Thoughts On The Game: Nets Lose Another Close One
Feb 1, 2010 Nets vs. Sixers, Thoughts On the Game
HoopData Box Score | Philadunkia | Liberty Ballers
It happened again! The Nets were able to get down three, foul, and have the Sixers miss foul shots. Again, they were unable to get a good look, as Hayes airballed a contested three. Last night marked the Nets second close loss in a row, as the Nets lost to the Sixers 83-79. Another tough loss against the Sixers (The 3 games against them have been decided by 10 points), but hey, at least we got a game-tying attempt up…right? In all seriousness, the Nets had another poor offensive stretch in the second half. The difference was the defense. Now, this could have been helped by the Sixers, who aren’t lighting up the scoreboard this year (they are in the bottom half of the league with an 103.5 Offensive Efficiency). The Nets are a team that will stall offensively once or more in a basketball game (I have written this far too many times to account). Against the Sixers, this stretch came in the third quarter. Instead of the game turning into a blow-out, the Nets were able to keep it close because they only allowed the Sixers to score 23 points. In the fourth quarter, they were able to make a game of it because they only allowed 14 points.
Despite the good defense, the Nets still lost, and now are 1-2 in their last 3 games. The close losses is a little frustrating because this is a pretty easy stretch for the team. In his game recap (which is a must-read after every game) Ben Couch talked about the team’s play:
After seven-straight double-digit losses, the Nets have begun to tighten up on defense, holding three consecutive opponents below 90 points and allowing no better than .421 shooting.
Though the offense matched the intensity against the Clippers in Wednesday’s 103-87 victory, topping 100 points and 53-percent shooting, it fizzled in the fourth quarter against Washington (13 points) and the final three quarters against Philadelphia. The droughts have left the Nets with a 1-2 record despite taking both of the losses down to the final minute.
“This was a stretch we looked at as an opportunity to win, put some wins together and unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it,” said point guard Keyon Dooling. “We started out pretty good against the Clippers but the last two we just haven’t had enough to get over the hump.”
Ben sums it up pretty nicely. The Nets have the right mentality though, they need to break up the schedule into groups of games, and look at it just like Keyon Dooling talked about. They have one more chance to get a W at home when they play Detroit Tuesday night at the IZOD. Now the Pistons are a really bad team right now, a combination of injuries and poor play make them a potential candidate for the next Nets win. We’ve been down this road before though. Some more thoughts on the game after the jump.
In his post game recap, Ben notes that Terrence Williams has now played over 15 minutes in 6 straight games. Terrence has been doing a great job of breaking down his man and creating opportunities for teammates on the perimeter by kicking the ball outside. Kiki is showing his faith in Terrence, and he isn’t disappointing. Again, quoting Ben:
After getting 26 ½ minutes against the Sixers, Terrence Williams has played at least 15 minutes in six straight games after doing so only once in the previous eight. The rookie swingman has earned the extended run by contributing across the board, and allowing his offense to come in the flow of the game, as evidenced by Sunday’s line of six points, 11 rebounds, three assists and a steal against only one turnover.
A two play stretch in the 2nd quarter showed flashes of brilliance from Williams. First dribbled the ball up, and nicely left it for Yi who drilled a jumper. He then brought it up and zinged a cross-court pass to Jarvis Hayes, who calmly knocked down the three. That stretch from Terrence came when Chris Quinn was on the court. Quinn has been getting some playing time and has been playing well (0-3 last night though). Quinn is a very good shooter, and he stretches the court for the Nets. The great thing about playing Quinn and Williams at the same time is that Terrence Williams can run the point on offense (which is what happened last night) and let Quinn work as the 2 where he is more effective. This doesn’t hurt the Nets though, because they cross-match Quinn and Williams defensively (Quinn guards the point/Williams guards the 2).
Quick Recap: Philadelphia Sixers 83, New Jersey Nets 79
Jan 31, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Sixers, Quick Recap
The Nets lost another close game with the Philadelphia Sixers, falling 83-79 at the Izod Center tonight.
- The Nets controlled the game for most of the first half, but Philly was able to capitalize on a 12-point third quarter by New Jersey. After two missed FTs by Elton Brand, the Nets still couldn’t get a good shot up to tie, as Jarvis Hayes forced a three that missed by a mile.
- The Nets struggled greatly in the transition game, getting outscored 25-2 on the fast break.
- Besides his last three attempt, Hayes probably had his best game of the season, scoring 18 points on 4-8 from three.
