Nets Are Scorching

Saturday’s game against the Knicks was, to put it lightly, a bit of a mess. The teams combined for 39 turnovers, 18 missed free throws, and 23% shooting from beyond the arc. It wasn’t pretty, but it was the first taste of basketball the Nets have had since last season. From the player’s perspective, I saw a refreshing aggressiveness from Brook Lopez and Anthony Morrow, but not much else. From a coaching perspective, there’s frankly not much to take away from that game, but one unsuccessful play early in the game caught my eye:

Note: apologies for the abruptness of the beginning and microphone quality. Had technical issues with all programs. Like with 18th century agrarian business, it’s all the same principles.

So let’s pick up the play from the start. We’ve got Deron Williams handling the ball at the top of the key, Shelden Williams in almost directly in front of him, Damion James in the left corner, Brook Lopez on the opposite block, and Deron Williams has the ball and receives a screen from Shelden Williams, which opens up the left side. With the screen, Deron’s normally got the option to attack the basket or pull up with a short jumper, but Amare Stoudemire hedged far left and cut off the lane. As Amare hedges and then recovers, Shelden cuts across up top to set a screen on Landry Fields.

As this happens, Damion James cuts across the lane from the left corner to set a cross-screen on Brook Lopez’s man, Tyson Chandler. Damion doesn’t look to score here, but if his defender helped out too far on Deron or overplayed him, the entire left side is open for him to get a quick cut to the basket.

Since that’s not there, Damion continues across the lane to set the cross-screen on Chandler. The intention of this play is to curl Brook Lopez to the ball-side block, where he can work his offensive magic, but this doesn’t work for two reasons. Firstly, Carmelo Anthony slides down to where Brook tries to curl and sticks his butt out, sending him off course. That little difference means that the arc of Brook’s curl comes out further than originally intended. Secondly, this is where Tyson Chandler’s defensive presence comes into play: Chandler fights through the screen with ease and blocks off Brook’s attempt to set up before he has a chance to get there. This means that Brook instead curls all the way out to the three-point line, where he merely exchanges handoffs with Deron.

At this point, the play becomes a standard pick-and-roll, but Deron instead swings out to Anthony Morrow. Morrow forces a contested off-balance jumper, which ends up well short.

This is one of those plays that, when well executed, could end with a number of scoring opportunities. However, since it came in the first 90 seconds of preseason, it’s no surprise that it didn’t work out.

There are two main issues here. Firstly, Shelden Williams (or whoever starts at power forward for the Nets come season time) needs to make himself available when he’s got a good look at the basket. When Deron came off the screen, Amare hedged hard on the left side, leaving Shelden essentially open. But Shelden’s already setting a cross-screen for Anthony Morrow and has his back to Deron, cutting himself off from the play. Shelden shot 45% from 16-23 feet last year according to HoopData, which is a pretty good percentage, so I hope in the future he reads the defense and adjusts to look for the open shot.

Secondly, Deron’s decision-making surprised me here. After receiving the screen, he passed the ball immediately to Anthony Morrow, who was 35 feet from the basket and in no position to score. Morrow doesn’t possess the skillset to beat his defender off the dribble, and with under ten seconds on the shot clock, the result is a poor shot. I’d normally expect Deron to either slash, drawing in the defense so that Morrow can spot up more effectively, or look to Brook Lopez rolling to the basket.

There are a few other things — Brook should’ve fought harder to get to the block, and Shelden could’ve set stronger screens, but those are mostly nitpicking. Players are still getting in the flow of the offense, figuring out what works and what doesn’t. That takes time. What’s key here is the strategy, giving Deron the left side to operate in, while curling Lopez and Morrow off cross-screens for smart looks.

Hey y’all. So we’ve got a crazy season coming up, and to make sure we hit it from all angles, we’re looking to expand our base here. That means we need two things:

1) Writers (as in a few)
2) Producer (as in one).

