Brooklyn Nets Creating a Winning Culture and Identity, As Promised

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

23-23 (.500)

Sixth Place Eastern Conference

New arena, new uniforms, new crowd, in a new town - a new owner knew the Nets couldn't just quietly tip-toe into Brooklyn.  At least that's the way incoming tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov viewed things.  Lest we forget his stated goal of winning a championship within five years.  We're now seven years away from Prokhorov's rather bold mandate which former general manager Billy King failed to satisfy.

Insofar as delivering a title: there's really no one person to blame for the way those initial years played out.  They made an organizational decision meant to ignite a new Nets economy in Brooklyn.  That's just the nature of doing business when one capitalist invades the territory of another.

It can be argued both teams during that time operated and transacted rather erratically.  However, none more crippling than the exorbitant price in draft picks Billy King paid to acquire Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from Boston.  Blame as I may, the owner signed off on it.

And while the trade got Brooklyn this far ...

... by 2015-2016 the win-now plan had proven itself overwhelmingly futile.  On the heels of another January loss at Detroit which saw the Nets record fall to 10-24, Billy King's tenure as general manager ends.

On Sunday, January 10, 2016, Mikhail Prokhorov orders a rebuild:

"By making this decision now it enables our organization to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records.  It's clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership.  With the right basketball management and coach in place we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching." Ryan Bort, Newsday

The Nets hire Sean Marks on Feb. 18, 2016, as new general manager.  In April, the team ends the regular season with a 21-61 record.  Before the month is through, Sean Marks offers Kenny Atkinson his first head coaching position.

• Season One (2016-2017): Oct. 28, 2016, the Nets boast a 1-1 record; it marks their lone moment playing at or above the .500 mark.  On April 8, 2017 they win their 20th game of the season; a 107-106 victory over the Bulls at Barclays Center.  They finish the season with a 20-62 record.

• Season Two (2017-2018): Oct. 27, 2017, the Nets are 3-3, but never again reach .500 for the rest of the season.  This time, however, they win their 20th game of the season by Feb. 26, 2018; coincidentally, another 104-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center.  The Nets would finish the season with a slightly improved 28-54 record.

This is Kenny Atkinson's third season.  After 210 games, he owns an 71-139 (.338) overall record as Nets coach.  As recently as a month ago - with the Nets in the midst of an eight game losing streak - fans and faux experts across social media were calling for Atkinson's termination.

What say you?

Me?

That was a kneejerk and not very well thought out reaction.  Truth be told, one-third of all Kenny Atkinson's victories as Nets coach have come in the first three months of this season alone.

They won their 20th game of the season on Jan. 5, 2019, against none other than the Bulls; another 117-100 victory at Chicago, no less.  They're now 15-5 (.750) over their last 20 games, and are within five victories of surpassing last year's entire win total.  And with a 23-23 record, they presently occupy sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Despite this relative success, injuries to key players (Caris Levert; Allen Crabbe; Jared Dudley) should not go under spoken.  Yet, adversity seems to have revealed within these Nets an endearing Brooklyn-like resiliency.

Is reaching .500 in January important?

Alas, consecutive benchmark victories against Boston and Houston transpired without Kyrie Irving on the floor, and James Harden essentially playing by himself.  However, where it concerns the Nets I would argue the answer is indubitably, yes.  Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson somehow adapted and overcame the great mistake left behind by Billy King.  Over the last 2 1/2 years, they've methodically engineered steady improvement to the point where the Nets are now experiencing upwards climb.  The added ability to effectively impact the team through the draft is also back in their control, not to mention their substantial salary cap reserves at the ready. former cap reserves ...

Cycle back to the 2016 mission statement ...

At this point, I believe it safe to say a new basketball culture is indeed growing in Brooklyn; an earnest grassroots effort to build an NBA contender, involving many wonderful and individual player stories, to be sure.  The plan put in place back in 2016 is working.  This year's play bears that out.  As a result, the Nets are becoming increasingly more enjoyable to watch, as promised by Mikhail Prokhorov, and reaffirmed by incoming partner, Joseph Tsai.

Just don't wait for an apathetic local media to start shaking their pom-poms.

Go Brooklyn!

Borough vs. Borough: Brooklyn Nets Pulling Away From Knickerbockers

From the desks of:

THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH  and  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

An Under-Spoken Inner City Rivalry of Attrition

DID JAMES DOLAN JUST BLINK?

Rewind back to 2004 if you will: Bruce Ratner purchases the New Jersey Nets with the intention of relocating them to Brooklyn.  It's no secret that his underlying business interest involves a more grandiose real estate development in the downtown area.  A Kings County native, Ratner's ploy nevertheless threatens James Dolan's monopoly on New York City's arena sports, entertainment, and events venues.

As expected, his plan for constructing a new arena along Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue is met with great resistance.  And with Ratner bogged down in court, Dolan is able to devote time and resources towards successfully thwarting another more immediate threat posed in 2005 by the New York Jets and a proposed new football stadium to be constructed atop Manhattan's west side rail yards.  However, his victory over the Jets and NYC's politico is short lived.  On March, 11, 2010, groundbreaking ceremonies for Barclays Center finally take place in Brooklyn, thus finally making it official: direct inner-city competition will soon be arriving at Dolan's door step.  Only this time, there's nothing he can do to prevent it.

Enter (new Nets majority owner) Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov who later that summer launches the first salvo in what becomes known as the Billboard Wars when he commissions a building-side mural along Eighth Avenue, just a few blocks away from Madison Square Garden.  Jim Dolan strikes back with a rather clever purchase of billboard space located within the footprint of Ratner's Atlantic Yards construction site.  After which, Nets signage begins fanning throughout the borough, while the Knicks keep their reactive marketing focused along Flatbush Avenue.  By year's end, though, the Knicks pull out of the billboard business.

Hostilities ratchet up again in February of 2011, upon outbreak of the now infamous Battle for Carmelo Anthony.  With Melo desperately wanting out of Denver (Nuggets), he is a handshake away from being traded to the New Jersey Nets, that is until Jim Dolan catches wind and launches himself headlong into the Melo sweepstakes like a bull in a china shop.  He shamelessly tramples over both general manager Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni en-route to securing one of the league's perennial scoring threats - a veritable coup, or so Dolan thought.  To his dismay, the next morning's tabloids as their lead story run with the Nets surprising acquisition under the cover of night of well regarded point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz.  By daybreak, a squabbling media is raging in debate as to which team secured the better deal.

By the 2012-2013 season, Barclays Center is open for business, while Dolan's billion dollar renovation of Madison Square Garden is likewise near complete.  Over the course of the next several seasons, neither acquisition works out to either team's great satisfaction.  In 2012-13, Carmelo Anthony leads the Knicks to an Atlantic Division title, but they've failed to qualify for the playoffs since.  The Knicks averaged just 34.2 wins during Melo's five seasons in New York, and just 33.3 wins in the six years prior to David Fizdale's arrival.  Although the Nets make three straight playoff appearances in their first three season at Brooklyn, they experience a precipitous fall as well.  In 2015, the Nets buy out the remainder of Deron William's contract, and by 2017 the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Williams/Melo era ends with a whimper; the next reconstruction period begins.

