Brooklyn Nets: Nothing Short of a Team Effort Will Do

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

GAME THREE

Boston Celtics

vs.

Brooklyn Nets

FROM

FLATBUSH AVENUE

Extract the Positives from Games One and Two and Mold Them Together Into a Victory in Game Three

The Nets could not answer when Boston's defense stepped it up in the fourth quarter.

Or, they failed to finish; meltdown; pick your poison.  

This much is true: Boston fought back and won in each game.

Flatbush took a ten-point lead into the half and, entering the fourth quarter, was still ahead by five.  But they scored just four points in the opening five minutes of the final session.  Kyrie Irving scored just two points in the fourth quarter, and Kevin Durant scored six points, all from the line.  

Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown poured in ten fourth-quarter points in three minutes, starting at the nine-minute mark.  Brooklyn got outscored by 17 points in the second half.  In the fourth quarter, they were outscored by twelve.  

Boston made Durant earn his 27 points the hard way.  Kevin was just 4/17 from the field and 18/20 from the line.  

The Nets got the requisite contributions from Seth Curry and Bruce Brown, and Goran Dragic posted a second consecutive solid effort, but it all went for naught as Kyrie Irving was 4/13 from the field and 2/2 from the line for a mere ten points.

The Celtics scored 115 points in game one and 114 points in game two, whereas the Nets' scoring outside of Dragic has been erratic.

They return to Flatbush Avenue on Saturday down two games in the series.  More importantly, it's time they finally come together as one at Barclays Center.  The Nets need the Nic Claxton of game one and the Bruce Brown and Seth Curry of game two working with Goran Dragic, who has performed with required consistency.

Defend this house!

Does Steve Nash try and negotiate that, or does he let them figure it out on their own?

What a terrible question to be asking this time of year.

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Outpaces Indiana at Barclays

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

YEAR TEN

FRIDAY

Pacers  98

NETS   105

FINAL

Steve Nash Reminds Refs How To Blow Their Whistles

James Harden left little for the naysayers to wrangle over.  In control of his own narrative again, Harden led the floor with 29 points and distributed a game-high eight assists.  

Meanwhile, Steve Nash appeared to clarify matters for the referees as well.  Harden had attempted just 15 total free throws through the season's first five games.  After Coach Nash's powwow with the whistleblowers, Harden scored 16 points on a season-high 19 attempts from the line.

Brooklyn got off to their obligatory poor start as the Pacers jumped out to a 38-26 first-quarter lead.  Afterwhich, Flatbush started dropping shots and clamping down on defense.  Indiana was held to just 17 points in the second quarter and 19 in the third.

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, then handed off duties to Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge.  Durant still tied for game-high with eleven rebounds and finished with seven assists in 37 minutes.  

LaMarcus Aldridge was 10/16 from the field en route to 21 points with eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.  It marks the second time in five games this season he has exceeded 20 points.  

With over 15 years in the league, LaMarcus Aldridge became the 48th player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 career points on Friday.

Through six games, Kevin Durant is now averaging 35.3 minutes per game.  But truth be told, after playing 30 minutes in the season's first game against the Bucks, Durant has since averaged 36.4 minutes and also played both games of game-to-back nights against the Hornets and Wizards.  He is yet to sit out for maintenance.

Steve Nash, for the third time, started Blake Griffin together with Bruce Brown.  But Griffin's troublesome start continues.  He scored just three points against the Pacers and secured three rebounds.  He was just 1/7 from the floor and is now a mere 6/24 (25%) through five starts.  He has so far converted just two shot attempts in two different games and just one shot in each of his other three starts.

The Nets next host the Detroit Pistons on Halloween.

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Can't Take The Heat

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

YEAR TEN

WEDNESDAY

Heat  106

NETS   93

FINAL

The Plot Thickens

Loss, win, loss, win, loss ...

Coming off last season's hamstring injury and offseason rehab, James Harden admitted after Wednesday's game against Miami that he is still not playing at 100%, partly explaining his early-season performance.  

It's also clear due in part to rule changes involving "natural basketball motions," Harden is not garnering the type of whistles he's accustomed to.  From 2012 through 2020, Harden averaged 10.4 free throw attempts per game.  He is presently averaging just three attempts per game.  Harden opened the season with four attempts against both Milwaukee and Philadelphia.  But has since only attempted one against Charlotte and three shots each against Washington and Miami.  That's just 15 free throw attempts in five games.  For someone who has averaged 8.7 free throw attempts over his career, this presently marks a career-low dating back to his second season with Oklahoma City.

The Nets, for a fifth consecutive game, were outshot by the competition.  All five Brooklyn opponents have exceeded 90 shots per game.  Miami attempted 96 shots giving the opposition an average of 96.2 per game.  Meanwhile, Flatbush is averaging just 87.6 shots for a discrepancy of 8.6 shots per game.

Kevin Durant notched his third double-double with a game-high 25 points and eleven rebounds in 37 minutes.

Only Durant, Harden, and Joe Harris have started all five games, and for the first time this season, Harris finished top three in team scoring.  With 15 points in 35 minutes, he finished second behind Durant.  Joe put up 15 shots, also second to Durant, ending up 5/11 from beyond the arc.  

• Joe Harris surpassed Jason Kidd to become the franchise leader in converted three-pointers.

Blake Griffin has started four of five games.  He started the first two games alongside Nicolas Claxton.  When he was held out in the first game of back-to-back nights, Claxton and Jevon Carter started against Charlotte.  In consecutive starts now, Coach Nash has gone with Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown.  Against Miami, Brown finished with twelve points, five rebounds, and three steals in 35 minutes.

Flatbush starters outscored Heat starters (72-71) by one point.  The benches, however, proved a mismatch.  Miami's Dewayne Dedmon and Tyler Herro joined for 28 points as the Heat bench outscored Brooklyn's by (35-21) 14 points.  Patty Mills was just 1/9 from the field and 0/6 from three-point range.

Miami also obliterated Brooklyn on the boards.  They secured 17 offensive rebounds, which helped pad their 48-34 point advantage in the paint.  The Nets had virtually no second-chance opportunities, securing just four offensive rebounds.  All told, Miami outrebounded the Nets by a ponderous 62-42 margin.  Coach Nash says the Nets were too hasty in getting back on defense.  But that strikes me as dead air; it's hardly an excuse for just four offensive boards.  Miami secured 45 defensive rebounds against 38 for the Nets.