Here’s what we need:

Writers: Have a voice, know your hoops. Follow the Nets closely, be able to be both glowing and critical. Experience with writing to a deadline. Experience in front of a camera a plus. Willingness to be a part of ridiculous, long e-mail chains and respond quickly when needed. Important: time to follow and cover games throughout the season. And the ability to do all this without pay.

Producers: As a producer, you need to be on top of Nets news. You’ve gotta follow the Nets and know them well, and help us prepare and deliver the show. You’d take care of the behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts of the live show, but your most important work comes beforehand — gathering guests, conceiving relevant topics of discussion, and creating the format. Your responsibilities for the post-game show are a little different, but it essentially boils down to the same concept: consistently ensure that the show is smooth and successful. And again, the ability to do this without pay.

If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail (devin.kharpertian@netsarescorching.com) with your interest, experience, potential commitment, and some relevant material (writing you’ve done, shows you’ve helped function, etc). If you’ve e-mailed before with interest, do it again. Do not send me your resume.

Hope to hear from you soon.
-D

The Nets haven’t made a big splash, but they’ve made a few little ones. Here’s a look at how those little splashes fit into the big picture (er, pond).

1) Shawne Williams: What’s his role?

Sandy Dover: Shawne, I think, will be the team’s best player, beyond Deron Williams. If anything, he’ll at least be given that opportunity. I think he’s capable of starting anywhere from the 2 to the 4, and I won’t be surprised if any of that happens. His shooting, rebounding, and overall athleticism will be a major asset for the Nets.

Mark Ginocchio: I have high hopes for Shawne Williams. I know the team is pursuing AK-47, but if that doesn’t work out in a cost-effective matter, I would give Shawne a shot as a starting SF. He displayed a world of talent at Memphis, and the biggest strike against him was always his personality off-the-court. Now that he seemingly has that under control, I’d be curious to see what he can do in an extended role. Plus, after being spurned by the Knicks, the guy has a chip on his shoulder. Not a bad thing in this league.

Devin Kharpertian: Barring an AK-47 move, they’ve got their starting small forward. Deron Williams likes playing around shooters, and if there’s anything Shawne can do, it’s shoot. Expect pick-and-rolls between the points and bigs, with Williams and Anthony Morrow spotting up in either corner, as a major point-getter for the Nets.
 
 
2) Shelden Williams: What’s his role?

Sandy Dover: Shelden will be all that he’s ever been – a rebounder and fill-in big guy to hustle and muscle the opposing frontcourt. “The Landlord” is NOT laying down the law these days, so if he can even collect a couple of months worth of rent, the Nets should be pleased.

Mark Ginocchio: Shelden Williams should hopefully be able to bring what Johan Petro never could last year – a consistent, defensive-minded/rebounding big man off the bench. I doubt he’ll be the starting PF for the long haul, but you could do a lot worse in a spot start (as the Nets consistently did last April). With all of the shooters on the team, and Brook and Deron, you don’t need Shelden to be a scorer, just somebody who can throw a body on Amare/Garnett/Bosh in spurts.

Devin Kharpertian: The Nets need depth at the power forward and center position, and that’s what Shelden brings. He’s not particularly athletic, and he’s not a game-changer, but he’s an upgrade over Johan Petro in that he’s a professional basketball player. He shouldn’t be the starter, but he’ll bang down low for 10-15 minutes a game enough to keep the team happy.
 
 
3) Ime Udoka: What’s his role?

Sandy Dover: Ime will be a leader for the Nets, in terms of morale and team spirit. He also will have the opportunity to, like an Anthony Parker or Bruce Bowen, function as an experienced defender and three-point shooter. I trust that he’ll have a decent opportunity to play in relief of the starters, and progress in his role as “the veteran.”

Mark Ginocchio: In a perfect world, Udoka plays the role of Stephen Graham from last season – well, less of a role I hope; a guy who can play a little defense and nail a corner three from time to time. I honestly don’t hope there’s a situation where he’s playing a featured role on this team, unless the Nets swing a big trade that completely drains them of depth.

