Quick Recap: Utah Jazz 108, New Jersey Nets 92
Dec 16, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Jazz, Quick Recap
Outside of the first quarter where they were outscored by the Jazz 26-24, an overall poor effort by the Nets (2-24) tonight as they drop their fifth straight, falling to Utah (15-10) 108-92 at the Izod Center.
- The Nets started the game shooting 67 percent from the field in the first quarter, but shot 43.2 percent overall, including 2-13 from the three-point.
- Despite getting to the free throw line 29 times, the Nets only shot 69 percent from the charity stripe.
- Another 20-10 night for Brook Lopez as he finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, on 9-18 shooting. He had 10 points in the first quarter.
- Terrence Williams had one of his best games in a while, scoring 17 points on 6-10 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench. TWill was taking the ball to the hoop early and often, and only attempted a pair of jumpers outside of 15-feet.
- Awful night for Devin Harris as he finished with 9 points and 6 assists on 1-9 shooting. Making matters worse, Utah’s PG, reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Deron Williams, finished with 20 points and 14 assists on 7-12 shooting.
- Carlos Boozer controlled the lane all night, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
- Josh Boone with 6 points and 11 rebounds tonight. Two of his points came on a 17-foot jumper in the first quarter. No joke.
Nets to Newark? Not So Much…
Dec 16, 2009 Brett Yormark, Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner, Izod Center, Mikhail Prokhorov, Newark
Barely 24 hours after the Nets organization got good news about the sale of bonds for the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, talks to temporarily move the Nets from the Izod Center to the Prudential Center in Newark have apparently unraveled, according to a report in the Star-Ledger this afternoon:
“I don’t know that it’s dead, but from what I’m hearing, any sort of activity … will have to await the next administration,” conceded Jerold L. Zaro, who had been working to broker the deal on behalf of the Corzine administration.
The proposed plan had the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Devils working together to book events at both arenas and share revenues, while allowing the Nets to break their lease at the Izod Center and move to the more modern Prudential Center. The Nets would move again when the Barclays Arena opened in Brooklyn. But the Sports and Exposition Authority has apparently pulled out of talks, and is not looking to negotiate the lease for the Nets at this time, according to the Star-Ledger.
Brett Yormark told reporters that the organization is not giving up just yet on its proposed plans:
“We continue to be encouraged about the prospect of making an interim move to the Pru Center,” said Brett Yormark, the president and chief executive of Nets Sports and Entertainment.
Meanwhile, in related news, Bruce Ratner finalized the proposed deal to sell an 80 percent stake in the team to Mikhail Prokhorov. Russian’s richest man must be approved by the NBA before he can take control of the team.
This report is a total bummer. While the move to Newark would have only been temporary, it would have helped breathe some new life in this organization while they waited for their official new start to begin in Brooklyn in a few years (potentially). If all sides can’t come back to the table, the Nets will likely continue to languish at the Izod Center in front of sparse, disinterested crowds, who are only going to grow more bitter and angry as the team starts packing up for greener pastures in Brooklyn. The city of Newark proved at the two preseason games in October that they were eager for a chance to host a basketball team, and while there was certainly no guarantee of nightly sellouts at the Prudential Center if the Nets moved there, between the passionate city population and the arena’s accessibility to mass transit, I would have to guess they were going to be a better draw than at the Meadowlands. If this is politically motivated because Corzine lost the election in November, then shame on everyone.
Game 26 Preview Vs. Utah Jazz
Dec 16, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, Nets vs. Jazz, Pregame Report
The Jazz will likely be looking to exact some revenge tonight, after being stunned by the lowly Minnesota Timerbwolves at home Monday night 110-108. The Jazz have actually taken down some big-time teams the past 10 days, beating the Spurs, Magic and Lakers. However, they continue to struggle on the road, going 3-6 there this season. They are a solid offensive unit, currently placing 8th in the league with an offensive efficiency of 106.9. They rank 19th in defensive efficiency, giving up 105.3 points per 100 posessions. Currently, they’re trying to figure out how to get some fresh blood back in the rotation as Kyle Krover, Andrei Kirilenko and Kyrylo Fesnko have all returned from early-season injury.
The Nets, meanwhile, are playing their 7th back-to-back this season, and need to figure out how to get two solid halves from Brook Lopez, instead of one great half, and one terrible one like last night in Cleveland. Good news, on the Devin Harris front: he won’t be facing any additional sanctions or fines from the NBA after his flagrant foul on Jamario Moon last night, according to ESPN.
The Nets and Jazz split their two games last season, with each team winning on the road.
Devin Harris vs. Deron Williams
Devin looked to be getting his stop and pop stroke back last night but he’s got a tall order facing off against Deron Williams, one of the best PGs in the league. Williams has been especially hot lately, scoring 38 points with 13 assists Monday against Minnesota, along with a 21 point, 11 assist performance against the Lakers and a 32 point, 15 assist game against the Magic last week.
