The game against Houston was a good game. The Nets showed they can play with one of the better teams in the Western Conference. If they continue to play with teams, they are going to be able to snag a couple wins, I am sure of it. Anyway, here is the breakdown from the game, enjoy.
(un)Happy New Year!
By Tony Maglio
After losing to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves for a SECOND time this season, I’m guessing the Nets players and coaches woke up to find mostly coal in their stockings on Friday morning. And much like how coal takes tens of thousands years to turn into diamonds, it might be the same length of time before the Nets turn this around. Possibly longer.
I faired better than them under the Christmas tree last week, but received no Nets-related gifts this year. This is in no way a bad thing.
I did have one piece of Nets gear on my list though: the new adidas shooting shirt – but my father’s appropriate and accurate reaction was simply, “The Nets suck”. I’m pretty sure Santa would have said the same thing.
My girlfriend considered buying it for me a little longer than that and asked me whether I would want it personalized or of an existing Nets player. Now, ordinarily I am against anyone over 12 years old wearing a personalized custom jersey of a professional sports team, but I realized it might be even more embarrassing to choose any of these current players to support in public. Plus, between the injuries and poor play, the way this season is going, I figure I might have an actual shot to make the team. Or at the very least I could walk out of the stands and hit enough jumpers during the shoot-around to fit in. So I figured if I had the official gear I wouldn’t arouse much suspicion. But unfortunately for NBA.com, much like three-quarters of the Nets season tickets seats – this was not purchased.
The only time I find it otherwise acceptable for a grown man to wear a personalized team jersey is if it is customized in a humorous manner. My friend Dave has been generous enough to let me in on his family’s Giants season tickets for years now. After a few frustrating seasons of suffering through too many Luke Pettigout penalties, Dave decided he was going to get a jersey customized that said: “FALSE START, 77”. In that spirit I was considering getting the Nets shirt made up to say “AIRBALL, 2” – but considering Josh Boone will probably be out of the NBA in six months, I decided that would be wasteful. So as it stands, if any NetsAreScorching fans are searching for a late Christmas gift for me, I’ll make an exception on my own rule and take “MAGLIO, 42”. Or just send cash.
Speaking of the G-men, I just returned from their final game at Giants Stadium where the home team got beaten so badly that it should have been played across the NJ Turnpike at the Izod Center. With a closing stadium, a displaced hockey team, an empty basketball arena with a team on the move, a bankrupt and unfinished indoor ski slope – now is not exactly the golden age of the Meadowlands. It was sad to leave our beloved mezzanine seats and take a picture of the old stadium for the last time – but it was possibly even sadder that the Izod Center in the background spoiled the photos.
While there are not enough holidays in December for this team to get everything they want and need, no team should be happier to say goodbye to 2009 than the Nets. In that spirit, I thought I might suggest some New Year’s resolutions for the players/coaches:
Brook Lopez: Resolve to play offense in the second half. Seriously, this guy is such a stud early, and does essentially nothing late. Is he aware of the number of quarters that make up a basketball game? On Wednesday, my buddy Crack and I exchanged gifts and then watched the T-Wolves ruin Christmas. On the first six Nets baskets, Lopez had five assists. He finished the game with just two more and only nine points, which means the offense wasn’t run through him at all – game over. At least I got a Bo Jackson throwback. In a related resolution…
Kiki Vandeweghe: Get the ball inside to Brook late. I’m sure Lopez gets doubled more later in the game, but how often do the Nets need to come back and then miss jump shots to seal the loss? This guy is making 2009 Lawrence Frank look like 2004 Lawrence Frank.
Terrence Williams/Courtney Lee: One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to quit smoking. While some of the Nets run the floor like they’re long time smokers, what some of these guys really need to quit is shooting. This group is highlighted by Terrence Williams and Courtney Lee. Put the ball on the floor. Especially T-Will. This guy dunks like he’s in “NBA Jam” and shoots like he’s in “NBA Live 10”.
Chris Douglas-Roberts: 1) Fire agent. 2) Learn how to pass. I’ve seen this guy throw more wayward passes than Jamarcus Russell.
Devin Harris: Resolve to get back to all-star form. I don’t know if this is a health issue, a reps issue, or a lack of help issue – but I refuse to believe it is a lack of skill. I’ve seen Harris just TAKE OVER games in the past with his speed. And although he scored, when I saw him get absolutely broken down on the defensive end against Minnesota – I chose to believe he still isn’t 100%. Festivus was not over until Johnny Flynn pinned him.
Josh Boone: Should resolve to return to UConn to finish his degree. And I don’t mean in the summer – I mean right now. Leave the team, and go back to school. We’ll all be very proud of you.