Devin Kharpertian: Udoka’s not a great player, but he’s built a reputation in this league on his defensive ability and professionalism.He won’t play more than a few minutes off the bench, but you have to assume that Avery heard some positive words about him from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. As a defensive spot rotation player, you could do worse.

The starting five for Saturday’s game vs. the Knicks will be:

Deron Williams, Anthony Morrow, James, Shelden Williams and Brook Lopez.

Avery Johnson is looking to give them 24 minutes, plus-or-minus two minutes.

via Stefan Bondy, New York Daily News — Nets’ James expects to be the starting three

Given the roster now, this lineup is presumably the smartest one for opening night, though Shawne Williams may overtake James for the starting small forward spot. Of course, Andrei Kirilenko could overtake them both, depending how things shake out in the next few days, though James isn’t willing to give up his starting spot without a fight:

That’s cool, we need help. That’ll be great. If Kirilenko come in or whatever, I look forward to playing against him every day or whatever. I don’t want to just hand him that spot. I think coach is gonna make him earn it and I’m gonna make him earn it. If he comes in and plays better than me that’s cool, but at this point, I’m just coming in and focusing on whatever I have to do to help this team.

The Nets play the Knicks tomorrow at 2 P.M. Basketball, guys. Real basketball!

Lance Hurdle/Photo Courtesy of Eric Wallis

The Springfield Armor (5-2) wanted to begin its brutal two-week road trip on a good note with second consecutive win over the Erie BayHawks (3-6) Thursday night.

However Erie returned the favor after last night’s loss, handing the Armor a 123-117 overtime loss, snapping Springfield’s four-game win streak.

Both teams spent an awful lot of time at the line. Erie’s 41 free throw attempts were one short of Springfield’s 42 attempts –- a season-high for the team.

It was only fitting that the end of regulation came down to the charity stripe.

With 22 seconds remaining and the Armor leading 110-108, Erie point guard B.J. Jenkins drove to the basket and a foul was called on Armor’s rookie forward David Akinyooye. Jenkins calmly sank two.

Springfield got the ball back with the chance to win the game. Lance Hurdle hit L.D. Williams with a pass, and the 6’4″, 210-lb. guard immediately drove to the lane, drawing a foul from Kyle Spain.

Williams, who at the time had game-high 30 points (finishing with 33), came up short on both.

“He got to the line,” said head coach Bob MacKinnon. “And I give him credit; he wanted the ball to make the play at the end. I’ll live and die with that every day.”

Jenkins, Erie’s hero in the fourth, returned for an encore in the overtime.

With the score tied at 112 and only 1:46 remaining in the extra quarter, Jenkins knocked down a three to give the BayHawks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I just thought it was two teams battling, I thought it was a great game,” said MacKinnon. “They did some good things and we did some good things.

“It came to overtime and Jenkins, a veteran guy, makes a three. That happens. Now you deal with it and move on.”

The game was close throughout. Springfield shined on offense when attacking the rim. Early in the first quarter Springfield scored six consecutive points going to the basket, giving them an 11-7 lead, forcing Erie to burn a timeout.

However after the timeout, Springfield began to shy away from the hoop and settle for jumpers as Erie went on a 10-0 run, while Springfield, which started by converting five of its first six shots, didn’t record a field goal for three and a half minutes.

In the second quarter, a pair of consecutive Armor turnovers led to BayHawks fast-break points, forcing MacKinnon to burn a timeout as his team trailed by its largest deficit of the game at 10 points.

After the timeout, it was Springfield’s turn to go on a run, 12-2 to tie the game at 42. But in the last six and a half minutes, Erie would wrestle the lead back and go into the locker room with a 58-52 lead.

