Nets on the Net: 3/19/10 Edition
Mar 19, 2010 Brook Lopez, Coaching, Nets on the Net, Nets vs. 72-73 Sixers, Rod Thorn
With March Madness upon us, Rod Thorn is scouting prospects and remembering his draft mantra: So Thorn saw a principle he has adopted throughout his career as an NBA exec. Talent trumps need. Always take the best player available. Thorn had another reason to remember that draft. The No. 2 pick was from West Virginia, Rod Thorn.
Ken Berger at CBS Sports speculates if former YES color man and NBA point guard Mark Jackson is an option for the Nets at head coach next season.
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has a profile on broadcaster Jim Sparnarkel. No word yet on whether NAS’ own “Sparklespice” was asked to comment.
The Philly sportswriters continue to the pile-on as the Nets approach the 72-73 record as worst of all time.
Brook Lopez is appearing at a Pathmark in Old Bridge. It’s come to this, hasn’t it?
Nets on the Net: 3/15/10 Edition
Mar 15, 2010 Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Nets on the Net
Does Brook Lopez foul too much?
The Editorial page of the Star-Ledger bemoans the Nets plans to move to Brooklyn: You’d think it would be easy to say goodbye to a team with fewer victories than Congressional Republicans. But chances are the Nets are going to get good and sexy before they leave — like the spouse who loses the weight, gets the makeover, then runs off with, well, a Russian millionaire.
Bleacher Report looks at the five most disappointing teams of the 2009-10 season.
Some more reasons to get excited about Evan Turner.
Some More Thoughts On The Nets “Big Three”
Mar 9, 2010 Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, Devin Harris
While watching last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, I couldn’t help thinking about Mark’s terrific post on the Nets new “Big Three.“ As I watched the game, I saw two thirds of this new big three play very well. Courtney Lee scored 30 points on 13-20 shooting and Devin Harris put in 28 points on 9-18 shooting. However the big man in this triangle of players, Brook Lopez, battled foul trouble in the first half and really seemed to struggle the entire game. Lopez scored 10 points on 3-10 shooting and was only able to pull down 7 rebounds (including a whopping 0 in the first half).
Now I am not going to get on Brook Lopez for one bad game. He has been the Nets’ most consistent performer all year and bad games are bound to happen. But what this bad game from Brook Lopez goes to show is how dependent this current roster is on the Nets’ new “Big Three.” For the Nets to get a win, they need Courtney Lee, Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez to all play well because there simply isn’t enough production coming from the rest of the roster. Look at last night’s game for example, if Brook puts up his average and scores 19 points, the Nets win. Instead, he scores 10 points and there is nobody there to pick up the slack. When good teams have their stars struggle, they usually can get someone else to help out in terms of scoring. Let’s use the Grizzlies as an example as their best player, Zach Randolph, ended up not playing. They needed some extra scoring to come from somewhere, and Mike Conley ended up picking up the slack scoring 21 (he averages 10).
Is there someone on the Nets roster who can do what Mike Conley did last night (pick up the scoring load when the main guys aren’t able to)? I don’t think so. Terrence Williams has been playing very well as of late, but he isn’t a scorer at this point in his career. Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes are guys who can knock down jumpers, but they aren’t going to go out and get 20 points for you. Chris Douglas-Roberts has the potential to do it, but he is so wildly inconsistent you can’t depend on him. Then there is Josh Boone and Trenton Hassell. These are two guys who are going to work their butt of for your team, but they couldn’t score 10 points alone in a gym.
If the Nets are going to avoid infamy and get that coveted 10th win, the Nets are going to need to find someone who can provide a 4th scoring option, a guy who can help pick up the slack when either Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee or Devin Harris struggle. Who is that going to be? Well, when Kris Humphries arrived from Dallas, he was putting up great numbers, but now he is struggling. My candidate is Terrence Williams, because as teams start to play him for the pass, lanes are going to open up. If nobody steps up, the Nets probably won’t get to 10 wins unless Courtney Lee, Brook Lopez, and Devin Harris start combining for 80 points a game or something like that.
Is There a New Big Three in Town?
Mar 8, 2010 Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, Devin Harris
The Nets haven’t had a legitimate “Big Three” since the days of Kidd-Carter-Jefferson, and even then, I don’t know how “big” those three players ever were since they never took the Nets any further than the second round of the playoffs.
