Nets on the Net: 4/2/10 Edition
Apr 2, 2010 Brett Yormark, Brooklyn, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Rod Thorn, Terrence Williams
Tim Legler on the Nets and Brooklyn: Here’s the thing, though: Very grudgingly, Brooklyn is starting to peek at what Brook Lopez is doing and to wonder whether John Wall can become the Nets’ Patrick Ewing. The team’s new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov — maybe he’ll turn out to be the one clean Russian oligarch! (Ha.) Yes, the politics and finances of the stadium remain an outrageous scam, but if the turmoil is now inevitable, Brooklyn didn’t want the pain compounded by watching the Nets compile the NBA’s all-time-worst record. The mythology surrounding the “lovable loser” Brooklyn Dodgers was probably always just that, a myth — finishing 42 games out of first place was surely no fun to sit through.
Meanwhile, the new arena is slated to have a “meditation room.” I’m assuming it’s for the players, but what about for the fans after this season?
Dave D. treats us all with another mailbag, loaded with goodies about Prokhorov, free agents, coaching and more.
Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News is reporting something we’ve sorta, kindof known for some time: Brett Yormark and Rod Thorn will be back next season under Prokhorov.
Lawrence talks to Steve Nash about the Nets’ future: “They should be excited about the new owner,” said Phoenix’s Steve Nash, after the Suns’ win in the Meadowlands on Wednesday night. “He’s got incredibly deep pockets, and, in many ways, a positive attitude as far as spending. I think he will build a winner. If you have money and you’re a good businessman and you’re willing to spend, you can be successful. It seems that teams will struggle when they’re not willing to spend.”
Fred Kerber, who earlier this season had “words” with Terrence Williams, only has flattery for TWill now: And that is just part of Williams’ game that is blossoming, causing many to take notice. He is more than just a bundle of athleticism. He’ll jump through the rafters for a rebound, outrace the pack for a scintillating dunk on the break. But he’ll also put the ball right where it’s supposed to be.
Rick Bozich of the Lousville Courier-Journal opines that coach Rick Pitino will pass on coming to the Nets and stay in Lousiville.
The Charleston Post-Courier calls the Nets “winners” in an editorial: Winners never quit, and quitters never win. That’s one of the many worthy maxims from the sports realm. And the New Jersey Nets, despite their dismal record this season, aren’t quitters. Nor, thanks to winning three of four games after losing 63 of their first 72, are they still at risk of recording the worst won-lost record in NBA history.
Nets on the Net: 3/31/10 Edition
Mar 31, 2010 Brett Yormark, Free Agents, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott on Mikhail Prokhorov: His strategic leadership alone would likely improve the Nets’ performance in the near term. But remember, this is the NBA team that has proved winning is not always the perfect medicine. This is the team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals, twice, and still somehow never became cool and never became the place to be. That’s why it matters that, in addition to business competence, Prokhorov brings the potential to be a bit flashy in a way that could go a long way to overhauling the team’s dreary image.
Sebastian, wearing his NBA Playbook hat, says the Nets may have created a blueprint for stopping Tim Duncan.
Al Iannazzone on the Nets need for a power forward: The Nets, who will have roughly $23 million in cap space, have little chance at Chris Bosh. Carlos Boozer will be high on their wish list, but he could stay in Utah. Stoudemire might be the best option for the Nets. They expressed interest in trying to acquire him from Phoenix the past two winters.
Kiki Vandeweghe on Steve Nash, as told to the great Ben Couch: “When I was in Dallas, he, Dirk (Nowitzki) and I for two years spent two hours every single evening shooting together, watching tape and doing different things, Vandeweghe explained. He’s a student of the game he’s studied (legendary Jazz PG) John Stockton a lot. He’s continued to work, continued to improve. But he’s also got a real drive to be good; he’s very competitive.
Dave D’Alessandro asks if too much winning is a bad things for the Nets. More on this from NAS later today.
Brett Yormark has lunch with the brown bag-wearing fan.
Nets on the Net: 3/24/10 Edition
Mar 24, 2010 Brett Yormark, Courtney Lee, Nets on the Net, Nets vs. 72-73 Sixers
Al Iannazzone at Nets Insider calls tonight’s game against the Sacramento Kings a “must win” for the Nets.
Courtney Lee sounds confident in the latest Ben Couch offering: “We look at every game like, ‘We have to win this one,’” said Nets shooting guard Courtney Lee. “But tomorrow, those guys are banged up and a couple of their guys aren’t playing, so that’s a game we should win and that’s a game we have to win.”
Filip Bondy asks a great question: who would win between the 09-10 Nets and the 72-73 Sixers?