By 2016-2017, the Nets are first to acknowledge their failure and recommit themselves to a grassroots rebuild.  They hire Sean Marks as new general manager who in turn hires Kenny Atkinson as head coach.  Together, their sticktoitiveness has been nothing short of commendable.  The Knicks on the other hand are slower to recognize their blight, and perhaps are more stubborn as well.  And there's the rub ... I still don't know what the Knicks are up to.  I'm no fan of Sam Mills.  I view him as nothing more than Dolan's lone remaining friend in the building.  I'm not so sure Scott Perry is the answer either.  I agree, however, David Fizdale is part of the solution.  But when looking at the bigger picture, the Knicks are clearly lagging behind the Nets, and losing ground by the day.

Lest we forget this is about direct competition.  The Nets are the invaders, and Jim Dolan was made to respond.  To date, he's matched them move for move.  But does anyone besides me find it rather ponderous that Dolan would choose the holiday season for (Ian O'Connor interview) throwing himself a pity party?  Is that a touch of defeatism I hear?  Is it because Brooklyn's plan is working, while his own basketball organization continues marinating in its own futility?

Why else would he knowingly cause ripples in the news pool with talk of an unlikely sale of the Knicks?

Brooklyn Nets: Honorable Carpetbagger Pokes Fun At Fan

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TONIGHT

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

FROM

MEXICO CITY

Brooklyn Nets: Correction ... This Mayor de Blasio Thing Isn't Working Out.

Mayor de Blasio was at a Queens town hall meeting on Tuesday where he addressed one particular gentleman wearing a Brooklyn Nets jacket as reported by the NYPost, and told him without solicitation, "I'm from Brooklyn too, but this Brooklyn Nets idea has not been working out as it was planned, so I admire you for sticking with them."

Once the Brooklyn Nets got wind of this, they took to Twitter:

Hello, @NYCMayor. From one Brooklynite to another, you should know that we always have each other’s backs. Like all of NYC, we're always grinding to get better. If you want to see some real grit, our doors are always open.

— Brooklyn Nets 🇲🇽 (@BrooklynNets) December 6, 2017

Well said!

I wonder if  he would have uttered such nonsense before the recent election.

In any event, Mayor de Blasio may own property in Park Slope, and he may have lived here for ten years or so.  But make no mistake, Mayor Bill de Blasio is no Brooklynite.  Not by a long shot.

A Boston rooting damn carpetbagger is what he is!

He's taken numerous jabs at our local teams over the years.  It's my opinion you just don't so that.  When you mess with the fandom of NYC's sports teams, you tug at the emotional heartstrings of millions of fans (who probably don't like him to begin with).

Do you think Giants fans ever forgave Mayor Koch for refusing to host a parade after Super Bowl XXI?

I haven't.

The rest of New England has a special name for people from Massachusetts.  I'm sure the Mayor knows what it is.  Since I try running a PG operation here, I'll keep it to myself and let him use his imagination instead.


Now, about that working out thing ...

There are nine NBA teams presently operating at or above full capacity.  The next group of nine are operating within the ninety percentile range, the Knicks being among them, playing before 96% capacity crowds.  That leaves 12 teams operating below 90% capacity.

The Nets are tied for 25th in the league, averaging 15,222 fans through the first ten home games of the season.  That translates to 84% capacity.  That's a slight down tick from last year's 85.2% capacity, when the Nets averaged 15,429 through 41 dates.

I won't lie - it's aggravating as all hell, and even somewhat painful to see the Boston Celtics jumping out to an early Eastern Conference lead, particularly on the heels of his Honor's comments, but primarily because of all those draft picks the Celtics pillaged from the Nets (as part of Billy King's ill conceived Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade).

While I give Mikhail Prokhorov credit for stepping in when he did, and for saying all the right things along the way, his varying levels of commitment have indeed been troubling.

I just don't like hearing it from the Mayor.

Leave that to us.  Thank you very much.

Otherwise, the Nets are still third in the conference in scoring, averaging 109.8 points per game.  However, they still can't get it together defensively.  Flatbush is last in the conference and second to last in the league, having allowed an average of 112.3 points per, through 23 games.

We Brooklynites are generous people, but c'mon.  Defense is an effort thing, and I like Coach Atkinson.  So what is there to say, but to keep at it, continue this rebuild, and keep grinding!

On that note, Bill, the Nets have won three of their last five games.  If you haven't heard by now, they will be in Mexico City representing !Brooklyn! as they play Oklahoma City tonight, then Saturday against Miami.

Brooklyn Nets: It's The Capitalist Thing To Do

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

TONIGHT

Brooklyn Nets

vs.

New York Knicks

The Far Side

EAST RIVER

Brooklyn Nets: So Much For Being A Long-Term Investor; Mikhail Prokhorov Buys Low, And Will Now Sell High; Could Be Out Of Team Picture By 2021.

According to ESPN, Mikhail Prokhorov will sell a 49% stake in the Nets to Joseph Tsai, co-founder of e-commerce company Alibaba.  ESPN's Adrian Wojnaroski and Zach Lowe report the purchase price will be based on a $2.3 billion dollar evaluation of the team, league sources said.  The deal does not include Barclays Center, but reportedly gives Joseph Tsai the option of acquiring a controlling interest in the Nets within four years.

Now let's crunch some numbers ...

Figures vary from source to source.  I'll therefore stick with FORBES, for argument's sake.

As of February this year, Forbes placed Mr. Prokhorov's total investment into both the Nets and the arena at $365 million dollars.  Forbes ranked the Nets, at the time, seventh in the NBA in team evaluation, citing a value of $1.55 billion dollars, after debt.  Eight months later, and considering the Houston Rockets recently sold for $2.2 billion dollars, the numbers appear in line.

Mikhail Prokhorov stands to make a substantial profit, to say the least.

Operating losses be damned ...

According to the same ESPN report, the Nets $144 million dollar operating losses in 2013-2014 led the league by more than $100 million dollars.  That, however, was mostly Mr. Prokhorov's prerogative.  The club nonetheless lost another $23.5 million dollars last year, the league's second highest figure behind only the Detroit Pistons.  For added perspective, however, consider the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite winning a championship, two years ago led the league in operating losses.

The report goes on to say Brooklyn's local TV deal earnings, and net local revenue, were the lowest figures in the league last year.

As NetsDaily words it - the team has never made a profit in Brooklyn (although Barclays Center has been profitable).

And now for the background numbers, which I find most concerning of all.

Their first season in Brooklyn remains their best season to date.  The team went 49-33, and averaged 95% capacity at Barclays Center, ranking 16th in the league with 17,187 fans per game.  However, they got bounced in the first round of playoffs.

They sustained 95% crowds in year two, and even won their first playoff series, but got bounced in the second round.

The Nets standing dipped in 2014-2015, and attendance followed suit.  They finished the regular season below .500 with a 38-44 record, while patronage at Barclays Center likewise dipped to 94% capacity, ranking them 20th in the league.  They got bounced out of the first round of playoffs yet again.

