Nets on the Net: 4/13/10 Edition
Apr 13, 2010 Draft, Izod Center, Kiki Vandeweghe, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Terrence Williams
Al Iannazzone of this season’s Nets and the Meadowlands: This has been the sorriest season in Nets’ history and their 8-33 home record is their worst ever. But they leave Izod with a lifetime 654-518 mark. Their most glorious times came during the past decade when Jason Kidd led them to back-to-back NBA Finals and four Atlantic Division titles. But there was very little nostalgia for the farewell.
ESPN’s Chris Sheridan has some gems in his write-up of the Meadowlands: Outgoing Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe reminisced about how Knicks fans used to pack the building and drown out the Nets faithful when he played for New York, and longtime New York Post beat writer Fred Kerber (who called the arena “Hades” earlier this season) had a chuckle as he recalled how he once scored two tickets for his friends, who found themselves seated alone in section 234 in the upper deck and were told by an usher to keep their voices down despite the fact they were cheering for the Nets.
Fred Kerber talks to Nets fans about their final impressions of the Izod Center.
Bruce Ratner reacts to New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell’s challenge of the sale of the Nets to Mikhail Prokhorov: “Everything is in great shape,” said Ratner, who called Pascrell’s accusation “inaccurate.”
Larry Brown seems sorry to see the Nets leave New Jersey: “When I was in Detroit, we had one of our greatest wins in this building, which is pretty special, when the Nets were really good,” he added, referring to the Pistons’ 2004 playoff triumph on their way to the championship. “I hate to see the Nets leave New Jersey, especially with that new building (in Newark available) that they’re going to.”
Terrence Williams on the final games of the season: “It’s important to win every game, definitely the last game,” said rookie Terrence Williams, who had 21 points, 13 boards and six assists. “[Moving] isn’t going to wash [the recent losing] away, but it definitely helps, especially if you come out and play well and start winning. You start winning, it puts it in the back of peoples’ minds and go forward from there.”
Another column arguing John Wall or Evan Turner.
Blogger Mark Travis sings the praises of Terrence Williams.
Remebering the Meadowlands
Apr 12, 2010 Izod Center
Those of you out there who have followed my blogging all season, should know that I’ve always been a New Yorker rooting for the New Jersey Nets, and the general hassle of getting out to the Meadowlands has always limited my ability to attend live Nets games. Though I’ve been a diehard fan of this franchise since the 92-93 season, I actually didn’t get around to attending my first game in-person at the Meadowlands until the 2001-02 season – an amusing blowout of the New York Knicks where a bunch of Knicks fans sitting near my brother and I kept trying to convince us that the Nets were a flash in the pan that season. And you wonder why I’ve always thought the Knicks and their fanbase were bush-league.
So, with the Nets playing for the final time at the Meadowlands tonight, I can’t honestly speak about things from a sense-memory perspective like I could when the Mets closed down Shea Stadium in 2008. However, there are a number of “Meadowlands Moments” that helped cement my loyalty as a Nets and basketball fan. Rather than arbitrarily “rank” these, I’m going to list some of my personal favorite Meadowlands moments, games and plays that will stick with me for the rest of my fandom.
Nets on the Net: 4/12/10 Edition
Apr 12, 2010 Coaching Search, Courtney Lee, Devin Harris, Free Agents, Izod Center, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
The NBA thus far has not commented on the newest accusation that an investment bank owned by Mikhail Prokhorov’s firm Onexim, did business with the U.S.-sanctioned Zimbabwe.
Devin Harris thanks the Meadowlands and the fans for all of the memories.
Larry Brown, who was there when the Meadowlands opened in 1980, will be coaching the Bobcats tonight in the last game there: One of the coaches who opened the Meadowlands in 1981, (first regular-season game Oct. 30, 1981), Larry Brown, will be on the sidelines for the last NBA game. He doesn’t really remember opening the joint and doesn’t recall it as a big deal. “Bruce Springsteen opened it [with six concerts], so you know that’s big,” Brown said.
Julian Garcia on the last game at the Meadowlands tonight: It is hard to imagine anyone shedding a tear over the Nets leaving an arena long considered one of the dreariest and most uncomfortable in sports. But not everyone is glad to see the Nets go, even if their fans will soon be treated to many of the same comforts that supporters of teams like the Mavericks have enjoyed for years.
Courtney Lee talking with his hometown Indy Star about his trade and season with the Nets: “It was a dagger at the beginning,” Lee said about the trade. “. . . I was in the Finals a year ago, it was an unbelievable run, and once you experience that, you want to get back to it. I can’t even describe how long ago that feels like.”
The New Britain Herald states the case for Tom Thibodeau, an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, to be the next head coach for the Nets.
With its sincerest apologies to the Nets and Knicks, the Columbus Dispatch opines that LeBron James will be back in Cleveland next year.
Meanwhile, David Lee is playing what might be his last game with the Knicks tonight, especially if the Nets come a-calling this summer, Frank Isola reports.
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?
Nets on the Net: 2/19/10 Edition
Feb 19, 2010 Izod Center, LeBron James, Nets on the Net
On Wednesday, the Nets couldn’t beat Miami without Dwyane Wade. Can they beat the Raptors tonight without Chris Bosh?
