Brooklyn Nets Tip-Off Season In Beantown

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2014-2015

Regular Season Opener

TONIGHT

Brooklyn Nets

vs.

Boston Celtics

from

Beantown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Failure To Close Out Games Has Flatbush In A Bind

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS: Flatbush Needs Angry Deron Back.

Some things never change.

LeBron James' Monday night romp was no different than the way Michael Jordan used to come to town and light up the Knicks.  You knew he was going to get his points.  The objective was to shut down Scottie Pippen, and everyone else.

And, as was the case on many nights back when those Bulls visited the Garden, despite the main attraction putting on a show, this Miami Heats team, like those Bulls, have been similarly begging to lose.  But, now, as then, teams fail to step up, and suffer from poor late game execution.

In Game Four, the Nets simply failed to deliver a knockout blow.  Worse, they increasingly look discombobulated in the final rounds.  A failure to close out the Heat has now cost the Brooklyn Nets two games this series.  One more loss, and they'll have no one to blame for their elimination, but themselves.   They opted for a rope-a-dope in Game Four, and paid a price.  Now it is the Heat who are on the verge of delivering a TKO in Five.

The Nets were right there, in the middle of the ring exchanging haymakers.  But, we've seen this team suddenly go limp time, and again.  Thing is, Brooklyn took more shots from the field, converted more free throws, won the battle of the boards, distributed more assists, actually scored more points in the paint, and got more scoring from their bench.

But, you just can't let the Heat hang around.  You have to score late buckets with similar 1st quarter-like accuracy, or risk becoming undone.  That said, with roughly 4:00 left in the game, and the score locked at 92-92, that's exactly what happened.  The Ghoul of Flatbush reared its ugly head again to spook Brooklyn.

After Joe Johnson's free throws at the 3:55 mark, the Nets went 2 for their last 10 possessions, getting outscored 10-4 in the game's closing minutes.   Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Joe Johnson combined to shoot 0 for 4 from the field on the Nets final 6 possessions, while the Nets only points in the final 2:30 came on Kevin Garnett's 2 free throws, and Mirza Teletovic's layup with just 0:07 left.

Miami shot 52.9% from the field, while the Nets slumped in the 4th quarter to finish 43.6% for the night.   The Nets additionally only managed 20 points in the final quarter - their lowest output of the four sessions.

No one really expected the Nets to repeat their Game Three performance from beyond the arch.  Instead, Game Four was all about late, clutch, 2-point buckets.   The Nets even secured a series of defensive rebounds in those closing minutes, but failed to convert.  There's your game.

The Nets now face elimination for the third time in the 2013-14 playoffs.  They faced two straight elimination situations against the Toronto Raptors, and prevailed each time in games Six and Seven.  But, these are the defending NBA champions the Nets are now forced to defeat three straight times, and do it without the benefit of home court advantage.

I understand trying to slow down LeBron is a mixed bag of goods.  Over defending him will just set up the next guy's shot.  But, letting him start his drive from Calle Ocho, then allowing him to remain untouched all the way to the basket, is getting embarrassing.  I'd additionally keep a watchful eye on Chris Bosh too.  He's been slipping through the cracks and delivering big buckets.

On offense, the Nets need 10 points from Garnett, and can Deron Williams finally outplay Mario Chalmers for a change?  Deron's off-season narrative is going to be brutal as it is.  For now however, the formula is proven. When Deron plays well, the Nets win.   When he drives the lane and misses layups (or runs into three defenders without a plan, and turns the ball over), Game Four happens.

Where's the Deron Williams that got pissed off after getting torched by John Wall (back during the regular season)?  The Nets need Angry Deron back.



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: Game One - Raptors Foiled By THE TRUTH

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

2013-2014

NBA PLAYOFFS ~ ROUND ONE

GAME ONE FINAL:

NETS     94

Raptors  87

BROOKLYN NETS: "The Truth" - Paul Pierce Offers Up A Lesson In The Fine Art Of Closing Out Playoff Games.

Nine of Paul Pierce's Fifteen Points Came In The Final 3:30 Of The Game.

Paul Pierce finished unlike any Brooklyn Nets player ever has prior to his arrival.  Game One in Toronto demonstrated exactly why Billy King rolled his dice on Pierce, as well as Kevin Garnett. In the final 2 minutes of the game, the ball was in their hands, and they delivered Brooklyn to victory on the road against a tenacious Raptors team.

