Quick Recap: Cleveland Cavaliers 99, New Jersey Nets 89
Dec 15, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Cavs, Quick Recap
Despite playing one of the East’s elite teams on the road, the struggling Nets (2-23) hung tough for most of the game tonight, eventually falling to the Cavs (18-7) in Cleveland 99-89.
Overall, outside of the first quarter where the Nets gave up 30 points, the team played much better defense tonight, going against one of the league’s better offensive teams and holding them to 22 points in the second quarter and 47 points in the second half. The Nets went to a zone defense after the first quarter, which seemed to be working for them.
Devin Harris was ejected at the 3:48 mark after committing a flagrant foul on a Jamario Moon layup attempt. He definitely swiped at Moon’s neck, which is a no-no, but even after the replays, it looked like a nice hard foul on Moon. I can’t kill Devin for that, and I hope the league doesn’t penalize him beyond the ejection. As for the game, Devin overcame a rough shooting start (2-10 in the first half) and finished with 22 points on 7-18 shooting.
Nets hung around by going 18-23 from the free throw line in the first half, but only shot 6 more free throws in the second half.
Speaking of poor second halves, Brook Lopez was on pace for a monster game with 20 points and 9 rebounds at the end of the first half, but only scored 2 points in the second half and attempted just two shots in the fourth quarter. He did finish the game with 15 rebounds.
While e-mailing Sebastian in the third quarter, I was threatening Rafer Alston with bodily harm after he missed some jumpers in the third, but he got hot in the fourth, and finished with 20 points on 7-14 shooting and 4-7 from three.
Rough night for Terrence Williams who finished with 1 point and some botched defensive assignments.
LeBron James finished wit 23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and managed to get up in Devin’s face after the flagrant in the fourth. He also did his best Vince Carter impersonation crying to the officials after nearly every call and non-call.
Game 25 Preview Vs. Cleveland Cavs
Dec 15, 2009 2009-2010 Open Threads, Game Previews, Nets vs. Cavs
We get LeBron tonight, and this could get real ugly early. The Nets could also keep up with the Cavs though if they do the things I have pointed out in our opponent scout. You have to run on them, and the Nets need to run their pick and roll successfully (which has been difficult so far this year). Not just Devin and Brook at the high post either. You can have Brook set the screens at the high post, and use Courtney Lee and CDR to come off of them. Both have been shooting well, and Shaq usually doesn’t get over and help in time, so that will lead to open shots. If Shaq does come up and try do defend the shot, both of these guys have the handle to get around him. Onto the match-ups!
Devin Harris vs. Mo Williams
The Cavs use Mo Williams as the 2 guard when LeBron is in the game, because LeBron usually has the ball in his hands. This is tough for defenders, because if they focus too much on LeBron, Williams will spot up and hit the open three. Devin Harris has the quicks to get by Williams, so hopefully he can get in the lane and cause havoc.
Advantage: Push
Courtney Lee vs. Anthony Parker
Anthony Parker is a knock-down shooter who can play some defense. I think he is a perfect fit in this offense, because he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. With LeBron handling the ball, he gets ton of open looks. I think Parker and Lee are comparable, but Parker will have the better game tonight.
Advantage: Anthony Parker
CDR vs. LeBron James
Not sure if CDR is playing, but what he has been telling the media makes me think that he wants to (and will) play tonight. This is a tough match-up for anyone, especially the smaller CDR. CDR’s best bet is to give him the shot and prevent the drive. LeBron can hit the 3-ball, but I’d rather give him those instead of letting him get to the lane accumulate fouls and finish with big dunks.
Advantage: LeBron James
Josh Boone vs. J.J. Hickson
The Cavs have moved Anderson Varejao to the bench and implemented J.J. Hickson to the starting lineup. This move makes sense, Hickson is more offensive minded and more athletic, and that fits what the Cavs try to do to start games. Josh Boone is…well…Josh Boone…
Advantage: J.J. Hickson
Brook Lopez vs. Shaq
Going back to my opponent scout, you can get position on Shaq. He tends to get lazy when the action is happening away from him, and when he does, you can get into him with a quick and hard post up. The problem is the Nets are going to have to recognize this to get the ball to Brook. I can see getting two good posts in, not getting the ball on either one, and then starting to float. That being said, he will still put up his numbers.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Oh and on a non-basketball related note…Cliff Lee to the Mariners? Awesome!
Bonds For Brooklyn Arena Sell Fast
Dec 15, 2009 Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner
The Nets organization’s dream of moving the franchise to Brooklyn moved another step closer to reality this afternoon as team owner Bruce Ratner and the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation were able to sell $511 million in tax exempt bonds this afternoon, according to a report in the New York Times. Ratner and his partners are expected to raise the rest of the money needed to finance the 18,000-seat Barclays Arena privately.
