Against the Cavs in the first half, the Nets had a great first quarter. The Nets held the Cavs to under 20 points in the first quarter and had a 7 point lead at the end of the quarter (this was the Nets biggest lead of the season after 1 quarter). The Nets ended up losing the game in the second and third quarters though, getting outscored by 16 points in those two quarters before playing even with them in the fourth.
The Nets did a very good job on the offensive end, their ball movement looked crisp, and they were getting open looks. But in what seems to be the theme of the Nets’ season, they just couldn’t knock them down. Securing defensive rebounds were also a problem. After the jump, we are going to look at a couple good plays and a couple bad ones, breaking them down.
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I don’t really like to toot my own horn…ok, that’s a lie…I love to toot my own horn. Which is why I am posting about the new basketball blog that I started, NBAPlaybook.com. This is a NBA blog that I started that will focus more on the Xs and Os of the game, which is why I think that it will be unique.
There is a lot of stuff over there that you might be familiar with, because in all honesty, it is the same kind of stuff I do here, just with the whole NBA in mind instead of just focusing on the Nets. I’d really appreciate it if you took the time out to check it out, and if you like it, add it to your RSS reader.
One final note, this isn’t going to take away from my posting here. I am doing this new blog because I have a fair amount of free time (being unemployed helps with that), so I don’t see the new site taking away from the time I have to focus on NetsAreScorching. I have already told Mark to kick my ass if I fall behind in my duties here, so that won’t be a problem.
Again, NBAPlaybook.com!
2nd Half Running Convo
By Tony Maglio
It’s Saturday afternoon I’m joined online by my buddy and fellow long time Nets fan, Crack. We’re going to have a running conversation via AOL Instant Messenger for the 2nd Half of the Nets/Cavaliers game. We’ll talk about the game as it transpires, some general Nets and NBA news and most likely touch on inside stuff that isn’t funny to anyone but us. I had to re-download AIM just for this, and boy does it look differently than I remember. One thing has not changed though – Crack has a very stupid avatar.
We come in at half time…
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In a great read from Dave D’lessandro, he talks about the Nets and their lack of an offensive identity: It’s one thing to have balanced shot distribution, which the Nets have had of late. Since this pairing of coach and point guard (15 games), a Nets player has taken 20-plus shots only six times, and four times, he has justified it by being the team’s top scorer that night. But it is hard to know from game to game what the Nets are trying to accomplish – especially in the last six fourth quarters, when they have averaged 21 points on .373 shooting. And with yet another offensive player (Jarvis Hayes) coming out of the trainer’s room Tuesday to play against Milwaukee, it could get more confusing yet.
Kiki Vandeweghe says his team is still learning the little things: “You have to execute the little things that you drill on every day,” Vandeweghe said. “I’m talking about executing your plays, executing your defensive strategies and realizing that down the stretch you’ve got to [increase] focus.
Prospective Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is hosting Russian leader Vladimir Putin at his French Alps chalet, as a thank you for clearing his name in the French prostitution scandal.
Net Income over at NetsDaily debates whether or not we’re seeing the real Yi right now, or has his performance since his return from injury been an aberration: So now everyone waits to see if he’s the old Yi, the “eternal tease” as one fantasy expert called him, or the new one, the guy Nets broadcaster Tim Capstraw gushed was looking “looking like a potential all-star” in recent games. He’s played well in stretches before, but not at this level. So, it’s worth discussing: what would an aggressive, confident, productive Yi mean for the Nets?
The Atlantic Yards Report looks at the past year of progress for the project, but warns, “the arena’s not a lock.”