From the onset, the Toronto crowd heckled Kevin Garnett - KG SUCKS! - and he did.  Garnett couldn't buy a shot.  The Nets opted to get him the ball early, but he missed the Nets first three attempts of the game.  He was only 1/5 for the game, and 3/6 from the line.  But, his 1st basket came in the 3rd quarter, a free throw, which tied the game 51-51 at the 9:02 mark.  Then, his first field goal of the game was nothing short of clutch.  He gave the Nets a 79-76 lead with 3:30 left. Looking back, they were two of the several stabilizing moments in the game.

Kevin Garnett led the team with 8 rebounds, 7 defensive.  But more than anything, he combined with Paul Pierce in handling the ball with very sure hands in the closing three minutes of the game. His ability to gain the high elbow, and pass back and forth with Paul Pierce on the wing, without panic, exemplified their respective playoff experience at its finest.

For all Kyle Lowry's and Deron Williams' efforts, the respective back courts were still playing to a stalemate with less than 5:00 left in the game - 32 points each.  That's exactly when Paul Pierce started taking over.

Nine of Paul Pierce's 15 points came in the last 3:00 of the game.  With 2:57 to go, Paul Pierce's three-pointer opened up an 82-76 lead.  He followed on his next possession with a layup to make it 84-78 Nets.  At 1:30, he jumper made it 86-78 Nets.  After Greivis Vasquez responded with a three, Paul Pierce answer back with another jumper to give the Nets an 88-81 lead, with just 51.5 seconds left.

Once the Raptors resorted to fouling and stopping the clock, Brooklyn ensured the ball was in Joe Johnson's hands.  Mr.Big Shot nailed 4 free throws in the closing seconds to secure a 94-87 Brooklyn victory.

While Pual Pierce provided the finishing touches in Game One, it was Deron Williams and Joe Johnson who spent Saturday's opening game in the trenches.

Joe Johnson led all players with 45 minutes, while Kyle Lowry was a close second with 44 minutes. Johnson tied for the game lead with 24 points.  Joe also pulled down 8 rebounds, and distributed 8 assists.  He was 62% from the field on 8/13 shooting, and a perfect 8/8 from the line.

Deron Williams issued his opening statement with conviction, and won small victory over Kyle Lowry, who finished with 22 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.  Deron Williams tied Joe Johnson with a game high 24 points.  He also had 3 assists and a rebound.  Deron was 40% from the field on 8/20 shooting, and 6/6 from the line.

The Nets got out-rebounded again.  Mason Plumlee put himself into foul trouble, and through three quarters, the rebounding disparity was considerable.  Garnett, Joe Johnson and Andray Blatche closed the gap somewhat, but Toronto won the battle by a 45-37 margin.  The Nets had absolutely no answer for Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, who dominated the glass with 18 rebounds, and also added 17 points, and 2 blocks.

The Raptors also distributed six more (22-16) assists than Brooklyn.

Brooklyn suffered from poor shooting from several members: Garnett 1/5; Blatche 2/5; Mirza Teletovic 1/6; Marcus Thornton 0/4.  That equates to 20% FG average.

Toronto may want to limit their turnovers (17) in Game Two, but at the same token, several Nets just need to improve their accuracy.



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: Welcome To (Billy) King's County

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SUNDAY NIGHT FINAL:

Magic   88

NETS   97

Flatbush Improves Season Record To 44-36,

and 28-12 At Barclays Center.

BROOKLYN NETS: Mirza Teletovic and Mason Plumlee Lead Bench Assault Over Magic; Deron Williams Returns With 16 Points.

At present, the overriding sense of the Nets seems considerably better than it did this time last season.  That's somewhat odd considering the team will not match last year's 49 victory total, and Brook Lopez has missed most of another season, yet technically remains the team's leading average scorer.

Despite Sunday's 97-88 victory over the Magic, the next two games against the Knicks, and Cleveland should change little in the Eastern Conference standings.  Brooklyn appears settled into the 5th seed behind the Toronto Raptors, and ahead of the Washington Wizards.

The fact last year's team lost the opening round of the playoffs in seven games to the depleted Chicago Bulls escapes no one.  It was a disappointing ending to say the least.  Gerald Wallace didn't even know what his role was.

This season, Jason Kidd placed everyone exactly where they needed to be.  Except maybe for LeBron James, the Nets have certainly gained league wide attention this season with the way they've surged since January.  But on April 19th, the Nets odyssey to justify all Billy King's off-season maneuverings truly begins.  The general manager has made no secret of where he believes this team should finish.  The owner still has one year left on his championship mandate, but Billy King wants to win now.

In my more pragmatic view, this team must advance to the second round, and still perhaps may need to advance into the conference finals in order for the season to be deemed successful.

BILLY KING'S SUCCESS IS CONNECTED TO THE FOOT BONE

While the Nets are a somewhat versatile, and very deep team when healthy, if Deron Williams doesn't lead them, the Nets won't get far.