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Earns First Home Victory

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

YEAR TEN

MONDAY

Wizards  90

NETS    104

FINAL

No Wizardry In Victory Over Washington

Flatbush evened their record at home with a victory over the Washington Wizards.  

Unlike their previous games, the Nets got off to a hot start, outscoring the Wizards 38-20 in the first quarter.  But while the outcome was never in doubt, this game did more to cover up some underlying defects than bolster my perception and expectations.

After the first quarter, the rest of the game is a matter of interpretation.  Brooklyn was outscored 70-66 over the final three quarters en route to a 14-point margin of victory.

Washington became Brooklyn's fourth straight opponent to exceed 90 shots, whereas Monday's game marked only the first time the Nets eclipsed 90+ shot attempts in a game.  However, their aiming registered a season-low 42.6% from the field.  In fact, the Nets are shooting just 44.2% through their first four games.

Once again, Kevin Durant led the floor with 25 points in a game-high 35 minutes after scoring 38 points in 36 minutes on Sunday.  His minutes in the upcoming game against Miami will be a curious matter.

James Harden is still clearly out of sorts.  He was 5/17 (29.4%) from the field and a mere 1/7 from beyond the arc, with only three free throw attempts.  However, he led the floor with nine assists while old friend Spencer Dinwiddie led the Wizards with six.

The next tier of starting players remains the team's unknown variable.  

Bruce Brown hardly played in the first two games of the season, but we knew he would not sit long.  After just four minutes against Milwaukee and sitting out at Philly, Brown played 27 minutes off the bench against Charlotte, then started Monday against Washington, finishing with 14 points in 30 minutes.

This was Coach Nash's third different lineup in four games.  Kept out of Sunday's game, Blake Griffin was a cold 1/7 from the field but secured a team-high nine rebounds in 19 minutes.  Joe Harris finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.  However, he was 3/11 from beyond the arc and 3/12 (25%) overall - 19.2% below the team's present field goal percentage.

Patty Mills led the bench effort with 21 points in 23 minutes.  It's his second 20+ point effort and his third game in double-digit scoring.  

After starting three straight games, Nicolas Claxton contributed six points and eight rebounds with a team-high +21 in 16 minutes off the bench.

Brooklyn Nets: Resilient Effort at Philadelphia Results in Season's First Win

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

FRIDAY
NETS      114

SIXERS  109

FINAL

Nets Give Flatbush Fans Attitude Adjustment With Win Over Sixers

Two games, same lineup, same slow and sloppy start.

At halftime, I took a look at Twitter and saw everyone clamoring for Bruce Brown, myself included.  He did not play - coach's decision.

But then, in the second half, the Nets started playing defense.  Through the second half of last season, the Nets fell into a habit of falling behind early, coming back before the half, and taking leads in the third.  These first two games got off to somewhat similar starts, but unlike against Milwaukee, this contest favored the Nets.

Coach Nash is still doing what in pre-season he could not: better understand what he's working with.  We know Bruce Brown will not sit for much longer.  For now, Brown is seen as a known variable, other players not so much, and that's what Coach Nash is trying to figure out.  Meanwhile, after trailing most of the night, this lineup on this night showed their coach some resiliency.

Joe Harris needs to hit more three-pointers like the one he nailed at 7:50 of the fourth.  However, poor transition defense resulted in a ten-point deficit with 5:32 left.  After Patty Mills cut the Nets deficit down to two points, Brooklyn turned the ball over on a 24-second violation.  Durant later drew a charge, and Harden scored on the ensuing inbounds play again, tying the game at two.

An 11-0 run and LaMarcus Aldridge scoring 13 of his 23 points in the fourth propelled Brooklyn late in the fourth.  They seized a 111-109 with 15.2 seconds left.  With Durant, Harden, Aldridge, Harris, Patty Mills on the floor, Durant was fouled on an inbound and converted both free throws giving the Nets a four-point lead.  The Nets, who took their first lead in the fourth, finished on a 16-1 run to end the game.  Philadelphia, who led by seven at halftime, was outscored 29-18 in the final session.

Either James Harden is not getting whistles, or he might be working with Coach Nash to figure out this new cast.  He finished with 20 points and eight assists.  Against the Bucks, Harden had just four attempts from the line and the same against the Sixers.  For now, that's an acute deviation from his usual game.

But the Nets turned things around when KD became the facilitator.  Kevin Durant posted a triple-double with 29 points, 12 assists, and 15 rebounds, all game highs, in 37 minutes, and cycling back to my point about Harden, KD was 10/10 from the line.

Joe Harris represented himself well with 14 essential points and five rebounds in 33 minutes.

Too much cannot be said of LaMarcus Aldridge, who matched both Philly starters Tobias Harris and Seth Curry with 23 points in 23 minutes off the bench.  He was 10/12 from the field and a perfect 3/3 from the line.  Patty Mills was again a sparkplug off the bench with eleven points and a +31 in 30 minutes.  All told, Brooklyn's bench outscored Philly's by a 44-23 margin.

Unlike game one's shot disparity, Philly only outshot Brooklyn by a 91-88 margin.

Blake Griffin is still trying to find his way, going 1 for 6 from the field and scoreless in five attempts at three.

Brooklyn Nets: Tough Pill To Swallow

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH 

Joe Harris Taps Into Inner Houdini and Goes Poof Against Milwaukee Bucks

This series should have been over in five.  If this, that, or the other would have happened, the Nets win and advance to the Eastern Conference finals.  But the Fates just weren't having it.  And so the old Brooklyn refrain is back in effect: Wait Till Next Year.

Truth be told, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the Milwaukee Bucks.  It took a collectively supreme effort on their part to overcome Kevin Durant and his multiple record-setting performances.  No one in their right mind can begrudge KD for Brooklyn's elimination.  He hit the deck more times in game seven than during the whole season.  This series boiled down to a five on one, and the Bucks barely survive

That's just fact.

I admire James Harden's return and effort.  However, his ploy to escape Houston, although successful, cost him in the long run.  He was never known to miss games, ever.  Unfortunately, his lack of early-season conditioning came back to haunt him and Flatbush.  One of basketball's proven knowns is that your shot is the first to go when you have compromised legs.  Playing on one good leg, his shot from any range was clearly ineffective.  His turnovers most certainly played in role in Brooklyn's demise as well.  The same can be said of Durant.  An increase in turnovers and a last-second shot that fell well short of the mark were clear indications of fatigue.  But, again, I do not begrudge either of them for any of it.

