NetsAreScorching – New Jersey Nets Blog – Nets News, Rumors, Analysis, Podcasts, Salaries, & Statistics

Who Would You Trade For Carmelo Anthony (Part III: Terrence Williams)

by Dennis Velasco

Sep 2, 2010 Anthony Morrow, Carmelo Anthony, Terrence Williams, Trade Ideas, Travis Outlaw 17 Comments

With the Nets constantly being mentioned by the mainstream sports media as a potential landing spot for Carmelo Anthony, the NAS squad is going to take a look over at some of the players who would likely be included in a deal for the All-Star SF.

Would you Trade Terrence Williams?

The Case For Trading Terrence Williams:

The man is all potential at this point.  Williams is a favorite of a lot of Nets fans and surely many will cry foul should T-Will be traded.  Afterall, some may have spent $40+ dollars on a Williams jersey and it only appreciated one year’s worth of value?  In any case, Williams is loaded with talent and athleticism and brings a certain amount of excitement every time his kicks touch the hardwood.  However, he can’t shoot for excrement!  Granted it was his rookie season, but shooting 40.1% for the season is as bad as answering your girlfriend when she asks you if she looks good in a certain outfit (BTW, the answer is always to ask a question back such as, “Do you think you look good in it?”).

Taking a closer look at it, Williams shot 55.4% at the rim and 50.0% from less than 10 feet, which is decent, but 31.6% from 10-15 feet, 22.0% from 16-23 feet, and 31.0% from three-point range.  In a word, yuck.  Obviously as a wing player, one must, you know, be able to hit shots from the wing and Williams clearly cannot do that yet.  Unfortunately for T-Will, there are other players now on the team that can.  Anthony Morrow is a career 48.1% shooter from 10-15, 44.1% from 16-23, and 46.0% from the land of treys.  Travis Outlaw, in the past four seasons, has hit 39.8% of his shots from 10-15, 41.8% from 16-23, and 36.4% from behind the three-point line.

Granted getting to the rim is part of being a wing player, but both Morrow and Outlaw are pretty good finishers at the rim themselves, so Williams doesn’t stand out in that respect.  So, unless T-Will can get a jumper of some kind with the quickfast, he has to be considered expendable, particularly for a player of Carmelo Anthony’s caliber.

The Case Against Trading Terrence Williams:

The man is all potential at this point.  However, the last two months of the 2009-10 season, in particular, showed how great Williams could be.  In 15 March games, T-Will averaged 14.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG.  In 7 April games, he slightly upped the production by averaging 14.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, a month that includes getting his first career triple-double (27, 13, 10) versus the Chicago Bulls on April 9th.  And to get back to his shooting, in March, Williams shot 42.9% from the field and did a lot better in April, hitting 45.5% of his shots.  So, there is hope yet!

Given the burn on the court, T-Will is basically a triple-double waiting to happen.  His Per 40 stats break down to 14.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG.  Williams is a freak athlete with outstanding court vision and passing ability for a wing.  In fact, there always seems to be talk about T-Will playing the lead guard position as a back-up to Devin Harris.  Williams has the tools to become an outstanding defender at the NBA level as he was during his college days at Louisville, able to defend multiple positions.  Again, there is a lot of potential here with Williams.

The Final Verdict:

Potential is a nice thing, however, it can only get you so far, especially if you’re the Nets trying to make the playoffs and change the culture surrounding the team.  So, the question is, will Carmelo Anthony help the Nets into the playoffs?  No question.  Will T-Will?  Quite possibly, but there is a better chance with Melo around in a Nets uni.  So, Terrence Williams, we hardly knew ye.  Enjoy Denver.