In 2015-2016, matters quite obviously took a turn for the worse.  In posting a dismal 21-61 record, attendance dropped below the 17,000 mark, to just 83% of capacity, ranking them 27th in the league.

Last season actually witnessed a slight uptick in patronage, up to 85% of capacity, which nonetheless ranked just 28th in the league.

All told, the Nets have posted an aggregate 172-238 (.419) record during their first five years in Brooklyn, for a 34-48 average yearly mark, while playing in front of 90% capacity crowds at Barclays Center.

Joseph Tsai seems pleased with the direction general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson are guiding the organization.

So am I.

At least we have that in common.

I fear, however, the Nets future in Brooklyn remains as precarious as ever.  By 2021, the team will have potentially changed principle owners for a third time within a 12-year span.  That makes James Dolan and the Knicks appear stable by comparison.

That's troubling.

But NetsDaily also mentioned the purchase is a personal investment by Tsai ... rather than a corporate purchase by Alibaba.

That's comforting.

Mr. Tsai will no doubt want this team trending towards the positive by the time his option tentatively comes into play four years from now.  And so the only things I feel will satisfy Mr. Tsai will be substantially more wins, increased attendance, and growth in local revenues.

It's no secret Bruce Ratner used the Nets as a ruse to further his own real estate interests, namely the development of Pacific Park.  He proved that very early on through his refusal to re-sign Kenyon Martin.

Be that as it may, Mikhail Prokhorov is a smart businessman, and in Bruce Ratner, encountered a desperate and motivated seller.  He merely seized an opportunity, and capitalized on Ratner's financial misfortune.  He bought low, and will now sell high.

Capitalists are, as capitalists do.

Russian oligarchs are no different.

I feel he's been a good owner.  He dared to be bold.  At least he tried.  But his plan ultimately proved ruinous, and so he ordered a rebuild.

I'm okay with that.

I also initially believed he was in this for the long haul.  But he's now proving me, and anyone whom thought similarly, wrong.

The hope is Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson (and Mikhail Prokhorov) continue getting this team turned around.  Hopefully, that will entice Mr. Tsai enough into committing his full resources towards creating, and sustaining a long term winning brand in Kings County.

ICYMI: 

AFTERMATH

Knicks vs. Nets: Battle of the Boroughs - I

From the desks of:

DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

AFTERMATH

The opening sequence in New York City's fledgling Battle of the Boroughs is done.

With the trading of Carmelo Anthony, both the Knicks and Nets are back to zero - thus ending one chapter in this turf war, and beginning another.

The Nets may have been first to order a tactical retreat.  And it was the correct decision.  But make no mistake, only the Knickerbockers own stupefying dysfunction prevented them from raising the white flag first.

To borrow a phrase from the Ken Burns documentary, Baseball, the Nets invasion into Knicks territory, and their occupation of Brooklyn, has indeed been  -  "...something like a war." 

You might say the original Brooklyn Tea Party moment came when Bruce Ratner purchased the New Jersey Nets back in 2003 from the failed Yankees/Devils/Nets consortium, then announced his intentions for shipping the team across New York Harbor, and into a new arena being planned for construction along fabled Flatbush Avenue in downtown Brooklyn.

This obviously garnered attention from the Knicks, whose monopoly on the city was potentially coming under threat for the first time in their history.

Although Ratner's announcement came at a time when the New Jersey Nets were in the midst of making back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, groundbreaking in Brooklyn wouldn't take place for another seven years.  His plan was naturally met with fierce opposition; local, civic, political, and otherwise; putting him on the defensive, and besieging the Barclays Center/Atlantic Yards project with lengthy court battles and setbacks.

Bruce Ratner (a former city commissioner under Mayor Ed Koch) very obviously benefited from a more friendly, obliging city/state government almost 60 years after former Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley similarly petitioned the city/state for eminent domain at the location of Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, with a desire to rebuild a replacement stadium for aging Ebbets Field, but was denied straightaway by Robert Moses.  Ratner ultimately gained court approval in Nov. 2009, and by March 2010, was finally conducting groundbreaking ceremonies.

By this time, however, Bruce Ratner ran out of cash.  Years of litigation and a downturn in the economy left him light in the pocket, and scrambling for new investors.  

Enter Mikhail Prokhorov, present majority owner of the Nets and Barclays Center.

• UPDATE: Prokhorov Sells 49% Stake of Nets 

 
If anyone fired the first shot heard 'round the city, it was him.  Prokhorov audaciously launched the Billboard Wars in 2010 by commissioning a Nets mural a mere two blocks away from Madison Square Garden.

Jim Dolan strikes back with a billboard affixed on a building inside the construction site of Atlantic Yards (since renamed Pacific Park), facing westbound traffic along Atlantic Avenue, featuring Amare Stoudemire pictured in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn,

The Billboard Wars of 2010

Initial invasion campaign featuring Jay-Z

Placed by Knicks on 7th Avenue at Flatbush Avenue, Park Slope; 

within blocks of Barclays Center construction site.

Then came the Battle for Melo.

Remember how the Denver Nuggets came "this close" from trading Carmelo Anthony to the Nets?  

Remember how that threw Jim Dolan's guitar completely out of tune?  Remember how he trampled all over Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh in order to seal a quick deal with Denver, but not before Mikhail Prokhorov took a parting shot at the Knicks upon announcing the Nets were pulling out of the Melo sweepstakes?

Remember how the Nets then stole the headlines the very next morning soon after completing an overnight deal with the Utah Jazz for Deron Williams, who at the time was a highly regarded point guard entering his prime?  Remember how the tabloids/radio talkies were in general agreement in so far as the Nets swinging a better trade?

Isn't it funny what else competition can do?  As Barclays Center nears completion, Jim Dolan orders Madison Square Garden undergo a one billion dollar renovation in an effort to remain on par with a brand new arena across the river.  Do you think he would have been rushing to get that done were it not for the Nets?

Fast forward - Barclays Center opens for business.  In an effort to fulfill Mikhail Prokhorov's short term goal of winning a championship, (then) general manager Billy King mortgages away the Nets future in a trade with the Boston Celtics.  King essentially transacts the Nets 2014 #1 draft pick; 2016 #1 pick; 2017 #1 pick/first overall; and next year's 2018 #1 pick; for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

An act of folly equal to, and even surpassing, anything occurring across the river.  

In any event, each organization was now forcing the other into making hasty, and at times nonsensical decisions.  Each was pushing the other to its financial limits, exhausting resources with wanton abandon, but getting nowhere.  Coaching casualties piled high on both sides as well.

Any and all efforts ... both sides ... complete fail.

The fallout from this trench-like brawl is only now settling, but at least the Knicks followed the Nets lead and have finally withdrawn back to their camp.

The front along the East River will be there for another day.  Because truth be told, the on-court Knicks/Nets rivalry is yet to materialize, as the opening confrontation in the Battle of the Boroughs was waged between owners.