However, I do question why Steve Nash never once considered playing DeAndre Jordan against Giannis Antetokounmpo.  There are methods and strategies in fouling, which Jordan could have served well; only Nash apparently didn't care for it.

At the beginning of this series, I said very matter-of-factly that Joe Harris is the X-Factor.

Sadly, I was right.

Joe is no novice.  Harris is a day-in and day-out starter; he is 29-years old and a veteran member of this team.  He's had the benefit of years of stability and familiarity with his surroundings.  But, my goodness, what an inconsequential performance.  I've railed against him all season long, and this is precisely why.

After game one, Joe essentially went missing.  Starting with game two, he shot just 18/61 (29.5%) from the field, including 11/49 (22.4%) from behind the arc for an average of eight points per game in 37.5 minutes.  He had numerous open opportunities to impact game seven and didn't.  The same goes for any of Brooklyn's other three losses.   

He's great when the big guys are on the floor.  But when the lineup is compromised and missing one or two of the big three, that's when the Nets need big contributions from Joe, and for the most part, he doesn't answer the bell.  He didn't step up against Philly three years ago and failed again despite being surrounded by a different and superior cast.  

 

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant Lifts Flatbush To Transcendent Victory

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
PLAYOFFS: ROUND TWO

Nets lead Bucks; 3-2

I - BKN 115; MIL 107

II - BKN 125; MIL 86

III - MIL 86; BKN 83

IV - MIL 107; BKN 96

V - BKN 114; MIL 108

There's A New Duke of Flatbush, And His Name Is Kevin Durant

Brooklyn has its transcendent NBA moment, the Barclays Center, and its uproarious fans in utter delirium.  To date, this stands as the Brooklyn Nets finest moment on the court.  Compromised by injuries and thus underestimated in some circles, the Nets undeterred and unrelentingly take a 3-2 advantage in their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant takes the weight of Kings County upon his shoulders and carries the Borough to victory while putting forth perhaps the most prolific performance in New York City post-season basketball history.

Just thirty-one seconds in, Durant scores the first two points of the game.  But Flatbush trails by 14 points after the first quarter, then takes a 16 point deficit into the half.  Kevin Durant scores 18 points in the first half.

The Nets still trail by 16 points midway through the third quarter.  That is until 6:18, when Durant drives to the basket for two.  Kevin Durant would score 31 points over the final 17-plus minutes of the game from that moment forward.  Durant scored eleven points in the third quarter while the Nets put up 38 points and outscore Milwaukee by ten to close to within six.  Brooklyn again outscores the Bucks in the fourth quarter by a twelve-point margin.  Look no further than Kevin Durant, who scores 20 points during the final session.  Flatbush wins by six.

Durant finishes 16/23 (69.5%) from the field, including 4/9 from behind the arc and 13/16 from the line for a game-high 49 points, with a game-high 17 rebounds and game-high ten assists.  He played all 48 minutes.

Next, we need to know about the status of James Harden and how much harm did he bring upon his barking hamstring with 46 minutes or not.  His mere presence alone in game five is a major contribution.  He helps Durant with ball distribution while providing something else for Milwaukee to consider.  Playing on one good leg, Harden still ties Jrue Holiday with eight assists.  

Jeff Green steps up his game when the Nets need it most.  He shoots 8/11 (72.7%) from the field, including a clutch 7/8 from behind the arc and a perfect 4/4 from the line for 27 points and a team-high +12 in 35 minutes off the bench.  Brooklyn simply does not win this game without Green's stellar performance.  He twice scored a regular-season high 23 points in January and April games, respectively.  In two first-round games against the Celtics, he totals nine points in 39 minutes.  Last Sunday, he scored eight points in 27 minutes during game three's loss.

Blake Griffin gives Brooklyn three scorers in double-digits, with 17 points in 29 minutes.

JOE HARRIS: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

You know who didn't step up his game when the team needed him most ... Joe Harris, that's who!  He finishes just 2/11 from the field, including just 1/7 from behind the arc for five points in 37 minutes.  Being back home at Barclays did nothing to either comfort him or compliment his game.  After scoring 19 points in game one and 13 points in game two, Joe Harris is down to three points in game three, eight points in game four, and just five points in game five. 

Milwaukee outscores Brooklyn in the paint by 20 points.  But despite Joe Harris, the Nets make up the difference with a nine-point advantage from behind the arc and a nine-point edge from the free-throw line.

The decision to load up again for game six close-out or save up for a game seven is squarely on Steve Nash and staff and trainers.

We shall see ...

But Steve Nash may want to consider inserting DeAndre Jordan and letting him burn through his personal fouls against Giannis, then patting him on the butt for a job well done.  

You know what I'm saying ...

Brooklyn Nets Finish Strong In Opening Victory Over Boston Celtics

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

PLAYOFFS

ROUND ONE

SATURDAY
BOSTON CELTICS  93

BROOKLYN NETS  104

FINAL

Here we go!

The spotlight is squarely on Nets general manager Sean Marks.  His construction of this so-called super team comes with weighted expectations.  A championship is in order.  Anything less runs the risk of being labeled a failure.  

But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Sean Marks should be applauded for putting himself out there and having the chutzpah for executing such bold and controversial maneuverings.  This is about his vision, and to date, he's proven to have the eyes on an eagle.  Marks has repeatedly plucked talented complementary players from seemingly private stock.  This is about rebuilding the Nets despite former general manager Billy King gift-wrapping so many high-round drafts picks to the Celtics in exchange for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.  This has everything to do with D'Angelo Russell, and Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jarrett Allen, and even Kenny Atkinson.

Whatever we make of this, payback against the Celtics for all those years of draft picks, or even Kyrie Irving versus his former team, or the fact that the Big Three have still played less than ten games together, this all ultimately goes back to Sean Marks.  His brilliance will either be confirmed or denied.

🏀

The first half of game one is a discombobulated hodge-podge of disjointed isolation and otherwise erratic offensive interplay.

If you were suffering a conniption in the first quarter or found yourself in a second-quarter stupor, then you haven't been watching this season.  

Big Three or not, Brooklyn's slow and sluggish first quarter start had a very familiar look, which should have caught no one off-guard.  Ponderous, maybe, because, after all, this was game one of the playoffs.  But we've seen this before: poor start, strong finish.

