Nets Are Scorching is ever evolving in trying to bring you all a one-stop-shop for insight, analysis and good Nets-related conversation. With that in mind and the season a month from a kicking off, we’d love to hear from any interested contributors out there – especially those who might be able to recap some games this year.
Send me an e-mail at markginocchio at gmail dot com and let’s discuss.
While declining to discuss his apparent rivalry with Bret Yormark, former Nets president Rod Thorn sees good things for his previous team: “They’re going to be better this season,” Thorn said of the Nets, who beat his new team, the 76ers, 103-96, in a preseason game. “They have a lot of talent.”
The Star-Ledger’s Conor Orr catches up with new Net Travis Outlaw, who discusses his transition to the SF position: “The (small forward role) is nice,” Outlaw said. “It’s a lot more exciting than pickin’ and poppin’ and shootin.’ Don’t get me wrong, the ‘4’ is a tough position, but ‘3’ you gotta be a little more active from the weak side, there’s a little bit more to do.”
For the second straight game, the New Jersey Nets scored more than a 100 points in a game (preseason or not, a total improvement over last year) and this time it was against an actual NBA defense. The Nets are now 2-0 during the preseason, and their next game is coming up this weekend against the Celtics (and thankfully it should be aired on NBATV). Here are some quick thoughts from the game:
- The outside shooting continues to impress me. Tonight, the Nets knocked down 8 of their 12 three point attempts good for 66.7%. I don’t expect them to shoot it like this every night, but this is very comforting to see.
- The Nets got to the line a ton, another thing I really like to see. The two guys who got to the line most were Brook Lopez and Terrence Williams…that is good for this Nets team.
- Speaking of Brook, boy did he sure bounce back? 24 points on 8-13 shooting is what you like to see against a team that doesn’t really have a defensive presence inside.
- Terrence Williams also looked much improved. He scored 20 points, but maybe most importantly he recorded 8 assists compared to just two turnovers.
- Derrick Favors struggled with fouls the entire night and fouled out in slightly more than 12 minutes of playing time. I didn’t see the game, but I am guessing that Favors got pump faked one or two times. Bad games are going to happen with a 19 year who is still learning. The key is for these bad games to take place less and less.
- The Nets sent the Sixers to the line 45 times. That shouldn’t ever happen.
- Something tells me that the Nets are being extra cautious with Devin this preseason. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t play until the team gets to China. I’d rather have a rusty Devin than a hurt Devin.
- Again, preseason, but good signs…
The Nets get their first preseason game against NBA competition tonight against the Sixers. This game is going to be played at a neutral court in Virginia. This is the first of two games between the Nets and the Sixers, and it features a match-up of the #2 and #3 picks of the NBA draft…it isn’t going to be aired on TV.
A few things to pay attention for:
- Evan Turner looked really sluggish in his summer league performances, but now since he has been working out with the Sixers consistently and will be playing with the Sixers’ best players, he should look better.
- Derrick Favors had a big time game in his preseason debut. I know it is just the preseason, but it would be nice to see him have back to back performances. With a player this young, consistency is the key. There is no-doubt the talent is there, but can he bring it every night (something guys like Sean Williams and Yi were unable to do).
- I expect to see the Nets hold out Devin this game. They don’t want to see him sitting out the first 10 or so games of the season, like last year.
- Lets see if Terrence Williams can limit his turnovers tonight.
- Maybe Brook Lopez will respond to playing against NBA competition and have a breakout game.
This is your open thread guys, discuss the game here!
This weekend provided an interesting back and forth between former Nets’ president Rod Thorn and current Nets’ CEO Brett Yormark. It all started when Peter Vecsey talked to the Thorn over the weekend, and Thorn (now with no reason to hold back) let everyone know how he really felt about Yormark:
From what I had told, Yormark had gotten down on Thorn down the stretch, feeling he’d gotten lazy and done a poor job. Though unable to talk Bruce Ratner into firing him (the master plan was to rehire friend John Calipari and re-position him on the sidelines with complete power regarding personnel), Brett had no problem undermining Rod.
There was persistent friction between the two executives.
“Yormark was Ratner’s go-to guy for everything,” said someone in the know. “They’d speak 30 times a day. Whenever Thorn wanted to do something of substance he’d reach out to Ratner who’d immediately run it by Yormark.”
According to past and present team employees, regardless whether or not Yormark endorsed Thorn’s idea, a proposed trade, signing, whatever, was soon in the newspapers and/or on the air.
“Brett is the Nets’ chief leak,” maintains one and all.
“I don’t deny my dislike for the guy,” Thorn admitted last Friday when asked by phone about their contentious relationship. “But he’s not the reason I left.”
Read more…
I’m going to attempt to answer some of your questions based on what’s been floating around in the news, and just my pure gut instinct. So I guess take this with a grain of salt!
Anyway, there wasn’t a ton of questions to sift through, but what did come through had a lot to do with the Carmelo Anthony trade and its fallout (shocker there).
Read more…
For those wondering if Derrick Favors is going to start right away, Avery Johnson offered some definitive statements on the topic: “Right now, I just don’t want to start Favors,” Johnson said after the team’s shootaround Sunday. “He could be Bill Walton or Shaq, it doesn’t matter, I just don’t want to start him right now.”
Stefan Bondy gets the hype machine going:
If you weren’t excited enough about Derrick Favors’ 14-point, nine-rebound performance tonight, this postgame quote should be all the convincing you need:
“I’d say it was an okay day,” Favors said, without a hint of arrogance, following the 108-70 victory over Maccabi Haifa.
Okay? In his first professional game, Favors took eight shots and made six of them. His first shot was an alley-oop dunk. His second shot was a dunk. His third shot was a dunk.
Avery on the team’s overall effort yesterday (a 108-70 win over Maccabi Haifa): “We have a long ways to go,” Johnson said. “Fortunately for us the season doesn’t start now. Defensively, too many breakdowns, especially in the first half.”
Brook Lopez especially drew some criticism after last night: “Not good,” was Avery Johnson’s assessment of the player he just called a cornerstone a few days ago. “Not good. Not good, especially against a 6-6 center. Got overpowered, not good. But he brought more energy in the third quarter. We talked about it halftime and he responded.”
The ever-quirky Terrence Williams: “I call everyone rook now,” Williams said. “I even call Joe Smith a ‘rook.’ He’s a reborn ‘rook.’
Unless you were one of 5,174 in attendance, you were unable to catch the Nets’ first preseason game of the season, since it wasn’t televised anywhere. That doesn’t mean that you were left in the dark during the game. Both NetsDaily and Al Iannazzone where live tweeting the event, and Stefan Bondy gave us some live commentary. Here are some quick opinions based on the boxscore and the reports:
- The one number that really jumps out at you is 28 assists as a team (on 39 makes). That is a fantastic number, and especially important for the Nets because they were so bad distributing the ball last year (28th in the NBA when it came to Assist Ratio). This indicates that the team is knocking down shots, running an effective offense, and working together.
- Derrick Favors had 14 points and 9 rebounds. If he can give this to the Nets every night, they should be pleased.
- T-Will had 6 assists, but 4 turnovers. Only hit 1 of 5 shots, but got to the line six times. A mixed bag for him.
- Anthony Morrow went 4-6 from three. It sure didn’t take him a lot of time to get adjusted to the rims.
- I think Al Iannazzone sums it up best. “Still, it’s just one game, against non-NBA talent. No need to get too high or to low.”