Daily Link: A Look at Coach Krystkowiak

by Mark Ginocchio

Sep 2, 2010 Daily Link, Larry Krystkowiak Leave a comment

While we’ve heard a lout about the team’s new players, new owner and new head coach, one of the biggest changes for the organization this summer has been the dramatic improvement in the team’s coaching staff. One of those new additions, assistant coach Larry Krystkowiak, has head coaching experience in Milwaukee and after reading this latest piece from Ben Couch, seems like a legitimately great guy who is going to be a real asset to the organization:

“I’ve always been a big fan of trying to get a little bit better every day,” Krystkowiak says. “That’s a personal goal for me. And I don’t have all the answers – don’t have close to all the answers. I’d love to pick up something each day that can help me get better at my job. And also be challenged with the players on the team, to make sure they’re doing the same thing. Really, I’ve been pretty fortunate having that mentality and that philosophy: bigger picture things tend to work themselves out when you focus on the day-to-day stuff. If that means head coach down the road, great. If not, I’m not getting restless and wanting anything to do with that. I’m just one day at time, and I’m real content with that philosophy.”

Who Would You Trade For Carmelo Anthony (Part II)

by Mark Ginocchio

Sep 1, 2010 Brook Lopez, Carmelo Anthony 45 Comments

By Evan Kaplan

Would You Trade Brook Lopez

The Case for Trading Brook Lopez:

Brook Lopez is easily one of the best young centers in the NBA. The numbers he has put up in his first two seasons are very impressive and any team would love to have him on their roster. While the upside is there, the question the Nets organization has to ask is whether they think Lopez can single handedly win them an NBA title? In the past, the NBA was built on the big man and having a dominant center was a key to winning a championship. But it is now the age of the prolific wing player, and acquiring a guy like Carmelo Anthony could be worth getting rid of Lopez.

Read More..

Who Would You Trade for Carmelo Anthony?

by Mark Ginocchio

Aug 31, 2010 Carmelo Anthony, Devin Harris 40 Comments

With the Nets constantly being mentioned by the mainstream sports media as a potential landing spot for Carmelo Anthony, the NAS squad is going to take a look over the next week at some of the players who would likely be included in a deal for the All-Star SF.

Would you Trade Devin Harris?

The Case For Trading Devin Harris:

Devin Harris played like and was recognized as an All-Star during the 2008-09 season, but there was a significant drop-off in his performance last season when he became the team’s focal point after the departure of Vince Carter.  His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) dropped from 21.65 to 16.28 and his frailty really became exposed last season when he only played in 64 games due to assorted injuries – his third consecutive season of under 70 games played.  Despite his aggressive style of play on offense, his field goal percentage on shots taken at the rim (53%) was an all-time low for Harris last season, according to hoopdata.com. Harris doesn’t hit enough of his remaining field goals (40% total, 28% from three) for the Nets to survive offensively without him connecting regularly on his drives to the hoop.

Read More..

Monday Morning Mailbag #4

by Sebastian Pruiti

Aug 30, 2010 Monday Morning Mailbag 8 Comments

Day in and day out, we here at NetsAreScorching try to provide content that you guys want to read, however, we don’t know what exactly you want to hear about, and some things may fall through the cracks. This is what the mailbag is for. Every Monday we are going to be answering questions from you the reader, don’t be afraid to e-mail your questions to mailbag@netsarescorching.com.

Welcome to the fourth edition of the NetsAreScorching Mailbag.  In this week’s edition we look at the Carmelo Trade, Damion James, Jordan Farmar, and the slim pickings in the Nets’ team store.  Let’s get started.

Manuel Martinez

Would you rather trade for Melo and give up practically all our assets maybe leading us to mediocre playoff team (which some Nets fans think this will happen if we make the trade since we will no longer have flexibility, but i dont) or just keep our roster intact this season and let our young guys grow together and form chemistry and continue building our team through the draft?

That’s tough, but I think the Nets would end up making this trade for a ton of assets, and I would actually be ok with it.  Part of the reason why you build assets like younger players and picks is so you can make yourself available to take advantage of teams in a position to deal one of their best players.  The only problem I would have is if Brook Lopez was to be included in the deal.  This is because the team wouldn’t even be competitive, let alone make the playoffs, if Carmelo were to come over with Brook Lopez going in the other direction.  If the Nets can somehow get Carmelo without including Brook they would have a future front-line of Carmelo, Derrick Favors (can’t be traded for a year, so he is staying), and Brook Lopez.  Pretty solid if you ask me.

How comfortable would you be with Farmar as our starting PG if we do get Melo for a package including both Harris and T Will?

