Game 70 Preview Vs. Miami Heat
Mar 22, 2010 2009-2010 Open Threads, Game Preview, Nets vs. Heat
Last game against the Raptors, the Nets had a pretty good first half, but like they tend to do, they couldn’t hold onto the lead, and the Raptors ended up pulling away late. It comes down to something we have talked about at length here. The Nets just settle for too many jumpers in the second half.
I don’t know what it is to be honest. Maybe it is because teams amp up their defense (though the Raptors are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, so you figure it out). I honestly think that the Nets get so nervous that they just want the game to end when they get the lead. They hold onto the ball at length, there isn’t a lot of passing, and the ball goes up on the outside. The Nets are going to have to play better in the second half if they are going to want to win three more games (and let’s be honest, that is the goal here). Onto the lineups (a quickie):
Devin Harris vs. Carlos Arroyo
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Dwyane Wade
Advantage: Dwyane Wade
Terrence Williams vs. Quentin Richardson
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Michael Beasley
Advantage: Michael Beasley
Brook Lopez vs. Jermaine O’Neal
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Game 68 Preview Vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Mar 17, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Sixers
The Sixers vs. the Nets. That is going to be a whole lot of awfulness on one basketball court tonight. While most of you guys probably are going to read something about the Nets and how they compared to the 72-73 Sixers team (the one whose record the Nets are trying to avoid). Let’s focus on the Nets for a minute, though. How bad have the Nets been, well, as Matt McHale from Basketbawful points out, they are 30-70 since Devin Harris said those famous words “We knew we were going to be a playoff team” after the team’s 11-8 start last season. That’s bad…onto the lineups (quick ones today…sorry guys).
Devin Harris vs. Lou Williams
While Devin Harris didn’t play yesterday, I expect him to play tonight as this is as good a chance as any to get win #8. Lou Williams and Devin Harris are somewhat similar players. Williams isn’t a true point guard, but more of a scorer first, the same with Devin Harris. However, Devin has better point guard skills, he has better handle and better court vision which allows for his teams to get involved. I understand why the Sixers are trying to turn Lou Williams into a PG, but to me he just doesn’t have to court vision to be a good one (4.1 APG out of your starting PG isn’t any good).
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Jrue Holiday
Courtney Lee has the size on Jrue Holiday (Holiday is 6′1″ while Lee is 6′5″), and he should be able to get off his shot with ease. This is a good thing since Lee has been shooting well as of late, so more good looks = more points.
Advantage: Courtney Lee
Trenton Hassell vs. Andre Iguodala
In my opinion, this is the only position where the Sixers have a clear cut advantage. Hassell is still starting (though with Terrence Williams playing so well, his minutes may decline), and Andre Iguodala has the athleticism just to blow by Hassell every time. It is going to be interesting to watch Iguodala go up against Terrence Williams.
Advantage: Andre Iguodala
Josh Boone vs. Elton Brand
Elton Brand was a great player, but the injuries really slowed him down.
Advantage: Push
Brook Lopez vs. Samuel Dalembert
Dalembert is a terrific defender and a shot blocker, but I think Brook Lopez can use his size to his advantage here. If he is able to get his body into Dalembert’s he can negate his length and jumping ability. Allowing him to knock down easy buckets.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Game 62 Preview Vs. New York Knicks
Mar 6, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Knicks
Both the Knicks and Nets are coming off of losing efforts last night. The Knicks are a much different team from the one that faced the Nets last in December (and was victim #3 for the Net at the time). The Tracy McGrady trade gives the Knicks a new weapon on offense, in addition to a ton of cap space this summer. And we no longer have Nate Robinson around in NYC to joke around with his buddy Terrence Williams.
Devin Harris vs. Bill Walker
Walker is not an ideal point guard, but he’s been having some decent games offensively as of late, going for 21 against Cleveland and 22 against Detroit in the past week. Harris’ shooting woes continue after last night’s 7-21 against Orlando. Still, I envision Devin getting the better of Walker in this match-up.
