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.
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:
Brooklyn Groundbreaking Live Blog
Mar 11, 2010 Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner, Live Blog
So after all of the court dates, changed dates, boycotts, and assumptions the Brooklyn Nets will finally become official after today’s groundbreaking ceremony. Join me @ 1:30 for a live-blog here. You can either read along or add to the discussion in the comments. See you at 1:30.
1:28 - Alright guys, I got the ceremony tuned on and ready to go. It is on YES for those in the tri-state area. I caught the tail end of an episode of Nets’ magazine, and they were talking T-Will. A quote from him, “My goal for this team is everyone goes out and plays as hard as they can.”
1:30 – …and here we go…
1:31 – We got Chris Shearn and Jessica Taff here. Such a big day you’d think YES would break the bank to get Marv and the Czar here today.
1:34 – They just showed all of the shovels. There were a lot of them, how many people are here? A quote from Chris Shearn, “When the shovels go into the ground, there will be a lot of happy people.”
1:36 - They are listing celebrities from Brooklyn, and Debra Messing got mentioned. I hope this isn’t what is going to be going on the entire hour. Seems they are just killing time until the speakers get going.
1:39 – Jessica Taft just mentioned that this project will create jobs…for the third time. They are looking for things to kill time with. Apparently everyone has been asked to take their seats.
1:40 – Now we are getting to the awesome stuff. They are making the practice facility so that people walking along the streets can see inside. They have this for the Pacers in Conseco Fieldhouse, and I saw it when I was in Indiana. I gotta say, even when it is empty it is pretty surreal to walk by and be able to see where NBA players practice.
1:42 – Because I write for NetsAreScorching, I am on the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn e-mail list. They are calling this the “Ratner’s Arena Boondoggle Ceremony.” Now, I don’t agree with the DDDB, but I gotta say, that is pretty funny. I wonder if we are going to be able to catch any protesters on TV.
Nets on the Net: 3/11/10 Edition
Mar 11, 2010 Brooklyn, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
To commemorate today’s groundbreaking in Brooklyn, Sebastian will be liveblogging the ceremony/press conference, so at around 1:30, be sure to check back here frequently for discussion.
Keyon Dooling on Jason Kidd’s performance last night: “He’s got the Fountain of Youth,” Nets guard Keyon Dooling said. “I’m probably going to follow him around this summer, put a private investigating team on him so I can find the fountain of youth as well.”
Before the game, Jason Kidd said he believes the Nets will turn things around because of Mikhail Prokhorov.
Kidd is also happy for the Nets Brooklyn move, according to Al Iannazzone: “They were going to be persistent and they were going to work to get it to Brooklyn,” Kidd said. “I’m happy they finally got into Brooklyn. Maybe they’re unhappy they’re a little bit behind schedule. But they finally got that, which is a huge move and a huge piece. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to build, but it’s good.”
Brett Yormark on WFAN this morning.
Rob Peterson at NBA Fanhouse talks to Mark Cuban about the Nets fortunes: “I said this to Kiki and Rod both,” Cuban said about Nets coach and GM Kiki Vandeweghe and team president Rod Thorn, “there’s about a month, five weeks left in the regular season. In five weeks, them and the Knicks become the darlings of the NBA. They’re all anybody’s going to be talking about in regard to free agency.
Look who’s one of the richest men in the world.
Kobe Bryant has more game winning shots this seaso than the Nets have wins.
Nets on the Net: 3/10/10 Edition
Mar 10, 2010 Barclays Arena, Brooklyn, Devin Harris, Free Agents, LeBron James, Nets on the Net
Sebastian provides some of his expert insight of some mistakes the Nets made against the Grizzlies on Monday, over at his NBA Playbook site.
In a roundtable at SI.com, NBA writers discuss which downtrodden Eastern Conference team that would buy stock in if they had the opportunity, and naturally, the Nets are brought up.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com talks Brooklyn.
David Biderman of the Wall Street Journal kicks the Nets when they’re down, but then offers some support: By now you’ve realized that the New Jersey Nets aren’t just a sad-sack basketball team, they’re profoundly horrible. But even with a 7-56 record, there are several recent sports teams that were even worse.
Just how talented is Dallas? As Al Iannazzone notes, even without Jason Terry, Erick Dampier, Brendan Haywood and Tim Thomas expected to play tonight, they still have Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler and Shawn Marion to lean on.
And that Jason Kidd fella is still a very productive PG, as Julian Garcia writes.
Brooklyn Paper with more on the designers of the Barclays Arena.
People are apparently buying Knicks season tickets at the fastest pace ever because they believe they’re going to sign LeBron James.
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 on the Net: 3/4/10 Edition
Mar 4, 2010 Brooklyn, Devin Harris, Jay-Z, LeBron James, Nets on the Net, Newark
The Barclays Center web site now has a countdown clock to the groundbreaking on March 11.
The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority is still in massive debt, but the Nets move to Newark could help them out, according to a Business Week report.
The always kind (to the Nets) Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus notes that with their expected assets this summer (draft picks, cap space), the Nets could very quickly resemble a 50-win team.
Michael Fensom of the Star-Ledger on last night’s game: Don’t be fooled by the Nets logo scrawled at halfcourt, this lame duck NBA arena belonged to James on this night. Fans jostled during pregame warm-ups near the Cavaliers’ end of the floor for a glimpse of No. 23. On the Nets’ end, Chris Quinn’s autograph didn’t seem as appealing to young fans.