According to his 36-minute averages, Deron is averaging 16.0 points, and 7.0 assists this season. But when you start any argument with a cushion, it means you're hiding something.  As such, his regular per-game averages are not as forgiving - 14.3 points, and only 6.2 assists per game.

Observant eyes have watched Williams' game devolve over the last three seasons.  He has yet to recapture his level of play of just two seasons ago, and, his days in Utah are but a dot in the rear view mirror now.  At 29-years old, the burst in his first step is seemingly all but gone.  Ankle problems have no doubt had their effects during his time with the Nets, and he just missed another two games with a sore foot.  All told, he will have missed roughly 20 games this season.

Things may be looking up though.  Over his last 22 games, Deron Williams has averaged 33.6 minutes, 15.1 points, and 5.7 assists.  Over that stretch, he scored 20 points or more 6 times.  He had only done that 7 times in his previous 40 games spanning October through February.  While his numbers still aren't on par with his Utah days, he is nonetheless making modest improvement at the right time.

Sunday evening was Deron's first game back after missing the previous two.  He played 35 minutes against the Orlando Magic, scored 16 points, and had 5 assists.  So, at least there's been a level of consistency about him.

Out of anyone associated with the team, Deron Williams' and Billy King's reputations seem poised to suffer the most.  Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Kidd all have rings, and should be able to walk away from any potential defeat untarnished, and with relative peace of mind.

Billy King, however, failed to achieve a championship with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, and four years ago, decided to invest max money, and make another run with Deron Williams, who in turn committed to staying in Brooklyn.

After years spent building up to this moment, failing again in Brooklyn, may be harder for him to compartmentalize.  Deron Williams is equally under the microscope, and is expected to perform like the franchise player Billy King thought he traded for.

They both bound themselves to the Borough of Brooklyn, and now both bear the majority of responsibility for winning Flatbush their first NBA title.

THIS IS NO ORDINARY FLATBUSH AVENUE BENCH

While the pressure is certainly on Deron Williams to perform, the weight of the world actually is not.  Shaun Williams is expected back in time for the playoffs, and together with Joe Johnson, Flatbush still boasts one of the more potentially formidable back courts in the league.

Mirza Teletovic led all scorers Sunday night with 20 points off the bench, and pulled down 6 rebounds.  With Teletovic and Mason Plumlee at the forwards, and Andray Blatche at center, there are very few teams in the league that can sub-in entire front courts quite like Brooklyn can.  One of the best things these guys do is get to the line.

Throw Andrei Kirilenko into the mix, while still having a quality two-threat like Marcus Thornton, and the Nets bench almost suffers from an embarrassment of riches.

Kevin Garnett is back, and played extended minutes against the Magic.  Since his return, the battle of the boards has turned back in the Nets favor.  Kevin pulled down 7 rebounds (5 defensive) in 19 minutes.  The Nets out-rebounded the Magic by a 43-31 margin.

Mason Plumlee held down the fort well in Garnett's absence, and continues to be the big man on campus.  His work along the offensive baseline has been highly productive, and his confidence is soaring.  Against the Magic, there were two instances where he was a little lackadaisical with the ball, and turned it over, but that's correctable.  Paying more attention to detail should rectify that. Otherwise, Mason pulled down a game high 11 boards with 5 coming on the offensive end, and completed another double-double with 17 points in 26 minutes off the bench.  The rookie will enter into his first NBA playoffs on the heels of playing his best ball of the season.

Two Games Left In Regular Season:

Tuesday - vs. N.Y. Knicks

Wednesday - @ Cleveland

Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Mirza Teletovich Leads Bench Over Cavaliers

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FRIDAY NIGHT FINAL

Cleveland   97

Flatbush   108

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




Mike.BTB

BK Nets: No Rest For the Weary

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - There's No Place Like Flatbush.

I told you I smelled a trap game.  Luckily, after falling to the Pelicans on Monday, Toronto followed suit with a loss on Tuesday night.  Therefore, the Nets entered Wednesday night's game against the Bobcats still just 1.5 games out of first place in the division.  However, the Nets wound up squandering an opportunity, and find themselves 2.5 games back again, as Toronto was victorious over Boston on Wednesday.

In Charlotte, the Nets suffered their second straight letdown, this time against the Bobcats, in what was Brooklyn's third straight overtime game. That's pretty taxing this late in the season.  So, perhaps, it's best if the Nets just hurry back to Brooklyn, rest in their own beds, and prepare to resume marching towards the playoffs on Friday, when they host Cleveland in the first of three games off Flatbush Avenue.