They played poorly, but if Boston's early performance qualifies as a best effort, well, then Brooklyn was still keeping within striking distance despite stumbling and fumbling out of the gate.

The Nets were down 13-8 until Kevin Durant dunked, making it 13-10 Celtics.  But Boston did lead 15-10 at the halfway mark.  In the first, the Nets go ice cold in the closing minutes, missing their initials, second and third attempts.  The possessions and misses keep coming.  At one point, Flatbush was 1 for 13 from behind the arc.  Boston ends up closing out the quarter hitting a long-distance buzzer-beater, giving them a 21-16 lead.

Flatbush still lacks accuracy midway through the second quarter.  They end the first half trailing by a 53-47 difference.

But then comes the third quarter.  The Nets tighten things up and finally take their first lead, but only for a brief moment as the Celtics take it right back.  However, by this time, Brooklyn is poised to make a move and mount a 65-59 lead midway through the third.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, Kevin Durant makes a steal and slams it home at the other end for his 32nd and 33rd points of the night.

Boston is fouled with the Nets leading by eleven and 1:40 left in the game and goes to the line.  But by this time, the Celtics know they're out of time and out of luck.  

Brooklyn wins 104-93, an eleven-point margin of victory.  Despite struggling in the first, the Nets stabilize in the second, recover in the third, and pull away in the fourth.  They've done that numerous times this season.

Did the Nets prove the pundits wrong and play representative defense?  They certainly made a few key stops.  Let us not understate that despite getting off to a quick start, the Celtics end the game with just 93 points.  That's partly due to the absence of Jason Tatum, who seemed to disappear in the second half.  Ask yourself why.  Joe Harris led the team with a +22, Kyrie Irving was next with a +16, and the bench netted a +6 despite Landry Shamet's -14 in 14 minutes.  But it's still worth mentioning this marks Boston's lowest point total against the Nets this season in the three regular-season games and now one in the playoffs.

• Dec 25, 1920 - Boston 95 points.
• Mar. 11, 2021 - Boston 109 points.
• Apr. 23, 2021 - Boston 104 points.
• May 22, 2021 - Boston 93 points.

Jason Tatum led the Celts with 22 points in a game-high 41 minutes, but as noted, failed to factor in over thirty minutes to finish the game.  The Nets outrebounded the Celts by ten, and after a dismal cold start, they recover to shoot 41.7% from the field over the same number of possessions.  Boston outscored Brooklyn by nine on points off turnovers and six points on the fast break, but shooting  36.7% failed to keep up.  Brooklyn was plus-six from the line and plus four in the paint.  Marcus Smart was next in for the Celtics with 17 points in 40 minutes.  Boston got 25 points from their bench.

No Brooklyn Net played upwards of 40 minutes.  Their bench contributed eleven points.  However, the starting lineup featured three players posting over 20 points for the game.  Kevin Durant led the Nets with 39 minutes and led all scorers with 32 points and a game-high twelve rebounds.  He was just 1/8 from behind the arc but 11/12 from the line.  Kyrie Irving took over this game for a stretch in the third. He was 11/20 from the field and 5/5 from the line for 29 points.  James Harden added 21 points with nine rebounds and a game-high eight assists.  All of which pretty much meets most pregame expectations.

Joe Harris adds ten points in 37 minutes.  He slotted in well with the fourth most shot attempts but lacked accuracy shooting 4/11 from the field.  

There was much curiosity and speculation about who Steve Nash would and should have included in the starting lineup.  Some pundits thought Harris should come off the bench.  But he took his normal spot in the rotation, joined by Blake Griffin, who finished with no field goal attempts and just one basket from the line in 20 minutes.  To that end, Jeff Green played 27 minutes off the bench.

 

Brooklyn Nets: Taking Their Deficiencies to South Beach

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SUNDAY

Nets 107

Heat 109

FINAL

Miami's Bam Adebayo Redecorates Brooklyn's Interior

There are several reasons, in my opinion, why Brooklyn wilted against the Heat Sunday afternoon at Miami.  However, I have one particular reason in mind.

First, a summation of all the other variables I believe factored into this meltdown in the Florida sun:

• Kevin Durant obviously leads the list due to incurring a thigh contusion after just four minutes of play.

• Kyrie Irving at least facilitated a game-high nine assists but didn't necessarily generate the kind of team involvement needed to compensate for the absence of Durant and Harden.  Nor is it the first time.  He finished just 6/19 from the field, including 2/7 from behind the arc en route to 20 points in 38 minutes.

• Although Joe Harris hustles around without the ball, he too struggled from long-range shooting 2/7 and 5/12 overall for another pedestrian twelve-point game.  Thus, he did not follow up his previous effort against Charlotte with consistent results and failed to join again with Landry Shamet in taking charge of a fluid situation.

• Coming off a 20 point night in just 21 minutes against Charlotte, Landry Shamet again stepped up his game in the absence of Durant to score a season and career-high 30 points in 38 minutes off the bench.  With 4:34 left in the fourth, his three-pointer gives Flatbush a four-point lead.  But that would be his last attempt of the game.  Coach Nash fails to draw up plays for the team's hottest shooter through the game's final minutes and closing moments.  Now consider the Nets missed on their last five shot attempts down the stretch.

Alas, my main issue was Coach Nash's refusal to switch up defenders guarding Bam Adebayo.  Lest we forget, DeAndre Jordan did not play; coach's decision.  The Heat finished the game on an 8-0 run.  Adebayo trashed the Nets inside, scoring nine of his 21 points during the game's final ten minutes.  Jeff Green and others were helpless against him.  As such, Adebayo, on Miami's final possession, squared up with the time clock expiring and drained the game-winning shot. 

Brooklyn Nets: The Beard Burns Rubber Through Motor City

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

The Motor City Madman

Excuse me; pardon me; The Beard coming through ...

James Harden essentially said I got this.  He was 14/30 from the field and 12/14 from the line and posted game-highs with 14 rebounds and eight assists.

And there's the rub ... distribution.  Harden wasn't much interested in sharing.  With Coach Nash implementing a nine-man rotation, no other Net attempted more than eight shots.  That was the cutoff point as five other players did indeed attempt eight shots apiece, but no more.

For a third time, Harden this season scores forty points or more.  It's his second time as a member of the Nets and the second time this month.  His 44 points Friday against Detroit match his season-high effort back on opening night while still with Houston.  

Steve Nash was in a sharing mood, as no player received any less than twenty minutes.  But whereas Harden clocked in a game-high 42 minutes, Jeff Green was next in with a comparatively paltry 30 minutes.

DeAndre Jordan was the only other starter to score double digits.  His ten points in 20 minutes were highlighted by a romp through the lane for a monster dunk.  He just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.  Blake Griffin has dunked more with the Nets than he has in the last fifteen months.  He was second to Harden with 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench.

It's hard picking on Joe Harris (this time) when no one else attempted more than eight shots.  But I was expecting more from Harris than what the Nets got on this now completed three-game road trip.  It started out well enough; he scored 17 points in 32 minutes during their four-point victory at Portland.  Then against the Jazz, poof!  After going 0/3 from the field in five minutes, he never saw the floor again. 

Otherwise, he capped off a ponderous trip with nine points in 29 minutes against the Pistons. 

Sean Marks strikes again.  Here comes LaMarcus Aldridge.  Defensive help at the center position is on the way.  All the Nets need is for the 15-year veteran to work together with Nicolas Claxton and DeAndre Jordan.

 

Dallas Mavericks Exploit Undermanned Brooklyn Nets

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Win Streak Snapped at Eight Games

Miss Opportunity to Overcome Sixers

SATURDAY

Mavericks   115

Nets              98

FINAL

Flatbush Support Staff Fails to Extend Win Streak

Sean Marks said this team isn't fully formed yet.  That means something is potentially brewing before the trade deadline.  Well, he had better do something about the interior.  Because once again, Brooklyn's deficiencies in the paint were on full display.  Coach Nash decided to limit DeAndre Jordan to just 13 minutes off the bench.  The toll on the Nets was high; Dallas outscored the Nets 50-36 in the paint, and with 19 turnovers committed by Flatbush, the Mavs also outpaced Brooklyn on the face-break by a 15-4 margin.  Brooklyn and Dallas had the same number of attempts from the field and converted the same number of three-pointers.  The Nets were even a plus-three from the free-throw line.  

At one point, the Mavs led by 14 points, but the Nets closed the gap and went into the half trailing by four.  James Harden led all players with 15 first-haf attempts from the field and six attempts from the line converting for 25 points.  In 15 minutes, Joe Harris is just 2/4 from the floor for six points.  He started the game with no shots taken in his first nine minutes on the floor, then struck for consecutive three-pointers.  After Harden, each of the other four Nets starters (Brown, Harris, Green, Cabarrot) contributed six first-half points apiece.  Landry Shamet was second on the Nets with nine points in 15 minutes off the bench.  DeAndre Jordan only saw nine minutes, with no shot attempts, two rebounds, and two assists.

A reason Flatbush generated just 98 points is mainly that Joe Harris failed to take a single shot in the first quarter and only managed 3/8 from behind the arc for nine points in 27 minutes.  Frankly, this is unacceptable and what I've been saying all along.  When Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, or James Harden, or any combination of the three is missing from the floor, it's incumbent upon Joe Harris to do more.  This was that kind of night.  To his credit, Joe has been holding his ground much better this season.  However, this night, he was tied for fourth on the team with eight shots when this was the very type of game when the Nets much needed more.

Another reason Flatbush failed to break one hundred points was Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot shooting a mere 2/12 from the field in 24 minutes.  Nic Claxton was also strangely stuck to the bench, going 1/3 in just 13 minutes.  The Nets got 30 points on 11/29 (28%) from a seven-man bench.  Landry Shamet played a bench-high 27 minutes but only accounted for nine points.  In fact, no one scored double-digits off the bench.

James Harden was 9/21 from the floor and 7/8 from the line for a game-high 29 points and six assists.  However, one sequence essentially describes the night.  With 3:50 left in the game, James Harden dishes to Joe Harris, who does not connect.  Dallas scores on the following possession.  Harden then brings the ball upcourt and drives the lane but is stopped cold by three defenders who cause a turnover. 

Despite the Philadelphia Sixers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nets gain no ground.  They remain one-half game out of the Eastern Conference lead. 

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Outpaces Indiana

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

WEDNESDAY

Pacers    94

Nets     104

FINAL

Only The Nets Can Make You Sweat a Fifteen Point Lead With Eight Minutes Left

The Nets were back home in Flatbush, hosting the Pacers in the second half of back-to-back nights.

Needing to answer for their recent spate of lethargy, Flatbush came out like bats out of hell, taking a commanding 62-30 lead into the half.  

With the spotlight on DeAndre Jordan, the beleaguered center responds with perhaps his strongest performance of the season, in the first half alone.  Harden and Kyrie joined for ten assists, with Jordan the primary beneficiary.  DeAndre scored twelve points while tying with Harden for most shot attempts in the half with seven.  Setting the tone on defense, Jordan also secured ten rebounds.  With the clock winding down, he punctuated a fine first-half effort with two defensive rebounds, and one blocked shot. Jordan closed out the third period forcing a jump ball in the defensive end and winning the tip.  Then with 8:50 left in regulation, he registered his season-high third block of the game.  DeAndre finished the night with twelve points and 13 rebounds in a team-high 37 minutes.

After being limited to a miserable first-half by DeAndre Jordan, Domantas Sabonis still finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.  This follows match-ups against Joel Embiid and Mason Plumlee.  After Wednesday's game, Coach Nash admitted that he and Jordan engaged in what I'll call philosophical debate following Tuesday night's game at Detroit. 

After scoring just ten points at Detroit, Joe Harris followed up with 17 points in 26 minutes.  James Harden finished with 19 points, eleven defensive rebounds, and five assists.  Kyrie Irving led the floor with 36 points and eight assists, respectively.

The Nets destroyed Indiana from the free-throw line.  Indiana was a mere 7/11 while Flatbush was 31/35, led by Kyrie Irving's 17/17 and Harden's 10/10 respective perfect performances.  

THE DARK SIDE: 

Were it not for an overwhelming second quarter, the narrative of this game would read much differently.  Brooklyn got outscored in the second half by a 22 point margin.  The second-half score was 64-42 in favor of Indiana.  The Pacers finished with 16 more offensive possessions but only shot 39.1% from the floor.

The bench had accounted for just 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 55 minutes of floor time through three quarters.  Overall, they were 8/26 (30.7%) from the field for a mere 19 points.  

All being said, the Nets held their opponent under one hundred points for only the fifth time this season.

Perhaps the team took to heart some of Coach Nash's post-game comments after Tuesday's debacle.

Brooklyn Nets: Someone Failed To Seize The Moment

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Sloppy Start Ends With Sloppy Finish

FRIDAY

Nets          110

Grizzlies   115

I'm sure you recall when Memphis got the best of Flatbush back on Dec. 28, at Barclays Center.  To their credit, the Nets after getting pummeled in the paint that night mounted a comeback that sent the contest into overtime.  However, the Grizzlies eventually came away with a five-point margin of victory.

After Thursday's victory over the Sixers at Flatbush, the Nets arrived in Memphis for the second night of back-to-back games on Friday.  The Grizzlies appeared to pick up where they left off, jumping out to a 40-28 first-quarter lead, and a commanding 62-47 lead by the half.  However, the suddenly gamely Nets cut their deficit to six by end of the third.  Caris LeVert led the charge with 19 points and five three-pointers in the quarter.

Making his second straight start, Caris LeVert led all players with 36 minutes and 43 points.  Caris shot 15/23 (75%) from the field including 7/9 from afar and a perfect 6/6 from the line.

By 5:44 of the fourth quarter, Landry Shamet's three-pointer gave the Nets their first lead of the night.  A second consecutive three from Shamet at 4:36 gave the Nets yet another two-point lead.  Although, by then matters had already started going awry.  What we have is an instance where I feel Coach Nash failed to seize the moment.  DeAndre Jordan was kept on the floor down the stretch.  Insofar as the telecast, Ian Eagle and Sarah Kustok appeared equally puzzled as any fan viewing at home while Jarrett Allan remained idle on the bench.  In the meantime, the Nets went scoreless for over three minutes, and the issue of Nash's aversion to calling time outs reared its head again.  All the while, the Grizzlies pulled away with a 9-0 run.

all that effort for not, last five minutes completely mismanaged ... if Nash insists on keeping Jordan on the floor, he must throw his body around a little more, expend fouls instead of watching cats streak by

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) January 9, 2021

five games in eight days and a back-to-back; not gonna knock Nash too much for his distribution of minutes, but the last few of this game is on him. #Nets

— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) January 9, 2021

ICYMI: Joe Harris Reintroduces Himself To Sixers

Brooklyn Nets: Flatbush Jazzes Up The Place

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

JAZZ     96

NETS   130

FINAL

After two straight losses against the Hawks and Wizards, Flatbush gets back in the win column with Tuesday's commanding victory over the visiting Utah Jazz.  

The Nets led by eleven after the first quarter and took a nineteen point lead into the break.  Kyrie Irving, who last year played in only twenty games, took charge of this game with haste, scoring 22 of his team-high 29 points in the first half.  He was 12/19 (63%) from the field for the game, including 5/7 from the arc and no trips to the line.  Overall, the Brooks did a much better job of ball distribution (31-17) and outrebounded the Jazz by a 43-32 margin.  In the end, Flatbush came away with an overwhelming 34-point margin of victory, all minus the services of Kevin Durant, who is quarantining per COVID protocol. 

In the absence of both Durant and Spencer Dinwiddie, Coach Nash's starting five took on quite a different look.  Jeff Green, Taurean Prince, and Bruce Brown all started for the Nets.  Playing in only his fourth game and making his first start as a Nets member, newcomer Bruce Brown scored six points with five assists and six rebounds in 23 minutes.  The Taurean Prince doldrums continue; he mustered eight points, two assists, and no rebounds while playing a season-high twenty minutes.

Jarrett Allan also made his first start of the season (and it's about time).  His new role coming off the bench is a contention point for some fans (me).  However, he is getting more minutes than DeAndre Jordan, and more importantly, is finishing games.  After receiving a season-high 32 minutes, Allan rewarded his coach with 19 points, a game-high 18 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.  The game marks the first time Allan has breached thirty minutes this season.  

Meanwhile, ask, and ye shall receive!  It was after the second Hawks game when I said:

"Lastly, if you're going to let DeAndre Jordan start over Jarrett Allen, who is getting more minutes and finishing games, then encourage Jordan to throw around his body more."

DeAndre Jordan against the Jazz was limited to a season-low nine minutes.  In fact, it's the first time this season Jordan has been held under fifteen minutes.  Perhaps that's because he drew five personal fouls!  I like it, and I want more of it.

On a night Caris LeVert appeared likely to start, Coach Nash kept him on the bench.  Yet, he and Kyrie Irving were the only two Nets with double-digit shot attempts.  LeVert scored 24 points with five assists in just 21 minutes.  Joe Harris scored ten points in 23 minutes also off the bench.  

The night's true beneficiary was Tyler Johnson, who played more minutes on Tuesday than he had in three previous appearances.  Entering the game, having grossed only twelve minutes of floor time, Coach Nash directed eighteen minutes his way, in which Johnson scored six points and distributed a game-high seven assists.

NEXT: Philly comes to Brooklyn.  This will be a test case in Coach Nash's in-game adjustments, as if to say going off-script.  Memphis and Atlanta, in their contests against the Nets, completely painted their interior wall to wall.  We all know Philly means physicality.  How will the Nets handle this coming off last season's playoff experience against the Sixers and this season's two recent instances wherein teams trampled through Brooklyn's inner turf?

Brooklyn Nets: For Jarrett Allen, Time is of the Essence

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

"Center of Attention"

In Sean Marks, we trust, right?

Jarrett Allen is my favorite player.  Let's get that out of the way.  I was not pleased to hear his name mentioned in off-season trade rumors and would have been downright irate had he been included in a rumored deal for James Harden.  But I digress ...

Allan's contract status is the matter at hand.  Brooklyn's center of attention and the Nets recently failed to reach an agreement on an extension by the required deadline.  Thus, he becomes a restricted free agent at season's end.  This is just capitalism at work.  I have no compunction letting the market set Allen's price, so long as I know the Nets are committed to matching any potential offers.  And there's the rub.  Jarrett is effectively playing out the rest of the season to establish his future worth.  If all goes according to plan, Jarrett's annual value is due to spike from its present level of just under $4 million towards much higher and more cap and tax problematic sums.