Advantage: Williams
Wesley Matthews vs. Courtney Lee
Matthews, a rookie out of Marquette, has started 16 games for the Jazz this year. He’s a solid 32 percent from three-point land, but he’s not a prolific scorer by any stretch, though he did go for 19 points and 6 assists last week against the Lakers. Sounds like the kind of guy who ends up having a big night against the Nets, but Lee has been looking better defensively lately and if he can just get his shot going somewhat, he could really get the edge in this matchup.
Advantage: Lee
Ronnie Brewer vs. Trenton Hassell
While not a great three-point shooter, Brewer has averaged more than 50 percent from the field in each of his three previous NBA seasons and is averaging 50 percent even this year. He’s aggressive to the hoop and has a great free throw rate, so the Nets have to watch where he’s cutting in Utah’s motion offense. I’m assuming Hassell gets the nod tonight, and he’ll have his hands full keeping an eye on Brewer.
Advantage: Brewer
Carlos Boozer vs. Josh Boone
Boozer, another member of the heralded 2010 free agent class is truly singing for his supper this season, averaging 20 points and 11 boards. He’s been less impressive offensively his past two games, scoring 14 and 12 points respectively, while battling foul trouble. Still, after battling injuries last season, Boozer appears to be back in a big way. The Nets could use somebody like this in their front court. As for Josh Boone, let’s just say I’m assuming I’m with the majority of Nets fans who are actually looking forward to Yi Jianlian returning to the starting lineup, a scary proposition.
Advantage: Boozer
Mehmet Okur vs Brook Lopez
This is an interesting match-up for Lopez. Okur is a big guy who can shoot the three. He’s a mediocre rebounder, and can’t block shots, but most considering him a decent post defender because he likes to play physical. However, Lopez can’t shy away from the inside here and the Nets are going to have to help Brook out on the perimeter if Okur is looking to shoot tonight. If Lopez can play his game, he might finally put together four good quarters of offensive basketball.
Advantage: Lopez
And remember folks, as always, don’t be afraid to use this as your open thread. The comments section has been a little quiet the past few nights. I know you guys are out there.
Bloggers Talk: Utah Jazz
Dec 16, 2009 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Jazz
With the Utah Jazz making their annual trip to New Jersey tonight, we thought it would be a good opportunity to get some insight from the great Salt Lake. So here’s Spencer Hall from the fantastic TrueHoop Jazz site, Salt City Hoops to talk about Utah’s inconsistent, but overall solid start to the season.
NAS: The Jazz are coming off a big week, having beaten the Lakers, Spurs and Magic. Any thoughts on what’s bringing this team together and helping them play better?
The addendum to that list is the bizarre loss at home to the Timberwolves on Monday. Two of Minnesota’s four wins have come at the expense of the Jazz. It’s frustrating as a fan, but the identity of this Jazz team is talented inconsistency. Some nights, especially games on national television or against a strong opponent, they’ll play spectacular ball. On other nights they’ll miss 11 of 12 free throws through three quarters and end up losing by two.
On the good side, they’re almost always fun to watch. Deron Williams has been out of his mind lately, and last week’s WC Player of the Week award was well deserved. Carlos Boozer is on a tear. The rookies Wesley Matthews and Eric Maynor have been fun to watch and seem to have a very positive effect on the team chemistry. I almost feel like the short bench due to injuries to Kyle Korver, CJ Miles, Ronnie Price, and Andrei Kirilenko (among others) resolved a lot of playing time issues and forced everyone to come together as a team and share the ball.
NAS: What are your thoughts surrounding Carlos Boozer? He’s off to another nice season, but he seems destined to leave Utah at the end of the year and is now getting criticized by Charles Barkley for not helping the Jazz win. Do you agree with Sir Charles?
First of all, a healthy, motivated, contract-year Booz is a sight to see. He’s had some monster games this season and since October he’s said all the right things. I had no shame in jumping back on the bandwagon, even after all the nonsense he said this summer as the contract situation was resolved.
NAS: Is this the year Deron Williams finally makes an all-star team?
The Cadaver of Tracy McGrady is poised to make the All-Star team, so obviously the process needs some work. But as it is, he’s not even close in the voting. Production-wise he’s having a brilliant year, but he has the misfortune of playing in the same conference as some very talented and popular guards. It has to happen sometime, though, but it’s going to have to come from the benevolence of the coaches.
NAS: A Nets-centric question here: Andrei Kirilenko has been a vocal supporter of prospective new Nets owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov – so much so that there’s been buzz that Prokhorov will see to it to get AK-47 on the Nets once he’s approved as owner. Can you see this happening or do you think Kirilenko remains in Utah for the foreseeable future?
It will be interesting to see what becomes of Kirilenko. As much as I love watching him play, I’ve always wondered what an un-tethered Kirilenko might have done to the league. Can you imagine if he’d be running with those early Nash/D’Antoni Suns teams? Part of me feels like we’ve been robbed of the entire Kirilenko experience by forcing him to be a cog in a halfcourt system. Lately he’s been reduced to standing around the perimeter and launching 20-foot jumpshots, doing his best Jeff Hornacek impersonation. It’s sad, really, so hopefully we get a shot to see him in another system before he’s done.
