times. This does not include 6 points allowed to Phoenix in overtime.

Overall, the Nets allowed a total of 588 points over their first six games, for an average of 24.5 points per quarter, and 98 points per game.  Over the last six games, they've allowed 623 points, for an average of 26 points per quarter, and 103.9 points per game.

Not having Deron Williams and Brook Lopez on the floor is hardly an excuse for Brooklyn's deteriorating defensive play.  Everyone is accountable.  Defense should never take a night off.  That said, Billy King will not idly stand by.  He has proven himself to be a very proactive general manager.  His boss, Mikhail Prokhorov, understood the gamble they both agreed to take.

The real decision regarding Jason Kidd is still forthcoming, designed to be made very early in the season, rather than too late.

Eight more games from now, the Nets will reach twenty.  The Nets would have to go 7-1 in order to reach the .500 mark.  The first step would be to defeat the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center, or not.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd's Lackluster Crew Crowned By Sacramento Kings

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

Nets Put The FLAT in Flatbush

BROOKLYN NETS: The Coach Has Spoken.

Next - It's Always Worth While Watching A Team Respond.

For this assemblage of players, that was a pathetic showing.  Sometimes, there's not much you can do about cold shooting.  But on this night, it seemed as if the Nets defensive effort missed the flight to California.  They allowed Sacramento to score 13-points better than their season average, while losing by 21 points to a team which entered the night losers of 5 in a row.

I couldn't have worded Wednesday night's game any better than did Coach Kidd:

• "It's unacceptable - We don't score, we hang our heads and then they score on the other end."

There you go.  The Brooklyn Nets proceeded to hang their heads all night while winding down an embarrassing Left Coast opening 107-86 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Neither team dominated the other on the boards.  Both posted near equal efforts on the offensive and defensive ends.  But 15 Brooklyn turnovers led to Sacramento outscoring Brooklyn 82-62 from the floor.  Overall, the Nets shot poorly, 37.8% versus 43.6% for the Kings.  Sacramento additionally outscored Brooklyn from beyond the three, by a 24-15 margin.

The Nets were undone by a game high 24-points by Marcus Thornton, and 19-points by Isaiah Thomas, both off the bench.  Jason Thompson led all players with 11 rebounds, followed by Patrick Peterson with 10 boards.

Brook Lopez was 50% from the floor and led the Nets with 16 points, and tied with Paul Pierce for the team lead with 9 rebounds.  Paul Pierce scored 12 points.  Joe Johnson led the Nets with 36 minutes played, but was only 3/10 from the field and finished with 10 points.  Deron Williams ended with 35 minutes, scored 13 points on 5/13 shooting, and issued 7 assists.

Kevin Garnett was limited to 15 minutes, but pulled down eight defensive rebounds and blocked a shot, to go along with 6 points.  Mason Plumlee was the beneficiary of extended playing time.  He clocked in 18 minutes, scored 3 points and pulled down 5 rebounds.  Meanwhile, Shaun Livingston continues to provide quality play off the bench, scoring 13 points in 15 minutes.

The Nets and Sacramento Kings ended the night with identical 2-5 records.  The Knicks winning Wednesday evening over Atlanta meant Brooklyn would have to stew in last place until getting back on the floor Friday night against a better opponent in the Phoenix Suns.

Brooklyn has yet to play within the Atlantic Division, but now drop to 1-4 record within the Eastern Conference.  The Nets are now additionally in the midst of a 3-game losing streak, and still in search of their first road victory of the season.




Mike.BTB

BK Nets: Orlando Magic Too Much For Cold Shooting Brooklyn

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

There Is No Joy For Jason's Kids, As His Team Falls Flat In His Coaching Debut.

BROOKLYN NETS: After Turning Down The Heat, Flatbush Suffers A Classic Let-Down Against The Orlando Magic.

Sunday Night Final:

NETS   86

Magic 108

The Nets have played twelve quarters of basketball now, and defensively, early indications say the second half just isn't their gig - yet.  In three games, they allowed the Cavs 30-points in the 3rd quarter, allowed Miami 31-points in the 3rd quarter, and Sunday night allowed the Orlando Magic 33-points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.  Over their other eight quarters of basketball, the Nets have limited their first three opponents to an average of 22.3 points, and kept them all under 50-points in the first half.

Astonishing to me regarding Sunday night, the Magic crushed the Nets on the boards, outrebounding them by a 54-42 margin, and outscored the Nets in the paint 42-points versus 26-points for the Nets.  So much for Brooklyn's strengths.