- Fighting stomach issues, Brook Lopez had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.
- Yi Jianlian had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
- The Sixers only shot 36.5 percent from the field and 62.1 percent from the FT line, but they did a better job controlling the ball than the Nets, only committing 12 turnovers.
- Terrence Williams played some critical minutes down the stretch, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
- Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 14 points.
Game 46 Preview Vs. Philadelphia Sixers
Jan 31, 2010 2009-2010 Open Threads, Game Previews, Nets vs. Sixers
Before we talk about tonight’s game, I want to look at the game Wizard’s game winning play and show you how the Nets defended it. In my opinion, the play was well defended, but better (maybe luckier) offense prevailed:
As Boykins continues to dribble out the clock, Antwan Jaminson comes up and sets a screen for Earl. The reason they are setting the screen is because most teams switch screens late, and the Wizards are trying to get a big to cover the speedy Earl Boykins.
And that is exactly what happens, Kris Humphries is there to cover him. Ben Couch talked to Humphries about the play:
“In that situation, the last thing I wanted to do was get caught in the air and foul,” Humphries said. “I probably should have pushed up a little bit more and tried to get him to go more toward the basket, take a little tougher shot.”
I actually think Humphries did a very good defending Boykins. You don’t want to close out too hard on him, because if he does, he will end up dribbling right around Humphries and get himself an easier shot. Since Humphries is so tall, he basically forced Boykins to shoot over him, which is a good thing. He just made it this time.
As for tonight, the Nets are welcoming All-Star starter Allen Iverson to New Jersey. The Nets have played the Sixers twice during their season-opening losing streak, and lost both by a combined 6 points. Both games were exactly the same, the Nets down two missed a chance at winning/tying the game, then the Sixers made 1 of 2 foul shots, and then the Nets were not able to get a game tying attempt up. Hopefully tonight things will be different. Onto the lineups…
Keyon Dooling vs. Allen Iverson
Iverson has aged quite a bit, but he still shows flashes of his greatness from time to time. If Devin Harris was playing tonight, I would actually be worried he might go off, but I am confident that Dooling (the better defender than Harris) will be able to handle Iverson.
Advantage: Push
Courtney Lee vs. Jrue Holiday
Even though Jrue Holiday starts, he still plays slightly less than 16 minutes per game. In those minutes, he is only averaging 5.4 points per game. He is going to be a very good player, but it is going to take him some time to get adjusted to the league. When Holiday is covering Lee, I expect him to be aggressive and attack the basket. That is something he does very well.
Advantage: Courtney Lee
Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Andre Iguodala
CDR is starting to get back into a rhythm a little bit. He was attacking the basket a little more, and looking for chances to get a shot up. I have been saying that I would like to see CDR be a little selfish as he tries to work out of this slump.
Advantage: Andre Iguodala
Yi vs. Elton Brand
Kris Humphries had his first bad game as a Net, but that didn’t really hurt the team since Yi was able to play pretty well during the game. I think what Kiki is going to do from here on out is play the hot hand. Whoever is playing well will be out on the court, and last game it was Yi. I did like that Kiki put in Humphries instead of Yi for that last possession.
Advantage: Elton Brand
Brook Lopez vs. Samuel Dalembert
Brook Lopez shouldn’t have any problem with Samuel Dalembert in my opinion. Dalembert is a very good shot blocker, but he doesn’t have the size to keep Brook out of his scoring spots (and that is the only time Brook seems to have trouble). Lopez has the strength to get into Dalembert’s body and negate his jumping ability. That is key when you are dealing with a very good shot blocker.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Bloggers Talk: Philadelphia Sixers
Jan 31, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers make their last trip to the Izod Center for the season tonight, so with us to give us some insights is Carey Smith, from the TrueHoop blog Philadunkia.
NAS: Since the All-Star rosters were announced, there has been some talk about the injustice of Allen Iverson being voted in as a starter. Can you find any justification for it?
I actually think al of the outcries about the injustice of Iverson starting are funny. The ASG is about who the fans want to see, not which players are the most deserving. The fans voted for Iverson, so he should get the start. I understand that his level of play this year does not warrant a starting spot in Dallas, but under the current ASG selection process, which I should add needs to be tweaked, Iverson did nothing wrong and should start. There was a very good story on hoopstvonline.com this week about Iverson’s ASG “injustice” and all the heat he has taken. I agreed with what the writer had to say, Iverson is getting roasted but some how Kevin Garnett who does not deserve to start either, has not caught any heat. http://www.hoopstvonline.com/news/iversonvkgasg.html.