Brett Yormark defends his decision to get chippy with a bag-wearing fan on Monday night.
Nets on the Net: 3/23/10 Edition
Mar 23, 2010 Brett Yormark, John Loyer, Nets on the Net, Terrence Williams
Assistant coach John Loyer earned some praise from his players prior to last night’s game: And while his style is more intense than that of Vandeweghe, “he’s just really enthusiastic and positive, and he challenges you in a good way,” Trenton Hassell said.
Loyer believes his team is still trying: “I don’t think about that,” Loyer said. “I think about those 12 guys in the locker room. Looking those guys in the face the last couple of days with their will to win — these guys want to win. These guys want to play. These guys want to compete. I feel bad for them.”
It was a bad night for CEO Brett Yormark as well, who reportedly got into a shouting match with an Izod Center spectator wearing a brown paper bag over his head last night.
Terrence Williams on his ankle injury: “I told them I don’t even want to wear this boot — I already got [work] boots on,” Williams said.
Nets on the Net: 3/12/10 Edition
Mar 12, 2010 Brett Yormark, Brooklyn, Nets on the Net, Terrence Williams
Sebastian was talking Brooklyn over at the Daily Dime last night.
Our good friend Henry Abbott at the TrueHoop mothership asks what Brooklyn native and renown Knicks fan Spike Lee is going to do once the Nets officially move in.
Al Iannazzone depicts the daily beat writers struggle when talking about Bruce Ratner’s victory lap yesterday: As a colleague said to me last night, it’s wrong that Ratner goes on these shows when these major things happen and doesn’t talk to the regular guys covering the team. We haven’t spoken to Ratner since last April.
Terrence Williams is ready for the grown-up table: Maturity is a word mentioned often. Vandeweghe said Williams’ “maturity level is rising.” Even Williams admits he’s grown up some and is concentrating on playing.
Here’s some video of CEO Brett Yormark on Fox Business News yesterday:
Nets on the Net: 3/6/10 Edition
Mar 6, 2010 Brett Yormark, Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Devin Harris, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Newark
Colin Stephenson on last night: The Nets held Dwight Howard to 11 points and Vince Carter to 13. And still, they were never really in the game.
Julian Garcia notes that the Nets have all but ensured their worst home record in the franchise’s history: A 97-87 loss to Vince Carter and the Magic Friday night dropped the Nets’ home record to 3-28, meaning they will have to win their remaining 10 home games to avoid setting a record for fewest wins there in one season. The Nets went 13-28 at the Meadowlands in 1989-90 to set the current mark. They also still have shot at the all-time franchise record for fewest home wins at any venue – 10, set in 1976-77 at the Nassau Coliseum.
Devin Harris tells Al Iannazzone that the Nets are still trying out there: “We want to finish strong,” Devin Harris said after the Nets’ 11th consecutive home loss. “We have our minds set on trying to compete each and every game and trying to win every game. All of the other stuff is out of our control anyway so there’s no need for us to really worry about it.”
Fred Kerber uses last night’s performance to poke a hole in the Nets new ad campaign: Meanwhile, back in the present on the Meadowlands court, there was nothing new. Basically, the Nets offered, “It’s The Same Old Stuff — Losing.”
Stan Van Gundy thinks Brook Lopez is an all-star.
Mikhail Prokhorov should be approved next month, according to reports.
Specially-priced season tickets will be offered to Newark residents next season.
The Village Voice has a feature on Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn, who are being forced to vacate as part of the Barclays Center deal.
Brett Yormark on CNBC yesterday:
Howard Beck of the New York Times on the Knicks and Nets combined futility: The question now is whether the suffering will prove worthwhile. If James lands in Midtown or Amar’e Stoudemire settles in New Jersey, all will be forgiven. Even if the superstars all decline the invitations, the Nets and Knicks will be flush with cash and flexibility to rebuild their rosters.
Nets Will Now Do Your Taxes
Mar 3, 2010 Brett Yormark
This has become a bit of a national story – and for obvious reasons, because it’s absurd – so I thought I’d break it out of the daily link dump for you folks out there to read and comment about.
The latest move in the Nets never-ending marketing ploys to get somebody, anybody, to show up at the Izod Center (per the New York Times):
Their latest promotion will be unveiled Friday, when the Nets play the Orlando Magic. New Jersey residents 18 or older who attend the game will get a coupon that they can redeem at a Roni Deutch Tax Center to get their state income tax done free.
So unlike reversible jerseys with other players names on them, or promising a player’s services for an hour, or $10 tickets during a 10-game losing streak, this promotion has absolutely nothing to do with the Nets, or basketball for that matter, which makes it even more ridiculous. But still, Brett Yormark and company have to be pleased with the results, since just about every media outlet in the country is picking up and running with this story because it’s the kind of cute and quirky thing news outlets die for.