Advantage: Harris
Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Tracy McGrady
McGrady is desperately trying to prove his career isn’t finished but he’s been very up and down (more down) since coming to New York. If CDR looked anything like he did the first month of the season, I’d give him the edge here, but Douglas-Roberts hasn’t done much to distinguish himself since Courtney Lee went down with an ankle injury.
Advantage: Tracy McGrady
Trenton Hassell vs. Danilo Galinari
Hassell continues to get the nod from Kiki Vandeweghe and it’s not like Jarvis Hayes is doing anything that suggests he should be the starting SF. Terrence Williams on the other hand, has been, but I suspect Hassell will be matched-up early against the sharp shooting Galinari, who’s not necessarily the greatest shooter ever as the Knicks will have you believe, but is a nice player.
Advantage: Danilo Galinari
Yi vs. Al Harrington
Harrington has to be licking his chops with the Nets coming to town. He’s averaging 22.7 points in his three games against the Nets and I can’t see Yi having a breakout defensive performance to stop him.
Advantage: Al Harrington
Brook Lopez vs. David Lee
Brook has put together some solid games against the Knicks this year, but David Lee is no slouch either. I think both will probably get a double-double tonight, canceling each other out.
Advantage: Push
Game 41 Preview vs. Phoenix Suns
Jan 20, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Suns
After tonight, the season will be exactly have way done for the Nets, and we only have three wins right now. Wow…I knew we wouldn’t have a lot of wins, but this is crazy. Anyway, against the Suns, I like the Nets chances of keeping it close. The Suns are coming in on a four game losing streak (doesn’t it seem like the Nets are always going up against teams that are struggling, yet they get destroyed?). The Suns love to run up and down the floor and shoot the three, if they are making their shot, the Nets are in trouble. If not, the Nets have a chance, even if they fall behind early. The Suns are notorious for getting big leads and squandering them because they don’t change their style of play. They are running and gunning all game long. Onto the lineups!
Devin Harris vs. Steve Nash
This is going to be a very tough match-up for Steve Nash. Nash loves to penetrate and explore options. Despite his speed, Devin Harris has trouble stopping penetration. I think Nash could put up a 15+ assist game tonight if his teammates are hitting shots.
Advantage: Steve Nash
Courtney Lee vs. Jason Richardson
Jason Richardson is having a pretty good year, but he has really turned into more of a spot up shooter as he ages. He is shooting 38% from three, so you need to close out on him. He can still drive though, but he looks for his shot more than anything. I think Lee will be able to contain him, especially if Lee is aggressive on the offensive end, forcing Richardson to work on both sides of the court.
Advantage: Jason Richardson
Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Grant Hill
CDR has really been lacking an aggression the past couple of games, and I hope that changes tonight. Hill is a great comeback story, but he doesn’t have the legs to keep up with an aggressive CDR. If CDR decides to attack the basket, I can see him having a pretty big game.
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Amar’e Stoudemire
This is going to be a tough match-up for Yi on both ends. Amar’e is athletic enough to keep with Yi on the outside and strong enough not to let him post up on the inside. Plus on the offensive end, Amar’e is just a monster on the low block. Yi is going to be in trouble here.
Advantage: Amar’e Stoudemire
Brook Lopez vs. Robin Lopez
Robin Lopez got the first start of his career last game and he responded by putting up a career high 19 points. The Suns inserted Robin Lopez in place of Channing Frye because they want to add a little bit of size. Frye still will be getting a lot of minutes, and he is still very dangerous from 3. I would imagine that when Frye enters, Yi will match-up on him and Brook will match up to Stoudemire.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Game 22 Preview Vs. Golden State Warriors
Dec 9, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Warriors
Well, that was a fun game last night huh? The Nets were faced in a situation just like the Bobcats game, coming off of giving up two threes to tie the game. Again, the Nets rebounded, and they pulled away for the win. This time, instead of Courtney Lee, it was Devin Harris who took over.
I mentioned it last in the Daily Dime chat, but it hurt to have Devin out for many reasons, but one was, there was nobody who could get their own shot late. CDR has been great, but you can’t really ISO him yet, and you need someone to pass it Brook. Last night, down one, we gave the ball to Devin and watched as he attacked the basket. A subtle thing that nobody really talked about is that Kiki (Del reall) went small for that play, making sure that the Bulls had to worry about shooters. If he kept Boone (or Battie) out there, they would just leave him and double Harris. Taking him out prevented that from happening. Oh and for what it’s worth, that foul late up 3 was a great call. I honestly don’t think Lawrence Frank does that.