In the third quarter, the Armor had its largest lead of the game at five, before handing it right back. The teams swapped leads five times during the third, ending with Armor forward Jonathan Thomas tipping in a Hurdle miss to give Springfield an 83-82 lead going into the fourth.

Springfield, along with other D-League affiliates, are missing starting players who are attending NBA training camps, and MacKinnon understands that this is a young team at the moment. “You’re looking at some guys, who are not used to playing at this level,” said MacKinnon. “We want to play fast, but we don’t want to rush and right now I think our young guys are caught up in the rush phase.”

Besides Williams’ 33 points and 10 rebounds, Springfield had six other players in double-figures. Travis Cohn had 19 points and 8 boards off the bench and Hurdle chipped in 16 points and had 8 assists.

Erie was led by 27 points from Tirrell Baines and 22 points and 8 assists from reserve guard Mike Gerrity.

Now it’s time for Springfield to hit the road, not returning to the MassMutual Center until Jan. 5.

“The only game I know we play right now is Saturday in Tulsa,” said MacKinnon.

Notes: The reports from Nets camp is that the coaching staff is pleased with all three Springfield Armor players: Dennis Horner, JamesOn Curry, and Jerry Smith. According to an Armor team source, all three may see some action in the upcoming preseason games.

The Nets are hosting an open practice Monday at 6 P.M. at Ramapo College. Tickets are free through the team’s Facebook page.

The Brook Shake: Brook talked a little about his experience with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, saying that they started with his favorite move and worked into adding counters and improving his footwork. When asked his favorite move, Brook replied: “I’m not telling you.” He said he’s working on the Dream Shake, but it’s not ready to use yet — though he might try it out in preseason.

Stop moving, Morrow: Lopez also mentioned one point in practice when Morrow believed he went out of Deron’s field of vision, slid down on his spot-up to accomodate, and Deron fired a pass to where Morrow was, then telling Morrow “wherever you are on the court, I can see you. Don’t move once you’re ready, I’ll get you the ball.”

Avery on the offensive: Coach Avery Johnson made a point to say that the offense would see a transformation this year, with many more pick-and-rolls with Deron Williams and the bigs. Johnson also hopes to use Deron off cuts and flare screens off the ball more as well.

Williams, Williams, Williams, Williams: Deron Williams spoke highly of Shawne Williams and Andrei Kirilenko, noting that Extra E is a good shooter and he “likes working around shooters,” and that few people “fill a stat sheet better” than Kirilenko. Jordan Williams is still out of drills for four to five days with dehydration. Shelden Williams is picking up the offense quickly, according to Brook Lopez.

King me: According to BK, the Nets are “working on” taking care of the power forward position, whether it be a free agent signing or trade. “It takes time, we’re not going to rush it,” King said, also noting that he was “very surprised” at the money some free agents commanded. As for Kirilenko, BK likes him, but nothing is official yet.

Core three: When talking about the core, King repeatedly referred to Deron (“arguably the best point guard in the league”), Brook (“a top-5 center in the league”), and Morrow (“one of the best shooters in the league”).

billy king just came or to speak with avery. moments later, outlaw taken out of the gym. no clue if they’re connected.

December 15, 2011 2:52 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@uuords

devin kharpertian

BREAKING: They were connected.

In a move that surprised no one, coach Avery Johnson officially announced that the Nets will use their amnesty provision on small forward Travis Outlaw.

The Nets will still pay Outlaw’s 5-year, $35 million contract. It will count towards the salary floor and BRI distribution through 2015 (the final year of the contract), but will not count towards the cap. This means the Nets now have roughly $20 million in cap space, but only need to spend around $2 million to meet the salary floor.

Johnson wished Outlaw luck, while Billy King called it a business decision to help maintain flexibility.

In 82 games last year, Outlaw pump-faked his way into 9 points per game on 38% shooting, with a career-low 8.8 PER. He’ll fit in somewhere — though his hand injury might prolong that — but Outlaw was one of the slam-dunk amnesty choices in the NBA.