Mikhail Prokhorov is arguably still dictating terms.  Think about it ... he initially escalated hostilities, then was the first to cease fire.  He smartly owned-up to his mistakes, then proactively reset the organization's future course early last year with haste and conviction  As a result, the Nets are moving towards recovery well ahead of their East River rivals.  Then again, after posting an historically bad 20-62 record last season, Prokhorov recognized there was no other choice (especially when looking to sell a minority stake in the team).

The Knicks, meanwhile, remain helplessly mired in reactive mode.  In that respect, some things never change.  The Dolan enterprise has been hoping to reset their direction towards the positive for 17 years now.  But where as the Nets are already one year into their reconstruction, the Knicks are still clearing out from under the rubble of yet another mass organizational implosion.

All that being said, the initial clash of clubs was interesting to say the least.  What remains now for these respective teams is to readdress the on-court business of basketball for a change.

Deron Williams is gone; Carmelo Anthony is gone; Phil Jackson is gone; even Brook Lopez is gone.

The 2017-2018 season truly begins changing the narrative.

Knicks vs. Nets: Battle of the Boroughs - II

From the desks of:

DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  &  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Mikhail Prokhorov slams on the brakes;

Major roadwork ahead.

WEDNESDAY

New York Knicks

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

FROM

Barclays Center

FLATBUSH AVENUE

BROOKLYN NETS: Borough's notorious apathy settling in; seats are emptying, and Mikhail Prokhorov knows it.

Carmelo Anthony rolled his ankle during Tuesday night's Knicks victory over the Celtics.  His availability for Wednesday's contest in Brooklyn will likely be a game time decision.

Shame too ... fans in Brooklyn needed something for their money.

Count it!  ...and the foul!

Truth of the matter is that necessity is the mother of all invention.

Sweeping changes are indeed underway at Barclays Center.  Brooklyn's dismal 10-28 record this season alone justified owner Mikhail Prokhorov's decision to rethink his strategy for success.

At the Nets recent presser, Mr. Prokhorov reasoned that by initiating changes now, he avoids having to rush through the replacement process ahead, and that this time, a well conceived plan focused on mid-level to long term success is now in order.

Behind the scenes, Mr. Prokhorov revealed the NBA stated their desire to have the Nets and Barclays Center consolidated under single ownership (versus the off-setting holdings shared between Mikhail Prokhorov and Bruce Ratner).

That was the out Bruce Ratner wanted all along.  Hence, Mr. Prokhorov recently became full (100%) owner of both the Nets and Barclays Center.  Prokhorov said the deal was good for him, while Forest City is gladly out of the loop.

As sole owner, Mikhail Prokhorov reminded all he is indeed a businessman, and that if interested parties feel inclined to make a bid (for the team and arena) he will indeed listen, but then quickly assured the room he has no inclinations to sell.  In simple but very effective terms, he expressed an even greater determination to get this process done right, and resolved to delivering Brooklyn a championship caliber club.

To that end, he said, "I'm all in."

Now that all his rubles are in one basket, he better be.

As expected the Nets ranked dead last in attendance during their last season in New Jersey.

During their inaugural season in Brooklyn, the Nets ranked 16th in the league.  In year two, they slipped to 17th in the league.  Last season, Nets attendance dropped to 20th in the league.  In each of their first three seasons in Brooklyn, however, Nets average attendance remained above 17,000 per game.

This season, the Brooklyn Nets are one of four NBA teams averaging less that 15,000 fans per game, ranking 28th in a circuit of 30 teams.

That's bad business, and no one knows it better than Mikhail Prokhorov.

His team enters Wednesday's game losers of 5 straight.  On Monday, they dropped their 10th straight game at Barclays Center, this time against the San Antonio Spurs.


NEW YORK KNICKS: Melo's team oriented play endures an untimely twist of fate.

The Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 120-114 at the Garden Tuesday night.  They are winners of 5 of their last 6 games, and enter Barclays Center this evening at par with a 20-20 record.

Kristaps Porzingis led all Knicks Tuesday with 26 points, as Carmelo Anthony set out the 2nd half.   Arron Afflalo picked up the slack scoring 20 of his 24 points in the 2nd half.

During much of the early going, Kristaps Porzingis' polished play, and Arron Afflalo's impact were frequently leading stories.  That's why Carmelo Anthony couldn't have rolled his ankle at a worse time.  His fine team play this season was finally getting the recognition it rightly deserves.

If you're talking about the 2015-2016 season, you're definitely talking about a different, more cooperative Melo, even wiser Melo.

The results on the floor speak for themselves.

Wednesday Final

KNICKS  104

NETS       110

A Victory Grows in Brooklyn:

Despite 31 points from Derrick Williams, the visiting Knicks failed to break through the .500 mark.   The Knicks were playing on the back end of consecutive nights, and without Carmelo Anthony whom twisted his ankle Tuesday against the Celtics.

Kristaps Porzingas struggled, shooting only  5 of 17 from the field, but still posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.

By the 4th quarter, the Knicks were clearly spent, as the Nets coasted to 36 points in the final quarter, en route to a 110-104 victory.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 20 points, while Thaddeus Young went double-double, with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The victory snapped the Nets 5-game losing streak, and more importantly, their 10-game losing streak at Barclays Center.

Brooklyn Nets: The Great Purge of Flatbush

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

It's back to the old drawing board 

as Mikhail Prohorov trashes his initial blueprint for greatness.

BROOKLYN NETS: Billy King's all-out effort to build an immediate winner instead set the Flatbush Hoops back for years to come.

There's an old saying -  Haste Makes Waste.

What did you expect?

When Bruce Ratner purchased the team, then announced his plan to move them to Brooklyn, his refusal to resign Kenyon Martin essentially became the first indication he was less interested in owning a basketball team, than he was using them as a vehicle to get his proposed downtown Atlantic Yards development realized.

The team inevitably initiated a great rebuild anyway, by first deconstructing the roster during their final years in New Jersey.

After all Ratner's legal wrangling, majority ownership of the team ponderously, if not conveniently, transferred to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov even before the concrete foundation at Barclays Center had been poured.  

The new owner's first order of business was to revamp the front office, beginning with the unceremonious purging of Rod Thorn.  The Nets in turn hired Billy King to be their next general manager.  In his defense, King was charged with not just turning the Nets into a competitive team in time for their Brooklyn debut, but to fulfill the owner's mandate of winning a championship within five years of assuming control.

Suffice to say, that hastily executed mission ended in disaster.  To date, Billy King has done more to help rebuild the Boston Celtics than he has the Nets, whom are in their fourth straight season of regression.  Presently sporting a 10-27 record, only Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers have fared worse this season.

For two seasons now, I've wondered aloud why Billy King was still GM of the Nets...

I no longer have to wonder.  Owner Mikhail Prokhorov finally had enough of this futility as well, and this weekend cleaned house.

Billy King, and Coach Hollins have been relieved of their duties.

This means the Nets will finish out the regular season with their fifth head coach since moving to Brooklyn (in 2012-2013), and will most likely begin next season with their sixth coach in 5 years.

On the bright side, the Nets will gain a measure of salary cap relief next season.  Otherwise, the Nets draft has been compromised till 2020, when they finally regain control of their #1 pick again.  Till then, Boston will reap the benefits of Brooklyn's futility.

