Nets Are Scorching

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Box Score – Celtics Hub – CelticsBlog

Anyone who watched this game can honestly say that the Nets deserved to win. They made more shots, got more stops and showed they can play with some of the NBA’s elite when they put it all together. This team may not make a run to the playoffs, but there have been some very positive signs over the past five games and there is certainly reason for optimism going towards next season.

One of my concerns coming into this game was the Nets scoring the basketball, and that was certainly an issue in the first quarter. After getting out to a 14-9 lead, the team had major trouble shooting the ball and had some of the ugliest misses you will see in an NBA game. Anthony Morrow put one off the side of the backboard, missed an easy layup and everyone’s favorite Travis Outlaw completely bricked a three from the top of the key. The Nets scored their 14th point with 6:28 remaining in the first quarter on a free throw by Kris Humphries…and then did not score again in the game’s first 12 minutes. This is the exact thing I was afraid of. The Celtics went on a 14-0 run to end the quarter, the Nets were suddenly down nine after one period and it looked like it could be a long night at the Rock.

Deron Williams didn’t look too rusty as he served up an alley-oop to Hump on the Nets first half-court possession of the game, but he committed two early fouls and was forced to the bench. In the second quarter Williams starting to put his imprint on the game, first by getting to the foul line and then hitting a three that put the Nets back in the lead. Devin Harris did a good job of pushing the ball but the thing that D-Will does so well in transition is stay in control. When Williams is pushing it up court, I have total confidence that he’s going to make the right play, which wasn’t always the case with Mr. Harris. D-Will finished with 16 points, 9 assists, 6 boards and one GIGANTIC three-pointer for a very solid all-around floor game.

The one thing that saved the Nets in the first half was that Boston’s shooting was just as bad. With three minutes remaining in the first half the two teams only had a combined 59 points and the second quarter was legitimately difficult to watch. At halftime the Nets were shooting a miserable 32.5 percent and Boston was at 41.9 percent.  Now we can debate whether you want to chalk that up to good Nets defense or just the fact that the Celtics missed a TON of makable shots (I’ll take the latter) but the Nets were certainly competing and trailed 38-36 after 24 minutes of basketball.

Brook Lopez had been playing very well during the Nets winning streak and while he didn’t really assert himself much in the first half, he still had 10 points at the break. The pick-and-roll is so effective with Williams playing the point because the defense has to remain honest and play him when he drives into the lane. That leaves Brook WIDE OPEN for an 18 footer from the wing. He made a few of these jumpers last night and if I were Avery Johnson, I’d make the Nets center take 1,000 every day. Brook had just 5 rebounds last night, but his 20 points and 3 blocks were a good sign.

In the third quarter it looked like more of the same poor shooting for the Nets as Boston built a seven-point lead. But a nice 10-4 run, capped by Brook’s fadeaway over Kevin Garnett in the lane cut the Celtics lead to 50-49. The last five minutes of the quarter saw the game’s first continuous offensive execution on both ends of the floor. There was good cutting and shot-making by both teams, and after a halftime score that was in the 30s, both teams were in the 60s at the end of three. With the game tied at 61 and a minute remaining, the Nets hit two HUGE three-pointers to build a six-point lead going to the game’s final period. Of course the second of those two treys was a 27-footer by the one and only Sundiata Gaines as the horn went off to end the quarter.

Once again the Nets most consistent player last night was Kris Humphries. Hump already locked in his double-double midway through the third quarter and he just finds a way to finish around the rim. He scores in a variety of ways which makes him so difficult to defend when he’s playing like this. He can make an open 15-footer, follow up missed shots and of course throw down two-handed jams with the best of them. He even had an and-1 in the third quarter where he missed the dunk, but the ball somehow still went in. With all of these 16-point, 15-rebound performances, Kris Humphries is going to get a lot of money this offseason.