One final thing about the Del/Kiki coaching situation. YES went to the bench late in the game after the Bulls made a foul-shot. There, you saw Kiki asking whether or not he should call a time out. Del said push it, and then you see Kiki tell Devin to push it. It is good to see that Kiki knows his limitations when it comes to coaching and he is willing to ask Del questions late.
As for tonight’s game, the Bulls defense was bad, but according to Hoopdata.com, the Warriors are worse. They are second worse in the league when it comes to Defensive Efficiency, allowing 109.8 points per possession on the defensive end. In fact, when Brandon Jennings put up 55 on the Warriors, they played awful on the ball defense. This could be enough to get Devin going from the field. The Warriors line-up also matches up nicely for the Nets since they run a three guard line-up out there as well. CDR could have a big game too. Match-up time:
Devin Harris vs. C.J. Watson
The Warriors line-up is kind of funky, and I haven’t seen enough of them to tell you who is bringing the ball up, but my guess is that it will be C.J. Watson. Like I said earlier, the Warriors are weak defensively, especially when it comes to the pick and roll, so expect to see it a fair amount tonight.
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Monta Ellis
This is the first time since Courtney Lee has been healthy that we get to see him trying to lock up a big time offensive talent. Monta Ellis sure can score, but he tends to turn the ball over a bit. We might be able to see Courtney Lee try to get some steals when he is defending him on the ball.
Advantage: Monta Ellis
CDR vs. Stephen Curry
If this is the correct starting lineup, I expect to see CDR covering Stephen to start. CDR is turning into a solid player, but as you saw last night, when he is matched-up against true 3s, they like to take him to the post. Luol Deng (I have no idea if he is a solid post player or not) took advantage of him on the post a few times. It is going to be nice to see CDR defending a guy who doesn’t weigh more than him.
Advantage: CDR
Vladimir Radmanovic vs. Josh Boone
Tough match-up for either Boone or Battie here. Radmanovic is a shooter, and his best position is probably the 3, but for the Warriors he is playing the 4. This could actually be a game where we see Sean Williams.
Advantage: Vlad Rad
Brook Lopez vs. Mikki Moore
Mikki Moore probably had his best years on the Nets, and it is good to see that he is still starting somewhere (especially not the Nets). Age seems to be catching up with Moore, and his activity and hustle (what made him so popular here) is starting to decline. If the game slows down enough, Brook Lopez could have a big game.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Game 13 Preview vs. New York Knicks
Nov 21, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Knicks
This game right here could be the Nets final chance to get a win before they break the record for most losses to start a season. Denver, Portland, Sacramento (who is much better), and Lakers, that is a gauntlet right there. As for the game this afternoon, it is good to finally see Devin back (even if he is coming off the bench today), because it puts guys back to their normal roles. Rafer Alston won’t be playing as many minutes, T-Will won’t be getting any minutes at the PG, and that means it cuts Bobby Simmons minutes at the 3. All of those things are good things, and it is good to see this team finally getting healthy.
This game is going to be a battle of styles. The Knicks play very little defense while the Nets can’t score. Whoever wins tonight will play their style the best. If the Knicks score over 100, they are going to win. If the Nets can keep them around 85-90, I think they can win. The key to keeping the Knicks from running is limiting turnovers and making/taking good shots. If the Nets can do that, they will win today. Let’s look at the lineups:
Chris Duhon vs. Rafer Alston:
Like we already said, Harris is coming off the bench today, so that leaves Alston matched up with Duhon. Duhon is probably more unpopular with Knicks fans than Rafer is with Nets fans, so that tells you how he has been playing. Rafer is getting a lot of flack for not playing well, but he is playing how he has always played. He takes a good amount of threes and there are days he hits them and plays great and there are days he misses them and plays awful. The Nets aren’t 0-12 simply because of Rafer.