Assistant coach Tony Brown will finish out the season as interim coach, while Billy King will be retained, reassigned, and made responsible for finding his own replacement.

Brooklyn Nets: Rebuilding the Future One Bean at a Time

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Brooklyn Nets: Boston Fans Shower Appreciation Upon Billy King For Helping Rebuild Celtics.

Let's be clear, before reaching court level, reasons why the Nets find themselves in this position start at the top.

Soon after purchasing controlling interest of the team, and on the eve of the 2010 Draft Lottery, Mikhail Prokhorov confidently proclaimed - May 2010/N.Y. Daily News:

"If everything goes as planned, I expect us to be in the playoffs next season ... and (win a) championship in one year minimum and maximum in five years."

On signing potential free agents:

"The excitement is with the Nets.  We will have a desire to win that is unmatched anywhere in the league.  This will be a first class organization with all the support it needs."

He's been relatively hands off, even preoccupied at times, and has yet to profess any personal long term commitments to the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center.

Financially speaking, however, there's no arguing the man puts his money where his mouth is.  As promised, the willingness and the resources have been available.

It's his front office I've fretted since day one.  The owner didn't necessarily tell them how to win a championship, so long as his appointed executives got it done.

On that note, the Nets never did win that NBA title (within five years), obviously.  Billy King proved money alone does not buy championships - or much else for that matter.  And so he's presently working on the next course of action.  I'd offer the plan is dubious at best - after all, King's constant roster manipulations have only served to plunge Brooklyn deeper into the depths of the Eastern Conference second division.

This blog has long maintained a displeasure for the way Rod Thorn was effectively shoved out the door, and at the time thought little of Billy King being named his successor ... and think even less of the job he's done to date.

The results speak for themselves.  After winning 49 games during their inaugural season in Brooklyn, they dipped to 44 victories two seasons ago, then fell below par with only 38 wins last seasons.  Now they're off to a dismaying 3-11 start this season.

Turn your attention back towards last Friday in Boston, and let's call the night for what it was - utterly embarrassing!

No, I'm not necessarily talking about getting smoked 120-95 by the Celtics.  I'm talking about getting dumped on by the Boston "bean eaters" in attendance.  Billy King was in the house, so you can well imagine how that went over.

The Nets' general manager was treated to chorus of...

• Thank - You - Brook - lyn!
• Brook - lyn - Draft - Picks!
• Clap - clap - clap clap clap!

Thing is, had Billy King just slept in a Holiday Inn the night of July 11, 2013, perhaps the Nets could have avoided this whole mess.  Instead, he woke up on July 12 inspired to acquire Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from Boston, in exchange for five players (Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph), and a treasure of Nets draft picks:

• 2014 - #1 draft pick.
• 2016 - #1 draft pick.
• 2017 - option to swap #1 draft picks.
• 2018 - #1 draft pick.

In other words, the Nets do not have control of their first round pick until 2019.

In the meantime, one could argue Billy King is rebuilding the Boston Celtics far more effectively than he is the Brooklyn Nets.

The Cetics outscored the Nets by a combined 221-206 scored during their recent home-and-home series.

Just saying...

Brooklyn Nets: They Came; They Saw; They Left Disinterested as Ever

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Taxi!

BROOKLYN NETS: Veni, Vidi, Fugheddaboudit...

They came; 

They saw;

They paid respects to Kobe Bryant with cheers of MVP! one last time, and got to see Byron Scott again, whom once led the (New Jersey) Nets to back-to-back Eastern Conference titles;

Then they filed out of the building just as disinterested in their own local product as when they entered.

Brooklyn fans, that is...

To say fans exited Barclays Center discouraged would be to imply they cared in the first place.  Most of them were there to see Kobe.  But actual Nets fans gave their team a silent, chilly glance on their way out the door - as if to say it's time for you to hit the road, Jack (every pun intended), and we'll deal with you when you get back.

The Nets did just that, opening a four game trip with a loss in Milwaukee to Jason Kidd's young Bucks.  They're presently off till Wednesday, when they'll visit Houston.

I can't speak for others, plus, I might be overstating the issue.  But I doubt it.  Very early in this relocation process, I warned just how apathetic this Borough can be when it comes to certain things - their moving into the neighborhood among them.

With every aspect of this organization now seemingly conspiring against him, I say with great confidence as a life-long resident of Kings County, Nets CEO Bret Yormark should be worried.

After a strong initial push into Knicks territory (Bernard King's turf), the Nets invasion efforts are losing ground on all fronts.  In truth, the product is bad, getting worse, and has no hope of improving (through the draft for several more years to come), and as a result, the whole campaign is teetering on ruin.

Like any sports franchise or company, most major issues usually start at the top.

Outside of spending money well wasted, ownership has done little else towards convincing the fan base he/they are in this for the long haul.  The team generally lacked a greater presence, and perhaps more involvement on Mikhail Prokhorov's part.  He has in fact previously entertained thoughts of selling, even if only fleetingly, despite public, yet coded reassurances to the contrary.

It's difficult arguing, however, how he left the door strategically ajar for just such a move.  We saw his political aspirations put this franchise on hold once before.  Who's to say his next eclectic endeavor won't place the same neglectful distance between him and the team again?

Enter Billy King.

The man has made a complete and utter mess of Brooklyn's first professional sports franchise since the old Dodgers left town.

The man took Mikhail Prokhorov's vision, and money, and effectively recreated the Washington Generals (while simultaneously helping build Boston's next potential title).

The Nets have now lost seven straight to open the 2015-2016 regular season; Brooklyn's fourth season, and sure to be their worst.

There's something to be said for trending...

• 1st year in BK; 49-33 
• 2nd year in BK; 44-38
• 3rd year in BK; 38-44
• 4th year in BK; 0-7 to date.

So far, opponents are outscoring the Nets by an average 103-90 margin, and I fear we have not yet begun to witness the full extent of futility which awaits us.

The Big Three is officially no more.  Deron Williams' time here expired with little to show.   Meanwhile, we're just seven games into this and Brook Lopez already had his first pedal setback (this, on the heels of new three-year contract).  That leaves Joe Johnson as the lone member that provided a representative contribution.  But, that's more an indictment than supportive.

But here's the main reason why Billy King no longer deserves serving as general manager of the Nets.

The Flatbush Avenue cagers are in the bottom tier in NBA attendance this season. Of course, we're dealing with a small sample size this early on, but the Nets should nevertheless recognize a foreboding trend.

• 1st season in Brooklyn - 16th in attendance; 94% capacity.
• 2nd season (2013-2014) - 17th in attendance; 95% capacity.
• 3rd season (2014-2015) - 20th in attendance; 94% capacity.
• 4th season (2015-2016) - 25th in attendance; 88% capacity to date.

If anything, Kobe's final appearance in Brooklyn helped inflate Brooklyn's numbers to some extent.

Kobe is not coming back though.  So, clearly then, we have a problem.

Ownership better rethink this thing before too many people stop caring.