NAS: There are a number of Sixers players who have been mentioned in trade buzz. What’s your sense of the truth to these rumors? Who do you think stays, and who goes?
The 76ers will absolutely make a trade, but the numerous rumors that pop up everyday are making hard to decide which players will be exiting. They’ve been shopping Sammy D and his awful contract for two years now and continue to do so. The problem for me is that Sammy is playing the best ball of his career. He has racked up 6 double-doubles this month and has become a game changer on the defensive end. Still his contract is killing us, so it’s probably best for the long run to deal him. Obviously Iguodala is rumored in several trades and I’ve heard Louis Williams and Thad Young mentioned as well. That’s kind of scary since just this past summer, those three were envisioned as the core this franchise was going to build around. If I had to bet, I’d say Williams and Dalembert go.
NAS: You’ve been highly critical of Sixers coach Eddie Jordan throughout the season. Would you like to trade him for Kiki Vandeweghe?
I’d have to disagree that we’ve been highly critical of Eddie Jordan. In fact I would have to say that lately we have been super highly critical of the job Jordan has done and deservedly so. We gave Jordan plenty of breaks at the start of the 2009-10 season because the players were learning his offensive system and the Sixers had some injuries early on to starters (Mo Speights and Louis Williams). During the initial grace period, we noticed just horrific coaching tendencies that Jordan displays and we held back from writing about them. But once everyone was back from injury and Iverson had been in the lineup for a week or two, the gloves came off and it has not been pretty. Poor substitution patterns, lack of a concern for defense, refusal to play appropriate match up games (on both ends of the floor) and the inability to define players roles are just some of the basic NBA coaching sins Jordan has committed. Still I am not sure how much of I is Jordan’s fault. I said it this summer and I’ll say it again now Jordan was the wrong choice for this team as his coaching style and X&Os do not fit the personnel.
I would trade Jordan for a bucket Gatorade, so yes I would trade Jordan for Kiki. I would then take Kiki and make him a player/coach as the Sixers sure could use his career 53% field goal shooting touch on this squad.
Video Breakdown: Games 8, 9, & 10
Nov 16, 2009 Chris Douglas-Roberts, Josh Boone, Nets vs. Heat, Nets vs. Magic, Nets vs. Sixers, Terrence Williams, Trenton Hassell, Video Breakdown, Xs and Os
So I have been a little behind in terms of breakdowns but we are catching up right here and now. We are going to be looking at some stuff from the game against Philly, @ Orlando, and @Miami. As of right now, a lot of the stuff you are going to see here is going to look like nit-picking (especially with how well the team has been playing despite being limited), but if some of the bad stuff seen here continues as people start coming back, it could be a problem. This is going to be a big one, get those reading glasses on:
Thoughts on the Game: Nets 8 Skid to 0-8
Nov 12, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Sixers, Thoughts On the Game
You would think after starting the season with eight consecutive losses these games would start to hurt less, but that’s just not the case. The Nets, who for the second straight game dressed only eight guys, are playing with so much heart right now. Unfortunately, there’s just too much talent sitting on the bench in suits, a fact that came back to haunt this team as they had three chances with less than 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter to either tie or take the lead against the Philadelphia Sixers but they couldn’t get a clutch bucket when they needed it.
Initially, the Nets had the right idea. With 21.7 seconds to go and down by 1, they got the ball to Brook Lopez who was pushed a bit out of the post by Samuel Dalembert, but was in single coverage. Lopez made a pretty spin move on Dalembert to get to the hoop but missed the shot. Replays showed that Brook was hit on the arm, but there was no call. Lopez was irate.
Despite the non-call, Lopez had another terrific game last night, and seems to be settling into quite a groove, after scuffling a bit when Devin Harris and some of the other starters first started to drop after the second game of the season. If 23 points and 14 rebounds wasn’t impressive enough, Lopez showed off his expanding repertoire of offensive moves. In a play that was aptly described by Netsbasketball on Twitter as “terrifying and amazing at the same time,” with about 3 minutes to go in the game, Lopez executed a dribble drive that would have made Devin Harris proud. Now let’s never see that move again Brook okay?
More on the game after the jump:
Quick Recap: Philadelphia 76ers 82, New Jersey Nets 79
Nov 11, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Sixers, Quick Recap
The ragtag Nets (0-8) continued their winless streak to start the season, as they fell in another heartbreaker to the Philadelphia 76ers (4-4) 82-79 in New Jersey tonight.