Yi Jialian: Lift. Try the Body By Jake Tower 200. I got one for Christmas and I love it already. Come by tomorrow – Tuesday’s arms and back. It’s boring, but it’s a part of my life.
Eduardo Najera: Take up golf.
That’s all for now guys. Have a safe and Happy New Year’s. And much like the annoying/un-clever co-worker who says the same thing every December 31st – see you next year!
I was once again asked to do something on Yi for ESPN’s Daily Dime. Here is a small excerpt:
When Yi Jianlian put up 22 points and 8 rebounds in his return from a sprained right knee against Minnesota on Dec. 23, I was excited. However, that excitement quickly turned into trepidation. Yi has had performances like this in the past, the problem is that he hasn’t been able to do it night in and night out. Even though it is a small sample size, the past three games are starting to ease my worries, because he is now showing that he can perform on a consistent basis.
You can see the rest of it by clicking the link above…
Daily Thunder, 
Welcome to Loud City, Devin Harris Interview
After about 30 minutes of basketball between the Nets and the Thunder last night, I was in a good mood. The Nets were playing hard and sticking with another team that’s better than them (and with two wins, who’s not better than the Nets right now?), Yi Jianlian looked to be the second-coming of Dirk Nowitzki, and the Nets were surviving another off night by Brook Lopez by getting some clutch buckets by guys like Trenton Hassell and Courtney Lee. The Nets were resembling the new and improved version of themselves, that first started to peek out at the world last Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sure, they still haven’t won any games since this latest incarnation revealed itself, but their effort and execution against the Wolves, and then the Rockets on Saturday night was generally solid, regardless of the final score.
So I’m thinking at around the 5:40 mark of the third quarter with the Nets up 72-70 off a three pointer by Lee, even if they end up losing to the Thunder, I’m going to look at the bright side of things, because the Nets were now a better team than the one that got killed by the Hawks and the Raptors a few weeks ago. It’s the very least I can ask for in this otherwise dreadful season.
Regrettably, my cheeriness and optimism was wiped out by the time the final buzzer sounded, and the Nets were outclassed by yet another team, falling 105-89 to the Thunder, their 10th loss in a row, and second double-digit losing streak of this young season. My happy thoughts about the direction of the Nets were lulled to sleep, much like how Kevin Durant manages to lull me into thinking the Nets had him contained, only to realize he’s scored 40 points on 15-22 shooting. When Durant drove baseline in the fourth quarter off a pass from Russell Westbrook and finished with an emphatic reverse jam for the basket and the foul, putting the Thunder up 93-78, the last of my good will was jolted out of me.
Another day, another bad Nets loss, and another opportunity for me to openly wonder where and when can the Nets find their victories this season? It’s getting to the point where I’m openly bartering with the basketball gods – I’ll take the bare minimum – give me 10. Just no more history books. No more futility to top all futilities.
After going up 72-70 and the third, the Nets were outscored 35-17 the rest of the way. That’s an 18-point differential in approximately 18 minutes of basketball, at the most critical juncture of the game. At one point, the Nets had missed 13 of 14 shots over the third and fourth quarters. After getting to the free throw line 21 times in the first half, they only got to the line four more times in the second. They couldn’t even do the little things right, like control a jump ball after Tony Battie tapped it over to Trenton Hassell at the 10:53 mark in the fourth, and Hassell couldn’t handle the tip and turned it over.
The putrid performance over the last 18 minutes essentially overshadowed another fantastic game by Yi Jianlian, who had a team high 29 points on 11-20 shooting. He only attempted (and missed) one three-pointer, but Yi was able to do it on an assortment of long twos and drives to the rim. He also got to the free throw line 9 times, converting 7. It’s obviously begging the question: “who is this guy?” and I can’t blame people for being shocked by his performance. These past three games have been the best I’ve ever seen Yi play in a Nets uniform. Could it be, amidst this disaster of a season that at least one player is breaking through the projected glass ceiling of his potential and proving his doubters wrong?
The same can’t be said for Brook Lopez the past three games. While Yi’s stock is way up, Lopez is resembling stock in print media right now. Another mediocre game that was helped considerably when he got a couple of cheap buckets late in garbage time, finishing with 10 points on 5-11 shooting, along with 7 rebounds. But Lopez’s body language is just awful. And what was with him slapping away coach Kiki Vandeweghe’s hand when he took a seat on the bench in the first quarter after collecting his second foul?
Some more final thoughts after the jump:
Bad Behavior has blocked 4098 access attempts in the last 7 days.