Advantage: Rafer Alston
Toney Douglas vs. Chris Douglas-Roberts
Toney Douglas is the guy that is preventing Allen Iverson for being a Knick. The Knicks brass (and myself) love this kid’s toughness and defense, plus he can score. He could be a real good player going forward, but CDR is going to have his way with him today. CDR is quicker, and his length will be a big problem for Douglas.
Advantage: Chris Douglas-Roberts
Danilo Gallinari vs. Trenton Hassell
After going up against a few great players (Wade, Anthony, and Carter), Hassell gets a bit of a rest here. I am not saying Gallinari isn’t a good player, he is one of the best three point shooters in the league right now, but I am willing to bet that Hassell would rather cover him than the guys I listed before. Plus on the offensive end, Hassell will be able to use his new-found post game to body up the weaker, slower Gallinari.
Advantage: Trenton Hassell
Wilson Chandler vs. Josh Boone
Wilson Chandler is a guy like Thaddeus Young. He has a guard’s skillset in a forward’s body. If he is matched up against Boone he will be able to take him off the dribble, and Boone’s size advantage won’t play a factor at all because Boone can’t score in the post.
Advantage: Wilson Chandler
David Lee vs. Brook Lopez
This is a game where you want to see Brook Lopez not take a shot from farther than 15 feet out. David Lee is a great player, but he is really a PF and not a C, Brook Lopez is the bigger body, and he can just body him up and score in the post. The only worry I have is Lee out-running him, but Brook showed in the preseason that he can handle that.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Keys To The Game
Make Shots:
If the Nets make shots, it limits the Knicks possessions. The Knicks like to run, but they can’t run if they have to grab the ball out of the net.
Keep Using CDR and Brook in the pick and roll:
The one (and maybe only) good thing I took away from the game last night was how successful the pick and roll was with CDR running it. They would give it to him on the wing, and then they had Brook set the screen for him. It makes sense, CDR is a much more comfortable shooter off the dribble (rather than catching and shooting), plus he is a good enough passer to hit Brook on the roll if he is open. It worked well, and lets hope that continues.
Limit Turnovers:
For the same reason, you want to limit the Knicks chances to run and get easy baskets. You can do that by not turning it over. You also want to get as many attempts at the basket as possible since the Nets aren’t the best shooting team.
Prediction
Current Record = 7-5
I think the Nets pull this one out. They needed a crazy comeback to beat the Pacers and two overtimes to beat the Bobcats. Granted, both of those teams beat the Nets, but I just think with Devin back, it will make a bunch of players better, especially Brook Lopez. Nets win this one.
Game 12 Preview vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Nov 18, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Preview, Nets vs. Bucks
Alright, we are going to try something new today, no more scouting reports, they are done for the time being, let us know what you think in the comments during the live chat.
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As I went over already, the Bucks like to use the pick and roll a ton. They have someone who can attack the basket, shoot, and pass coming off the screen set by a very good big man. It is a real dangerous play and it needs to be defended well. Other than that, I think the Nets have a chance tonight. Besides Jennings and Bogut, they don’t really have much in terms of scoring power, and that is kind of similar to what the Nets have going on (Lopez and CDR). I say similar because though Milwaukee is in the bottom half of Offensive Efficiency (Points per 100 possession) with a 101.3 rating, they aren’t as bad as the Nets, who currently sit with the worst offensive efficiency in the NBA (89.3). Now that I have depressed you guys, lets look at the matchups:
Brandon Jennings vs. Rafer Alston:
Brandon Jennings is a pterodactyl with wings of fire. What? You don’t believe me? Well, it’s true. He is a speedy guard with great handle, a shot that if he starts making it look out, and he can attack the basket and get to the line. Rafer Alston is old. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, he does have that wily veteran-neess about himself, but he is playing in the second night of a back-to-back after logging 40+ minutes the night before. Don’t you wish Devin was going to be in there tonight? I mean, I don’t think Devin would shut him down, I just think it would be really fun to watch. Like watching a blur vs. something that also runs fast enough to cause a blurring effect.
