Nets Are Scorching

As I’ve discussed previously, the John Calipari era in New Jersey has always been a curious one for me. There was one great, entertaining season in 97-98, when the team won 43 games and made it to the first round of the playoffs and fighting hard against the Bulls before getting swept away by the eventual champions. That season was sandwiched between two agonizing ones, including the lockout-shortened 1999 season where the team lost starting point guard Sam Cassell, started the season 3-17, and Calipari was fired.

When Calipari came to the Nets from the University of Massachusetts, he was known for being a little high-strung and abrasive. People said he was an Xs and Os wonk who demanded a lot from his players – maybe too much. In the closing days of Calipari’s tenure in New Jersey, all of these bad traits came to a head. His players, most notably Jayson Williams, publicly criticized him. The Nets new ownership group at the time, didn’t  back him. He got into major trouble, when he referred to a reporter as an “Mexican Idiot.”

A lot of this history is rehashed in Calipari’s new book “Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and Life.” Part self-help book, part-biography, Calipari uses his New Jersey firing as the primary impetus for his motivational spiel, citing it as the “rock bottom” of his professional career. The book is Calipari’s opportunity to set the record straight, while showing how he’s grown from the fiasco.

Which is what makes “Bounce Back” so curious. Throughout the book, Calipari litters the text with classic self-help clichés, telling readers to believe in themselves, and to get out from under the covers. He uses his life as an example of coming back from the depths of despair – the problem is, there is not a whole lot about Calipari’s life that I think the common man could identify with and be inspired by.

Read more…

Today, the beat reporters sit down with Rod Thorn, Kiki Vandeweghe and Lawrence Frank to discuss the upcoming season. The main gist of these interviews: the Nets will be better than people are predicting and while they may not have all-stars at every position, there is depth and opportunity for most guys on the roster. Read about it from Dave D’Alessandro, Al Iannazzone and Fred Kerber.

Chris Douglas-Roberts is blogging again. This time he talks about training camp with Brian Hamilton, quoting Jarvis Hayes and Keyon Dooling as saying Hamilton is “the best on-ball defender they’ve ever seen.” CDR also talks about having that “killer instinct” and his Bengal kittens Kieko and Kiana.

The Barclays/Nets Community Alliance is supporting Maine-based Camp Sunshine this October by setting up a special session for Brooklyn-based children who are suffering from hematology and/or oncology.

A Russian blog discusses prospect Nets investor Mikhail Prokhorov’s connections to the Russian Government and what he might have to do in his native land to put such a stake into an American sports franchise.

In a post on his personal blog earlier today, Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov confirmed that he has made a bid to invest in a new Nets arena in Brooklyn in exchange for a stake in team ownership, Reuters is reporting.

According to the blog post, which can be found at md-prokhorov.livejournal.com, Prokhorov submitted his bid to Nets ownership this weekend.  The offer would see his Onexim Group provide a loan to ownership to help build a “substantial part” of the Barclays Arena. Onexim would then receive a controlling stake in the franchise, making them the first International owners in the NBA. Last week, it was speculated that Prokhorov could pay upwards of $700 million for the deal.

“For our Onexim group the realization of this very lucrative business project, whose participation was made possible by the world crisis (never in history have foreigners owned an NBA club), is another interesting sports development,” Prokhorov wrote on his blog.

As has been recently discussed, the NBA would have to approve a Prokhorov takeover and he does have a suspicious past that could potentially damage his chances. However, it’s no secret that David Stern and the NBA are dying for more opportunities to open up the sport to more international markets, and they are also avid supporters of professional basketball in Brooklyn. For Brooklyn to happen, Nets owner Bruce Ratner needs financing in place and the ground broken by the end of 2009. If some more of the legal hurdles are cleared, including a hearing at NewYork State’s highest court on October 14 about the use of eminent domain for the Atlantic Yards project, Prokhorov’s involvement could help facilitate the Nets in Brooklyn. While I’m sure Nets fans, New Jersey residents and Brooklyn residents have a wide-range of opinions on the prospects of the “Brooklyn Nets,” it’s crystal clear that the move to Brooklyn is needed in order to establish any kind of short-term stability with the current ownership group.

