Quick Recap: Indiana Pacers 91, New Jersey Nets 83
Nov 17, 2009 2009-2010 Season Preview, Nets vs. Pacers, Quick Recap
The nightmare that is the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets season hit a lower low tonight as they fell to the Pacers 91-83 to start the year 0-11.
- The good news is, the Nets held a pretty good offense to 91 points tonight. The bad new is, the Nets couldn’t capitalize and shot 36 percent from the field and turned the ball over 19 times.
- Huge night for Brook Lopez who finished with 26 points (on 27! shots), 16 rebounds and 5 blocks.
- Brook’s counterpart in the middle, Roy Hibbert, was pretty good himself, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
- Chris Douglas-Roberts looks to have all of the swine flu out of him, posting his first career double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
- Rough night for Rafer Alston, who finished with 14 points, but was 2-12 from the field and turned the ball over 5 times. He did collect 4 steals.
- Danny Granger had a quiet 22 points on 6-16 shooting. Fortunately for the Pacers, Hibbert and Dahntay Jones had his back. Jones finished with 17 points.
- Indiana started both the first and second halves on 7-0 runs.
The Nets get a chance to earn their first win tomorrow night, but it won’t be easy as they draw the 5-3 Milwaukee Bucks and their rookie sensation Brandon Jennings on the road.
Game 11 Preview Vs. Indiana Pacers
Nov 17, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, 2009-2010 Regular Season, Game Preview, Nets vs. Pacers
Up until about a week ago, I had this game eyed up as one the Nets had a chance at winning. Since then however, the Pacers have been playing some really good basketball, winning four in a row, including a beat-down against Boston. This game is going to be a lot tougher than what most Nets’ fans expect.
It looks like coach Lawrence Frank is doing some tweaking of the line-up to try and match-up with the Pacers and their lineup including Danny Granger at the PF spot. According to the great Ben Couch, the lineup tonight is Rafer Alston, CDR, T-Will, Trenton Hassell, and Brook Lopez (the same day I tell the world Terrence Williams is best at the SF, that is where he gets his start…coincidence? Yeah, probably).
So essentially what Lawrence Frank is doing is going small to match-up against the Pacers’ small lineup. Normally I wouldn’t be a fan of this. If a team wants to go small, you keep your normal (and mostly likely bigger) lineup out there and see if they can defend you. That’s only an option if you have your best players available though. With what Lawrence Frank has to do is match-up and try to prevent Indiana from scoring. That is the Nets’ only chance to win.
Nets’ Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Rafer Alston
- SG – Chris Douglas-Roberts
- SF – Terrence Williams
- PF – Trenton Hassell
- C – Brook Lopez
Pacers’ Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Earl Watson
- SG – Brandon Rush
- SF – Dahntay Jones
- PF – Danny Granger
- C – Roy Hibbert
Their Mismatches
Danny Granger vs. Trenton Hassell - You gotta feel for Trenton. The past three games (including tonight’s) he has been matched-up with the opposing team’s best player. He did fairly well against Vince Carter and Dwyane Wade, but I think Granger’s size will end up giving Trenton fits.
Our Mismatches
Rafer Alston vs. Earl Watson – Earl is a solid defender who doesn’t do much else. Rafer has been playing really well as of late, and I think he will be able to have his way with Watson, a player who seems to get more and more exposed as his playing time increases during the game.
Matchup Of The Night
Brook Lopez vs. Roy Hibbert - Roy Hibbert has been using his big frame to his advantage this year, and he could be able to do it again, using it to try and keep Brook Lopez out of the post. If he is successful and Brook ends up taking more jumpers than he should, this could be a long night.
Keys To Victory
Either – Let Granger get his and stop everyone else or focus on stopping Granger and let everybody else get theirs. We can’t have both. Against the Heat, we allowed wade to get 22 and Haslem to get 28 (a career high). If the Nets would have let one of those happen instead of both, they could have won that game.
Limit Turnovers – When you limit turnovers it does two things. It gives you more opportunities to score, and it prevents the other team from getting easy baskets. Both are very important to the Nets. As they continue to struggle to score, they need as many chances at the hoop as they can get. Also, they have been playing very well defensively, so you don’t want to give teams easy buckets. You want them to try to score on your half-court defense.
Get Their Bigs In Foul Trouble – 3 of the Pacers bigs who would be getting some playing time are out with injuries. If the Nets can get Hibbert and Granger in foul trouble, the Nets will be going against the likes of Solomon Jones and Josh McRoberts. Who would you rather go up against?
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 6-4
I see the Nets keeping this one close (what else is new), but I think at some point in the second half Granger is going to reel off a big number, putting the Pacers ahead for good. Hopefully, the Nets prove me wrong.