Advantage: Brandon Jennings
Charlie Bell vs. Chris Douglas-Roberts
CDR is doing everything in his powers to make you forget that he was the first player in the NBA with swine flu, and he is doing a pretty damn good job. Remember when I thought CDR should come off the bench, yeah, I think I was wrong. He is starting to prove himself as a real good player, a guy who can shoot, get to the rim, and get fouled. I mean I knew he was good, but I just thought his game was better suited off the bench. Again, I was wrong. He also hasn’t been a liability offensively. Charlie Bell is a pretty solid player as well, but I think CDR takes this one.
Advantage: Chris Douglas-Roberts
Carlos Delfino vs. Trenton Hassell
Is there anyone who benefited more from the Nets’ injuries than Trenton Hassell? He is showing that he can still play, and that he has some offensive skills in him down low. With his expiring contract, he might even have played his way onto a contender. Trenton has the size advantage on Delfino, so expect some more post ups for Hassell.
Advantage: Trenton Hassell
Ersan Ilyasova vs. Josh Boone
I watch a lot of basketball, and I feel like I have a good grasp of the game and know a lot about the different players, but I have no clue who this Ersan fella is. I am going to let the much more qualified Bucksketball blog tell you about him:
Ersan’s style can fit with anyone. He waits for open looks, he crashes the boards and he plays pesky defense. Perfect for the starting lineup or the bench. He’ll have a favorable match-up in this one regardless of who covers him.
There you go. Ersan Ilyasova, most likely better than Josh Boone
Advantage: Ersan Ilyasova
Andrew Bogut vs. Brook Lopez
This right here is your match-up the night. Before Bogut got hurt least year, he was on his way to a very good season. Brook has been playing like a man as well, but it took him 27 shots to score 26 points last night. Why? Because he is still taking way too many jumpers on the outside. We need to get Brook back on the post.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Keys To The Game
Defend Brandon Jennings/Pick And Roll:
Not Warriors-style defense either. Real defense. The Nets need to rotate on the pick and rolls correctly, and make sure they keep Bogut from getting wide open rolls too.
Keep Using CDR and Brook in the pick and roll:
The one (and maybe only) good thing I took away from the game last night was how successful the pick and roll was with CDR running it. They would give it to him on the wing, and then they had Brook set the screen for him. It makes sense, CDR is a much more comfortable shooter off the dribble (rather than catching and shooting), plus he is a good enough passer to hit Brook on the roll if he is open. It worked well, and lets hope that continues.
Play Sean Williams:
Remember when coach Frank told me Sean had earned more minutes? Well, he only played 13 last night. I feel so lied to, and to think, I thought we were bros.
Prediction
So I didn’t actually make a prediction last night, slipped my mind, but I was going to say the Pacers so I am counting that. That means I am 7-4. As for this game, my gut is begging me to pick NJ, and I am going to. My gut was only off by 3 points last game, remember that.
This is still your open thread, so use it. Plus, go visit Daily Dime tonight, I will be there for at least the early part.
Game 11 Preview Vs. Indiana Pacers
Nov 17, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, 2009-2010 Regular Season, Game Preview, Nets vs. Pacers
Up until about a week ago, I had this game eyed up as one the Nets had a chance at winning. Since then however, the Pacers have been playing some really good basketball, winning four in a row, including a beat-down against Boston. This game is going to be a lot tougher than what most Nets’ fans expect.
It looks like coach Lawrence Frank is doing some tweaking of the line-up to try and match-up with the Pacers and their lineup including Danny Granger at the PF spot. According to the great Ben Couch, the lineup tonight is Rafer Alston, CDR, T-Will, Trenton Hassell, and Brook Lopez (the same day I tell the world Terrence Williams is best at the SF, that is where he gets his start…coincidence? Yeah, probably).
So essentially what Lawrence Frank is doing is going small to match-up against the Pacers’ small lineup. Normally I wouldn’t be a fan of this. If a team wants to go small, you keep your normal (and mostly likely bigger) lineup out there and see if they can defend you. That’s only an option if you have your best players available though. With what Lawrence Frank has to do is match-up and try to prevent Indiana from scoring. That is the Nets’ only chance to win.
