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Thoughts on the Game: Nets Can’t Defend the Inside or Outside

Apr 11, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Pacers, Thoughts On the Game

AP Photo/Tom Strattman

Eight Points Nine Seconds – Indy Cornrows

In most basketball games, there’s the big picture reason for the outcome – the overall theme of a game – and then the microcosm moment(s) where the momentum of the match-up officially swing in one team’s direction carrying them to the finish line. What I found interesting about last night’s 115-102 victory for the Indiana Pacers over the Nets was the fact that the big picture reason for the Nets loss and the microcosm moment where the game was officially lost were on totally opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of how a team can lose a game.

Let me explain. A quick look at the box score and a big picture statistic sticks out like a sore thumb for the Nets. They allowed the Pacers to score 60 points in the pain on only 12 fast-break points. This just reflects extraordinarily bad interior defense for the Nets. There were just way too many baskets for Indiana throughout the game where it was a one-on-one matchup for their offensive player right under the rim. Like at the 7:00 mark in the first when off of two free throws from Brook Lopez, Danny Granger beat the entire Nets team back down the court and was wide open under the rim for a dunk. The Nets appeared to have Courtney Lee guarding Grander early, and Lee lost track of him in these situations several times. With Lee, probably the Nets’ best defender, having an off game like this, you just knew it was going to be one of those kinds of games defensively for the Nets.

Yet, even with these lapses, the Nets led by as many as 12 early, and even when Indiana started to make their move in the third quarter, the Nets hung around and stayed close to even until about the 4 minute mark where the microcosm moment was introduced. While it would have seemingly made more sense if the Pacers were able to go on their run by making a few uncontested baskets at the rim, they were actually able to sink the Nets for good from the outside.  The Nets completely forget that Troy Murphy is one of those big-men who can shoot, and Murphy made them pay by hitting back-to-back treys, extending a Pacers lead from 2 to 8. While an 8-point lead wasn’t insurmountable for the Nets a night earlier against the Bulls, playing the road-half of a back-to-back probably sucked the last bit of fight out of the Nets, and they were never truly “in” the game from that point forward.

So, while it may be easy on the surface to say the Nets lost this game because of their interior defense, I felt the nail in the coffin came on poor perimeter defense. In other words, it’s the kind of game you expect the worst team in the league to lose, especially against a hot team like Indiana who are 9-2 in their last 11 and look a lot better down the stretch than how they’ve looked most of the season.

A few more thoughts after the jump.

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Quick Recap: Indiana Pacers 115, New Jersey Nets 102

Apr 10, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Pacers, Quick Recap

There were no comebacks in the Nets tonight, as an atrocious third quarter did them in, falling to the Indiana Pacers 115-102 in Indiana tonight.

• The Nets looked good through the first quarter, leading by 9 at the end of one, but a 32-19 third quarter for the Pacers put the Nets away for good.
• Terrence Williams, starting for Jarvis Hayes, was a few rebounds and assists shy of a back-to-back triple double, finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
• Yi Jianlian had a good game, finishing with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Brook Lopez led all Nets in scoring, finishing with 20 points and 5 rebounds.
• The Nets did a poor job taking care of the ball tonight, finishing with 19 turnovers.
• Troy Murphy led all scorers with 25 points and 9 rebounds.
• The Pacers outscored the Nets 60-44 in the paint tonight. That’s ballgame right there.

Game 80 Preview Vs. Indiana Pacers

Apr 10, 2010 2009-2010 Open Threads, Game Previews, Nets vs. Pacers

Well, the Nets really took it to a team that needed a win last night, proving me wrong on my prediction for the final 4 games.  Let’s see if they can do it again as they take on the Pacers.  Both the Nets and the Pacers played a game last night, but the Nets were involved in a 2OT game with the starters (and T-Will) playing loads of minutes (they all logged 40+ last night).  With the Pacers playing well and with the Nets’ fatigued this could get ugly as Kiki and the Nets might have to rely on their bench to take this one.  The Nets’ bench can’t really do that.  Onto the lineups…

Devin Harris vs. Earl Watson

Advantage:  Devin Harris

Courtney Lee vs. Brandon Rush

Advantage:  Courtney Lee

Jarvis Hayes vs. Danny Granger

Advantage:  Danny Granger

Yi vs. Troy Murphy

Advantage:  Troy Murphy

Brook Lopez vs. Roy Hibbert

Advantage:  Push

Video Breakdown: Game 39

Jan 18, 2010 Nets vs. Pacers, Video Breakdown, Videos, Xs and Os

The Nets were outscored by 19 points (24-5 in total) during the final six minutes on Friday night?  Why?  Well it is because they failed to execute on both ends of the court:

Thoughts On The Game: Six Minutes Is All It Takes

Jan 16, 2010 Nets vs. Pacers, Thoughts On the Game

Advanced Box Score | Eight Points Nine Seconds | Indy Cornrows

During the final six minutes of the first half, the Nets were outscored 24 to 5.  That equals minus 19 for those six minutes.  For the other 42 minutes, the Nets were +3.  Six minutes is all it takes to make a close game a blowout, a game where the Nets had a chance to win to another 15+ point loss.  During this stretch, the Pacers were able to shoot 8 for 10 from the field (80%) and 6 for 7 from the line.  That is just way too easy, even for the Nets who seemingly let all of their opponents shoot over 50%.  The Nets offense as it currently stands isn’t going to outscore anyone, and there are going to be stretches (like this six minute one) where the Nets are going to just go cold and not score.  The Nets need to recognize when this is coming and dig their heels in the defensive end.  Also, the Nets need to attack the basket on the offensive end.  During this run the Nets settled for way too many jumpers and they lost the aggressiveness that kept them in the game up until that point.  The Nets got zero foul shots during that six minute stretch.  Getting to the foul line during opponent runs is so important not only because you get easy baskets with the clock stopped (the Nets are one of the better foul shooting teams in the league), but because it slows everything down as well.  When a team gets to the foul line, everything stops and the rhythm of the opponents run is broken.  Unfortunately the Nets didn’t do any of this as they went cold, they just watched as the Pacers scored 24 points in 6 minutes.

I mentioned this briefly in the quick recap, but I wanted to talk about it some more.  Despite everyone getting on Devin Harris calling him soft, injury prone, and talking about how he isn’t a leader just because he isn’t bashing him teammates to the media day-in/day-out.  Devin Harris is leading this team, and he is doing it by example.  Devin Harris estimates his health at about 80%, and he is still out there.  Why?  Well he told the media on Tuesday:

“I owe it to them [the Nets].  I mean, we have a better chance to win when I play even if it’s [the wrist] is only 80 or whatever.  We’ve been hurt all year long and this is the first opportunity that we have had everyone healthy and everybody in full uniform.”

Devin Harris goes out every game and takes a lot of hits (yesterday he had Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert wrestling on one of his legs) and he just gets up and keeps playing.  That is a great example for our young players.

Kris Humphries got 27 minutes yesterday, and he rewarded Kiki’s trust by playing very very well.  He was a threat on the offensive end when he caught it, and he was setting a lot of good picks then making himself available on the rolls.  He was 5-7 from the field (including 5-6 from the line) and he finishes with 15 points.  Humphries also played well on the defensive end, he had a big block on Roy Hibbert, and he even “pulled the chair” on him at one point in the second half.  He just looks comfortable out there, and I can see Humphries finding a home (and some playing time) in New Jersey.  Some final bullets after the jump.

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Quick Recap: New Jersey Nets 105 – Indiana Pacers 121

Jan 15, 2010 Nets vs. Pacers, Quick Recap

Sigh.  6 minutes.  6 minutes is all it takes to make a close game and put it out of reach.  The Nets were competitive for all of 6 minutes, but boy were those 6 minutes bad.  The Pacers scored 41 points in the second quarter, and never really looked back.  The Nets were able to cut it to 15 a couple of times, but the Pacers hit a few shots and the lead stretched back to 20.  The Pacers hit 13 threes and most of them were uncontested.

• People like to get on Devin Harris because he isn’t the vocal leader.  I don’t care about that, he leads this team by example.  He takes more shots than anyone I have seen play this year, and he always pops up after them.  He played very well tonight going for 22 on 7-15 shooting (including 7-10 from the line).
• Brook Lopez finally shook his demons against Roy Hibbert.  Brook went for 27 on 9-16 shooting (including 9-9 from the line).
• CDR and Courtney Lee really struggled tonight, and they just didn’t look aggressive except a few plays here and there.  3-13 combined for 11 points.
• The craziest thing about these past few games is that the Nets are taking care of the ball (only 8 turnovers tonight), they just miss way too many shots to make that meaningful.
• Kris Humphries looks good, and he looks like he is trying to make the most of this opportunity.  15 points on 5-7 shooting.  He had a tremendous block of Roy Hibbert, and he showed his basketball IQ on a play by “pulling the chair on Hibbert” forcing the turnover.  He looked real good.
• Six minutes…

Game 39 Preview Vs. Indiana Pacers

Jan 15, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Previews, Nets vs. Pacers

Tonight Brook Lopez is going up against his old nemesis Roy Hibbert.  I’m serious, Roy Hibbert gives Brook fits.  Hibbert is big enough to be able to push Brook around and on the offensive end, he seems to get pumped for this match-up and plays well.  Against the Nets, Hibbert has just plain dominated.  He has shot 60.7% from the field, scores 19.5 points, and gets 9.5 rebounds per game.  On the other hand, Brook Lopez’s numbers are poor against the Pacers.  In 2 games Brook has only shot 36% from the field.  Ouch.  Anywho…onto the matchup!