Considering how well they've played over the last three months, it is hard to be overly critical now. This was only the second time in 2014 Brooklyn has lost back to back games.  However, on the heels of a victory over a good Dallas Mavericks team to begin this road trip, the last two games have indeed been letdowns.

The Nets loss detracts from what was an otherwise stellar performance by Deron Williams, who finished with a team high 29-points, and poured in 18 points in the 1st quarter.  Deron also tied for the team lead with 7 assists, and after trailing the Bobcats after three quarters, he was instrumental in getting the Nets into overtime.  Mirza Teletovic scored 22 points off the bench, and Joe Johnson came in with 18 points.

All this is paltry compared to the night Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson had.  They are the two most responsible for sending the Nets home with their heads down.  Kemba Walker led all players with 12 assists, and poured in 20 points.

Al Jefferson however, destroyed Brooklyn in all aspects of the game.  While the Nets have sported a small line-up in Kevin Garnett's absence, they have been getting manhandled on the boards. Wednesday, the Nets were out-rebounded by a lopsided 49-32 margin.  The Bobcats pulled down 15 offensive rebounds.  The Nets could only manage 3 on their offensive glass.  Center Al Jefferson led all scorers with 35 points, and 12 rebounds, with 12 coming on the defensive board.

Both the Nets and Toronto Raptors play Friday evening.  In the Eastern Conference standings, #4 Chicago holds a 2.5 game lead over #5 Brooklyn.  The Bulls are in action Friday evening as well.

Twelve games remain in the Nets regular season.



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

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

Brooklyn Nets: Deron Williams Blows By Pistons

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

FINAL

NETS    119

Pistons    82

BROOKLYN NETS - The Brooks Do Their Part By Opening Road Trip With Win In Detroit.  A Knicks Loss In Utah Tonight Creates A Tie For Atlantic Division Lead.


With a series of losses out west, the Knicks set up the Nets to gain a share of first place.  But the Brooks couldn't take advantage.  How close were they?  Oh, right..., P.J. doesn't care.  After four days of rest, and three quarters at Barclays Center against the Hawks on Sunday night, the Nets held a 73-71 lead.  Prior to Nets tip-off, the Knicks lost earlier in the day to the L.A. Clippers, which brought the Nets within a half-game of the first place Knickerbockers.  Then, the fourth quarter rolled around, and the Nets broke out in the same rash that has afflicted them this season every time they get within a half court shot of the Knicks.  The Nets lost the fourth quarter 34-20, and the game by a 105-93 score.  Sunday's was the latest in a few recent failed opportunities to contest first place.


Brooklyn still started Monday night's game only one back of the leader - not a bad place to be with eighteen games left.  But the fear was they might have started their eight game road trip on the wrong foot.  Just don't tell that to Deron Williams.  By the end of the first quarter in Detroit, Williams had already posted fourteen points.  He didn't quite get enough elevation and got blocked on one particular dunk attempt.  Otherwise, Deron Williams was a one man wrecking crew, while showing no ill effects from a pair of bad ankles.


Brooklyn took a 59-45 lead into halftime.  But that's always been the easy part - building leads.  The hard part has been keeping them.  This season has been marred by too many late game lapses of - you name it.


By 6:30 left in the third quarter, the Nets were up by twenty.  Brooklyn owned a 69-49 lead, despite another Joe Johnson disappearance.  To this point, his contribution added up to eight points, two rebounds, and no assists.  Brook Lopez had eighteen, and Deron Williams was up to twenty.  Crash and Reggie Evans, continuing to start at PF, were combining on just four points.  However, Reggie Evans was single-handedly out-rebounding everybody.  As play continued, forty-two of the Pistons' fifty-six points came in the paint.  It didn't seem to matter.  At the close of the third quarter, the Nets owned a convincing 90-59 lead, led by Deron Williams' thirty-one points.  Joe Johnson was up to thirteen points.


By this time, the Knicks were still an hour away from tipping off in Utah against the Jazz.  Meanwhile, with 9:30 to go in the fourth quarter against Detroit, the Nets were up by thirty points; 94-64.  At the 7:00 mark, the Nets broke 100 points.  By the 6:00 mark, Coach P.J. emptied the bench sending Blatch, Stackhouse, Teletovic, Brooks, and Watson on the floor.


The final score was 119-82.  Deron Williams finished with a game high thirty-one points.


The Nets should feel good about bouncing back and starting what will be a daunting road trip with a win.  There was much to feel embarrasment over following Sunday night's let down.  Should the team rejoice this win came against what is now a 23-46 Detroit team?  No, hardly.  But for a change, Monday's win over the Pistons commits the Knicks to a response later in the night.  If the Knicks lose tonight in Salt Lake City, the Brooks gotta feel just a little appreciation with their situation moving forward.