Nets’ Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Rafer Alston
- SG – Chris Douglas-Roberts
- SF – Terrence Williams
- PF – Trenton Hassell
- C – Brook Lopez
Pacers’ Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Earl Watson
- SG – Brandon Rush
- SF – Dahntay Jones
- PF – Danny Granger
- C – Roy Hibbert
Their Mismatches
Danny Granger vs. Trenton Hassell - You gotta feel for Trenton. The past three games (including tonight’s) he has been matched-up with the opposing team’s best player. He did fairly well against Vince Carter and Dwyane Wade, but I think Granger’s size will end up giving Trenton fits.
Our Mismatches
Rafer Alston vs. Earl Watson – Earl is a solid defender who doesn’t do much else. Rafer has been playing really well as of late, and I think he will be able to have his way with Watson, a player who seems to get more and more exposed as his playing time increases during the game.
Matchup Of The Night
Brook Lopez vs. Roy Hibbert - Roy Hibbert has been using his big frame to his advantage this year, and he could be able to do it again, using it to try and keep Brook Lopez out of the post. If he is successful and Brook ends up taking more jumpers than he should, this could be a long night.
Keys To Victory
Either – Let Granger get his and stop everyone else or focus on stopping Granger and let everybody else get theirs. We can’t have both. Against the Heat, we allowed wade to get 22 and Haslem to get 28 (a career high). If the Nets would have let one of those happen instead of both, they could have won that game.
Limit Turnovers – When you limit turnovers it does two things. It gives you more opportunities to score, and it prevents the other team from getting easy baskets. Both are very important to the Nets. As they continue to struggle to score, they need as many chances at the hoop as they can get. Also, they have been playing very well defensively, so you don’t want to give teams easy buckets. You want them to try to score on your half-court defense.
Get Their Bigs In Foul Trouble – 3 of the Pacers bigs who would be getting some playing time are out with injuries. If the Nets can get Hibbert and Granger in foul trouble, the Nets will be going against the likes of Solomon Jones and Josh McRoberts. Who would you rather go up against?
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 6-4
I see the Nets keeping this one close (what else is new), but I think at some point in the second half Granger is going to reel off a big number, putting the Pacers ahead for good. Hopefully, the Nets prove me wrong.
Game 10 Preview vs. Miami Heat
Nov 14, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, 2009-2010 Regular Season, Game Preview, Nets vs. Heat
Just a quick thing about Brook Lopez. People have been criticizing him for his poor play both games against Orlando, and that is fine. But for anyone saying this proves that he won’t be an elite big man (and there are some people saying that), let’s take a deep breath. Dwight Howard makes most big men look like Brook did last night, he has a combination of strength that isn’t often seen, and he knows how to use it. Also, Brook Lopez is only 21, in his second season, and he is getting the attention of every team right now with all of the injuries. If you want to criticize him for a poor game, that’s fine, but its just a game, not a trend. With all that being said, Sean Williams looked great last night, and if he can produce while getting the backup C minutes, that allows for Boone to be Yi’s backup full time (and start when he is out). I like that rotation.
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Another tough game for the Nets and they will once again face a tough team with a great SG. Dwyane Wade is playing some good basketball now, and he is adding a nice shot from the outside to is repertoire. A very scary player.
Nets Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Rafer Alston
- SG – Trenton Hassell
- SF – Bobby Simmons
- PF – Eduardo Najera
- C – Brook Lopez
Magic Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Mario Chalmers
- SG – Dwyane Wade
- SF – Quentin Richardson
- PF – Michael Beasly
- C – Jermaine O’Neal
Their Mismatches
Dwyane Wade vs. Trenton Hassell - Trenton Hassell did a pretty good job on Vince Carter last night, and tonight will be even tougher. Vince Carter likes settling for those outside jumper, Dwyane Wade on the other hand, he will drive, and once you go to stop that, then he will shoot from the outside.
Our Mismatches
Brook Lopez vs. Jermaine O’Neal – I am going to be honest, I don’t know how well O’Neal is playing this year, but he was awful, just plain awful, last year. Maybe he was hurt, but he just looked lost on the defensive end. Let’s see if Brook can have a nice bounce-back game.
Matchup Of The Night
Rafer Alston vs. Mario Chalmers - The sage veteran vs. the young rookie. Vague, I know, but I couldn’t come up with anything else.