Devin Harris vs. Earl Watson

Earl Watson is a favorable matchup for Devin, and I am hoping that Devin can use his speed to get into the lane and cause some problems.  You might get tired of reading this, because I say this a ton, but in my opinion getting to the middle of the lane is key for Devin.  He can draw fouls (which is something he is very good at), get easier attempts, and draw help (this leads to easy baskets for his teammates).

Advantage:  Devin Harris

Courtney Lee vs. Luther Head

Dahntey Jones seems to have fell off on the offensive end, which is why Luther Head has replaced him in the lineup.  Head is a very good shooter who can attack the basket as well.  I think Courtney should be able to contain Head because he has the size to keep him in check.

Advantage:  Push

Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Troy Murphy

CDR is in a no-win situation tonight.  If he takes a lot of shots and scores, he will be called a selfish player by the media.  If he plays within the offense, only takes a couple shots, and picks up a few assists, the media will talk about how he hates his teammates for not getting enough shots.  The only way this stuff will cool down is if the Nets get a win, I hope that happens.

Advantage:  Push

Yi vs. Danny Granger

Danny Granger is going to give Yi fits on the defensive end.  However, I expect Yi to make Granger work.  Granger is back and healthy, and will probably go off against the Nets tonight.  If he does, the Nets need to contain everyone else if they want a chance to win.

Advantage:  Danny Granger

Brook Lopez vs. Roy Hibbert

We already talked about this up top, but I wanted to talk about why Hibbert gives Brook trouble.  Hibbert is big enough to push Brook farther out than he wants to be.  This makes Brook catch it farther out, and when that happens, he either settles for the shot, or he makes a move too far away from the basket and he takes an awkward shot.

Advantage:  Push

Bloggers Talk: Indiana Pacers

Jan 15, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Pacers

The Indiana Pacers make their second and final visit to the Izod Center, so NAS is serving up our second and final Bloggers Talk with the fantastic Eight Points Nine Seconds site from the TrueHoop network. Tim Donahue, who helped us out earlier in the week by providing some insight on Shawne Williams, does the honors.

NAS: Are you more optimistic about where this season could end up for the Pacers now that Danny Granger has come back from injury?

Not particularly, at least in terms of the standings.  To have a shot at the playoffs, the Pacers would probably have to win a minimum of 26 or 27 of their remaining 45 games.  With Danny, they’re probably a team that is .500, maaaaaaybe a little better, but I don’t think they’re capable of playing well enough to put together a stretch at 8 or 9 games above .500.

It really depends on how you look at things.  Some could view Danny’s return would result in .500 ball the rest of the way, putting their win total in the low 30’s, but likely moving their draft out of the top 5.  The fear is that we once again finish with a middling pick and get a middling player and don’t really move forward.

Objectively, I understand the value of just being bad and getting a Top 5 pick.  The fan in me, however, hopes that Danny can play like he did last year (and for the last three quarters on Monday), the young guys can develop, and the Pacers can be competitive for the rest of the season.  It may be ill-fated, but I’ll take a middling pick over the outright embarrassment I’ve felt over this team and it’s play at times this season.

Three big reasons – two related to Lopez and the third towards your team’s strategy.

First for Lopez, he takes too many jumpers.  In two games against us, he took a total of 16 shots from 16-23 feet.  He only hit 3 of them.  That doesn’t put enough pressure on Hibbert, who will get in foul trouble if tested.

Second, Lopez plays behind Roy too much defensively.  If you let Hibbert catch the ball, and work, he’s going to be very effective.  He’s not overly strong, but he does have size and a very, very nice set of post skills, when he’s not rushed…which brings us to the team strategy:

When Smits played here, the teams that he struggled against were the teams that knew they were too small to play him straight up.  Essentially, they dug and doubled and harassed him so that he could never get into any rhythm.  On the other hand, he had a tendency to destroy centers that would seemingly be able to deal with him without help:  Ewing, Mutombo.  The same’s going to be true with Roy.  It’s been a while, but my impression was that NJ did very little in terms of helping Lopez.  Therefore, Hibbert had time to work, and if you let him do that, almost every Center in the league is going to be reduced to hoping he misses (or gets in foul trouble).

I’d have Lopez mix and match his positioning, and I’d send diggers.  The Knicks doubled aggressively a couple weeks ago, and Roy ended up with 7 assists, but that game was such a disaster, it’s difficult to tell if that meant anything.  Also, you have to attack Hibbert, both on perimeter penetration and in the pick and roll.  He’ll take himself out of games with fouls.