Just to prove that she’s perfectly serious, Roni Deutch gives the Times her rationale for the promotion:
“It’s easy to jump on the Lakers’ bandwagon,” said Deutch, who claims to have been the first girl to play Little League baseball on an all-boys team in her home state, California. “The hallmark of a strong company is one that aligns with young companies. I’m a betting woman, and I think the Nets are going to win a championship this decade.”
Yeah, sorry Nets, I’m still going to keep my March 27 appointment with my accountant.
Nets on the Net: 2/25/10 Edition
Feb 25, 2010 Brett Yormark, Nets on the Net, Nets vs. 72-73 Sixers
Al Iannazzone makes a great point as it pertains to this summer’s free agent class: just offer them the money and take it from there.
Brett Yormark was in full sell mode in an interview with the New York Times: “For us, it’s about talking about a new story and going through a total transformation,” Yormark, a relentless marketer, said before the Nets lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. “We’ll have a new home, new coach, new owners, new players and a new attitude.”
ESPN’s Bill Simmons cites the Nets as one of many teams that are contributing to a financially disasterous time for the NBA.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the probability numbers suggest the Nets should tie the 72-73 Sixers worst record ever.
Nets on the Net: 12/31/09 Brooklyn Talk, NYE Edition
Dec 31, 2009 Brett Yormark, Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
Outside of the Nets victory over the Knicks last night (more to come on that in a bit), there isn’t a tough of Nets-related news out there this a.m. besides some Brooklyn-related tidbits.
First, Nets CEO Brett Yormark talked with the YES Network before last night’s game and mentioned some tidbits about Brooklyn (“Brooklyn is here”), Mikhail Prokhorov (“he wants to build a championship team”) and the temporary move to Newark and the Prudential Center (“it serves as a great sampling environment to our fans in New York who can take rail”).
The New York Observer discusses Bruce Ratner’s next financial challenge in building the Barclays Center. He must raise $324 million by next December or he will have to refund the bondholders’ money: Some of this money will come from Mikhail Prokhorov, the tentative new buyer of the Nets, who has agreed to pay $200 million for 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena-to-be. He has also, according to bond documents, agreed to fund at least $60 million in losses by the team until the arena is complete, though this amount is unlikely to be sufficient given that the Nets have been posting more than $70 million a year in pre-tax losses lately.
Nets to Newark? Not So Much…
Dec 16, 2009 Brett Yormark, Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner, Izod Center, Mikhail Prokhorov, Newark
Barely 24 hours after the Nets organization got good news about the sale of bonds for the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, talks to temporarily move the Nets from the Izod Center to the Prudential Center in Newark have apparently unraveled, according to a report in the Star-Ledger this afternoon:
“I don’t know that it’s dead, but from what I’m hearing, any sort of activity … will have to await the next administration,” conceded Jerold L. Zaro, who had been working to broker the deal on behalf of the Corzine administration.
The proposed plan had the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Devils working together to book events at both arenas and share revenues, while allowing the Nets to break their lease at the Izod Center and move to the more modern Prudential Center. The Nets would move again when the Barclays Arena opened in Brooklyn. But the Sports and Exposition Authority has apparently pulled out of talks, and is not looking to negotiate the lease for the Nets at this time, according to the Star-Ledger.
Brett Yormark told reporters that the organization is not giving up just yet on its proposed plans:
“We continue to be encouraged about the prospect of making an interim move to the Pru Center,” said Brett Yormark, the president and chief executive of Nets Sports and Entertainment.
Meanwhile, in related news, Bruce Ratner finalized the proposed deal to sell an 80 percent stake in the team to Mikhail Prokhorov. Russian’s richest man must be approved by the NBA before he can take control of the team.
This report is a total bummer. While the move to Newark would have only been temporary, it would have helped breathe some new life in this organization while they waited for their official new start to begin in Brooklyn in a few years (potentially). If all sides can’t come back to the table, the Nets will likely continue to languish at the Izod Center in front of sparse, disinterested crowds, who are only going to grow more bitter and angry as the team starts packing up for greener pastures in Brooklyn. The city of Newark proved at the two preseason games in October that they were eager for a chance to host a basketball team, and while there was certainly no guarantee of nightly sellouts at the Prudential Center if the Nets moved there, between the passionate city population and the arena’s accessibility to mass transit, I would have to guess they were going to be a better draw than at the Meadowlands. If this is politically motivated because Corzine lost the election in November, then shame on everyone.