Keys To Victory
Don’t Let Wade Get Hot – When he is “on,” there is nobody who can stop him. So you don’t want to see him start hitting from the outside, because if he does, it will be a long night.
Limit Turnovers – When you limit turnovers it does two things. It gives you more opportunities to score, and it prevents the other team from getting easy baskets. Both are very important to the Nets. As they continue to struggle to score, they need as many chances at the hoop as they can get. Also, they have been playing very well defensively, so you don’t want to give teams easy buckets. You want them to try to score on your half-court defense.
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 5-4
Heat win.
Game 9 Preview Vs. Orlando Magic
Nov 13, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, 2009-2010 Regular Season, Game Preview, Nets vs. Magic
Just something quick on Wednesday’s game. I thought it was funny how the game ended basically the same way as the first Sixers game ended. Go for the win, misexecute (just made that word up), miss a two to tie the game. Foul the Sixers, have them miss one of two, and not even get a game winning attempt up. The Nets are a young team, but they need to learn from their mistakes the first time, not repeat them over and over. Twice now, the Nets haven’t been able to even get an attempt at a basket in the final seconds. For once though, this one isn’t on Lawrence Frank, he is really scraping from the bottom of the barrel, and they players are just failing to execute right now. I just wish we had Devin to attempt some of these buzzer beaters though.
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Alright, now lets turn our attention to tonight’s game. It’s a shame that Courtney Lee doesn’t get to play against his former team in Orlando, but Rafer Alston does. I know the PER says otherwise, but in my opinion Rafer has done a solid job playing point, and we aren’t losing games because of him (well, maybe besides Wed. night). Tonight though, tonight could be a different story, he could go all shot-happy on us tonight, should be interesting. Oh and CDR is back in uniform tonight, though probably not starting. Late word is that Brandon Bass isn’t active tonight (flu), in addition to Ryan Anderson (ankle) and Rashard Lewis (suspension). It is going to be interesting to see who plays tonight at the 4 for them.
Nets Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Rafer Alston
- SG – Trenton Hassell
- SF – Bobby Simmons
- PF – Eduardo Najera
- C – Brook Lopez
Magic Projected Starting Lineup
- PG – Jameer Nelson
- SG – Vince Carter
- SF - Mickael Pietrus
- PF – Matt Barnes
- C – Dwight Howard
Their Mismatches
Vince Carter vs. Trenton Hassell - Vince Carter was on his way to a huge game before he got hurt in New Jersey. You know he is going to want to do that again. While Trenton Hassell was a defensive stopper for a long-time in the league, age is starting to catch up with him though. He hasn’t been the best defensively so far this season, but maybe that has to do with the crazy minutes he is logging.
Our Mismatches
Our 4s vs. Matt Barnes – If Matt Barnes does in fact start tonight, we will be in the rare position of our 4s having the advantage. Both Najera and Boone are bigger than Barnes, and they both look to have the advantage on paper against them. Let’s see if they can use it.
Matchup Of The Night
Brook Lopez vs. Dwight Howard - Dwight Howard got the best of Brook last time, pushing him way out of the block and not letting him get any position. Brook has been playing well as of late though. If Brook wants to be mentioned among the NBA’s best big-men, he needs to play well against the best. Right now, Dwight Howard is the best.
Keys To Victory
Defend The Three – This one is easy. The Magic are the best three point team in the league, and we are one of the worst defending the three. Hopefully we can get up for the challenge and close out hard on their shooters.
Get Dwight In Foul Trouble – Dwight Howard is so important for what the Magic do both offensively and defensively. On the offensive end, you always got to know where he is, and that allows the other Magic players to get open looks. On the defensive end, Howard erases a lot of mistakes. If he isn’t on the court, we got a chance.
Box Out - I mentioned it earlier, but three point shots usually come of the rim funny and lend themselves to long bounces. If the Nets don’t box out, they will give this dangerous 3 point shooting team more shots at the basket.
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 4-4
Man, my gut was almost right on Wed. You would think with all of the stuff I feed it, it would treat me right. Anyway, I don’t need my gut to tell me about this won. Magic win.