I like the idea of Jefferson, but I would not want him if it cost us Danny Granger.  The other problem is that playing Jefferson and Hibbert together results in two players who would get in each other’s way offensively, while being disastrous defensively.  I suppose you could build a package around Hibbert, but, truth be told, I’m far from convinced that Al Jeff is the second foundation player we want to put next to Danny, and our assets are so sparse, that it’ would be difficult to come up with a coherent offer that excludes Danny.

Tough call…I’d say it’s really all or nothing.  I think O’Brien is implementing Bird’s policies almost to a T.  I also think it’s because they’re pretty much in sync, worldview-wise, as opposed to Obie being a “yes” man.

Honestly, I don’t expect there to be a shake up this summer.  It makes no fiscal sense, and probably only makes marginal basketball sense.  If there is one, I believe it will be Bird deciding to step down, because he simply doesn’t want to deal with the crap, and his replacement possibly firing O’Brien.  However, David Morway is sure to succeed Bird, and I could easily see him staying with O’Brien for the last year of his contract (2010-2011).

Brook And Where He Makes His Catch

Dec 15, 2009 Brook Lopez, Nets vs. Bulls, Nets vs. Cavs, Nets vs. Pacers, Xs and Os

So it is becoming apparent that Brook seems to struggle (granted his struggle still leads to a 20/10 game – he takes too many shots though) a bit against centers who can push him out of the lane.  Roy Hibbert was able to do this against Brook successfully in two games against the Pacers.  Look where he caught the ball in Chicago (a game where he was very effective):

Now look where he catches it against the Pacers:

It’s not that he is catching it out of the paint (you catch it directly out of the paint to avoid getting called for three seconds), but look how high he caught it against the Pacers than he did against the Bulls.  When you catch it along the baseline, it takes away an option from the defense.  They can’t send a double that way, so Brook doesn’t have to worry about it, and that makes his move simpler.

Look at where he caught it against the Pacers though.  The Pacers can send double teams from either direction, plus he is a little farther out, so he needs to take another dribble, and that throws his whole move off.

As I showed you in my scout of the Cavs, you can get position on Shaq by catching him off guard.  If Brook does that early, it is going to be up to his teammates to get him the ball.  If he doesn’t get a catch in close early, get used to him taking jumpers, because that is when he starts floating.

Thoughts On The Game: Nets Can’t Get Over The Hump In The Third

Dec 12, 2009 Nets vs. Pacers, Thoughts On the Game

Eight Points Nine Seconds | Indy Cornrows | Devin Harris Interview | CDR Interview

The defense is what really let them down last night.  They were lethargic the entire night on that end of the court.  They really struggled with their on the ball defense, whatever Pacer who had the ball was basically taking a straight line to the hoop, with nobody even helping out.  Where the defense really let the Nets down though was in the third quarter.  Though offense was finally clicking, and they were scoring on just about every trip.  Three or four times, the Nets were able to get the Pacers’ lead down to 5 or 6.  Each time though, the Pacers got an easy basket that would allow them to stretch the lead.  The final time was in the middle of the quarter where the Nets got the lead to 5, but then gave two wide open jumpers to Tyler Hansboro at the high post (he was knocking shots down from their all night).  Once the lead got to 9, the offense started to struggle again, then Devin Harris got his hand stepped on (x-rays negative), and the defense continued to struggle.  The game was over at that point.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Nets really have to figure out their identity.  Kiki has told the press that his one major change is that he wants the Nets to run some more on offense.  The problem with that though is that the Nets aren’t the best running team.  When they pick and choose their spots, they look real good on the break.  Real good.  Devin hit Brook with a nice alley-oop on one, and Rafer hit Courtney on a real nice cross court pass on the other.  Most of the time though, the young Nets’ players seem to confuse running with taking quick ineffective shots.  These shots lead to the low shooting percentage, and it effects guys.  CDR only got 7 shots, most of that was due to the fact that guys were just coming down and taking shots after one pass, or worse, with no pass at all.  The Nets need to push the ball up the court, press the defense, and if the defense gets back, they need to slow it down and get into their offense.

Moving on to Brook, boy, that sure was a disappointing double-double huh?  Brook had 25 points, but it came on 23 shots.  The number of shots isn’t really the problem, the problem is how many of these shots came outside of the paint.  Brook only got 14 points off his shots (9 of them came from the free-throw line, that was the only bright spot in his game last night).  “The book” is starting to get written on Brook Lopez too.  He struggles with bigger guys.  Not taller guys, but guys who are in his weight class.  They get behind Brook and push him out a little farther then he would like to be.  If he catches the ball, he isn’t in the spot where he can start his move.  If he doesn’t get the ball, he tends to give up position and float to the outside (this is where most of his outside shots come from).  This is on both Brook and his teammates.  Brook needs to fight for position and hold that position a little bit longer.  His teammates need to recognize that he is working his tail off to get position and give him the ball.  Some more random thoughts after the jump:

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