Brooklyn Nets: Billy King and the Mess of Flatbush

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

The Five Year Mission Failed.

BROOKLYN NETS: Instead of celebrating their first NBA championship, the Hoops of Flatbush are facing a rebuild without any nails, hammers, or wood, and the wrong guy in charge.

Yeah.., ouch!  Keep reading.

In the last three seasons, the Nets went from a 49-33 record during their inaugural season in Brooklyn, to a 44-38 record in 2013-14, to posting a sub par 38-44 record this past season in what proved to be a very weak Atlantic Division, and Eastern Conference.

That's called regression.

Let's jump right in, then, with the Atlanta Hawks recently opting to swap #1 picks with the Nets, as is their right dating back to the Joe Johnson trade.  The Hawks #29 overall pick in the upcoming 2015 draft now belongs to the Nets, while Brooklyn's #15 overall pick is headed to Atlanta.

Since we're on the subject of draft picks, the Boston Celtics will benefit from Billy King's benevolence till the year 2018.  As part of the trade to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics received the Nets 2014 #1 pick, and are still due the Nets 2016 #1 pick, the option to swap 2017 #1 picks, and the Nets 2018 #1 pick.

Moreover, heading into Summer the Nets suffer from incredible salary cap inflexibility, not to mention being indebted to the NBA's luxury tax.  On that note, Alan Anderson, Thaddeus Young, and Brook Lopez, can all opt of of their deals and become a free agents.  If Billy King has intentions to retain Lopez and Young, it will potentially cost him yet more money.  That would leave very little to address the team's greater deficiencies.

Those are just some of the enduring ramifications stemming from Billy King's tenure, and five year (or three year..) failed mission to win his boss an NBA championship.

The NBA's most expensive team is now in need of a complete overhaul, although one is not likely because Billy King has created an unmanageable, and in all likelihood, an immovable mess.

When I last chimed in, I was about to lambaste Jarrett Jack for an utterly pathetic defensive effort in Game 5.  But, after getting blown out by the Hawks in Game 6, that became a moot point.

Today, the Nets situation is less promising than its ever been on Flatbush.  Meanwhile, Billy King still has one more year left in his contract.

Does this mean the Nets will be challenged to win 35 games next season?  My answer to that is - Once is an event, Twice is a coincidence, and Three times is a trend.  Read into that what you will.

All I know is that Joe Johnson said this -

"We never had that (chemistry) going into seasons.  That's probably the thing that hurt us most because you can have coaching changes but as players, you have to have cohesiveness to be successful in this league."

That's on Billy King, for his revolving door of both coaches and players.

This much I do know.  Billy King's 4th head coach in three years is astonishingly blunt, brutally honest, but speaks the truth.   Lionel Hollins demoted, and made bench players of Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.  I have yet to decide whether all of it helped, or hindered the team.

Among his more biting critiques:

On Deron Williams -

"He's not a franchise player anymore."

On Brook Lopez -

"He has some limitations.  ...there's a lot more that goes into a franchise player than just skill, so I don't even want to go there." 

On the team -

"I thought we had a higher basketball IQ as a group than we did.  I thought we had more toughness and all of that.   

...looking from the outside, that's why I always say until you come in and coach a team you don't know for sure.  I thought the skill level was better..."

Ouch!

He basically dumped all over Billy King's creation, and in fact, dumped on them all season long.

I don't know how King is going to improve this team.  He's got the entire organization in a bind.  We do not know if Mikhail Prokhorov has true intentions to sell, and if he's just trying to maintain a positive image.  That might explain why Mikhail Prokhorov hasn't fired him yet.

King's failure on the court should only be part of the owner's reasoning.  Marketing wise, I'd be focusing on Billy King's failure to seize the city as the Knicks were falling flat on their faces.  Over the last two seasons, Brooklyn was the only NYC representative in the playoffs, and as such, failed to encroach on the Knicks' popularity, never mind seizing the moment (or a Borough).

This is still a tenuous time for professional basketball in Brooklyn.  So far, fans kept their side of the deal.  They packed Barclays Center, and in all honesty, sometimes I had my doubts.  This can be a very apathetic, and on the more positive side, an ambivalent town.  The organization should now act before they lose something more than just games and money.  They need to worry about sustaining interest.  Therefore, a proactive approach is in order.

Billy King has been the architect of an incredible mess on Flatbush Avenue.  Someone else should be brought in to dismantle it, then rebuild it, quickly.



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Billy King's Last Stand

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2014-2015

National Basketball Association 

PLAYOFFS

TODAY

***GAME ONE***

BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

Atlanta Hawks

from

The Peach State

BROOKLYN NETS: Strike one; Strike two; Strike three and you're out...  Is this Billy King's Flatbush Finale?

How bad would it have been had the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics qualified for the playoffs, and not the Nets?  The answer, of course, is academic as the Nets open the playoffs this evening in Atlanta.

As a non-starter, however, this is the final season in which the Nets can fulfill their owner's manifest destiny, AKA - Mikhail Prokhorov's proclamation they'd win an NBA championship within five seasons upon assuming a control.

Give credit where it's due; sure.  Since the Nets move from New Jersey, Brooklyn qualified for their third straight post-season in as many seasons.  However, the situation along Flatbush Avenue has nevertheless deteriorated.

In Brooklyn's first season the Nets posted a fine 49-33 record, then lost a tightly contested 7-game opening round series against the Chicago Bulls.  Last season, the Nets posted a 44-38 record.  In the playoffs, they defeated the Atlantic Division winning Toronto Raptors in round one, then fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semis.

This season, in a very weak Eastern Conference field, Brooklyn fell to a below par 38-44 record, and 3rd place in the Atlantic Division.  They barely qualified for the post-season with a victory in their final regular season game (and with help from a Pacers loss).  As the 8th seed, they will be in Atlanta this evening to challenge the #1 seeded Hawks.

Lionel Hollins will be the third coach in as many years to lead the Brooklyn Nets into the post-season.  After Avery Johnson's dismissal shortly into year one, P.J. Carlessimo took over and guided Brooklyn towards its first post-season.  Jason Kidd was then given a clean slate the following season. After tossing assistant coach Lawrence Frank overboard, Captain Kidd righted a listing ship enough for a first round playoff series victory.

Few would argue Jason Kidd's attempted coup d'etat partly warranted his dismissal from the Nets.   So, off to Milwaukee he went.  The Bucks posted a 15-67 record last season.  Then, as the youngest team in the league, they improved to 41-41 this season under Jason Kidd to qualify for the Eastern Conference #6 seed.

Not incidentally, the Nets were 1-3 against the younger, more athletic Bucks this season.  On April 12th, the Nets 96-73 loss to Milwaukee tied their season low for points scored.  In January, the Nets put forth an even more pathetic 108-73 losing effort against Deron Williams' former (and equally more athletic) club.

Two seasons ago, the Boston Celtics initiated a full blown rebuilding, yet still managed to post a 40-42 record this season and qualify for the playoffs.  One might even argue general manager Danny Ainge's decision to gut the Celts was partly inspired by Billy King's generosity in offering Boston the Nets #1 draft picks for the foreseeable future in exchange for the aged Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, etc.