It's game time in Salt Lake City!




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Loss To Philly Is Another Failure To Seize The Moment

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - Just A Brutal Loss To Philadelphia... 
A Win Over Sixers Would Have Closed The Atlantic Division Gap To Two Games.  Meanwhile, Out In Oakland...

........the Knicks Were Getting Hammered By The Warriors.  J.R. Smith got ejected from the game after committing a Flagrant-Two.  And Carmelo Anthony was clearly hobbling about the court with a bum knee.  To open the fourth quarter, the Knicks were down by twenty.  With ten minutes to go, they were still down by twenty.  A Nets win combined with a Knicks loss would have brought Brooklyn within 1 1/2 games of first place.

Ponderous.  I'll Update After Knicks Go Final.

FINAL
Knicks      63
Warriors  92

 

*

Deron Williams is playing his best ball since being acquired by the Nets.  For the moment, whatever treatment he recently received for his ailing ankles seems to be working wonders.  Aside from his collective game, there was his record setting nine first half three-pointers (eleven total) against the  Wizards, and 42-points for the game.  Deron followed that up with the 10,000th point of his NBA career on Monday.  Against the Sixers, Williams posted another double-double, scoring twenty-seven points and distributing thirteen assists.


But what a brutal loss!  Just brutal.  Monday night's 106-97 loss was the epitome of a let down.  Coming off three consecutive wins, and playing a bad, and worsening Philadelphia 76ers team, the expectation was to extend the win streak to four.  The New York Knicks, on consecutive days lost Carmelo Anthony for a few games to a sore knee, and Amare Stoudemire was lost till maybe May requiring knee surgery.  Oklahoma City cut the Nets some slack when they defeated the Knicks last Thursday.  As such, the Nets were within 2 1/2 games of the Atlantic Division leaders entering Monday's game.  A win over the Sixers would have brought the Brooks a half game closer before the Knicks took the floor against Golden State.  Back on February 22nd, the Nets could have pulled within a game of the Knicks, but instead bowed to Houston, then followed that game with a putrid 72-point performance at Barclays against Memphis while holding them to just 76-points.  That loss gave the Nets a 33-24 record.  It just seems when the Nets pull within two games of the Knicks, they break out in a rash.  The Nets record now stands at 37-27; fourth seed in the conference.  In the Atlantic Division, they are five back of the Knicks in the loss column, pending New York's outcome against the Warriors.


Someone explain to me how Philly managed six players scoring double-digits!  I guess we can start with Philly center Spencer Hawes, who dominated Brook Lopez down low.  He scored a Sixers' high twenty-four points and pulled down ten rebounds.  He even issued seven assists and blocked two shots.  That's a good night's work.  Brook Lopez finished with a much more quiet nineteen points and six boards.  In fifteen minutes, Andray Blatch scored nine points.


Try this.  Compared to Brooklyn, Philly's small forwards played like giants.  In twenty-six minutes, Gerald Wallace was a complete non factor.  He was 2/8 shooting, with four points and just one rebound.  He was the only Nets starter not to make it to the foul line.  Off the bench, Mirza Teletovic and Keith Bogans totalled forty-three minutes, and combined to add an equally inconsequential seven points and seven rebounds.  The fact Reggie Evans even scored nine points was a plus.  Makes me wonder if Kris Humphries has the spaldings to ask P.J. back into the rotation?  By comparison, Philly wingers Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner combined to score thirty-two points (sixteen each), and teamed up for seventeen rebounds.  Then for good measure, Dorell Wright scored another fifteen off the bench.


For the game, the Sixers shot 52% from the field.  Brooklyn shot 49%, which is good for them.  You can say the Nets lost due to spotty defense, or a poor offensive second quarter.  There is a weak case that the Sixers shot 53% on 8/15 from behind the arch, and the Nets shot 31%, on 6/19 shooting.  But we're talking a net gain of six points there.  Instead, Philadelphia hammered Brooklyn at the foul line - not that either team shot well.  Philly had eleven more attempts than Brooklyn.  The Sixers were 18/27 - 66% from the stripe, while the Nets trailed with 11/16 for 69% shooting.


The Nets have a quick turn-around.  They host New Orleans at Barclays Center Tuesday evening.




Mike.BTB

B'klyn Nets: Flatbush Fails To Claim Share Of Atlantic Division Lead

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - Houston's James Harden Provided The Insanity At Barclays Center.  Jeremy Lin Did Little.