The Record talks to Nets fans about why they’re not showing up at the Izod Center. Money quote: “Obviously, the team and the crowds have gotten a lot worse over the seven years,” Walters said. “I’m considering whether to come back. It’s discouraging to watch a team with five wins. I used to come to every game no matter what. Now I pick and choose. Part of me feels like I already wasted my money to come here, do I want to waste my time, too?”
After the trade deadlines, Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News is getting the Canyon of Heroes ready for the 2010-2011 Knicks. Seriously.
John Krolik, of Cavs the Blog fame, breaks down the potential summer spenders over at NBC Sports.
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: 1/20/10 Edition
Jan 20, 2010 Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Izod Center, Kiki Vandeweghe, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net
Tonight in Phoenix, there’s going to be a double dipping of Lopez’s.
Devin Harris talks to Dave D. about the team’s lack of intensity: “I love being in battle with these guys,” Harris said from the US Airways Center practice gym, where the Nets prepared for Wednesday’s game against the Suns. “But there are certain marks in a game – and every team goes through it – where there may be a three-minute mark, where you don’t play well and your teammates do.
Kiki Vandeweghe agrees in Fred Kerber’s version: “I think it’s very clear we don’t play hard,” said Vandeweghe.
Not counting Nets basketball games, the Izod Center is actually a pretty successful arena.
Mikhail Prokhorov: prospective owner of the Nets, electric car pioneer.
Nets on the Net: 12/30/09 Edition
Dec 30, 2009 Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, Izod Center, Kiki Vandeweghe, Nets on the Net, Salary Cap, Yi
Brook Lopez, one of the few Nets to play in every game this season, is looking to move on from his rough game Monday night, which was capped off when he walked out on the media afterwards: “I hold myself to high standards and I didn’t meet them and then obviously the loss (factored in), too,” Lopez continued. “Then after the game I felt I didn’t hold myself right, I didn’t act right. It was just a lot of stuff altogether.”
Dave D’Alessandro looks into what could be frustrating Brook Lopez: Lopez averages only 14.2 shots per game — that is the second-lowest average among the top 25 scorers in the league. And the befuddling part is that his shots have dropped sharply (to 10.0 per game) in the three games that the Nets’ top shot-taker (Chris Douglas Roberts, 14.3) has been absent. So something is askew. They’ve stopped running pick-and-rolls for him. They rarely look for the lob over the top when he is fronted. They never re-post it when he sends it out against a double-team.
Kiki Vandeweghe and company are not willing to sacrifice their salary cap space and minutes for their younger players just to get a veteran that would add a couple of wins: “If we can improve it without impacting next year, you always try and do that. To me if we can add assets going forward, that’s important. We’re not looking to bring in veterans to take the time of young players. To bring in somebody here to take Brook’s minutes, or Devin [Harris’] minutes, Yi’s minutes or Courtney’s minutes – we’re not looking to do that. If we can augment, we’ll augment.”
When it comes to the Nets, the Izod Center is in its finals days: A concessionaire selling T-shirts and sweatshirts said he could not lower his prices, as one customer hoped. “But just wait, it’ll be free in a few weeks,” he chuckled.
CCTV talks about how Yi Jianlian’s career high in points Monday night was overshadowed by the Nets loss.
HoopsWorld breaks down each team’s performance after 30 games, including the Nets, who get an “F.”
After Bruce Ratner’s eminent domain victory in Brooklyn last month, Norman Oder of the Atlantic Yards Report takes a walking tour of Brooklyn.
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.
Nets on the Net: 12/15/09 Edition
Dec 15, 2009 Brooklyn, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Develop Don't Destroy, Izod Center, Nets on the Net, Prudential Center
What division? Chris Douglas-Roberts on Twitter: Just had a great team dinner. Everybody kind of opened up. We all laughed & kicked it w/each other for the first time. I think this is big.
CDR in a quick Q+A with USA Today: What you would be doing if you didn’t play basketball: “I have no idea. I never had a backup plan. That’s why I put 1,000% into this. … I’d be doing something in sports.”
An arena truce bill would put a $3 surcharge on all Prudential Center and Izod Center events in New Jersey, but could help facilitate the Nets temporary move to Newark. Here’s NJ state senate president Richard Codey in The Record: “We shouldn’t have two New Jersey institutions competing against each other and hurting one another economically,” Codey said. “This legislation would help ensure the financial stability of both venues.”
Al Iannazzone wearing his Nets Insider hat: “The Nets have to concentrate their effort on the defensive end. They’re a step slow, a few strides behind and aren’t getting help when they get beaten. More talking, better rotations, more focus all would help.”
Dave D’Alessandro also warns that the Nets need to get their defense together for tonight’s matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs: “Or think of it this way: In their last three games, the Nets have essentially turned into the laissez-faire defenders of ’08-09, yielding an average of 114 points on 50 percent shooting, while making stars out of the likes of C.J. Watson, Tyler Hansbrough, and Mo Evans. Now they’ve got to deal with LeBron James, perhaps the most perfectly engineered offensive specimen the sport has ever seen, and one who has averaged 36.7 points in his last four games.”
Scenes from yesterday’s “junk bond” demonstration by Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, the lead opposition for the Atlantic Yards development.
Former Nets coach Byron Scott is ESPN’s newest studio analyst.