Nets Are Scorching

I have been purposely trying to avoid talking about Carmelo Anthony as these rumors have been developing over the past couple of weeks.  Not because I am getting tired of the talk and the rumors (though as we move into the second week of being “front runners” it is starting to get tiresome), just because I don’t know what side of the argument I fall on.  With details of the Nets’ offer now in the media, I decided to put down my thoughts on a deal that I am still unsure about (I was going to do a post on how Troy Murphy will be used in the Nets’ offense, but we might be jumping the gun there…).

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So chatter and rumor are ramping up around Carmelo Anthony so naturally, we’re getting lots of conflicting reports about what’s going to happen. It feels like the LeBron James situation all over again, which means Melo will probably end up in Miami. I kid … but who knows anymore. Anyway, some quick bullet-points.

• Chris Broussard says the Nets were trying all day Wednesday to get a third team involved though the rumored Favors/Murphy/Humphries/Picks for Melo swap seems to be off the table.
• Adrian Wojnarowski says the Nets want Melo but aren’t desperate for him, and are quite high on Derrick Favors.
• Fred Kerber quotes a rival executive who thinks the Nets have the best shot to land Melo. Kinda old news, but it’s a Kerber source which are generally pretty good.
• Meanwhile, Avery Johnson likes Derrick Favors. Like really, really likes him. He compares him to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan here.

By: Evan Kaplan

What started out as a pipedream for Nets fans is now looking like a realistic possibility. Everyone has heard the Carmelo Anthony rumors heat up over the past 48 hours, with many sources around the NBA reporting that the Nets have the most attractive package to offer to Denver. It has been reported by multiple outlets that the Nets would deal lottery pick Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Kris Humphries and a future first round pick for ‘Melo. With the framework of a possible deal in place, we at NetsAreScorching felt it was a good time to look at how Anthony would fit in on both sides of the ball in New Jersey.

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After being declared “frontrunners” for Carmelo Anthony, it appears that expectations for a deal are now being tempered. Fred Kerber is reporting that no deal is imminent, and similar to other reports, the Nets are not going to make a deal without the guarantee of a contract extension from Anthony, who seems more interested in playing for the Knicks  than signing a contract with the Nets:

With Anthony able to be a free agent after the season, the Nets simply are not going to rent a player for a huge price tag. If it ever gets to free agency, the Knicks will stand as good a chance as any of landing him.

Welcome to part III in our “Breaking Down the Schedule” series. After Sebastian predicted the Nets to go 9-11 in their first 20 games, Mark then predicted an 8-12 stretch for the Nets, which means after 40 games we at NAS have the Nets at 17-23. Let’s see how the Nets might do from games 41-60 in the schedule this year.

This stretch of games is assuming we have the roster we have now, with no major deals being made or injuries occurring. (Re: January 31st could end up looking very different when all is said and done.)

January 17th: @ Golden State

The Nets end their four-game west coast trip with an easy afternoon game against Golden State in Anthony Morrow’s first game back against his former team. Whether or not he or Terrence Williams is starting, Golden State doesn’t have the defensive chops to keep up with the balanced attack New Jersey can throw at them. Stephen Curry might score 30+, but the Nets win a shootout. 18-23

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ESPN has updated their story on the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, adding that the Nets are the front runners to land him, possibly offering Denver a package of Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, Kris Humphries and a future first round pick.

A source close to the Nets told ESPN.com that he wasn’t ready to concede that the Nets were the front-runners for Anthony’s services, nor was the source willing to confirm what the Nets would offer. However, the source did acknowledge that New Jersey was in serious consideration based on the Nuggets’ reluctance to trade Anthony to a Western Conference team and the Nets’ combination of expiring contracts, draft picks and a young player with serious upside.

Not to be a party pooper here, but if this trade goes down, who are the Nets going to get to play PF for them? Joe Smith for 30 minutes a game and Johan Petro? Please. I’ve never seen a player demanding his way out of a city yield such a return from a team. I guess if Billy King and Mikhail Prokhorov are determined to be an 8th seed for the next 5 years, they should pull the trigger.

Day in and day out, we here at NetsAreScorching try to provide content that you guys want to read, however, we don’t know what exactly you want to hear about, and some things may fall through the cracks. This is what the mailbag is for. Every Monday we are going to be answering questions from you the reader, don’t be afraid to e-mail your questions to mailbag@netsarescorching.com.

How’s it going everyone?  The mailbag is a little bit late, but that doesn’t mean it is lacking quality.  Today we look at Derrick Favors, NBA Jam, and Andre Iguodala…

Egzon

Earlier in the year, you had a section called “Nets will make the playoffs if…” One of the answers was about Derrick Favor’s development. A recent post on NAS said that his improvement has been “incredible.” Do you think Avery will give the kid minutes throughout the season and let him develop?

He’ll get his minutes.  Early on, Favors is going to be that off of the bench, energy type of player spelling Murphy and focusing his energy primarily on the defensive end.  As his offensive game improves, you will probably see his minutes increase as the season goes on.  Favors is a tremendous talent, and with a team that more than likely won’t compete for the playoffs, you will see him get more minutes than if he played on a playoff caliber team.

Zach

Hello.  Forgetting about Melo for a moment, what do you think about the Nets trying to acquire Andre Iguodala, as I see both TWill and Morrow as great guys coming of the bench.  I think Andre would fit in greatly with Avery’s defensive system, and would provide us with another solid scorer.  Everyone knows Philly would trade him, and I believe we will have the cap space for him – do you think the Nets should or would be interested?

ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford are reporting that the Denver Nuggets are now listening more closely to offers for Carmelo Anthony and a deal could possible happen before the start of the regular season:

Said another source briefed on Denver’s plans: “There’s no doubt they are working on it. Eventually they’re going to pull the trigger. “

Of course, the Nets have been listed as a potential trading partner. That’s great. Just no Brook Lopez or Derrick Favors.