Nets Fail To Capitalize On Knicks Loss To Toronto Raptors.

Remain One Game Out Of First Place.

 

 

FINAL

Rockets  96

NETS     86

The Nets roster remained in tact, and will move forward as they were.  Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks are still on the team which means Billy King couldn't acquire anyone at the trade deadline to help alleviate Deron Williams' burden, or pain.  The team's overall poor outside shooting went unaddressed as well.  Moving forward, P.J. said Deron Williams will be hobbled by ankle problems the rest of the season.  On Friday night, Joe Johnson was scratched due to an injured heel.


Without Joe Jo on the floor, the Nets shot 49% from the floor in the first half against LINsanity and the visiting Houston Rockets.  After two quarters, Brook Lopez was 7 of 12 with fifteen points.  Deron was 4 of 8, with ten points and four assists.  Only problem, the Rockets shot 58.1% from the field in the first half.  Jeremy Lin had five assists and Chandler Parsons led the Rockets with ten points.  Houston took an eight point, 61-53 lead into the half.


Seven and a half minutes into the third quarter, the Nets tied Houston 64-64.  At 5:38, Brook Lopez tied the game again at 68-68 with a floater in the lane.  With 3:37 left in the third quarter, P.J. called a time out with his team down by a 73-68 margin.  A turnover by Lopez was converted at the other end for a 75-71 Houston lead.  But Lopez came back and dropped a deuce to make it a 75-73 game with 2:00 left.  After Deron Williams lofted a brick, James Harden made it a five point game.  Then Deron heaved another brick, and Harden hit again, making it an 83-75 game.  It was only natural then, James Harden appropriately closed out the quarter hitting one of two shots from the line.  The buzzer sounded with the Rockets holding an 84-75 lead.


A minute into the fourth quarter, the Rockets were up by twelve.  At 10:25, Houston buried their fourteenth three-pointer of the game to cap a 15-0 run.  Houston was 58% from three point land at that point, and shooting 54.7% from within the arch.  Brooklyn's FG% was dropping, and lay at a 43.7% mark.  By 8:10, the Nets had closed within ten points.  Andray Blatche stormed the lane and dunked at 7:54 to make it an eight point game.  He then put up an air ball and came up with a steal.  Brooklyn went on a 9-0 run and closed within 92-87 with 5:00 to go.  At the other end, James Harden pushed the ball hard on Bogans, got a friendly rim, and the foul, to make it a 95-87 game.  Mirza Teletovic nailed a trey from the left corner to get the Nets within three points with 3:37 left.  Teletovic then turned on the ultra-hustle, diving and fighting for a loose ball - and got kicked in the head to boot.  In fact, he was having a fine quarter pulling down defensive rebounds and giving the Nets possessions.  Keith Bogans missed a three point attempt with 2:10 left.  But Houston's Carlos Delfino would knock one down to make it a six point game.  Then Carlos Delfino did it again with another two.  At 0:39, James Harden pushed the stake through Brooklyn's heart.  He buried a three point shot, and got the foul, putting Houston ahead by a 105-96 score.  After he made his free throw, this game ended in a 96-86 final.  The Nets lost by ten.


In the  end, it was James Harden who provided the insanity for Houston; not Jeremy Lin.  Harden finished with twenty two points; fourteen in the second half; and none bigger than his points in the closing two minutes.  Jeremy Lin was limited to nine points, and handed out a team high six assists.  Houston shot 53.2% from the field, and 52.3% from beyond the arch.  They hit 16/30 three pointers.  The Nets only hit 10/30 three point shots for 33.3%, and ended 44% from the field.


Brook Lopez finished with twenty seven points and six rebounds.  Hobbled by both ankles, Deron Williams scored fifteen points and led all players with thirteen assists.  Reggie Evans led all players with thirteen rebounds.  Mirza Teletovic had a nice night off the bench with twelve points and five important rebounds in the fourth quarter.


Friday night offered Brooklyn an opportunity to tie the Knicks for first place in the Atlantic Division.  Up in Toronto, the Knicks had their troubles.  They lost 100-98 to the Raptors.  Instead, the Nets will end the night the way they started, with no new faces on the roster, and one game behind the Knicks for first place in the Atlantic standings.



Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: A First Half Struggle For Respect

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS - It's Halftime At Barclays Center.


For the denizens of Kings County who aren't familiar with the NBA calendar, this is called All-Star weekend.  The first half of Brooklyn's inaugural season as a member club of the National Basketball Association is complete.  In his fourth full season on the court, Brook Lopez will be the Nets lone representative in this season's mid-winter hardwood classic.  Brook Lopez is currently the NBA's highest scoring center, averaging nineteen points per game.  Not incidentally, he is also the Nets highest scorer.  The big man is averaging 7.4 RPG, and 2.2 blocks this season.