Coming into this season, while no one ever proclaimd Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee as the new “Big Three,” they were, arguably, the team’s three best options on the offensive end. Unfortunately, Lee struggled mightily shooting-wise and Harris had been erratic. It’s not until recently that the three have started to produce actual results together offensively, and it’s no surprise that the Nets are playing better as a team as a result.
In their last seven games together (starting 2/16 and excluding the last three games before Saturday when Lee was out with an injured ankled), Lee-Harris-Lopez combined to average 61.2 points per game, which, for you math majors out there, breaks down to about 20 points per player – not too shabby for the worst offensive team in basketball. Meanwhile, the Nets as a team have put together a 3-4 record in that stretch, which includes a win on the road against a tough defensive team in Charlotte, a stunning upset of the Celtics in Boston, and a great come-from-behind victory against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. You could accuse me of cherry-picking these seven games, but considering the Nets are still on pace to have the worst record in NBA history, any stretch where the team is winning 43 percent of their games, is something to take note of.
It makes sense that the Nets are most successful offensively with those three players clicking, because each one brings a unique ability to the team. Lopez is clearly the post presence, Harris is best when he’s breaking down defenders and driving to the hoop, and Lee excels as a three-point shooter, or a mid-range jump shooter in transition. When Lopez and Harris are excelling at their games, it opens up more opportunities for Lee and vice versa. It just makes sense that these three should work so well together. And unlike the period earlier this season where Yi Jianlian was scoring in bunches in what some thought was at the expense of other players, Lee, Lopez and Harris are all getting their opportunities as of late, with each player carrying the offense during certain stretches.
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.
Is Brook Lopez’s Jump Shot an Asset?
Mar 3, 2010 Analysis, Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez’s offensive tendencies have been frequently dissected on this site and for good reason. He’s by far the most dynamic offensive talent on this roster, and may be one of the best offensive centers in the league. Lopez has been praised around the league for having the ability to keep defenders honest by occasionally journeying out of the post to hit a 16-20 foot jumper. But when looking closer at Lopez’s statistics, especially when compared to other centers around the league, there is good reason to question whether the long two is really a praiseworthy component of Brook’s offensive game.
Thanks to the always spectacular Hoopdata.com, I took at look at how Lopez’s shooting percentage from 16-23 feet compares with other centers who shoot from that spot on the floor with similar frequency. So for the sake of analysis, I’m comparing Lopez to all centers who have played 30 or more games and are averaging at least one 16-23 foot attempt per game.
Lopez currently attempts 2.7 16-23 footers per game, good for 9th out of the 25 qualifying centers. Lopez sinks about .9 of these shots per game, good for 33 percent. According to Hoopdata, only one other Center, Josh Powell on the Lakers, has a lower percentage on long twos than Lopez. Al Jefferson and Roy Hibbert are tied with Lopez at 33 percent.
Of the 25 players charted, the average shooting percentage on long twos was 41 percent. Additionally, of the eight centers ranked ahead of Lopez in terms of attempts per game, only Zydrunas Ilgauskas (35 percent) and Jason Thompson (37 percent) have shooting percentage of under 40 percent from that distance. The center attempting the most shots from 16-23 feet, David Lee (4.9 attempts), is averaging 45 percent from that distance – something the Nets should keep in the back of their minds when Lee hits the open market this summer.
So while Brook likes to shoot long twos frequently, these number suggest that the 16-23 footer really isn’t an effective part of Lopez’s offense. When you look at Lopez’s percentages at the rim (64 percent) and within 10-feet (49 percent), he’s just so more efficient in and around the post, it’s easy to question why he journeys out from that distance in the first place.
Nets on the Net: 3/3/10 Edition
Mar 3, 2010 Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Draft Lottery, LeBron James, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
Oh, Chris Douglas-Roberts, you can never just not be cryptic when a reporter asks you a question can you? Al Iannazzone asks CDR whether he would “recruit” LeBron James, apparently a friend Douglas-Roberts has given “advice” to (tiger raising tips?). Here’s CDR’s response to Al: “Leon, LeBron, everybody’s together. Every relationship we have, that’s what it is. For example if they’re not happy somewhere or they’re not happy with something it’s all in the family, no one’s happy.”