I’d be ok with it.  Farmar wouldn’t be asked to do what Devin will have to do if Carmelo doesn’t come over.  That is score and get the Nets into their offense.  There would be so much scoring power in the front court that all Farmar would have to do is bring the ball up, get the Nets into their offense, and hit an open shot here or there.

John Katehis

What kind of NBA player do you see Damion James developing into and what NBA player does he remind you of. He reminds me of Gerald Wallace, a good defender, a good rebounder, but ok (streaky) offensively. Also they both can play at the SG, SF, and PF position, and both are 6-7 and 220 lbs. What do you think?

For me, it is hard to call him a Gerald Wallace type player especially when we haven’t seen James play as a pro yet.  Also, I think it would be a stretch to say he can play the shooting guard position.  James isn’t the best ball handler, and if he is playing the two, he would be required to handle the ball a ton.  This year, I am just looking for James to contribute on the defensive end of the court.  Anything else is an added bonus.

Read More..

Daily Link: Patience is Key for ‘Melo

by Mark Ginocchio

Aug 30, 2010 Brook Lopez, Carmelo Anthony, Daily Link 9 Comments

The Examiner’s Gregory Hrinya discusses recent rumors involving the Nets and Carmelo Anthony and advises GM Billy King not to blink first in a potential deal, especially if it involves Brook Lopez:

The Nets have the assets and the location to lure Anthony. The pieces are in place to make a deal happen without giving up Lopez.

Billy King needs to avoid the panic button. Patience is the better part of valor here.

Denver will realize that New Jersey has the best package to offer, it just might take a little time while Ujiri tries to hold one team hostage.

Agreed. NAS will discuss potential packages for ‘Melo later this week, but Hrinya makes a great point and being patient.

Devin Harris’ Expects to Make Playoffs in 2010-11, Needs to Raise Game

by Sebastian Pruiti

Aug 27, 2010 2011 Playoffs, Devin Harris, Evan Kaplan 10 Comments

Evan Kaplan is a new writer for NetsAreScorching and he will be posting here once a week.  Evan is a lifelong Nets’ fan, so he shares the same passion for the Nets as all the other writers do.  To keep track of Evan’s work, you can go here.

The Nets won just 12 games last season. It was by all accounts one of the worst seasons in NBA history. So don’t blame me if I’m a bit skeptical of starting point guard Devin Harris when he says the team’s expectation is to make the playoffs in 2010-11. Let’s just take this thing one step at a time, Devin.

There is no question that this year’s version of the Nets will have more talent. The additions of Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors and Jordan Farmar will certainly help the team (and I guess you can throw Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw and Johan Petro in there, too). But with so many new pieces a major factor will be how this team meshes together. New Head Coach Avery Johnson will have the task of getting everyone on the same page and making sure everyone knows their role on the team. But in the increasingly point-guard driven NBA, much of the success of this season will fall on D. Harris.

Devin Harris will be entering his third full season in Jersey and the team is hoping he can regain his 2008-2009 form. Despite the team winning just 34 games two seasons ago, Harris’ numbers were quite impressive. He averaged 21.3 points, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals, on his way to being named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. But his numbers trailed off dramatically in 2009-2010, and he admitted that in 2010-11 he needed to get healthy and regain his All-Star form.

The relationship between Harris and Avery Johnson will be one to keep a close eye on. The two were together in Dallas and many in the media felt that Johnson did not let Harris play the point guard position with enough freedom. However the Nets point guard did say he was excited when the organization hired Johnson to be the team’s new head coach.

The former Wisconsin star is the definition of the modern-day hybrid point guard. He is most effective when he’s scoring the ball first and dishing to teammates second. But with the new pieces the Nets have on their roster, he needs to be more of a facilitator and get everyone else involved. In 64 games last season, Harris had 10 or more assists just 7 times. If the Nets are to improve in this upcoming season and take a substantial step towards respectability, he will need to up his play and be the team’s true floor general. Devin Harris can say he expects the Nets to make the playoffs in 2010-11, but much of the team’s success will fall on his shoulders, and if he can become an All-Star caliber player again.

Daily Link: Nets Head the Pack for ‘Melo Trade

by Mark Ginocchio

Aug 27, 2010 Carmelo Anthony, Daily Link 25 Comments

NBA writer extraordinaire Adrian Wojnarowski has some interesting news on the Carmelo Anthony saga – he wants out of Denver, and that appears to be somewhat official – but if Denver is going to pull the trigger, they want to get something back in return. That’s where the Nets come in:

The Nuggets made it clear to teams they want young players and draft picks for Anthony, league executives said. The New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as the two most probable destinations for Anthony because they have assets that appeal to Denver. The geography works for Anthony because of his wife LaLa Vazquez’s entertainment career.

Since these ‘Melo trade rumors began a few weeks ago, I’ve heard a lot of Nets fans say Anthony is not the kind of franchise changing player the Nets should be chasing. Balderdash. Granted, I wouldn’t trade just anyone for ‘Melo, it would have to make sense. But if you pair an offensive talent like Anthony with a center like Brook Lopez, the Nets can become a dangerous team.

The Importance Of Shooting Threes

by Mark Ginocchio

Aug 26, 2010 2010 Offseason, Offense 11 Comments

The Nets offensive woes from last year have been well documented on NAS, but for those of you who still aren’t in shell shock from the 2009-10 campaign, I wanted to revisit the team’s three point shooting performance. At .314 percent, the Nets ranked second-to-last in the league on treys, and while there were a number of reasons why the Nets ranked last in the league in offensive efficiency, they’re inability to hit much from behind the arc was certainly a contributor and something the front office has very forcefully addressed in their player acquisitions this summer.

Anthony Morrow is one of the best sharpshooters in the league, while Troy Murphy may be one of the NBA’s better shooting PFs. However, Jordan Farmar and Travis Outlaw also bring respectable shooting to the team. And while I’m sure you’ve heard this before, I’d like to point the many advantages of having legit shooters in the NBA: it spaces the floor better for your big men in the post while preventing defenses from settling into monotonous zone defenses – something that repeatedly did the Nets in during their close games last year.

So how much better are the Nets at shooting threes? By looking at just how their new acquisitions performed last year, the answer is: miles and miles better. Collectively, the current Nets roster shot 37 percent from three last year, which would have placed them 6^th in the league based on overall percentage. It’s difficult to gauge if those shooters could have replicated those numbers in the Nets system last year – keep in mind that Courtney Lee went from a 40 percent shooter in Orlando to a 34 percent shooter with the Nets – but it’s a good indication as to how much more improved the Nets are in that one area.

It’s also worth noting that good three-point shooting does not guarantee success in the NBA – Toronto and Golden State were both in the top 6 last year. But look at some of the other teams near the top in this statistic – Phoenix (1^st), Cleveland (2^nd), Orlando (3^rd) and Dallas (5^th). So it obviously only helps, especially if they’re able to accomplish other things on offense besides launching treys.

As a fan, these numbers are also reassuring that the front office has developed a legitimate strategy for improving the team on offense. While the Nets didn’t acquire the “best” player at any one position, outside of Johan Petro, all of the new acquisitions have long range shooting skills and an offensive system can be built around that, especially with Brook Lopez in the middle.

Daily Link: Devin Harris Interview

by Mark Ginocchio

Aug 26, 2010 Daily Link, Devin Harris Leave a comment

It’s easy to get caught up with the new player acquisitions and the development of young guys like Brook Lopez and Terrence Williams, but remember, at one point last year, for better or worse, this was Devin Harris’ team and in many ways, it still is. NJNETS.com has posted an interview with Devo on their Facebook page. As one would expect, it sounds like Harris is getting ready to move on from last season:

“I look at the team that we had, and some of the games we were losing, it was just mental. We were in a lot of games – though we got our butts kicked our fair share, too – but we just made mental mistakes down the stretch. That’ll change with a new season. Coming back, we’ve got a lot of new guys. You look at last year and move forward.”

You would have to think that if Harris was playing like an all-star for most of last year, the Nets would never have been flirting with the worst record of all time. I think Harris’ performance out of the gate will go a long way in determining if he’s really that special kind of a player we all saw in 2008-09, or if that season was a bit of fluke.