- The Nets actually had three chances to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds of the game, but couldn’t capitalize, most notably on the last play of the game when Rafer Alston threw the ball to Philly on the inbounds pass on an apparent miscommunication with Bobby Simmons.
- In a questionable play, Brook Lopez looked like he got hammered by Samuel Dalembert with under 20 seconds left and the Nets down 1, but doesn’t get the call.
- In his first career start, Terrence Williams had 10 points and 12 rebounds, but missed a long-two in the closing seconds that could have tied the game.
- Brook Lopez led all Nets in scoring and rebounding, getting 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He even got to showcase his Devin Harris-esque dribble-drive in the fourth quarter.
- Trenton Hassell continues to be a pleasant surprise, chipping in with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
- Josh Boone was a spark, especially on the defensive end as he grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.
- Bobby Simmons continues to redeem himself with 11 points off the bench, though he was 1-5 from three-point land.
- On the Sixers side, Thaddeus Young had a nice bounce back game with 20 points.
- The Nets did a decent job taking care of the ball (14 turnovers) and outrebounded the Sixers 47-46, but at the end of the day they just didn’t have a single guy down the stretch who could hit the “big shot.”
- Next up on the Nets schedule is a two-game trip in Florida against the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat.
Game 8 Preview Vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Nov 11, 2009 2009-2010 Open Thread, 2009-2010 Regular Season, Game Preview, Nets vs. Sixers
One more step. That’s all the Nets need to take to get a win tonight. They went from not playing well in the third quarter to not playing well in the 4th. Some of it probably has to do with the fact that they are only dressing eight players, so three days of rest probably did wonders for them (not being sarcastic at all). With a Florida trip at Miami and at Orlando, the Nets need a win tonight against the Sixers to ensure that they won’t start the season with a double digit losing streak
Nets Starting Lineup
- PG – Rafer Alston
- SG – Trenton Hassell
- SF – Bobby Simmons
- PF – Eduardo Najera
- C – Brook Lopez
Sixers Starting Lineup
- PG – Louis Williams
- SG - Andre Iguodala
- SF - Thaddeus Young
- PF - Elton Brand
- C - Samuel Dalembert
Their Mismatches
Thaddeus Young vs. Bobby Simmons – The Nets would be smart to put Trenton Hassell on Andre Iguodala since he is the better defender of the two. That leaves Thaddeus Young for Bobby Simmons. Thaddeus is a big guy who can use his dribble to get to the whole and he can hit the jumper consistently. He will be a handfull for Simmons.
Our Mismatches
Brook Lopez vs. Samuel Dalembert – Brook Lopez was 10-13 from the outside last game. If he can hit at least 50% of his jumpers, he will end up stretching out Dalembert which will allow him to be more comfortable in the post. Let’s see if the Nets use Boone in the screen and roll again tonight. It was successful in limited use last game.
Matchup Of The Night
Elton Brand vs. Eduardo Najera - Elton Brand and Eduardo Najera will battle in the “guys coming back from big time injury” matchup tonight. I actually might like Najera’s chances tonight, considering, Brand won’t outquick or overathletic him, he will try to muscle Najera, and Najera loves that.
Keys To Victory
Make Shots - Same as last game, if they can hit shots, the Sixers need to respect it, and that clears the lane for Brook Lopez. When Brook Lopez has room to work, he is good.
Keep Skip To My Lou Far Away – Skip to My Lou is the turnover prone Rafer Alston. He made his first appearance against Boston, and he really hurt the team. He needs to pick it up against Philly.
Stop The Three – The Sixers have shot 30.8% from 3 this year. Their first game against New Jersey? Against New Jersey, they shot 50%. It has been a running theme all year, and yet, the Nets can’t figure out how to stop it.
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 4-3
This is it, the game the Nets win. I think they take this one, and end the losing streak. Just a gut feeling.
Programming Note
I will be over at the Daily Dime tonight again so if you want to get your fill of Nets chat, head over there. I will be around these parts, so anywhere you want to comment is good. Now, another issue for those who listened to the WHEN stream, how’d I do?
Blogger’s Talk: Philadelphia 76ers
Nov 11, 2009 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Sixers
Today with exchange some questions and answers with Carey Smith, from the TrueHoop Sixers site, Philadunkia.