Speaking of LeBron, as expected, the storyline from some beat writers is how this is the Nets last chance to “impress” James this season when he visits the Izod Center tonight. Julian Garcia of the Daily News brings up one advantage the Nets have over the Knicks: If putting up a fight is appealing to James, then the Nets have done a better job than the Knicks. The Nets’ worst loss to the Cavaliers this season was by 10 points, while the Knicks took a 31-point beating in Cleveland Monday night.
With Shaq out of the lineup tonight, Brook Lopez begins his preparation for what the Cavs are likely going to throw at him: “I look at it as a challenge, how it’s going to affect me defensively,” Lopez said. “Guys like Varejao and Hickson in, who are a lot more mobile – I think we can help a little bit more (on LeBron James and others), but at the same time, they’re going to be cutting a lot, they’re all great cutters; they play off the ball really well. So while we can help, we’ve sort of got to keep an eye on them.”
Al Harrington of the Knicks tells the New York Post that LeBron’s loyalty to Ohio may trump all this summer: “But if he’s as loyal as he says, I would think it’s very hard for him to leave, especially because he’s home.
Mikhail Prokhorov, prospective Nets owner, reportedly lost a $53 million deposit for a home he was looking to buy on the French Riviera.
Tom Ziller at NBA Fanhouse looks at the ping pong ball “derby” for this summer’s NBA draft.
Nets on the Net: 2/28/10 Edition
Feb 28, 2010 Bobby Simmons, Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, Nets on the Net, Rod Thorn
Brook Lopez is thinking what all Nets fans are thinking after yesterday’s shocking victory against the Celtics: “To finally break through against a good team like this shows us what we’re capable of,” Brook Lopez said after leading the Nets with 25 points.
Kevin Garnett, on the other hand, is saying what all Celtics fans are saying after last night: “I’ve got nothing to say,” Kevin Garnett said. “I feel disgusted.”
Speaking of Celtics fans, Zach Lowe of CelticsHub has some fun with video entitled how to lost to a five-win team.
Fred Keber of the New York Post, talks with Courtney Lee about his ankle injury: “It’s stiff right now because I just iced it,” said Lee, who hit one of the game’s biggest shots — a jumper in the third quarter when the Celtics were charging and the crowd was roaring. “Usually, when I sprain my ankle it’s something I can get over real quick.”
Bobby Simmons is one of the most expensive benchwarmers in the league, but he at least has a good attitude about it during an interview with the Daily News’ Julian Garcia: “It’s not really embarrassing because it’s out of my control,” says Simmons, who plays less than any of his teammates.
Rod Thorn remains coy about his future with the organization, according to Al Iannazzone: “Not a thing going on,” Thorn said. “Nothing at all. We’ll just see if and when Mr. Prokhorov takes over, he’ll do whatever he’s going to do. But until, as you’ve seen me quoted, I have nothing to say about any part of ownership. Period.”
Nets on the Net: 2/26/10 Edition
Feb 26, 2010 Brook Lopez, Coaching, Nets on the Net
Basketbawful, which, believe it or not, is not a nickname for njnets.com, designed a new logo for the Nets.
Kiki Vandeweghe reminds reporters that the organization is still giddy to have Brook Lopez: “We had him somewhere in the top three in the draft, and we thought there was going to be a 99 percent chance he wasn’t going to be there [at No. 10],” Vandeweghe said. “It was a very easy decision. If he’s there at No. 10, you take him.
NBA.com ranks the Nets as having one of the most interesting coaching vacancies this summer.
Nets on the Net: 2/23/10 Edition
Feb 23, 2010 Brook Lopez, Izod Center, Nets on the Net
And we’re back….
The story of the day out of Nets practice yesterday was Brook Lopez and his lack of touches in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. In the Star-Ledger, Kiki Vandeweghe explains: “Defenses aren’t stupid,’’ coach/GM Kiki Vandeweghe said when asked why Lopez seems to have so many hot starts/cold finishes. “They’re going to load everyone around him and when he catches they’re running guys at him.
Lopez, sounding a little more frustrated than usual, told Al Iannazzone: “I just think when a player’s playing well, when a player’s hot, we need to get that guy the ball,” Lopez said after practice Monday. “But we just need to play team basketball.”
Fred Keber says: Brook Lopez may have to go a little Norman Bates if the Nets are going to avoid the infamy of the worst record in NBA history.
Bleacher Report writes that Nets fans no longer want to go to the Izod Center because of the Nets’ record. Did Nets fans ever want to go to the Izod Center?