In the New York Post recap, LeBron paid a compliment to the Nets again: “It’s a really good franchise, though. It’s not a franchise that’s lived long, but they’ve got a bright future. We’ll see what goes on in the future for this team. It’s really good, though.”
George Willis of the Post talks with sports marketing experts about LeBron’s financial potential if he came to the Knicks or Nets.
Julian Garcia of the Daily News asked LeBron about Jay-Z: Asked how Jay-Z is dealing with the season, James said, “He’s on tour, promoting (an album). So he has a lot of things going on. But he stays focused; he stays a member of this team. But I don’t ask him about the Nets. I’ve got my own team to worry about.”
Howard Beck of the New York Times has some fan response to Lebron: Desperation was in the air Wednesday night. Two minutes into the game, a fan bellowed, “Please come, LeBron!” — a plea that was easily heard across the morgue-like arena. Another wore a Knicks jersey stitched with “King James” and the No. 23. He held a sign reading: “119 days left. Please help us!”
Mitch Lawrence heard differently: Unlike Knicks fans, Net fans last night didn’t plead for James to sign this summer with the worst team in the NBA. They booed him. They taunted him. For all that, they deserve a round of applause.
Al Iannazzone talks to Devin Harris about LeBron: “Who wouldn’t want to play with this guy?” Devin Harris said before the game. “He’s a great player. But right now he’s on the other side of the court so we look to challenge him on the other end and the summer will take care of itself.”
Groundbreaking Set for Brooklyn
Mar 1, 2010 Brooklyn
After scoring another legal victory today against Brooklyn residents fighting the condemnation of their homes, Bruce Ratner is reportedly planning a groundbreaking for the Nets new arena on March 11, according to a Daily News Report.
Expect preliminary construction work around the site to start heating up, in the meantime, according to the report. Evictions won’t begin until a few months.
Patrons at Freddy’s Bar are already planning their protest:
“There’s chains on the bar and a lot of people will be buying handcuffs,” said Freddy’s regular and opposition organizer Steve de Seve.
A spokeswoman for the Empire State Development Corporation said an “orderly” relocation is expected, but those who fight eviction will be forcibly removed by the Sheriff’s office.
Nets Moving To Newark Eventually
Feb 18, 2010 Brooklyn, Izod Center, Newark, Prudential Center
As the trade deadline passed, there were no trades announced by the Nets. There was a pretty big move announced today though, as the Nets have made it known that they reached an agreement and will be playing their games in the Prudential Center soon. The Star-Ledger has the details:
After months of speculation over whether the struggling NBA team would leave Izod Center in the Meadowlands for a two-year stay at the new Prudential Center in Newark, a deal was struck today to allow the Nets to break their lease for $4 million and move to Newark, according to officials involved in the negotiations.
The early termination fees could be offset in part by advertising, suite revenue and other credits.
The agreement came after the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority voted in secret to approve the deal at a special meeting this morning. A formal announcement is expected later today by Gov. Chris Christie.
This is a great move for the Nets. While there is no word on when the games are going to start being played in Newark, I am guessing it will be next year. I know the move is only temporary, but you know that Free Agents would rather play anywhere other than the Izod Center. I have also been in the Prudential Center (not as a fan), and I can say the locker-rooms and facilities are very very nice. This is a good place to play while waiting for Brooklyn to get done. I am not saying that the Prudential Center will draw fans on it’s own, but it is much more attractive than the Izod.
Plus, this is better for the fans. The Prudential Center is just blocks away from a train station. This means that there is finally a way to get to Nets’ games using mass transit, something that wasn’t all that possible for the Meadowlands. In the article, there was one final interesting note:
Additionally, the Nets agreed that it would not stand in the way of another NBA coming to New Jersey in the future — which leaves the door open to another team coming to the Prudential Center should the Nets finally move to Brooklyn.
Not sure that it would actually ever happen (in my opinion it all depends on how the Nets draw in the Prudential Center), but can you imagine having two New York teams and a team in New Jersey? That could be interesting as a fan…
Nets on the Net: 2/2/10 Edition
Feb 2, 2010 Brooklyn, Devin Harris, Keyon Dooling, Nets on the Net, Newark
In the latest offering from Ben Couch, Devin Harris is looking to get back out there, but is still questionable for tonight’s game against the Pistons: “We’ve increased our halfcourt defense tremendously, but we’re still struggling in transition,” Harris said. “Offensively – and defensively – I don’t think we’ve pushed the ball as much as I think that we could. But those are things I think that I can affect personally, especially on the offensive end, pushing the tempo a little bit.
If you want reasons for why the Nets have been more competitive the past week, you should probably check out Keyon Dooling’s defensive effort, according to Dave D’Alessandro: Dooling is dueling the other team’s chief handler and playmaker, and treating his defensive challenge as if it’s a personal affront. Indeed, in his last three starts, the backup point guard has removed his primary matchup from the equation entirely.
Expect a formal announcement this week regarding the Nets temporary move to the Prudential Center in Newark, according to the Daily News.
Matt Moore at Hardwood Paroxysm is enamored by the potential turnaround of the Nets organization, looking at their cap space, draft picks, move to Brooklyn, marketability of Yi, and other factors.
Check out this “Keep the News in New Jersey” shirt.