As for the rest of the Nets, over the first half of the season, they are either still learning how to play with one another, or, they are a very flawed team.  The truth probably lies somewhere in between.  But for now, many are calling the Nets merely the best of the rest.  And it is hard to argue with that assessment.  They have defeated damn near every team (18-2) with a sub .500 record.  However, against the league's better clubs and contenders, the Nets have struggled mightily.  Against them, they have only achieved a 13-20 record.  That places a distinct cloud over Brooklyn's playoff aspirations.


The Nets enter the break with a 31-22 (.585) record on the season.  They currently occupy second place in the Atlantic Division, 2.5 games behind the New York Knicks.  Brooklyn is the fourth seed behind the division leaders in the Eastern Conference standings, and one half game better than the Chicago Bulls.  The Brooks have a 16-8 record under P.J. Carlesimo.  With three more victories, the Nets will tie a five-season high, when they last won thirty four games back in the 2008-2009 regular season.  They won a combined forty six games in their last two seasons in Newark, and fifty eight games in the last three.  This season, Brooklyn stands a chance to win fifty games.  Twenty nine games remain in the regular season.  The Nets are 18-2 versus teams with sub .500 records. Seventeen of their remaining games will come against them.


So where do the Nets go from here?  For Mikhail Prokhorov, that is the billion dollar question.  The Nets are at the exact mid-point of the owner's five year plan.  From here on out, it is playoffs or bust.  Most feel the Nets are indeed a post-season contender, but question how far can they go.  That could be problematic for a few people.  In dismissing Avery Johnson himself after being named coach of the month in November, the owner offered a glimpse as to how much autonomy may really exist under him.  Therefore, Mikhail Prokhorov's doomsday clock is ticking on Billy King's reign, and his Lugs of Flatbush. 


The Lugs of Flatbush are a slow, plodding, deliberate, team.  When they face the right opponent, they thrive playing a half court game and crashing the boards, which they do very well by the way.  They like to look for Brook Lopez down low, and usually outscore their opponents in the paint.  When they get that going, they then let the mid-range jumpers and three-pointers fly.  But when the Nets play against up-tempo teams, and can't slow them down, and get forced into playing transition basketball, they look lethargic.  Truth is, Brooklyn has no transition game, or quickness out of their starters, to speak of.  Even when the Nets do play their style of basketball, they are still a wildly erratic shooting team from the field.  From game to game, from half to half, and especially from quarter to quarter, they suffer horrible bouts of inconsistency, not just in their shooting percentage, but through lapses in defensive play as well.  As Deron Williams intimated very recently, that's when the finger pointing starts and team cohesion leaves the building.  Both Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace have been very vocal regarding their team mates' attitudes, moods, and effort.  And were it not for consecutive wins over Indiana and Denver, that is where the first half leaves off.  It is not entirely fair to speak that disparagingly of them however.  Just when they get embarrassed by the better teams around the league, they respond with a #5 overall ranked defensive effort, and change the running conversation again; as they did with the previously noted victories over Indiana and Denver.


Those last two wins incidentally came without Deron Williams on the floor.  The Nets point guard will not be participating in this year's all-star game, not because he is currently nursing two ailing ankles.  Instead, he will not be playing because he is arguably under-performing this season.  Deron's current 7.6 assist per game average is his lowest mark since his 2005-06 rookie year.  Between 2006-07 and the year he was traded to the Nets, Deron averaged 10.3 assists per game.  In his first season with the Nets (12 games after the trade), he averaged twelve assists a game.  Over the last season an a half, he has only averaged 8.1 assists per game.  Deron Williams clearly then, needs to do a better job distributing the ball.  More, he needs to start playing like the star guard the Nets thought they were acquiring from Utah.  That may sound harsh, for Deron seems only a slight adjustment away from playing to that level.  But he has been the first to admit his short-comings.  This is not the first time Deron Williams is dealing with ankle issues.  So his situation warrants more observation.


But you don't need binoculars to see his points are down this season as well. After averaging twenty points per game the last two seasons, Deron is currently only averaging 16.7  points per game - his lowest average since his second year in the league.  In his season and a half as the Nets point guard, Williams has posted the worst two FG% of his career.  He was a .463% shooter with Utah.  With the Nets, Deron Williams FG% has dropped to a .389 mark.  I am not necessarily holding the Nets last season in New Jersey against his record.  But with Billy King's revamped roster heading into this season, the case for Deron Williams weakened.  Bettering their shooting percentage alone will improve the team's overall fortunes immeasurably.  Deron Williams is a part of that.