NAS: A depleted Nets team was able to take the Sixers down to the final possession Friday night and then Philly followed-up with a loss to Detroit. Do you have any early-season concerns about the Sixers?
Smith: I don’t wanted to sound like the stereotypical “Negadelphia” fan but my list of early season concerns with the Sixers is very long, so lets just concentrate on the Sixers biggest issue so far in 2009-10. That issue is defense and everything that has to do with defense. Hell even spelling the word defense may be an issue for Eddie Jordan’s team. The Sixers are a horrible defensive unit – they can not guard the three; they can not pressure the ball; they can’t keep the ball out of the lane; they help way too much; they don’t take care of the defensive glass – and I do not see it getting better any time soon.
NAS: Elton Brand has scored in single digits his last few games. Any clue on why he hasn’t been able to regain his all-star form? What about the drop-off for Thaddeus Young?
Smith: It’s hard to regain your All-Star form when you are either on the bench or when you’re on the floor, no one cares to pass you the rock, no matter how bad of a miss match you have going that night. When he gets some tick and his teammates start passing him the ball, you’ll see a big improvement in Brand’s numbers, but I don’t know if he’ll ever get back to AS form with the Sixers. Thad’s drop off at the start of 2009-10 is just a shooting thing and he seems close to getting it straightened out – 5-10 for 15 points vs. PHX Wednesday night.
NAS: Are the Sixers wise to be shopping Samuel Dalembert?
Smith: Other then the rumors I heard this summer which I prayed were true, I am not sure they are shopping Dalembert. They should be, but I have not heard anything since the Sixers went to training camp on this front. Did you hear something, please tell me you have. I spoke with one Eastern Conference front office person who said that the Sixers did not find major interest in Sammy this summer and they may be stuck with him for a while. Although, I have this dream in which Ed Stefanski tricks Joe Dumars into trading Rip Hamilton to the Sixers for Dalembert. Believe it or not, the salaries work out. That’s crazy to think about, right?
NAS: Where would the Sixers be without PG Lou Williams right now?
Smith: The Sixers would be better, possibly even 5-2 right now without Louis Williams. I’m sure to those who simply see box scores and do not follow the Sixers closely on a nightly basis it looks like Louis is having a break out season. He is offensively, no doubt. However the Sixers defensive woes start with Louis and his inability to keep opposing point men in front of him, pressure the ball at all or guard the three point line. Once he’s beaten, which happens very often, the Sixers defense becomes a scrambling mess of switches and help defense and they are rarely ever able to recover in time. Until he gets better at defense or they put rookie Jrue Holiday in for major minutes the Sixers will continue to be awful defensively. Personally I don’t understand how a kid as quick as Louis can be so bad at defense every night, but it’s true, he horrible. After last night’s effort against the Suns in which Louis was taken to school by Nash (20 points & 20 dimes), several of us here at Philadunkia.com are asking for a switch to Jrue Holiday as the starting point guard. Holiday is a hound on defense thanks to playing for Ben Howland at UCLA and we’ll live with the growing pains at the other end because our fear is that if Iguodala doesn’t get some help on the defensive end soon, we’ll loose AI9 mentally for the season.
Game 8 Scouting Report
Nov 11, 2009 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Sixers, Opponent Scouting Reports
Game 8 vs. Philadelphia (3-4)
Projected Starting Lineup
1. Louis Williams | 6′1″ | 175 lbs. | 34.4 MPG | 15.0 PPG | 4.9 APG | 47% FT | 21.7% 3 | 81.5% FT
Not a pure PG, but somewhat effective when he is running the point. Learning the position this year. Looks to outquick defenders to get into the lane. Solid albeit streaky shooter. Must be physical with him.
2. Andre Iguodala | 6′6″ | 207 lbs. | 38.4 MPG | 20.0 PPG | 4.7 APG | 51.4 FG | 36.4 3 | 68.6% FT
Eddie Jordan’s two guard set will allow him to bring the ball up every once in a while, along with Lou Williams. The 6.0 assists per game average this preseason shows he may be embracing that. Super athletic, great finisher when he gets inside the paint. Streaky shooter, if he starts hitting, we need to watch out. Solid defender, gambles a bit…might be susceptible to back-door cuts.
3. Thaddeus Young | 6′8″ | 220 lbs. | 35.6 MPG | 12.9 PPG | 4 RPG | 40.7% FG | 8.3% 3 | 74.2 FT
His size at the 3 spot allows him to be a tough physical banger inside. Good shooter when given time, but if you contest, he is wildly inconsistent. Not the best ballhandler on the team, so you want to close hard on him to make him put it on the floor! Defensively, need to use speed to get by him, probably won’t be able to out-muscle him.