This game was certainly there to be won in the final period for the Nets. They led 67-61 to start the quarter and the Prudential Center was buzzing for once. The same trend continued to start the fourth quarter as the Nets reserves did a tremendous job extending the lead to as many as 12. The five players that changed this game in the Nets favor were Gaines, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Johan Petro and Jordan Farmar. This was the five on the court at the end of the third and early in the fourth quarter when the Nets built their lead. Some credit should go to Outlaw, who made some big shots after starting off with a bad miss earlier in the game. Maybe his best role on this team is coming off the bench, where he had 12 points tonight.

Everyone watching this game knew the Celtics would make a run and they did, mostly with their reserves and Paul Pierce on the floor. So it was on the Nets starters to finish the great job the reserves did early in the fourth quarter. After two Paul Pierce free throws, the Celtics cut the lead to two with just under four minutes remaining. The Nets looked a bit disorganized on their next offensive possession, but after a bailout foul by Rajon Rondo on a three-pointer by Morrow, the Nets were back up four (he made 2 of 3 free throws). 

The home squad was clinging (and I mean clinging) to a two point lead with just 1:30 to go when Deron hit Brook Lopez on a cut and the Nets center put in a hook shot to put the Nets up four. After a miss by Big Baby, the Nets had a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Celtics. With 40 seconds to go and 8 on the shot clock, Avery Johnson called a timeout and the Nets new franchise player buried a step-back three to put the team up 7 with 35 ticks left. A stop and a few free throws later and the Nets beat the Celtics for the first time in nine tries at home.

Some more thoughts after the jump…

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When the Nets obtained Brandan Wright from the Golden State Warriors for Troy Murphy, there were some who saw him as a young player with potential, and others as an expiring contract. Since coming over, he’s looked more the latter, but Alex Raskin at HoopsWorld talks to Avery Johnson who says the Nets are undoubtedly trying to figure out what they have in the former UNC standout:

“The main thing is, we’re just trying to figure out, how does he fit,” Johnson said. “Is he a small 4? Is he a big 3? Is he more of a hybrid kind of a guy like a Thaddeus Young is from Philly—a guy that doesn’t necessarily have to shoot threes when he’s playing the 4, but he can put defenses in a bind. Because right now, you see a lot of hybrid 4s right now in the NBA. So, if he’s going to be that kind of an NBA player, we have to see that we develop him.  That’s what the remainder of this year is about—evaluating him at practices and getting him on video and coaching him and working with him, and the times that he gets minutes, see how he does, figure out matchups for him when he’s out on the floor.”

According to the article, Wright likes the Nets organization and wants to be be back and the success of Kris Humphries this year gives him hope that he could be reborn in NJ/Brooklyn. However, with the team clearly valuing getting as many big names around Deron Williams as possible, I can’t see how Wright is going to fit into this roster beyond the last 17 games of this season.

According to the Nets official Twitter account, third-string PG Ben Uzoh has been reassigned to the Springfield Armor D-League organization.

In 32 games, Uzoh had been averaging 3.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 41 percent shooting. He’s looked a bit over his head at times, including most recently on Friday, when he got a few minutes in the first half against the Clippers. This move will get Uzoh some playing time. This is not a bad thing, as I think Uzoh does have a future as a bench player in this league, he just needs time to develop, and with Sundiata Gaines finding ways to contribute nightly, Uzoh wasn’t going to get those opportunities on the Nets any time soon.

Tonight against the Celtics the Nets will attempt to win their fifth game in a row, for the first time since the 2007-08 season. After two exciting victories overseas, the Nets came home last week and won two close games against the Warriors and Clippers. Tonight the team steps up in class quite a bit, as they face one of the best teams in the NBA. Deron Williams will be back with the team tonight and the Nets will need him to beat the Celtics in the last meeting between the two teams this season.