But a few more things need to happen before the Nets are considered true Eastern Conference contenders.  Among them, the other half of Brooklyn's pricey back-court needs to exert himself just a little more than he does.  Outside of his contract, Joe Johnson is a hard guy to knock.  He has proven to be a clutch shooter.  He has won games with last second shots.  No problem there.  However, Joe needs to establish more of a presence throughout the game like he did against the Denver Nuggets recently, with nine assists and twenty six points.  At thirty-one years of age, the Nets may never get the shooter he was in Atlanta.  But Joe Johnson is not old, and should be closer to that player than he is.  In his last two seasons with the Hawks, he averaged eighteen points a game.  In the five seasons prior to that, Joe was a twenty-plus point scorer.  In his first season with the Nets, albeit in a shared back-court role with Williams, Joe Johnson is averaging 17.0 points per game.  And as with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson's shooting percentage has slipped since joining the team.  He was a 45% shooter in seven seasons with the Hawks.  This season, Johnson is shooting 42% - his lowest mark in ten years.


The Nets have done respectable work on the glass.  They rank 15th in the NBA in rebounding, pulling down 42.2 per game.  Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche have that covered off the bench.  At the point, C.J. Watson did admirable work in D-Will's absence against the Nuggets.  He pumped twenty five points into the Nets win, and also had six assists.


Even though the Nets scored a season high 119 points against Denver, they can stand to add a consistent outside shooter.  The NBA trade deadline is February 21st.  The Nets apparently seem anxious to rid themselves of Kris Humphries and his contract.  He clearly has not been the player the Nets thought they signed to a two year deal.  Truth is, he was an able player, playing huge minutes on a bad team.  With better players around him now, he has struggled to smooth out his game, and find a niche, or fill a role.  Word is, the Nets are reluctant to part with Mirza Teletovic.  Trade rumors involving the Nets and Lakers, and the future of Dwight Howard still have not gone away.  The Lakers' GM has stated they will not be trading their star center.  Due to the Nets cap situation, if Howard still indeed wants to play for Brooklyn, a trade is the only way to make that happen.  In light of the way Brook Lopez has developed, the Nets just might be inclined to stay put regardless of what Dwight Howard wants.


Enjoy the All-Star game, and let's go Brook Lopez.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Coach Avery Rings In New Year With Pink Slip

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH



BROOKLYN NETS:  A New Year Ushers A New Effort To Make Borough's First Season A Successful One.


I'm not going to say Coach Avery got a raw deal because he sort of earned his termination.  But not entirely.  He is tough, and a task-master.  I like those qualities in a coach to a certain extent.  But Coach Avery was too stubborn.  That was his downfall - not a quick start and a cooling off period on way to a .500 record.  And yes, not catering to his star partly got him fired in Dallas as well.  Coach's style took Deron Williams far away from his game.  But it was more than that.  If you're a rookie like Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor, or Teletovic, you weren't getting on the floor much.  Some coaches just don't like rookies.  And then you can ask Kris Humphries how hard it is to get out of Coach's doghouse.  But in Avery Johnson's defense, an abbreviated pre-season, and only thirty games to get his new team to gel was a bad break.  Continued fourth quarter and overall second half collapses however screamed for attention.  And apparently, even GM Billy King couldn't save Coach from the team's basketball knowledgeable owner.


I walked out of Barclays Center on Christmas Day after that debacle against Boston saying to my son, this game just might get Avery Johnson fired.  I felt a simmer had been brought to a boil that afternoon, and there would be consequences.  However, I was thinking along the lines of what Coach Avery was going to do to the team.  Instead, the situation turned into a case of what Mikhail Prokhorov did to Coach Avery.


I'm old school.  So I can appreciate a good old fashioned post-up game and isolation offense.  But in the Nets case, something had to give.  And Avery Johnson wouldn't bend.  I never checked the official stats, but in that game I do not believe the Nets scored a single fast break point, nor one transition basket.  They additionally had an atrocious day at the line.  But that sort of thing (cold shooting) happens.  Problem was, nothing was happening Boston didn't see coming.  The Celtics see that brand of basketball everyday in practice.  It's what they're all about.  So why wouldn't they be ready to defeat it?


It is too bad Coach Avery got fired.  He was tasked with unceremoniously ending the New Jersey era and couldn't last the first season in Brooklyn.  Being just a bit too stubborn was enough.  I'm sorry to see him go.  That said, I would like for the Nets to rectify their coaching situation quickly.  Until then, while he does not have a strong supporter in me, I'm sure P.J. will do fine.




Mike.BTB