Lest we forget, Caris LeVert last season signed an extension that was well celebrated by fans.  At this stage, I would also argue Spencer Dinwiddie is more expendable than Jarrett Allen.  

But the real phantom menace at play here is veteran DeAndre Jordan, who came loosely linked together with KD and Kyrie Irving.  He is taking up time and space that formerly belonged to Jarrett Allen.  In four games to date (two exhibitions, two regular-season), DeAndre Jordan started each time with Allen coming off the bench.  Jordan in the pre-season played 17 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively; Allen punched in 15 minutes and 17 minutes.  Through four games, Coach Nash has so far kept his starting lineup intact.  But whereas Jordan's playing time has remained consistent at 17 minutes against Golden State, then 19 minutes at Boston, Jarrett Allen's minutes were bumped up to 20 against the Warriors, and 21 minutes against the Celtics.  

Regular Season:

• Jordan vs. G.S. - 17 minutes, 11 rebounds, 4 points, 1 block.
• Allan vs. G.S. - 20 minutes, 7 rebounds, 8 points, 2 blocks.

• Jordan vs. BOS - 19 minutes, 7 rebounds, 4 points, 2 blocks.
• Allan vs. BOS - 21 minutes, 11 rebounds, 9 points, 4 blocks.

Albeit a small sample size, the numbers both collectively and individually speak for themselves.  No team in their right mind turns away 38.5 minutes, 18 rebounds, 12.5 points, and 4.5 blocks per game at center.  For the moment, it's a good problem for the Nets to have, but for how long?  Jarrett is averaging just 20.5 minutes a game.  He hasn't averaged as little as 20 minutes a game since his rookie season.  This, after spending the last two seasons as a prominent performer on an emerging playoff contender, punching the clock for 26.3 minutes per game.  Said another way, Allen, a starter for most other league teams, is theoretically deprived of a half-dozen minutes per game.  What Coach Nash has planned for Jordan and Allan moving forward remains to be seen.  Allen won't be 23-years old till next Spring.  Jordan, although very likable, is ten years Allen's elder.  Injuries can come into play for all we know.  But as they say: time is money.  In Allan's case, minutes are now his primary unit of value.  

So, what's a restricted free agent to do in the meantime?  

I guess learn from Jordan and Amare Stoudemire and prove himself an indispensable component of the Nets.

Circling back to Sean Marks, he continually reiterates the merits of being a disciplined organization, one that sticks with the plan, all the while prioritizing team and organizational culture.  Well, Jarrett Allen has been no less instrumental in establishing said culture than any player to don a Brooklyn Nets uniform.

Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving's Christmas Day Show at Boston

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

🎄  BRooOOOKLYN IN THE HOUSE  🎄

Nets      123

Celtics     95

FINAL

🎅

Merry NETSmas, everybody!

Kyrie Irving makes his triumphant return to Beantown, bearing a bag full of gifts for his former team.  Playing in his first NBA game at TD Bank Arena since May 6, 2019, the former Celtic tucks a game-high 37 points into Boston's holiday baskets.  He also graciously distributes another game-high eight assists while highlighting Brooklyn's commanding 28-point margin of victory over the Celtics.  With an efficiency, even Santa's elves can appreciate, Kyrie is 13/21 (62%) from the field, 7/10 from the arc, and a perfect 4/4 from the stripe.  It's just too bad Boston fans couldn't join together in attendance to revel in Friday's late afternoon Christmas Day festivities and exchange their personal good wishes with Irving in person.

Kevin Durant scores eight points without so much as a single second ticking off the clock.  Great players get to the line and make you pay; that's all there is to it.  He is 8/9 from the charity line and otherwise shoots 9/16 (56%) from the field and 3/4 from beyond the arc.

Steve Nash turned up the heat against the Celtics.  Irving's and Durant's minutes remained consistent during two pre-season games (including one against Boston) and through Tuesday's home opener against Golden State at Barclays.  This game marks the first in which Durant and Irving exceed thirty minutes; Coach Nash issues each an equal 33 minutes.  Brooklyn's stiff jab followed by the unseen straight right join together for 66 points or 53.6% of Brooklyn's gross total, on 22/37 (59.4%) from the field.  The two also join for 12/13 (92%) on free throws, which accounts for 46.1% of Brooklyn's scoring from the stripe.

At the "center of attention," DeAndre continues taking his place on the court for the opening tip-offs, but it's Jarrett Allen who is garnering more minutes, if only slightly.  Jordan was a plus-5 in 19 minutes with four points and seven rebounds.  Jarrett Allen was a plus-18 with nine points and 5/6 from the line to complement a game-high eleven rebounds (five offensive) in 21 minutes.

Caris LeVert, in 19 minutes, was 5/8 from the floor for ten points with three assists; he missed on two occasions from three.  Joe Harris was a quiet 2/4 from the arc with nine points overall.

Jeff Green's forceful putback early in the game turned out to be his only points.  Together with Taurean Prince, they joined for 2/8 from the field and a minus-6 for the game in fifteen and twelve minutes.

A sloppy start by Brooklyn results in a 54-51 deficit at halftime.  But Flatbush storms back, outscoring Boston 72-41 in the second half and limiting the Celtic to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.  Boston outrebounds (47-43) the Nets, but their accuracy from the field was demonstratively awry, shooting a mere 37/98 (38.7%) for the game.

• Next up: Flatbush (2-0) visits Charlotte on Sunday.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Brooklyn Nets: Sean Marks' Vision Comes Into Focus

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

MAKE THAT BROOKLYN'S NINTH & MOST 

ANTICIPATED OPENING DAY SINCE 2012-2013

2020 ~ 2021

HOOPS of FLATBUSH

Warriors    99

Nets         125

FINAL

OUT OF THE LAB AND FINALLY ON THE COURT: A NEW ERA IN BROOKLYN NETS BASKETBALL BEGINS, NOW!

Opening night at Barclays Center features Stephen Curry and the visiting Golden State Warriors (playing without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) against host Brooklyn featuring their former teammate, Kevin Durant.

Punching in his time card for the first time since Game 5 of the NBA Finals as a member of the Warriors,  Durant is 7/16 from the floor and 7/7 from the line for 22 points in 25-minutes.  Kyrie Irving, the other half of Brooklyn's one-two punch, scores a game-high 26 points in 25-minutes.  

Kyrie Irvin and Kevin Durant joined in scoring 48 points or 38.4% of Brooklyn's 125 total points and propelled the Nets to a 40-25 lead in the first quarter and an 18 point lead at the half.

Coach Nash's distribution of minutes is consistent with the pre-season.  In fact, his starting lineup also remained the same.  DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Joe Harris round out the starting five.  Of the starters, only Jordan failed to stay on the floor for at least twenty minutes.  Caris LeVert, like Durant and Irving, plays a team-high 25-minutes.  A qualified starter at this stage of his career for most other teams, and an emerging star for that matter, Caris is 6/17 from the field and 5/6 from the line with nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.  His 20 points off the bench make three Nets with 20 or more.  New addition Landry Shamet also played 20 minutes, with a +12 and six points.

DeAndre Jordan, in 17 minutes, secures a game-high eleven rebounds.  Jarrett Allen is given 20 minutes off the bench in which he secures seven rebounds and is 2/3 from the floor and 4/5 from the line for eight points.  Together, the "Centers of Brooklyn's Attention" join for 12 points, 18 rebounds (five offensive), with three assists and three blocks.  

As a new leader of the Nets, the television camera in the first quarter caught KD (admonishing?) encouraging Joe Harris to take a shot from the left corner, who instead elected to pass off.  That may not seem like much and will likely go unspoken.  However, I think playing alongside KD will be huge and beneficial to Joe's continued career advancement.  Sean Marks made re-signing Joe an off-season priority.  And truth be told, for the role he plays, he has always been a good fit in Flatbush.  When Harris is on his game and making his shots, the Nets are difficult to contend with.  But when opponents decide to eliminate Joe Harris from the equation, Harris is easily canceled out, and the team oft struggled to make up the difference.  After only one regular-season game together, I sense Kevin Durant will push Harris unlike any player or coach before him.  Harris is averaging 11.8 points per game since joining the Nets but is averaging 14.1 ppg over the last two seasons.  With teams overly concerned with Durant and Irving, Harris stands to have his best season to date.  Monday against the Warriors, he scored ten and secured seven rebounds.

The Nets outrebounded Golden State (55-45) by a margin of ten.  Assists were 26-24 in favor of the Warriors.  Brooklyn was 42/92 (45.7%) from the floor and an efficient 15/35 (42.9%) from the arc.  Golden State was 37/99 (37.4%) from the field; Steph Curry finished with 20 points in 30 minutes.

Flatbush faces an upgrade in competition when they next play the Celtics at Boston on Christmas Day.

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving Play Together at Last

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Pre-Season Opener

Wizards 114

Nets       119

FINAL

... and the Hoops of Flatbush Take the Court!

Welcome to the Brooklyn Nets' most anxiously anticipated season to date, even more so than their initial arrival in Kings County.  Expectations were never nearly as high then, nor moving forward, as they are at this very moment.  

General manager Sean Marks is to thank.  His patience and discipline have so far prevailed.  Through his rebuilding and architectural vision, the team in these last two seasons has done more to endear themselves to fans than in any preceding six.  Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, even Spencer Dinwiddie (and the departed D'Angelo Russell) grew up here, along with others worth mentioning whether still with the team or not.  They're all responsible for elevating the Nets to a more competitive level.  I'm happy a trade to acquire James Harden never transpired.  Generally speaking, the point is the long-sought emotional bond between team and fan has finally been cemented.  That's a very different vibe than hiring a bunch of costly mercenaries in the hopes of grabbing a new fan base's attention, a la Mikail Prokhorov's and Billy King's device.  Although a Nets familiar crowd, Brooklyn can be an apathetic bunch.  Early attendance figures bear that out.

Some pundits are saying the Brooklyn Nets are now a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.  Then, all that remains is for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to drive Sean Marks' vision forward and validate such prognostications.

That being said, the wait is over.  For the first time since their respective acquisitions, fans got to witness Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant playing in the same game at the same time and donning the same black and white uniforms, albeit in the first preseason exhibition game against the pedestrian Washington Wizards.  But if fans think they waited a long time for this moment, imaging Durant's plight, who last participated in an NBA game over 550 days ago.  He's been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon ever since.  It was definitely a relief and very encouraging as a fan to see Durant moving so fluidly and without hesitancy.

Insofar as first impressions, Irving and Durant did not disappoint.  Their respective first-half effort was an exciting glimpse into what possibly could be a fascinating season in Flatbush.  The two joined for 33 points en route to a 68-50 first-half lead.  Said another way, they accounted for 48.5% of the Nets first-half scoring.  I can't stand math, but I'm completely copacetic with that measure of contribution for the sake of involvement.  Despite 0/3 from the arc, Spencer Dinwiddie scored ten and led the team with seven assists in 25-minutes.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarro seems to have picked up where he left off with eleven points in 21-minutes.  Taurean Prince was an effective 6/9 from the field and 2/2 from the line.  Kyrie Irving led the team with 18 points in just 17 minutes, and Durants had 15 points in 24 minutes.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen were not the centers of attention.  Coach Nash gave Jordan the start over Allen.  I'll wait out the preseason before I make that an issue.  Otherwise, the two joined for just seven points with eleven defensive boards while splitting 32 total minutes.

This brings to mind Steve Nash and his rather eclectic coaching staff.  I'll just start by saying holdover Jacque Vaughn is completely welcome.  Mike D'Antoni is the assistant head coach.  He'll definitely be a head coach of his own team again next season; I'm sure of it.  He, unfortunately, was the one person left standing in the latest round of head coaching musical chairs.  Nash, of course, played for D'Antoni while at Phoenix.  And then there's Amare Stoudemire, Nash's former teammate at Phoenix.  The two were great together, and the three went far together but never did get to light a victory cigar.  Amare is said to be here (partly) to teach Jarrett Allen how to play like a big man.  I hope it works.  However, I'm no booster of D'Antoni.  I do not and have never believed in his system.  We've seen it up close with the Knicks, and where did his system get him in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Houston?  That said, I fully expect Steve Nash to be his own man and run his own game while being completely open to information and advice.  Above all else, I trust Sean Marks made the right decision.

I do not consider the upcoming season a championship year or bust situation.  I prefer to judge the upcoming season in stages.  For now, they are nothing more than a team with two stars who have yet to complete a full season together.  Of course, Durant is returning to the floor after an extended absence. However, Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets still must demonstrate durability, lest we forget he only played 20 games last season.