The Early Struggles of Devin Harrs: Is He Turning a Corner?
Dec 16, 2009 Analysis, Devin Harris
Headed into this season, the Nets roster had two known quantities: Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. A quarter of a season in, Brook Lopez has more than held up his end of the deal as he’s on the verge of putting together a 20-10 season. Devin Harris on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma right now. After dealing with injuries in training camp and at the beginning of the regular season, Devo’s been back for the last 13 games and has struggled to find his shot, though there are some signs that he’s on the verge of turning it around.
After last night’s game against Cleveland where Harris had 22 points on 7-18 shooting, Devin has scored more than 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. His performance Sunday, against the Hawks, was probably his finest all-around game to date, when he scored 23 points and made 9 assists in an otherwise irrelevant blowout loss. Against Cleveland, Devin struggled with his shot early, but went 5-8 in the second half, before committing a flagrant foul on Jamario Moon and getting ejected.
What’s been most concerning about Devo at the quarter-season mark is how his numbers seem to be regressing back to his days in Dallas when he wasn’t the first option on offense like he is now in New Jersey. While the 2007-08 Devin Harris was a solid player and nice get for Rod Thorn when he dumped Jason Kidd that spring, he’s not necessarily the kind of player you build your entire roster around.
Thoughts On the Game: Nets Hang Tough, Devin Gets Rough, In Loss to Cavs
Dec 16, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Cavs, Thoughts On the Game
Cavs The Blog, Devin Harris Interview, Kiki Vandeweghe Interview
This was definitely one of those games headed in where I thought expectations had to be managed. While Cleveland has not been the league’s best team through the first quarter of this season, they’re still part of the Eastern Conference’s elite, and the Nets have been exceptionally lousy defensively recently, giving up 105, 107 and a ghastly 130 points the past three games. There’s no one on the Nets’ roster that could even dream of matching up with LeBron James (I mean, few in this league can anyway), so I honestly thought if the Nets could keep things under 20, I would consider it a moral victory.
After the first quarter, I thought I wouldn’t even get that satisfaction. The Nets, who were without Chris Douglas-Roberts, Tony Battie and Keyon Dooling, started the game cold from the field, and the Cavs came out scorching, paced by a quick 9 points for Shaquille O’Neal (16 points for the game) and Cleveland was off to a 30-22 start.
But the Nets managed to hang in this game throughout – even making a valiant comeback attempt in the game’s final minute as Rafer Alston (20 points, 4-6 from three) drilled a three, stole the inbounds pass, and sank a second three, to cut the deficit to single digits as Cleveland was just looking to get off the floor with the win. There’s no such thing as a moral victory, but a 99-89 loss to the Cavs when it could have been much, much worse, is better than nothing.
The Nets used the free throw line to great effect in the first half, going 18-23 from the line, compared with 8-13 for Cleveland. The also rode Brook Lopez, who was a force in the game’s first 24 minutes with 20 points and 9 rebounds, and was staking his claim as the East’s best center not named Dwight Howard. Unfortunately, Brook only scored 2 points and grabbed 6 rebounds the rest of the way, on just six field goal attempts. He only got two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter – TWO, when his team was down single digits and had a legit chance to steal a victory. I can’t stress this enough – Brook Lopez has to get the ball as many times as possible, especially in crunch time.
Regardless of their poor use of Brook, the Nets showed some toughness last night, and even got physical with the Cavs. At the 3:48 mark in the fourth and the Cavaliers pulling away, Jamario Moon had a clear lane to the hoop and Devin Harris fouled him by grabbing him by the neck. The refs called a flagrant two and ejected Devin. Obviously, the league freaks out whenever someone gets grabbed by the neck on a layup/dunk attempt, but I thought it was a great, hard foul by Devin, the captain, who apparently dropped $1,500 the other night to take his teammates out to dinner in an effort to build camaraderie on the roster. You have to protect the basket in this league, though it was Devin’s second flagrant foul called in the past week. I think the days of Chris Douglas-Roberts saying this team doesn’t foul anyone hard are over.
It was bad timing for Harris too. After a poor shooting first half where he went 2-10 from the field, Devin starting hitting those stop and pops he perfected last year during his breakout season – shooting 5-8 the rest of the way and finishing with 22 points. Outside of Lopez’s first half, and Alston’s late fourth quarter surge, Harris didn’t have much help offensively, as the fourth highest scorer was Courtney Lee, who finished with 8 points and another dreadful 3-14 shooting performance.
And as expected, the Nets had no answer for LeBron James, who actually looked like he was taking some plays off in the second and third quarters, en route to 23 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assist (and 6 turnovers). As the Nets were chipping away at the lead, cutting it as low as two points in the third quarter, LeBron always had an answer. At around the 3:17 mark in the third, Trenton Hassell had just missed a shot under the hoop and on the very next play, he fouled LeBron for the basket and the foul. Is there any better way to encapsulate this season? The plucky Nets player who probably has no business playing 35+ minutes a game, blows a chance to make the game closer, and the other’s team superstar makes a killer play in response.
Check for some final thoughts after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »