Thoughts On The Game: Pistons Out Shoot The Nets
Feb 7, 2010 Nets vs. Pistons, Thoughts On the Game
Advanced Box Score | Piston Powered
Going into last night’s game, the Pistons were the worst three point shooting team in the NBA. Against the Nets last night, the Pistons hit their first 7 threes, including a 4-4 first half from Charlie Villanueva. Now a few of them was due to defensive breakdowns, but 3 that Charlie Villanueva made were just plain silly fadeaway-with a hand in his face threes. Of course he saves them for the Nets. Someone else from the Pistons who was saving a big day was Jonas Jerebko. He scored 20 points on 9-9 shooting, including 2 threes. It was only in 24 minutes as well, he probably could have done more damage if he wasn’t in foul trouble. It looked like the Nets funneled things to Jerebko early on (which is a pretty sound strategy) but once he hit a few jumpers, the Nets couldn’t stop him.
For most of the game, the Nets offense just looked out of sync, they never really all that aggressive, and they never really hit a high point (like in past games), until the end of the third/start of the fourth. The Nets went on an 11-2 run, attacking the basket and playing some aggressive defense. I really liked the lineup that was in there, and I think that Kiki will be going to this lineup when the Nets need to make up points from here on out. The lineups was Terrence Williams,Devin Harris,Keyon Dooling,Kris Humphries, and Brook Lopez. What I liked about this lineup was that the Nets have 3 guys who can handle the basketball, and you just create mismatches.
Halfway into the fourth quarter, it looked like the Nets were going to put their 4th quarter woes behind them. They were attacking the basket and taking smart shots. In fact, this style of play got them a 1 point lead late. Then, for some reason, the Nets just reverted back to their old ways. Here are the shots they took after taking the lead:
- Keyon Dooling Missed a 25 foot three
- Devin Harris got to the line and made 1 of 2
- Brook missed a 21 footer
- Courtney makes a three
- Hayes misses a 24 foot three (rushed)
- Kris Humphries misses a 14 footer
Those were the shots before the injury besides Devin getting to the line and Courtney’s three (which was off of Devin’s penetration), there was nothing going to the basket. Here is what Kiki had to say of the Nets performance late, “Guys are playing hard, we need to play smarter late. That will come with experience.” Some more thoughts after the jump.
Quick Recap: New Jersey Nets 92 – Detroit Pistons 99
Feb 6, 2010 Nets vs. Pistons, Quick Recaps
In a game that ended horribly, the Nets lost 99 to 92. The Pistons went crazy from three, but even with that, the Nets were able to take a lead late. The shot selection got poor again though, and the Nets were unable to stay with the Pistons.
- The Nets actually got the ball on the play where the Devin and Jarvis ran into each other. Kris Humphries got caught in the air and tried to pass it to one of the fallen Net. Both guys were on the floor, and it turned into a 3 on 1 break.
- Until the injuries, Kiki sat out Yi (who was struggling) the entire third quarter. Good to see he was coaching to win.
- After tying the game, the Nets had 2 well drawn up sets going. But a bad pass and a dropped ball lead to turnovers.
- The best shot the Nets got in the final few minutes was a Courtney Lee 3. There was a Brook 22 footer and a Humphries 18 footer when the Nets were down 2.
- Jonas Jerebko really made me look stupid for my pregame comments. 20 points while not missing a shot.
- Last night, we saw a player get hot late. Tonight, Charlie Villanueva got hot early. He hit 1 three, and then couldn’t miss. I don’t think he was looking one time.
- The Pistons are the worst 3 point shooting team in the NBA (shooting under 30%). Tonight they shot 67%.
Game 50 Preview Vs. Detroit Pistons
Feb 6, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Previews, Nets vs. Pistons
Last week’s game against the Pistons was very similar to last night’s game against Boston. Three very good quarters and a sub-par one. The key for tonight is staying aggressive. For some reason, in the fourth quarter when teams make runs on them, the Nets get away from what works. They need to attack the basket for a full 48 minutes. If they do this, they have a very good chance to get a win. Onto the lineups…
Devin Harris vs. Rodney Stuckey
Devin Harris had a great 47 minutes when the Nets played the Pistons earlier in the week. Unfortunately, that last minute was pretty bad. The Pistons don’t have anyone that can keep up with Harris’ speed, so if he stays in attack mode, he can get himself into the paint, and he can be effective.
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Richard Hamilton
With the new Pistons’ staff, Hamilton hasn’t been playing as well as he has in the past. Part of it is the new offense, back in their glory years, the Pistons would just run Hamilton off all of these screens, and he would get himself open for the shot. They just don’t do that anymore, and it makes Rip an easier cover.
Advantage: Push
Jarvis Hayes vs. Tayshaun Prince
It’s a shame that CDR’s move didn’t happen one game later. It would have been fun to see Tayshaun go up against Chris. That is a whole lot of lankiness and awkward moves attacking the basket. But that isn’t happening, and Jarvis will be going against Prince. Now if Jarvis struggles tonight, we shouldn’t look too much into it because Prince has the length to bother Hayes’ shots.
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Jonas Jerebko
It is funny, I gave Yi the advantage before the last game because I didn’t really know Jonas or his game. After watching the Pistons game, I still don’t really know his game.
Advantage: Yi
Brook Lopez vs. Ben Wallace
Brook actually had a real solid game the last time these two teams met. What the Nets seem to be doing now is getting him in the post and sending cutters off of him. What the sending of cutters does, is it prevents double teams from coming. So at best, the cutter gets and open lay-up and at worst, Brook gets to go at his defender one-on-one. I like that the Nets are using this.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Thoughts on the Game: The Devin Harris Roller Coaster Continues
Feb 3, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Pistons, Thoughts On the Game
Hoopdata Box Score – Piston Powered – Need 4 Sheed – View From the Couch
It’s just been one of those seasons for Devin Harris. The guy comes back after missing four games with a wrist injury and probably has his best all-around game of the season last night, finishing with 24 points and 11 assists on 7-14 shooting, but one inexplicable play in the closing seconds makes him the goat.
With the Nets getting another gift via the missed free throw, trailing the Pistons 96-93 with 17.7 seconds, they opted to push the ball up the court rather than call the timeout. After getting the ball past halfcourt, Courney Lee handed the ball back to Devin who decided to take a very ill-advised three-pointer a good three or four feet away from the line, airballing it.
There were a number of things wrong with how that played shook out besides the fact that Harris didn’t even hit the rim on the shot. First, why not call the timeout after Kris Humphries recovered the rebound off the Richard Hamilton free throw miss? Second, if you wanted to push the ball and saw no play open up immediately, why not call the timeout then? Third, if you’re still eager to go for it all then, why is Devin Harris shooting the ball with 7 seconds a yardstick away from the three point line?
Just odd playcalling/decision making by one of the guys who’s supposed to be the veteran presence on this team. The Nets are now 1-6 in these close and late games, and that’s obviously not a surprise given the inexperience on the roster, but even in the midst of this awful season for the Nets, I still expected more from Devin. I can understand that he was brimming with confidence after his performance last night, and rightly so. He was doing a little bit of everything, and from the opening tip, he looked like he had an extra bounce in his step. He was drawing fouls (10-11 free throw line), finishing at the hoop and even hit a few midrange jumpers, an element of his offensive game that’s been missing all season. It was a performance that gives credence to the theory that his struggles this season are due in large part to the ongoing list of injuries he’s experienced. But still, that last play. It’s hard to just look past it.
The Nets finished this home stand against some of the league’s worst teams 1-3, their one win coming against the Clippers, probably the best team of the four they faced. In a season where the Nets are on pace to have the worst record in NBA history, losing the past three games because of mental errors and poor execution in crunch time situations feels like an opportunity lost. It’s hard to disagree with that assessment, but there were a number of positives to take away from the homestead.
Brook Lopez continued his string of solid games, getting off to a hot start from the field and finishing with with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. He even hit a straightaway jumper from about 20-feet out with 3 minutes remaining that had me cringing when he released, but was right on target, to put the Nets up by 4.
I thought Courtney Lee also had a nice all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. He was 3-4 from three pointers, his one miss coming with less than a minute to go. But I thought he was very active on the defensive end, doing the best you can do against a guy like Rip Hamilton who just moves so well without the ball. There seems to be a lot of hand-wringing over the benching of Chris Douglas-Roberts with some fans asking why CDR got demoted over Courtney Lee. I honestly think it’s games like last night’s that keep Courtney in the coaching staff’s good graces. He very quietly does a lot of little things that help the team win.
And on the topic of CDR and starting rotations, I thought Jarvis Hayes settled into the starting five nicely. He hit a couple of jumpers early, and had a nice bucker in the first when he cut to the basket and got the layup off the Devin Harris assist. CDR on the other hand, looked tentative again, and was limited to just 10 minutes. Read the rest of this entry »
Quick Recap: Detroit Pistons 97, New Jersey Nets 93
Feb 2, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Pistons, Quick Recap
The Nets lost their third consecutive close game, falling to the Detroit Pistons 97-93 at the Izod Center tonight.
- The big story for the game was the return of Devin Harris, who had 24 points and 14 assists on 7-14 shooting. But he airballed a three in an attempt to tie the game with plenty of time left on the clock.
- Brook Lopez was equally big with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
- Rip Hamilton carried Detroit down the stretch and finished with 22 points and 7 assists. Rodney Stuckey contributed 21 points and 8 assists.
- Really rough night for Yi Jianlian who finished with 3 points on 1-12 shooting.
- The 6th man era for Chris Douglas-Roberts got off to a rough start, as he was held scoreless in less than 10 minutes of play.
- Solid game for Courtney Lee with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
- Jarvis Hayes had 11 points on 5-10 shooting in his first start of the season.
- In a new note, Dave D’Alessandro is reporting that assistant coach Del Harris has opted out of his contract and leaving his position on the team.
Game 47 Preview Vs. Detroit Pistons
Feb 2, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Previews, Nets vs. Pistons
Pregame Update: Keyon Dooling is out with a sore hip. This isn’t anything major, as Dooling is saying that it is just a day-to-day thing. Devin is starting, but we still aren’t sure how many minutes he is going to get, so expect to see T-Will running the show for parts of the game.
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Before we get to the game, a little more on CDR’s move to the bench. Ben Couch (a favorite around these parts) tweeted a few quotes from the key players at this move. First, CDR:
“Whatever it is to help this team. We’re struggling, so you have to shake things up a little bit, and I was the first one.”
“If it helps this team win, then it really doesn’t matter to me.”
From Jarvis:
“Kiki just told me to play D like I did against Philly and the couple of games before that. And shoot the ball.”
Finally, from Kiki:
“The only reason is to get Chris more involved with the offense. Maybe with the second group, then he can be more aggressive. “
It seems that everyone involved is on the same page here. CDR seems to understand the move, and Kiki seems to acknowledge that this move is to try to get CDR going. Hopefully this works. I strongly believe that it will. Devin Harris is a game time decision for tonight’s game. Onto the lineups…
Devin Harris/Keyon Dooling vs. Rodney Stuckey
In my opinion, if Devin Harris plays, he won’t be getting a lot of minutes. Which is why I threw Keyon Dooling in here too. Keyon is probably a better match-up for Rodney because Stuckey is one of those “thick” point guards who are good at using their bodies. If Harris is playing though, look for him to attack the lane and trying to get his teammates involved. I wouldn’t expect to see him taking too many shots if the wrist is still bothering him.
Advantage: Push
Courtney Lee vs. Richard Hamilton
With the new Pistons’ staff, Hamilton hasn’t been playing as well as he has in the past. Part of it is the new offense, back in their glory years, the Pistons would just run Hamilton off all of these screens, and he would get himself open for the shot. They just don’t do that anymore, and it makes Rip an easier cover.
Advantage: Push
Jarvis Hayes vs. Tayshaun Prince
It’s a shame that CDR’s move didn’t happen one game later. It would have been fun to see Tayshaun go up against Chris. That is a whole lot of lankiness and awkward moves attacking the basket. But that isn’t happening, and Jarvis will be going against Prince. Now if Jarvis struggles tonight, we shouldn’t look too much into it because Prince has the length to bother Hayes’ shots.
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Jonas Jerebko
Alright, I am going to be honest here, I don’t really know much about this guy Jonas, so I am going to give Yi the advantage because he has been playing well.
Advantage: Yi
Brook Lopez vs. Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace has been one of the better players for the Pistons this year. He is getting his 5 points and 9+ rebounds, but he is doing a good job on the defensive end, and this could mean limited opportunities for Brook.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Bloggers Talk: Detroit Pistons
Feb 2, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Pistons
Ah, the Detroit Pistons. Remember that rivalry? Well, if the Nets could only find a way to go on a mini winning streak, they could possibly challenge the Pistons for the second-worst record in the East. As it stands, Dan Feldman from Piston Powered, talks about the decline of a once proud franchise.
NAS: The Pistons have evolved into one of the league’s best teams in the past decade, to the second-worst team in the East. How hard are the fans taking this reversal, and how predictable was it?
It was probably more predictable than we realized. Players get old. Transition isn’t easy. I look at last offseason, and the Pistons replaced a lethargic Rasheed Wallace with Charlie Villanueva and a whining Allen Iverson with Ben Gordon. I thought both were upgrades. But the Pistons have more newcomers than returners. Spoiled by a steady roster the last several years, I think we forgot how hard it is for a team to gel.
Add a terrible rash of injuries, and that task has been impossible.
NAS: If I told you in August that of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, Wallace would probably be the biggest contributor to the Pistons’ 2009-10 season, would you have believed me?
All along, I thought Wallace would start. John Kuester is a defense-first coach, and if you look at Detroit’s roster, there aren’t many defensive-minded players. So, I thought Wallace would start to set a tone.
But I still wouldn’t have believed you for a second.
To be fair, injuries have been the biggest cause of Hamilton’s and Prince’s struggles. To be even fairer, I can’t look you in the eye and say they’d be better than Wallace if they were healthy all season.
NAS: If the Pistons were to make a trade before the deadline, what kind of deal would you like to see them make? Does this organization need to be in “rebuilding” mode, or would another piece and improved health help this team sneak into the playoffs in the always-weak back end of the East?
I think it’s too late to the make the playoffs this season. It’s not too late to look like a postseason team. But with a 15-31 record, they’d have to look like a title contender to make the playoffs.
I’d like to see them add a solid player who can help now if they can get someone with value while other teams are looking to shed payroll. The Pistons might be the only team in the league with room to add a little salary and isn’t gearing to make a splash in free agency this summer.
The Pistons’ had a winning atmosphere for many years, and that helped them win games they had no business winning. It might be too late, but I’d like to see Detroit whatever it can to continue that.