The Nets have released their preseason schedule and while no games will be played at the Meadowlands, two will be played at the Prudential Center in Newark (hat tip Dave D’Alessandro, The Star Ledger).
The Newark games are on Oct. 13 against the Celtics and Oct. 21 against the Knicks. I guess it would really same something to team ownership if Nets fans show up en masse and sell out both games at “The Rock.” However, it is unclear whether your Kevin Garnett/Yi Jianlian reversible jersey will be delivered to you in time for the Oct. 13 game.
Full schedule:
Oct. 4: Knicks, Albany, 2 pm
Oct. 9: 76ers, Philadelphia, 7 pm
Oct. 11: Celtics, Boston, 1 pm
Oct. 13: Celtics, The Rock, 7 pm
Oct. 16: Knicks, MSG, 7:30 pm
Oct. 21: Knicks, The Rock, 7 pm
Oct. 23: 76ers, St. John’s, 8 pm
Posted by Mark Ginocchio
Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch sees two potential scenarios unfolding during the “Summer of Lebron.” He either stays in Cleveland or he jumps to New Jersey.
Calling one of Lebron’s other potential suitors, the New York Knicks “mismanaged and malodorous,” Arace adds that the Nets have the benefit of minority owner and rapper Jay-Z to help lure James while also having the cap space to potentially add another superstar, like Chris Bosh.
Personally, I’m just relieved to read some sports commentary from outside the Big Apple that acknowledges some reasons why Lebron isn’t going to automatically gravitate towards the Knicks if he spurns the Cavs next year. The Knicks haven’t been relevant in more than a decade and if the Nets could establish any sort of stability with the Brooklyn/New Jersey situation in the coming year, I think they have as much of a shot, if not more, to land Lebron instead of the Knicks.
Posted by Mark Ginocchio
The latest round of reports regarding the Atlantic Yards development and the Nets potential move to Brooklyn has Nets owner Bruce Ratner needing project financing and a groundbreaking by December 31 in order to qualify for tax-exempt bond status and to keep the $400 million naming-rights deal with Barclays Bank for the arena.
Meanwhile, the non-profit group, Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, one of the primary opponents of the development, will challenge the state’s use of eminent domain for the project at an October 14 hearing before the NY State Court of Appeals in Albany.
DDDB spokesman Daniel Goldstein recently took the time out to answer a few questions for Nets Are Scorching about the plan.
Read more…
The AFP has a nice story about Yi Jianlian’s performance in the FIBA Asia Championship. For those not checking the boxscores, Yi is averaging a double-double (18.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and has led a Yao-less team China to a 6-0 record headed into the quarter-final round.
Nets Are Scorching is working on getting some eyewitness insights about Yi’s performance in the near future. Stay tuned.
Posted by Mark Ginocchio
The Nets have never been the easiest sports franchise to root for, but it’s never good when the team themselves admits to it.
The Nets are offering fans who buy tickets to one of their 10-game plans, five reversible NBA jerseys featuring 10 different players. So hey, when the Nets are playing the Cavs on January 2, we can all convince Lebron to sign with us, the greatest fans on earth, by taking our Devin Harris jersey and reversing it to a Lebron jersey. Because that’s what true fans do … switch sides when they’re team is stinking up the place. Later in the season, I hear they might do a brown shopping bag promotion so the few thousand fans who are still showing up to games can hide their faces in case they’re shown on TV.
I remember when I first started following the Nets in the SportsChannel days, I would seethe when Spencer Ross and Bill Raferty would promote upcoming games by saying “come see Michael Jordan and the Bulls” or “Clyde Drexler and the Trailblazers.” Because going to see Drazen Petovic and Sam Bowie wasn’t enough.
I guess the bright side of this jersey promotion is they haven’t paired any Nets with an Eddy Curry Knicks jersey.
Posted by Mark Ginocchio