The two were no doubt positive influences on the Nets.  In fact, Paul Pierce made sure everyone knew that.  Now playing with the #5 seeded Washington Wizards, Pierce very recently sounded-off regarding the Nets (perceived) pathetic attitudes, lack of will and effort in practice, their overall team and individual defectiveness, and even singled out Deron Williams.

On a more positive note, prior to his trade back to Minnesota, Kevin Garnett was an extremely positive influence on Mason Plumlee that should benefit the Nets moving forward. A Duke/Coach K background, and a heavy dose of KG is a great foundation to build upon.

Saying the Nets backed-in, or limped into the post-season is being kind.

They nevertheless will challenge the Eastern Conference #1 seeded Atlanta Hawks, against whom they lost all four regular season meetings.  In December, the Nets were limited to just 75 points by Atlanta.  On April 4th, the Hawks posted a 32-point margin of victory over the Nets in Atlanta, then visited Barclays Center four days later, and beat them again by a 114-111 score.

The big three of this team; the big financial three if nothing else; have arrived at what should be their final go-around together.  The triad of Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, and Joe Johnson, have been the only measure of consistency for this team over three seasons.  The otherwise supporting cast members have entered and exited Billy King's commune via a fast and free spinning revolving door.

The results have been minimal; one playoff series victory in two previous post-season appearances.

Inconsistency, has been constant around here.  There's times when the Nets play inspired basketball, and look like legitimate contenders, but then suffer through episodes when they flat out suck.   Unfortunately, this season they played like second division dwellers more often than not.

The Nets have gotten off to bad starts in all three of their seasons in Brooklyn.  However, Lionel Hollins never quite orchestrated the January turn-around the Nets enjoyed in the previous two seasons.

The "season turn-around" didn't materialize until, arguably, late March.  Weeks and months of underachieving, heightened by tension over the benching of starters Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, rabid trade rumors, and another mid-season roster shake-up, all led up to a 27-39 record by March 18th.

The Nets went on to win 10 of their next 12 games, which included a 6-game win streak with victories over the likes of Cleveland, Indiana, and Toronto.  However, they struggled with a 3-4 record down the stretch and placed their potential playoff appearance in serious jeopardy.

I have argued Billy King should not have lasted this long - not after 4 head coaching changes, spending the team into salary cap and luxury tax oblivion, the yet unrealized damage this organization will suffer due to lack of control of their #1 picks through 2019-2020, the consistent lack of speed in transition or otherwise - basically non-athletic players, and dwindling win totals.

What should await the general manager should the Nets quietly bow out of the playoffs for a third straight season?

Part of the answer is complicated by the fact that no one is really sure of the owner's level of commitment towards retaining or selling the team.

All that being said, it's time to shock the world!

Let's go Brooklyn.

Let's Go Nets!



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Kings of the Second Circuit

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Billy King's Borough Of Misfit Toys

BROOKLYN NETS: Dear Ownership, Forget Lionel Hollins; Billy King Is Your Problem.  He Created This Mess That Will Compromise The Team For Years to Come.

Previously: The Woes of Flatbush

I've been saying for a while now, that it was only a matter of time before either Billy King or Mikhail Prokhorov got tired of listening to Lionel Hollins openly disparage the team.

The players certainly have.  But, in their case, the truth hurts.

On the one hand, it's nice that someone in upper management is actually worried whether Hollins' message is getting through to the players.  On the other hand, upper management just doesn't get it, because they're a large part of the problem.

In fact, Coach Hollins is least of the Brooklyn Nets problems.

He became available because of the "new ownership wanted to go in a new direction" thing.  Hollins otherwise left the Memphis Grizzlies in very good shape, and left behind some very good player relationships.

Lionel Hollins leaves no question as to who's in charge of the Nets locker room.  I couldn't say that with confidence about Jason Kidd or P.J. Carlesimo.  And, I know the Nets are a defensively improved team under Hollins.  That's also something I couldn't say about P.J. Carlesimo's or Jason Kidd's time as coach.

Hollins coaches with a heavy hand, and blindfolded to the names on jerseys; just ask Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.

But, what was already an erratic offensive team has gotten astonishingly worse under Coach Hollins, and they still lack a discernible offensive system of play.

The thing is, P.J. and Kidd each coached their respective variations of this roster, and had them turned around by January.  As January 2015 draws to a close, Coach Hollins' variation of the roster has so far failed to turn things around, and are failing in increasingly miserable fashion.

At least P.J. and Kidd were able to turn bad situations around, and guide their teams to the playoffs.   Last season, Jason Kidd and the Nets even won their first playoff series as a Brooklyn franchise, but were eliminated in the second round.

The last two games for Coach Hollins and the Nets were particularly distressing, in which they were outscored by a 231-157 margin.  On Jan. 22nd, they got routed by the Los Angeles Clippers, 123-84; a 39-point discrepancy.   On Jan. 24th, they were likewise blown out by the Utah Jazz, 108-73; another 35-point discrepancy.

They are just 3-10 in January, and 18-26 for the season, and have now fallen out of the Eastern Conference top eight teams.

There are two things, however, that Carlesimo, Kidd, and Hollins, all have in common: their general manager, and that for the third straight season the roster he assembled has been woeful against teams with winning records.

Billy King has taken Mikhail Prokhorov's passionate fiscal investment into Brooklyn basketball, and has by all counts built the worst team money can buy.  The man has maxed-out the salary cap for another season after this, and has severely compromised the team's draft for the remainder of the decade.

To the dismay of a borough, the Brooklyn Nets have become nothing more than the Kings of the Second Circuit.

Instead of an intensive audit into Lionel Hollins work, who the hell is putting Billy King under the spotlight?

Lionel Hollins signed a four year deal.  What is King going to do?  Fire him?  If he does, King should follow him through the door.  There is no way he can survive his present employment and be allowed to hire what would be the team's 5TH coach in less that three full seasons?

And, with the trade deadline looming, he's on the brink of making what would be his fourth radical makeover?

No mas!

Dear ownership, look no further.  Billy King is your problem.

Save us.

Hello?  Is any one there, or have you sold the team already?



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: The Woes of Flatbush

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Outside of a Kevin Garnett headbutt, 

the Hoops have been doing little rumbling in Flatbush.

BROOKLYN NETS: Time For Hollins and the Hoops to Get Out of Town and Regroup.

With forty-one games in the books, the Brooklyn Nets are at the halfway point of the season.

If the playoffs started today, the Nets would qualify as the Eastern Conference 8th seed.  That's a small consolation though.  Along with the Miami Heat, they are presently the only two qualifiers with losing records in a very weak field.  That makes them nothing more than the best of the rest; hardly a contender.

The Nets have a 17-24 record, which in today's NBA is actually good enough for 2nd place in the Atlantic Division; nine games behind the Toronto Raptors.

In closing out the first half of their season Saturday night against the Wizards, with less than a minute left in the game and the Nets down by only five, I saw Coach Hollins implement no particular plan, and a team playing with no particular enthusiasm, or clue.