Six Orlando players scored in double-digits versus just two for the Nets.  Thirty-something shooting percentages reared their ugly heads again to spook Brooklyn's night.  Both teams took 89 shots from the field, both made 7 three-point attempts, and Orlando only made two more free throws than the Nets.  But the Magic wound up shooting 47.2% from the field, while Flatbush struggled to shoot 38.2%, and were particularly cold in the first half. 

The roll-call of errant shooters is long.  Kevin Garnett was 3/11 from the field, Deron Williams was 4/12, and Joe Johnson was 1/5.  Off the bench, Mirza Teletovic was 1/6, Andrei Kirilenko was 1/5 and Andray Blatche was 1/7 from the field.

Brook Lopez led all scorers with 21-points, but as you see got little in the way of help.  In a stellar individual performance, he also pulled down 6 rebounds and blocked 5 shots.  Paul Pierce was the only other Nets players in double-digits with 16-points.  The Nets got good ball distribution from Deron Williams and Shaun Livingston, who combined on 14 assists - issuing 7 each.

To be fair, the Nets are not the only team Orlando will get the best of.  Many opponents will continue mistaking them for a lottery team, and fall to them miserably, just like the Nets did, by a depressing 107-86 final score.

Center Nikola Vucevic had his way with the Nets inside.  He tied for the team high with 19-points and led all players with 12 rebounds.  Orlando's hot draft selection, Victor Oladipo tied for the team lead with 19-points, and issued four assist.   Andrew Nicholson came off the bench to oppress the Nets with 17-points and another 11 rebounds, with eight coming on the defensive glass.  Arron Afflalo led all players with 8 assists.

The latest Jason Kidd era begins with a loss - the team's second of the season.  The sour taste of this defeat will linger until they get back to Flatbush Avenue and host the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.




Mike.BTB

BK Nets: Miami Heat Recieve A Flabush Avenue Cold Shoulder

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

TODAY

 

BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

Orlando Magic

FROM

The Outskirts of Disney World

Florida

BROOKLYN NETS: Physicality Paved The Way, As Joe Punty's Squad Cooled Off The Heat.

The Jason Kidd Era Is Now Set To Begin...Again.

The Nets, Miami Heat and Barclays Center were in mid-season form Friday night, as Kings Borough was treated to its first Nets victory of the regular season.

Brooklyn's size advantage prevailed over the Heat.  They spread their infractions around with a deep rotation, and effectively bumped and bruised Miami into playing a slower game.  Brooklyn sent the Heat to the line thirty-six times, who converted on twenty-nine attempts.  Miami was limited to only seven fast-break points.

The home team was 27/39 from the line, and won the battle of the boards by a 40-30 margin.  But here's the simple math.  The Heat were 32/67 from the field, for 47.8%, while Brooklyn was 33/68 for a 48.5% shooting average.  Net result, Brooklyn wins by a point.

The Nets went cold down the stretch, and allowed Miami to go on a 10-0 run.  With 18.1 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Brooklyn's ten point lead had dwindled down to two.  Paul Pierce dropped two clutch free throws to make it a 99-95 game with 0:07 seconds left, but LeBron James answered right back with a three.  Then with 3.7 seconds left, the Heat put Joe Johnson on the line, who converted on both free throws, putting the Nets ahead by a 101-98 score.  Kevin Garnett fouled Chris Bosh and put him on the line for two.  Bosh connected on both attempts, but Deron Williams cleared out the rebound to Brook Lopez before the Heat could foul.  Game Over - Nets win by a 101-100 final score.

Just goes to show, scream loud enough in the right direction, and the correct ear is bound to hear.  Fill-in coach Joe Prunty must have gotten an earful after allowing Deron Williams to exhaust all his prescribed minutes before the fourth quarter during the season opener in Cleveland.  Coach did not make that mistake again Friday as Deron had his hand on the Nets final possession.

Deron Williams played twenty-seven minutes, which was a five minute increase over game one.  He scored eight points and issued a game high eight assists.

Four of five Heat starters played in excess of thirty-two minutes, with LeBron leading the way with forty-two.  It stands to reason then The Heat had five players score in double-digits.  The Nets scoring and allotment of minutes minutes were much more balanced.  Only Paul Pierce exceeded thirty minutes on the floor.  He and Joe Johnson tied for the team high with nineteen points.  Kevin Garnett and LeBron James both recorded a game high seven rebounds, and equally pulled down six on the defensive boards each.

Andrei Kirilenko was a factor off the bench in his first game for the Nets.  He scored eight points in twelve minutes, and showed decisiveness off the pass.  However, he put himself in quick, yet affordable, foul trouble.

Jason Kidd's two game suspension has been served.  Coach will rejoin the team in Orlando.  Assistant coach Joe Prunty ended his brief coaching career with a 1-1 record.

 

Mike.BTB