Here are some things to keep an eye on at the Prudential Center tonight:

Can the Nets Score Enough Points? During their 4-game winning streak, the Nets have scored more than 100 points in three of the four games and have been pretty solid on the offensive end. But tonight they play against the NBA’s best defense (in my opinion) and a team they’ve struggled against all season. In three previous games against Boston, the Nets are only averaging 79.3 points per game, all losses. Last night the Celtics held the Milwaukee Bucks to a franchise-low (and embarrassing) 56 points. Tonight consistent scoring and the absence of big draughts will be critical for the Nets.

Deron Back in the Fold. Deron Williams has been what we all expected since he got to the Nets, especially with getting others involved and giving his teammates easy looks at the basket. After missing the last two games for the birth of his child, he will be back in the lineup tonight. The wrist is going to be an issue throughout the rest of the season, but he seems committed to playing through the injury. Tonight the Nets will need every bit of Williams to break through against Boston and keep their winning streak intact.

The Brookie Monster. Brook Lopez’s game has certainly benefited from the appearance of D-Will, and the Nets center has scored at least 24 points in each of the Nets last four games. Tonight he goes up against a depleted Celtics front line, but one that still has Kevin Garnett to protect the rim. Consistency has been one of Brook’s biggest issues this season, and I will be keeping a close eye on his play against the C’s.

The Nets had only their second sellout of the season on Friday night against the Clips, and I’m looking for similar fan support tonight against one of the League’s best teams.

Deron Williams is back on the court tonight, and he was impressed by his team’s performance without him. Now the idea is to finish the season strong and to maybe make a run at the postseason:

“Definitely. (The Playoffs are) definitely doable,” Williams said. “I know we have a lot of tough opponents, but anything is possible.”

The Nets are 6 games out with 18 to go. Realistically, if the Pacers and Bobcats play at or below .500 the rest of the way the Nets probably needs to go around 15-3 to make up that ground. They have Chicago on the schedule twice, Boston tonight, Miami one more time, Orlando on the road, and the Knicks twice. The Nets are going to have upset some teams and not have any letdowns against the Minnesotas/Detroits/Milwaukees of the NBA. Possible? Yes. Likely, no.

Personally, I’d love to see this team get to 30 wins. That’s 9-9 over their last 18, which given the strength of schedule, is doable.

Rusty Costanza/The Times-Picayune

Nets Post-Up is a stream of consciousness post without editing. Luckily, the author can filter profanity, possesses excellent grammar, and isn’t lazy about spelling. Basically, he’s amazing… and types very slow.

On Twitter, I was asked where I stood on the Zach Randolph or David West debate regarding whom the New Jersey Nets should sign during the offseason. My basic answer was to re-sign Kris Humphries. I do think Randolph is the best of all three talent-wise, but would he be a better fit with the New Jersey Nets? How about West? Would the Nets be better off keeping Humphries? Read more…

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Your New Jersey Nets have won four consecutive games.

Sure, all four of their opponents during the ministreak have been under .500. Sure, they played the Toronto Raptors twice, and they haven’t even heard of defense.

But what you must realize is that the Nets are now, unbelievably, 17-16 at home. More shocking is the fact that, after the Indiana Pacers’ sudden tailspin, that they’re only five-and-a-half games out of the playoffs — and Deron Williams hasn’t even played in the last two contests.

It’s an unrealistically optimistic perspective to believe that the Nets will make the postseason this year, what with the schedule only getting harder as the days go by, but it’s beginning to appear that the Nets aren’t just a joke. They have the will to win, and it showed in the second half and overtime of Friday’s game against the Clippers.

Normally, it’s the Nets who find a may to miraculously bow out in the third quarter of games in which they are winning or losing by a little. So tonight was a bit of a surprise. The Clippers dominated in basically every regard in the first half, owning the paint and turning the ball over three times. The Nets had no offensive rhythm: Williams wasn’t around to find cutters and create points himself, and Anthony Morrow and Sasha Vujacic couldn’t buy a shot.