Game 11 Scouting Report
Nov 17, 2009 Nets vs. Pacers, Opponent Scouting Report
Game 11 vs. Indiana (4-3)
Projected Starting Lineup
1. Earl Watson | 6′1″ | 185 lbs | 28.4 MPG | 9.7 PPG |3 APG | 56.4% FG | 55.6% 3 | 82.5% FT
More of a defender than a guy who can create on the offensive end. He is starting in the place of an injured T.J. Ford. Tends to be over exposed as the game goes on, as he is more suited for a backup role. Shooting much better than expected this year.
2. Brandon Rush | 6′6″ | 210 lbs. | 27.4 MPG | 7.3 PPG | 1.6 APG | 38.9% FG | 27.3% 3 | 37% FT
A good defender and that seems to be the only reason he is on the court. He is shooting poorly from all spots on the floor so far this year, and he isn’t the strongest ballhandler.
3. Dahntay Jones | 6′6″ | 220 lbs. | 33.4 MPG | 16.4 PPG |4.1 RPG | 46.4% FG | 0 % 3 | 78.7% FT
A Jersey guy. Having a break-out offensive season so far. One can argue his offensive production is keeping Brandon Rush on the court (you don’t want to have two defenders who can’t do anything on offense on the court at the same time). Still a very tough defender who is very physical.
4. Danny Granger | 6′8″ | 228 lbs. | 37.4 MPG | 24.9 PPG | 6.6 RPG | 42.1% FG | 34.3% 3 | 80 FT
An unreal combination of size, skill, and athletic ability. After Troy Murphy went down, he slide into the PF and hasn’t lost a step. Not only that, he has played even better since the move. Has a nice shooting touch, good handle, and a good sense of the game. Still not the best passer out there, but he is improving.
5. Roy Hibbert | 7′2″ | 278 lbs. | 26.7 MPG | 11.7 PPG | 9 RPG | 52.2% FG | 0% 3 | 75% FT
Many people thought he was on his way to becoming a bust, but during the offeseason, he improved his body, and now he is nearly putting up a double-double. Good sense of when to help defensively which allows him to block his fair share of shots. He is such a big body, that it is hard to get him out of position to keep him off the offensive boards.
Bench
C. Solomon Jones | 6′10″ | 245 lbs. | 19.6 MPG | 4.7 PPG | 5.1 APG | 46.7% FG | 0% 3 | 62.5% FT
Draws a high rate of fouls. More of a defender, and best used as a physical presence who can rack up fouls. Getting more minutes than expected with all of the Pacers’ injuries in the backcourt.
G. Luther Head | 6′3″ | 185 lbs. | 18.7 MPG | 6.2 PPG | 1.5 RPG | 41% FG | 10% 3 | 100% FT
Head is a capable wing defender, but is undersized for the two-guard position. He does have good passing skills and takes decent care of the ball, which allows him to slide over to the point guard spot from time to time. Don’t let the low 3 point percentage fool you, he is a very good shooter who can go off at any minute.
F. Tyler Hansbrough | 6′9″ | 250 lbs. | 14.7 MPG | 10.3 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 26% FG | o% 3 | 65% FT
Physical high-motor guy. Plays below the rim, but has enough skills to do that well. A very good rebounder and he seems to be 100% coming off of his injury.
G. Travis Diener | 6′1″ | 175 lbs. | 13.1 MPG | 3.7 PPG | 2.2 APG | 41.3% FG | 39% 3 | 80% FT
Guy who can play both G spots. A very good shooter off the bench.
G. A.J. Price | 6′2″ | 181 lbs. | 6.3 MPG | 2.5 PPG | .5 APG | 42.9% FG | 50% 3 | 50% FT
Another Jersey product coming out of Orange, NJ. A more athletic version of Travis Diener. Plays better defense too.
F. Josh McRoberts | 6′10″ | 240 lbs. | 5.3 MPG | 1.8 PPG | 1 RPG | 42.9% FG | 0% 3 | 50% FT
Very athletic big.
F. Troy Murphy | 6′11″ | 245 lb | 30 MPG | 8.7 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 43.5% FG | 28.6% 3 | 80% FT
Out.
F. T.J. Ford | 6′0″ | 165 lbs. | 22.3 MPG | 10.4 PPG | 2.1 RPG | 41.3% FG | 0% 3 | 87.5% FT
Out.
F. Jeff Foster | 6′11″ | 250 lbs. | 9.5 MPG | 1 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 0% FG | 0% 3 | 100% FT
Out.
F. Mike Dunleavy | 6′9″ | 230 lbs. | No Regular Season Stats
Out.
Offensive Tendencies:
This team loves shooting the 3-ball and everyone except for Hibbert can shoot it well. Granger hit around 40% from three last year and he is now playing the 4. I would say the Nets need to close hard on everyone and do not double down on Hibbert. While he is having a solid year this year so far, I would rather have him posting up against Brook than seeing the Pacers hoist up threes all night.