After the game, Jarrett Jack said they were tired.  That might have been true for him, otherwise, yes, Barclays fans are getting worn down by a tired situation.

Sensing the Nets desperately needed to get out of town, the schedule makers mercifully sent Coach Hollins and the Hoops out west this week for games against the Kings, Clippers, and Jazz.

The damage, however, has been done.  Friday's victory over Washington on the front end of a home-and-home snapped their 7-game losing streak.  Saturday's loss nonetheless became their 8th loss in their last 9 games; made them 2-8 in the new year; and dropped them to 8-14 at home.

They have exactly three highlights this season; an overtime victory over the Spurs, an impressive win over the Bulls, and perhaps Friday's victory over the Wizards.  They otherwise failed to sustain, following the San Antonio victory with a 3-game losing streak, and following that Bulls victory by losing 8 of their next 10 games.

What comes next is anyone's guess.

What we do know, is that this team is a slow, plodding, nonathletic, non-rebounding mess.  They lost a ponderous game to Philadelphia earlier this month, and for a third straight season own an amateurish record against winning teams.

Through 2 1/2 seasons in Brooklyn, the Nets are 110-95, and fading.  They won 49 games in their inaugural season, then dropped to 44 victories last season.  They need to go 23-18 the rest of the way just to reach 40 wins for a 3rd straight season, and go 24-17 just to finish the season with a .500 record.

For too long now, their two franchise players have failed to stay healthy.  This season, their limited play on the floor earned them seats on Coach Hollins' bench until further notice.

Worth mentioning is that Lionel Hollins is Billy King's 4th head coach in less than three seasons, and in an indirect way, Billy King's harshest critic.  The man minces no words when criticizing King's creation to the press.  During a recent post-gamer, he said the Nets identity was that of a bad shooting team.

Lines like that leave little room for interpretation.

Gerald Wallace; Paul Pierce; Shaun Livingston; Andray Blatche; Reggie Evans; Andrei Kirilenko; Marcus Thornton just to name a few - including the present collection - it's been three seasons of revolving rosters with no end in sight.

In the process, Billy King has this team financially capped out through next season, and has compromised the draft for years to come.

Their #1 pick in this summer's draft is expected to be swapped with the Atlanta Hawks - the #1 team in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets future drafts are no less compromised.  Boston owns the Nets 2016 #1 pick, and the Clippers have a right to swap #2 picks.  In 2017, Boston holds the right to swap #1, while the Nets #2 went to Atlanta.  In 2018, Boston owns Brooklyn's #1, and their #2 is potentially lost to Philadelphia. Philly also owns their 2020 #2 pick.

You would think such circumstances would inspire ownership to get involved, if not trigger a mushroom cloud rising over Flatbush.  But, instead of lashing out at his overly expensive, woefully under performing team, and at the GM responsible for putting this mess together, Mikhail Prokhorov is reportedly bailing out on Brooklyn.

The trade deadline is one month away, and with an apparent lack of oversight, Billy King is seemingly free to continue running a muck.

Woe is Flatbush.


Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Hollins, Harden, Howard and Head-Butts

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Waiting for the other sneaker to drop?

Trade Deadline ~ February 19th

BROOKLYN NETS: The Hoops of Flatbush Rumble with Houston Rockets; Kevin Garnett Head-Butts Persona Non Grata Dwight Howard...

....but Nets still lost.

Unlike the first two seasons in Brooklyn, the new calender year hasn't yet ushered in a successful turnaround like many hoped.

After ending 2014 on a high note with a decisive victory over the Bulls, then winning their first game in January over the Magic, the Nets have since gone 0-6 to establish their longest streak since moving to Flatbush Avenue.

Their best effort during this recent stretch came against the Mavericks, that is, until they petered out in overtime.  Then of course, a pathetic loss to the moribund Sixers was an especially bitter pill to swallow.  The Pistons loss followed, which brings us to Monday night's latest meltdown.

Brooklyn scored 28 points in the 1st period, dropped to 24 points in the 2nd, and scored just 18 points in the 3rd.  They scored 29 lightly defended points in the 4th, which infers Houston's 113-99 victory was already well in hand.

Brooklyn actually scored more fast break points and more points in the paint.  Rebounds, free throw attempts, and most other pertinent game stats were relatively even.

Their demise however, came from beyond the arch.  Led by James Harden, the Rockets launched 40 three-point attempts, and connected on 40% (16) of them.  Otherwise, the Rockets took 86 shots from the field and the Nets ended with 84, but attempted 19 less three-pointers than Houston.

James Harden exploited Bojan Bogdanovic en route to a game high 30 points, and tied Brooklyn's Jarrett Jack with a game high 6 assists.

Kevin Garnett earned his 8th career ejection when his temper got the best of him early in the 1st quarter.  After getting called for non-shooting foul on Howard, Garnett gave Howard a slight shove.   Howard shoved back more authoritatively.  Garnett then threw the basketball at Howard.  When the two drew closer for a sure confrontation, Garnett head-butted Howard, and Howard landed a retaliatory slap to the neck.

After Garnett's ejection, the home crowd and Mason Plumlee took good care of Howard thereafter.   In his first trip to Brooklyn since the whole "2012 Dwight Howard to Flatbush" drama played out, the Rockets center got booed every time he touched the ball, and ended the night with just 8 points and 5 rebounds.  Mason Plumlee (one of the few bright spots on this team), meanwhile, posted his 9th double/double of the season, with a team high 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Forced into early action off the bench, Brook Lopez scored 12 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in 24 minutes.  His opponent, however, had his way against Lopez in Kevin Garnett's absence.   Houston's Donatas Motiejunas was 8/11 from the floor, with a team high 11 rebounds, and a complimentary 18 points behind Harden.

If The Coach Yells Loud Enough, The Owner Just Might Hear Him

With Lionel Hollins, owner Mikhail Prokhorov is getting the best raw analysis of his basketball enterprise without the extra added cost of paying him overtime.  Proactive and image conscious corporations pay small fortunes to outside consultants for this very type of harsh critique.

Prior to Monday's game, Coach Hollins was asked if the team is still searching for an identity.  He answered very matter of fact -  ...the team has an identity; they're a bad shooting team.

(They actually shot 46% from the field Monday night, but......)

If the truth hurts, then the Nets players should be hooked on pain medication by now.  Coach Hollins has been brutally honest in his assessment of this team throughout the season, and his words only cut deeper with each passing game.

Make no mistake, he does speak the truth.  My only question is, how long will Billy King allow his coach to openly mock (!) the team he assembled?

Because the Eastern Conference is polluted with garbage 10 teams playing .500 basketball or below, the 16-22 Nets still have a solid hold on 2nd place in the Atlantic Division, and still rank 8th in the conference.  If the conference were only slightly better, the Nets would surely be worse.

That said, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  What's a general manager to do?

Better question is, considering the present cost of this team, the salary cap hell they're in, the lack of a return on that money, and lack of draft picks, and the fact that the team is on its 4th coach in 4 years, what's an owner to do?

Think about it - Coach has basically intimated throughout the season how this team sucks, to the point where, the owner just might agree with him.



Mike