Name: Josh Boone
Position: PF/C
Height: 6’10″
Weight: 237
Birth Date: November 21, 1984 (age 24)
Birth Place: Mount Airy, MD
Number: 2
College: University of Connecticut
Drafted: 2006, 1st round, 23rd overall by New Jersey
Experience: 3 seasons
Contract: $2.05 million in 2009-10

On offense:
After a promising sophomore campaign where he started 53 games and averaged 8.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 55 percent from the field, Josh Boone took a step backwards last year. He was injured earlier in the season and was replaced in the starting lineup with Brook Lopez, who justifiably held on to that spot even after Boone came back from injury. But Boone was never the same player after being jettisoned from the starting five.

Read more…

Playing with hypotheticals, Slam looks at “What If” LeBron James signs with the Nets next summer.

The New York Post is reporting that the controversial “left-wing” group ACORN, expects to play a role in the marketing and promotion of the Atlantic Yards development.

UPDATE: So it turns out the Nets aren’t getting any second rounders…yet…Fred Kerber has the breakdown:

So the Warriors and Nets huddled and came up with a new solution. The Nets would receive Golden state’s first rounder in either 2012, ’13 or 14. The first rounder is protected 1 through 7 in both 2012 and 2013, protected 1 through 6 in 2014. If the Warriors still stink worse than the American League Central in 2014, then the Nets would get two second rounders: in 2014 and 2016.

So as we originally thought, this deal was done basically to help the Warriors try and complete a deal.  We get in return a far less protected pick in either 2012, 2013, or 2014.  Whatever year we do get this pick, one thing is for sure, we are definitely getting the better end of the deal.  This also strengthens my belief that the Nets aren’t making any moves before camp.  Mainly because they have less definite picks than the original reports gave us, plus we won’t be likely to move our first rounder, especially if it is far less protected.

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According to Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears, the Golden State Warriors sent two future second round picks to delay the delivery of a the first round pick that they agreed to send the Nets in the Marcus Williams deal:

For agreeing to delay receiving the first-rounder from Golden State, the Nets will acquire two future second-round picks from the Warriors. The first-round pick originally was lottery protected in 2011. It now has lesser protection for 2012, though sources did not reveal in detail the exact level of protection.

The move allows the Warriors more time and flexibility to package their 2011 first-round pick in a deal, if they so choose. A source, however, said Golden State currently does not have any potential trades on the horizon – including anything involving disgruntled forward Jackson.

This deal works for both teams in my opinion.  The Warriors can use their pick in a trade, and the Nets continue to stockpile picks, a smart move for a rebuilding team.

Now there are whispers that the Nets agreed to this move because they are looking to make a deal relatively soon.  I am not really sure I agree…I have said it a number of times, I really do think that the Nets should (and will) stay put to start the season.  With that being said, if we near the deadline and we can use one or both of these picks in a deal (Mark and I did mention in one of our podcasts that we think there is a chance the Nets add a big piece via a deadline deal this year instead of looking for one in free agency), I am all for it.

We should find out for sure by the end of this week though.  Camp opens up soon, and you have got to think that if the Nets are going to make a deal, it will happen before then.  If there is no deal, we are probably standing pat until at least the trading deadline.

Name: Trenton Hassell

Position: G/F

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 233

Birth Date: March 4, 1979 (age 30)

Birth Place: Clarksville, Tennessee

Number: 44

College: Austin Peay

Drafted: 2001, 2nd round, 30th overall by Chicago

Experience: 8 seasons

Contract: $4,350,000 million in 2009-10

On offense:

Trenton’s offensive game has always been pretty limited, and last year he continued that trend.  With a weak handle and no real quickness to speak of, Hassell was pretty much relegated to a spot-up shooter role (75% of his total shots are jumpers).   Trenton Hassell wasn’t a three point shooter (only 8 attempted).  Let’s take a look at his shot chart: Read more…

Well it might be a day late (we are not counting the weekend), but the 5th edition of the NetsAreScorching podcast is here.  In this edition Mark and I discuss the new Atlantic Yards renderings, the possible infusion of Russian money, and Yi and his commitments to China.

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Remember, we are always looking for stuff to ramble on about…er discuss.  Podcast@netsarescorching.com is the e-mail.  It doesn’t have to be questions though, e-mail us comments, thoughts, or opinions…anything Nets related.