Hoopdata Box Score - Hoopinion - Peachtree Hoops
Is there was ever a better analogy for the New Jersey Nets 2009-10 season than last night’s 119-89 drubbing to the Atlanta Hawks? Poor shooting and defense puts the Nets in an insurmountable hole early on, yet they found themselves down only 14 with about 4 minutes left in the third quarter. The Hawks then put the jets on again, and ended up winning by 30.
Four days ago, I was recapping a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers and I thought the Nets were maybe turning a corner. Sure, they still lost the game, but they were at least competitive in their loss, and they were still relatively fresh off of beating the Knicks and earning their third victory of the season. I wasn’t predicting a run at the 8th seed after an 0-18 and 3-30 start, but was it wrong of me to think that maybe the Nets would soon find themselves past the dreaded 9 win total so the talk of “worst team ever” would die down?
Simply put, yes. If Tuesday night’s waxing by the Bucks was an embarrassment, than last night’s loss to the Hawks kicked it up yet another notch. The Nets don’t even look competitive out there folks, and I think if the league started tracking “demoralizing losses” it would be the one thing the Nets would head their class in.
How do you even break this game down? The Nets went nearly 6 minutes without a field goal to start the game and found themselves down 17-3 against the league’s best offense. And just when you thought they maybe were going to show some pride, cutting the lead to 14 in the third and possibly making the Hawks work for the victory, Atlanta went on a 20-6 run to start the fourth quarter, essentially building a palatial estate on top of a Nets team that was already buried six-feet underground.
I don’t know how those of us still trying to play armchair psychiatrist with this team can keep coming up with more theories. First it was the injuries. Then it was the coach. Then it was the lack of veteran leadership because Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes hadn’t played much this season. Then there was talk that Rafer Alston’s attitude was starting to irk the team’s younger players. There was even talk that Yi Jianlian, a guy who couldn’t hit water from a boat with his jumper last season, was the missing link. Yi actually put together another decent night (19 points, 11 rebounds). So the squad is (relatively) healthy, Lawrence Frank is gone, Jarvis and Keyon are playing, Rafer was bought out and Yi has been pretty good since his return. Is any of this making a difference? Sure, the Nets, even when they’re at their best, are not expected to beat a team like the Hawks on the road, but to consistently come out, night after night and lay up eggs … I think the optimist in me was trying to avoid this kind of talk at all costs, but after the last two night’s – I think it’s fair game: watch out 72-73 76ers. You may have company soon.
A few more quick thoughts.
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