Defensive Tendencies:
A lot of good on the ball defenders, they guard you close and are very very physical. Probably one of the most physical defensive teams I have seen all year.
Keys To Victory:
The Nets must box out. They must defend the three. They must not allow Granger to go crazy on them.
Bloggers Talk: Indiana Pacers
Nov 17, 2009 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Pacers
So we have a double bonus for all of you readers out there looking for some Pacers information (and there has to be a ton of you out there if you’re reading about the NBA on a Nets-centric site right?). For today’s edition of Bloggers Talk we started out with some questions for Pacers blogger Jared Wade over at the True Hoop site Eight Points, Nine Seconds. But then, we got a call from blogger Josh Dhani to answer some questions over at his Pacers blog Always Miller Time. So here you go, two Pacers bloggers for the price of one. NBA – I love this game!
NAS: After missing some time at the very beginning of the season, Tyler Hansbrough is off to a solid start. What are your expectations for him this season and in the small sample you’ve seen, what are his strengths and weaknesses?
Wade: Out of the three outings Tyler has played in, he’s been very good in two. The most impressive thing is how his aggressiveness has gotten him to the line. In wins against Washington and G-State, he shot 10 and 8 free throws, respectively, and this was in just 13 and 16 minutes played. He was billed as a guy who would bring tremendous energy to the court and he has been exactly that so far while also putting up points in transition and scoring on both jumpers and in the paint in the half-court. A lot of people doubted his ability to score at this level within any structured offense so this has been great to see for Pacers fans. He is indeed at times a little overly frantic and comically spastic, and I don’t ever expect him to be a major go-to guy in the half-court, but he definitely appears to be someone capable of being a high-quality reserve in this league for the next decade.
Dhani: Hansbrough has been looking good. His debut was great and has been a good fill-in for Troy Murphy. He’s a great strength at backup but I hope he can improve on his shooting a bit. He’s doing good right now, and I am looking forward to some more from the kid.
The Many Positions Of Terrence Williams
Nov 17, 2009 Advanced Statistics, Analysis, Terrence Williams, Video Breakdown, Xs and Os
Being a rookie in the NBA is tough. I mean, I don’t know it to be fact (and despite the fact that Brandon Jennings doesn’t think so), but I am pretty sure the jump from college to the pros is difficult. You have to adjust to the speed, the physicality, and to the new sets that are being ran. Continuing with my assumptions, I would assume it is pretty hard to learn one position in the NBA, let alone 4. That is what Terrence Williams is doing right now.
When the Nets drafted Terrence Williams, they were really excited about implementing his versatility, which is what they believed his biggest strength is. As soon as he arrived in camp, everyone was talking about him having the skill-set to be a “point-forward.” However, with all of the injuries the Nets have been forced to use Terrence Williams in ways nobody could have imagined. Right now, he is the back-up point guard, a back-up at the sg spot (has even started a game here), a back-up/starter at the 3, and when the Nets go small, he even plays the 4 once in a while. In fact, according to 82games.com Terrence Williams has logged key minutes at each of these 4 positions:
As you can see he has played at least 3% of the team’s total minutes at 4 different spots. When I talked to Terrence Williams yesterday he told me, “I like playing four positions, why wouldn’t I?” Terrence asked, and he concluded his answer by saying, “It’s basketball at the end of the day.” I don’t think it is as simple as that though. I mean just because he has the skill-set to play these positions doesn’t mean he has been effective in these spots. As a matter of fact, Terrence has only been “truly successful” at one of these positions.
Nets on the Net: 11/17/09 Edition
Nov 17, 2009 Brooklyn, Dave D'Alessandro, Develop Don't Destroy, Devin Harris, Lawrence Frank, LeBron James, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
On the Brooklyn front, the state is expecting to start marketing tax-exempt bonds to build the arena in the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, Daniel Goldstein, Brooklyn resident and lead opponent for the anti-Atlantic Yards movement is not very happy with the offer he’s gotten from the state for his apartment. He’s also written an open letter to Mikhail Prokhorov that’s been published at the Huffington Post.
Milwaukee native Devin Harris got a bunch of phone calls Saturday night from people wanting to know if he saw Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings go off for 55 points.
Lawrence Frank isn’t paying attention to any “10 is enough” marketing efforts by the front office. He just worries about what’s on the basketball court.
Nets beat writer Dave D’Alessandro answers your mail.
Mike Celzic at NBC asks why would LeBron James want to come to the Knicks or Nets?
Over at the Nets Daily, Net Income breaks down some financials to help determine exactly how rich Mikhail Prokhorov is.
Gary Sussman is back with his latest edition of Sussman Sez, recapping the weekend in Florida.
Ben Couch says Courtney Lee was cheerful, though he may not be good to go until Saturday against the Knicks.