The NBA and New Jersey Nets announced that MarShon Brooks joins Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, and six other rookies in the game before the All-Star game that used to pit the best rookies against the best sophomores.
This year, the teams will have some cross-pollination, with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal acting as captains making selections for what’s now known as the “Rising Stars Challenge.”
Brooks is the lowest draft selection of any rookie invited and the only one selected outside of the top 15. (Kawhi Leonard, drafted 15th, is the only other non-lottery pick.) Brooks is 2nd among qualifying rookies in points per game, 3rd in PER, and 3rd in estimated wins added, despite missing nine games (eight with a broken toe). It’s unclear whether he’ll be healthy enough to play, as the team won’t have any further information on his progress until Sunday.
Congrats to MarShon Brooks, and as Matt Moore said, hopefully Shaq doesn’t pick you just to pick on you.
Other than getting waffle-stomped[1] by the Chicago Bulls on January 6 (predictably and unfortunately), the New Jersey Nets decided to get nostalgic and adopt the look of their ABA predecessors, the New York Nets.
Marked by true red, white, and true blue, the Nets wore their away versions of the uniforms, characterized by the player’s left-side uni-body stripes and stars. Last worn in the 1989-1990 season, the only difference between the ABA and NBA Nets uniforms of the same template was the name of the team on the away jersey; ABA and the early NBA version had “NEW YORK”, and the later NBA version had “NETS” with “NEW JERSEY” moving down the red stripe vertically).
This particular uniform is not the best of the Nets’ looks over the years. I actually favor the 1990-1997 set over these, and I like the original version of the current set that New Jersey currently wears, only I prefer the scoopneck collar, the argyle-hole mesh, and I wish they’d adopted the true blue over instead of the dark navy.
The retro unis are somewhat meaningful because of their history, if you’re sourcing Julius Erving and Buck Williams as the Nets’ history. (Though if you like reminiscing on the losers, Chris Morris and Roy Hinson will provide great memories of career underachievers!)
If nothing else, this temporary “new” look will offer something for fans to look forward to, considering the franchise’s current troubled state.
“Melo” and “CP3″ put Denver and New Orleans through much more uncertainty and made more of a mess than (LeBron) James ever did, yet both suffered only a fraction of the criticism. In fact, outside of Denver and New Orleans, their relocations were celebrated.
Howard shouldn’t worry. An exit from Orlando to a larger city probably won’t hurt his brand. That being the case, it’s time to end the charade. Howard needs to force a trade to the New Jersey Nets.
Virtually everyone knows Howard will not re-sign with Orlando next season. He wants Brooklyn/New Jersey, Dallas or Los Angeles, but mostly Brooklyn. Howard has the responsibility to walk into Orlando general manager Otis Smith’s office as soon as possible and tell Smith he wants to be traded to the Nets before the March 15 trade deadline. Indeed, Howard sort of “requested” a trade to the Nets during training camp in December, but because he doesn’t want to be seen as the bad guy, he left too much room for interpretation. This time, he shouldn’t leave any.
Chris Broussard, ESPN — Dwight Howard should force a trade to the New Jersey Nets
Firstly, I’d like to agree with Broussard, with a caveat; Dwight should make his intentions unequivocally clear in his next conversation with Otis Smith — if he’s unequivocally sure of his intentions. I am but an armchair psychologist, but I’m not necessarily sure he is.
One refreshing thing about 2012′s flavor-of-the-year trade saga is that, unlike 2011′s, we’re not inundated with trade talk every single day. The Nets offer has remained intact, Dwight Howard’s request to be traded to the Nets hasn’t changed, and all we do now is wait. Dwight Howard gets asked in multiple cities if he’d enjoy playing there, he plays the diplomat and says sure, and the bees keep buzzing. Meanwhile, Deron Williams and Anthony Morrow learn how to play with one another, MarShon Brooks dazzles before injury, and Shelden Williams becomes the latest Jason Collins redux (I mean that as a compliment, I swear).
That’s not to say that the trade is invisible; it looms over the franchise’s general, long-term approach. Just that unlike last year, the Nets aren’t 90% of the way there, then asked to include two extra draft picks, watching it fall apart, and rinsing, lathering, repeating. It’s not a day-to-day situation — though I’m sure Mr. King is making those calls.
Erstwhile, the Nets play winnable games tonight and Friday, and just signed Keith Bogans.
The Nets played the Indiana Pacers last night in Indianapolis, the same city that hosts the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. Naturally, it only makes sense that the guys over at The Basketball Jones ask a host of players — many of them New Jersey Nets — what sort of things they like to “cook” in preparation for the other sport’s big day. (Hint: none of them cook.)
Take a viewing, and learn why DeShawn Stevenson is the team’s clear winner for best party guest.
The Nets have $34 million in salary commitments for next season which includes the final $4 million year on Anthony Morrow and the final $4.25 million Player Option owed to Jordan Farmar.
Both players at one point have been offered to Memphis in exchange for OJ Mayo’s ending contract, and league sources say there is a desire on New Jersey’s part to cash those guys in for ending deals before the trade deadline.
Steve Kyler, HOOPSWORLD — NBA AM: Who is Available in Trade
The Nets, as they stand now, enter the offseason with $24 million in cap space. If the Nets do end up dealing both Morrow and Farmar for expiring contracts, that bumps the $24 million figure up to $32 million; the Nets could then stretch-exception another player (Johan Petro the most likely casualty) to give them almost enough room for two maximum contracts in addition to Deron Williams. There aren’t any maximum contract-worthy free agents hitting the market other than Dwight Howard, but the extra $10 million potentially freed up adds flexibility for their next moves, and the 2012 free agent class is full of rotation-quality players.
While it’s hardly a smart deal value-wise and wouldn’t help their cap situation, the Nets could also explore trading Morrow and Farmar for swing man, rap artist, and Dwight Howard compatriot Stephen Jackson. Of course, if Mehmet Okur’s back problems end his season, the Nets could also dangle his insured contract in a one-for-one deal for S-Jax.
Morrow and Farmar are both talented, specialized role players: Farmar is a talented creator and shooter, and Morrow is one of the best three-point shooters of this generation. However, neither is a particularly special defensive player and neither fills the need the Nets currently have at small forward, and when the Nets yearn for yet another run at relevance, every avenue gets explored.
His fear is afraid of him.
Since the Celtics gifted MarShon Brooks to the New Jersey Nets on draft night for a player that’s played a grand total of 28 minutes this season, Nets fans have struggled with a solid nickname for their newest, most surprising star. I’ve used “The Steal” (created by a commenter here) on a couple of occasions, but in a Twitter discussion with a fan yesterday, MarShon made his preferences (at least temporarily) clear:
@ How do you like Swag as a nickname?
RT @: @ “Young money” or Swag? (swagggggg)
All I’ll say is: whatever “innate,” “natural” (whatever that means) confidence or cool that the word “swag” is supposed to personify and its bearers portray, Brooks has it.
The New Jersey Nets announced today that Damion James will miss the remainder of the season, as he recovers from surgery to replace a screw in his right foot. James broke his fifth metatarsal last year, and underwent surgery in December of 2010 to insert a screw into his foot.
James was the team’s starting small forward at the beginning of this season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game before his injury forced him out.
The last time a Nets player had surgery on his broken right fifth metatarsal, they traded for Mehmet Okur within hours to replace him. The Nets, well short on small forwards — Larry Owens and Shawne Williams are the only healthy 3′s on the roster — may look to replace James soon in a similar fashion.
The Nets were already teetering on the possibility of declining James’s $1.33 million option for the 2012-13 season, and this injury all but seals that possibility.