Meanwhile, Chris Kaman was playing like the abominable Kaman of yore, locks of hair flowing in the breeze, rebounding everything in sight, coming up with creative post moves, and hitting turnaround jumpers like he’s Kobe. It got to the point that the Nets were happy to see DeAndre Jordan, the starter, come back into the game.

But the real story of the first half was … THE DUNKS. The Clippers dunk a lot, but this was plain ridiculous: their first five field goals were all dunks, and it just kept going from there. The post defense was really pathetic early on, so Avery Johnson went for the obvious solution: put Travis Outlaw at the 4 to guard Blake Griffin! Duh …

By the end of the first half, it looked like a blowout to most. Fortunately, I have much experience with the Clippers this season. If the Nets are the Johan Petros of blowing second-half leads, then the Clippers are the Joel Anthonys of blowing second-half leads. There’s too much terrible to go around, but in the end, someone’s going to screw up.

The Nets finally found a groove on the offensive end that didn’t involve Brook Lopez in the second half. Jordan Farmar was scarily hot, nailing ill-advised three-pointers left and right. Kris Humphries didn’t miss a shot all night, and even Travis Outlaw got invited to the midrange-jumper party for a short stretch.

Once more, New Jersey got excellent minutes off the bench from Sundiata Gaines, who needs to get a contract for the rest of this season. In fact, I want to see him return as a cheap backup next year — if someone will take Farmar’s contract off the Nets’ hands. He’s a good effort player, a good passer, and a decent shooter. I just hope that he’s not giving it his all just because he’s trying to earn a roster spot, but I’m fairly confident that’s the case.

You have to be thrilled with the Nets’ strategy in overtime of forcing the ball into Brook Lopez, even though it meant, on a number of occasions, terrible three-point attempts by Farmar. Still, Lopez could not be denied on the low block, and he made the difference int he extra period. Still, he had to play 45 minutes for the Nets to get a win, and one might wonder why Brandan Wright didn’t get a single minute of burn; in fact, he might have been especially useful on the defensive end with all the athleticism in the Clippers’ frontcourt. It’s becoming increasingly clear, though, that Wright isn’t in the team’s plans beyond this season.

It’ll be nice for the Nets to have Deron Williams back in future games, and viewers should be in store for several more wins — that the playoffs are now kind of in sniffing distance, it might actually motivate the team to play well down the stretch.

Still, the playoffs seem to be a lost cause, but it’s all about preparing for next year: if the Nets can apply what they’ve developed this year into a full season with Williams and maybe, though I hope not, Zach Randolph or David West, it will result in the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2007.

The New Jersey Nets take on the Los Angeles Clippers tonight in the Prudential Center, looking for their fourth consecutive win. Here are a few keys to the game:

Post Play Will be a Factor: With Deron Williams still out for the Nets and Eric Gordon out for the Clippers, both teams will miss their best perimeter player. Consequently, expect much of the game’s focus to be on the inside, where Blake Griffin and Brook Lopez will likely get a ton of touches. The three-headed monster of Griffin/DeAndre Jordan/Chris Kaman is insatiable on the boards, so I wouldn’t be looking out for another double-double for Lopez tonight, though.

Closing Out on Three-Point Shooters: Having watched many Clippers games this season, they get a lot of open three-point looks thanks to the attention Griffin commands in the post. If they didn’t miss a lot of open shots, they’d have a much better record right now. With that said, the Nets need to work on closing out on shooters like Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, and Al-Farouq Aminu, so they can’t put together large runs with outside shooting.

Winning at Home and Seizing the Second Half: The Clippers and Nets have both been dismal on the road this season, so the Nets have the upper hand going in even after the Clippers’ shocking win over the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday. Furthermore, the Clippers have been dreadful in the second half this year, and they almost always blow their leads at some point; Wednesday’s game was no exception. Therefore, if the Nets get down early, they need to stay persistent, as a comeback is always possible with the Clippers.