What was even better news for Ratner and co. is after six years of battling lawsuits and local property owners and politicians, the bonds sold rather quickly, according to the Times:
“There was a strong appetite for the bonds,” said Jay Abrams, a bond analyst at FMS Bonds. “The market was comfortable with the ratings the deal received and the security that was pledged.”
With this news in place, next week Ratner is expected to complete the “master closing” of the project, including taking possession of the properties condemned by the New York State of Appeals last month. Ratner is also looking to finalize his deal to sell an 80 percent stake in the Nets to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, provided he is approved by the NBA.
In a show of just how divisive this project has been, check out these two comments from the Times’ comments section:
This is great news. All of the NIMBY opposition and consequent increased costs have not stopped this beneficial economic development project from moving forward.
And:
“which is to include more than 6,000 apartments.”
Also to be included are magic unicorns and leprechauns.
The Atlantic Yards Report, which has followed this project exhaustively, notes in their reaction post:
Ratner couldn’t sell tax-exempt bonds on his own. Let’s not forget the role of the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation, the questions that have been raised about it, and the curious (and reportedly abandoned) plan to issue $400 million more in infrastructure bonds.
Brook And Where He Makes His Catch
Dec 15, 2009 Brook Lopez, Nets vs. Bulls, Nets vs. Cavs, Nets vs. Pacers, Xs and Os
So it is becoming apparent that Brook seems to struggle (granted his struggle still leads to a 20/10 game – he takes too many shots though) a bit against centers who can push him out of the lane. Roy Hibbert was able to do this against Brook successfully in two games against the Pacers. Look where he caught the ball in Chicago (a game where he was very effective):
Now look where he catches it against the Pacers:
It’s not that he is catching it out of the paint (you catch it directly out of the paint to avoid getting called for three seconds), but look how high he caught it against the Pacers than he did against the Bulls. When you catch it along the baseline, it takes away an option from the defense. They can’t send a double that way, so Brook doesn’t have to worry about it, and that makes his move simpler.
Look at where he caught it against the Pacers though. The Pacers can send double teams from either direction, plus he is a little farther out, so he needs to take another dribble, and that throws his whole move off.
As I showed you in my scout of the Cavs, you can get position on Shaq by catching him off guard. If Brook does that early, it is going to be up to his teammates to get him the ball. If he doesn’t get a catch in close early, get used to him taking jumpers, because that is when he starts floating.
Home Movies: How To Beat The Cavs
Dec 15, 2009 Nets vs. Cavs, Opponent Scouts, Video Breakdown, Videos, Xs and Os
So I watched the Grizzlies-Cavs game from last week, and clipped together a video showing some tendencies the Cavs have and what the Grizzlies did to get the win:
I chose the Grizzlies’ game because what they did to beat the Cavs is what the Nets can do. They ran and used the pick and roll. The Nets have been running more, and the Brook/Devin pick and roll is tough to stop.
Nets on the Net: 12/15/09 Edition
Dec 15, 2009 Brooklyn, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Develop Don't Destroy, Izod Center, Nets on the Net, Prudential Center
What division? Chris Douglas-Roberts on Twitter: Just had a great team dinner. Everybody kind of opened up. We all laughed & kicked it w/each other for the first time. I think this is big.
CDR in a quick Q+A with USA Today: What you would be doing if you didn’t play basketball: “I have no idea. I never had a backup plan. That’s why I put 1,000% into this. … I’d be doing something in sports.”
An arena truce bill would put a $3 surcharge on all Prudential Center and Izod Center events in New Jersey, but could help facilitate the Nets temporary move to Newark. Here’s NJ state senate president Richard Codey in The Record: “We shouldn’t have two New Jersey institutions competing against each other and hurting one another economically,” Codey said. “This legislation would help ensure the financial stability of both venues.”
Al Iannazzone wearing his Nets Insider hat: “The Nets have to concentrate their effort on the defensive end. They’re a step slow, a few strides behind and aren’t getting help when they get beaten. More talking, better rotations, more focus all would help.”
Dave D’Alessandro also warns that the Nets need to get their defense together for tonight’s matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs: “Or think of it this way: In their last three games, the Nets have essentially turned into the laissez-faire defenders of ’08-09, yielding an average of 114 points on 50 percent shooting, while making stars out of the likes of C.J. Watson, Tyler Hansbrough, and Mo Evans. Now they’ve got to deal with LeBron James, perhaps the most perfectly engineered offensive specimen the sport has ever seen, and one who has averaged 36.7 points in his last four games.”
Scenes from yesterday’s “junk bond” demonstration by Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, the lead opposition for the Atlantic Yards development.
Former Nets coach Byron Scott is ESPN’s newest studio analyst.