4. Elton Brand | 6′9″ | 254 lbs. | 27.6 MPG | 10.1 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 45.2% FG | 0% 3 | 83.3% FT
A PF that likes to bang inside. Must be physical with him and can’t let him catch it deep in the post. Face up game is solid too, and he can hit from 10-15 feet. Good passer, so you must be careful where you bring the double from. Tough rebounder, must box him out!
5. Samuel Dalembert | 6′11″ | 250 lbs. | 22.1 MPG | 6.6 PPG | 6 RPG | 48.4 FG | – 3 | 84.2% FT
Not really an offensive threat from outside of 10 feet. Struggles to hit from inside 10 feet as well. Slow feet. Can be taken advantage of in the pick and roll set. Great timing and shot blocking ability though, must pump fake him! Terrific defensive rebounder.
Bench
F/C. Marreese Speights | 6′10″ | 245 lbs. | 23.4 MPG | 14.4 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 63.5 FG | 0 3 | 84 FT
We should all be familiar with this guy from summer league. Possesses a great athletic ability for his size, and when he is hitting his shot he is tough to stop. Needs to take a lot of shots to put up his numbers. Good shot blocker, you can pump fake him though. He has shown to be foul-prone.
G/F. Jason Kapono | 6′7″ | 215 lbs. | 15.4 MPG | 6.7 PPG | 1.1 RPG | 50% FG | 45% 3 | 57.1% FT
One of the league’s best 3 point shooters. Has 30-foot range. Need to stick with him and can’t help off of him. Doesn’t do much besides shoot, so close hard and make him put it on the floor.
G. Willie Green | 6′3″ | 200 lbs. | 14.4 MPG | 6.3 PPG | 1.9 APG | 45.7% FG | o% FT | 80% FT
Not a true point either, but the truest point on the Sixers. If they struggle getting into the offense, Green will come in off the bench to try and settle things. Hard worker on defense, but he lacks the quicks to stay in front of his man from time to time.
F. Jason Smith | 7′0″ | 240 lbs. | 14.2 MPG | 3.7 PPG | 2.2 RPG | 31.3% FG | 50% 3 | 75% FT
Missed all of last year with a knee injury. Can play either the PF or C spot. Has a nice back to the basket game and a nice touch on his mid-range shot.
G. Jrue Holiday | 6′3″ | 180 lbs. | 11.7 MPG | 5 PPG | 1.7 APG | 75% FG | 75% 3 | 0% FT
Wildcard. Athletic and quick, but is an inconsistent shooter and he sometimes is a little loose with the basketball.
G/F. Rodney Carney | 6′7″ | 205 lbs. | 9.8 MPG | 3 PPG | 1.2 RPG | 35.3 FG | 33.3% 3 | 60 FT
Carney can run and jump as well as any wing player in basketball, but he’s a poor ballhandler who lacks good instincts. His lack of feel reveals itself in the poor assist rate and his inability to get shots near the basket to take advantage of his superior finishing ability. A real tough defender.
G. Royal Ivey | 6′4″ | 215 lbs. | 9.6 MPG | 2.8 PPG | 0.8 APG | 66.7% FG | 50% 3 | 50% FT
Defensive specialist with no real offensive game to speak of. Quick and athletic. Very aggressive and can be caught on back-door cuts. Tendency to foul a ton.
C. Primoz Brezec | 7′1″ | 255 lbs. | No Regular Season Stats
Played in the Italian league last year. Nice touch for a big man. Slow and weak on the defensive end.
Offensive Tendencies:
One of the worst three point shooting teams last year. Kapono helps, but he is the only 3 point shooting threat. Must keep their 3 front-court off the glass on both sides of the court. Must keep AI from getting hot. Eddie Jordan will be implementing a Princeton-style offense this year. Expect a whole lot of movement.
Defensive Tendencies:
A lot of aggressive athletic players who like to take chances. Need to pump fake on both passes and shots. Backdoor cuts can work against these guys too.
Keys To Victory:
Get Brook touches inside. He can out muscle Dalembert and negate his athleticism. Keep AI from getting hot. Rebound! Don’t let Elton Brand get position inside. Close out on Kapono, make him put the ball on the floor. Must always know where he is, he is the only one who can hurt the Nets from three.