Ted Leonsis Approves This Message
May 20, 2010 DeMarcus Cousins, Draft, Draft Lottery, Evan Turner, John Wall, Just For Fun, Nets vs. Wizards, Positivity, Sillyness, Truehoop Network
I recently happened upon Washington Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis’ personal blog in a roundabout way after reading TrueHoop’s Wednesday Bullets. In any case, he blogged about luck, deserving the first pick, and thanked Irene Pollin for being at the NBA Lottery Draft amongst other things. From what I’ve read, Leonsis seems like a genuinely happy and regular kind of guy who happens to have a ton of money. In any case, I have to say, I now like the dude. One reason being is he actually approved the above comment when he really didn’t have to. Yes, his comments do require moderation. In any case, thanks for approving the comment, Ted… you’re good people. You can check out the blog entry itself here.
Thoughts On The Game: Wizards A Bad Match-Up For The Nets
Apr 5, 2010 Nets vs. Wizards, Thoughts On the Game
Truth About It | BulletsForever
For some reason I was expecting the Nets to come out energized last night. The Nets were coming off of a blowout against the New Orleans Hornets where no starter played more than 27 minutes (Brook), and the bench minutes were split evenly as well. Obviously, that didn’t happen. As lackluster as the Hornets looked two nights ago, the Nets were just as bad, maybe even worse. They just looked slow the entire game as the offensive wasn’t crisp and the defensive rotations were slow (if they even happened at all).
There are teams that other teams just seem to struggle against. We have witnessed it in our favor as the Nets just seem to have to Bobcats’ number. On the flip side, the Washington Wizards just seem to have the Nets’ number. Most of it is simply match-ups. Overall, the Wizards’ talent level is equal with the Nets, but where the Wizards excel, the Nets struggle. Andray Blatche is a great offensive talent, while Yi is one of the worst defensive PFs in the NBA. Blatche has killed the Nets in the past three games, and tonight was no different. Blatche was 1 rebound away from a triple-double, putting up 20 points, 13 assists, and 9 rebounds. The Nets seemed determine to force someone else to beat them, and they doubled Blatche every chance they got in the first quarter. However, unlike when they doubled Tim Duncan, the strategy wasn’t successful last night. Part of it was the poor rotations due to the back to back, but another aspect is that Blatche can handle the ball farther out (than a guy like Duncan), and that forces the double to come from longer distances. Because of that, Blatche is able to survey the court and make the correct pass. He had 8 assists in the first quarter, but this was maybe the most frustrating:
Here, Blatche makes the catch so far out, that Brook Lopez is hesitant on whether to double or not. That slight hesitation is what allows Blatche to find Shaun Livingston who was allowed to cut backdoor due to a defensive breakdown by Devin Harris. Poor defensive rotations is what basically put the Nets out of their misery late in the fourth quarter:
Down 6, the Nets offense started to click, and they badly needed a stop. Instead, the above happened. It is funny how the Wizards broadcast cut to that angle right when the play started, as if they were expecting it. Either way, you can just see the gap that Javale McGee has to drive through to finish with the dunk.
On the offensive end, Brook Lopez seemed to be the only Net who was really into any type of groove. However, the Nets seemed to fall into that old pattern where they forget to get him the basketball. The Wizards didn’t have anyone who was big enough to stop him, and when Brook was making the catch down low, he was either finishing or drawing the foul (22 points on 6-12 shooting with 10-11 from the line). The Nets looked to be out of it early in the 2nd quarter, but after using Brook exclusively they were able to go on a 9-2 run and cut the Wizards lead to 7. After those possessions late in the second, I thought the Nets finally “got it” and realized that they need to get the ball to Brook in close. However, this was the first possession for the Nets:
Your eyes aren’t fooling you, Brook Lopez makes his post up at the three point line and ends up making a catch 35 feet away from the basket. Part of it is on Brook for floating out that far out, but some of it is on the coaching staff for not running a play that puts Brook right on the block.
Some more thoughts after the jump:
Quick Recap: New Jersey Nets 99, Washington Wizards 109
Apr 4, 2010 Nets vs. Wizards, Quick Recap
I didn’t think the Nets were going to show any signs of fatigue tonight, with the bench logging a good amount of minutes, however that wasn’t the case. If the Nets performance last night defensively was the best we have seen, tonight could have been the worst as the Nets lost to the Wizards 109-99.
- I know a lot of you didn’t see that game, and that was probably a good thing. The defensive rotations were off the entire night. So much so, that Blatche (the man the Nets doubled) picked up 8 assists in the first quarter. The Wizards were allowed to crack the 100 point mark for the first time in 20 games.
- Devin Harris put up a quiet 22, but he struggled on the offensive end. The only player that looked like he was clicking was Brook Lopez who also put in 22 on 12 shots.
- There are some teams that just present match-up problems for other teams (think Nets vs. Bobcats). With how the Wizards are currently constructed, they aren’t much better talent wise, but they just are a tough match-up for the Nets. Especially Blatche who was running around the court like a chicken with his head cut off trying to get a triple double.
- Terrence Williams had another solid game but had a key turnover when he tried to throw a full court bounce pass down 5 late. Rookie mistake that happens, just poor timing of it.
Game 77 Preview Vs. Washington Wizards
Apr 4, 2010 2009-2010 Open Thread, Game Previews, Nets vs. Wizards
First off, Happy Easter everyone! Today’s game isn’t going to be televised, which sucks, but it also makes you realize how lucky you are as a Nets fan that we have a station dedicated to playing Nets games. There are teams (good ones), who have a large chunk of go untelevised.
Anyway, onto the preview. Coming off their best performance of the year, the Nets now have another winnable game against the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have been struggling as of late (they just snapped a 16 game losing streak), and they might have provided the Nets with some poster-board material:
The above video is from the great Washington Wizards blog (and TrueHoop Network member) TruthAboutIt, and in it, Nick Young says “We ain’t trying to be like a New Jersey Net” (right around the 30 second mark). The Wizards have eked out a few wins against the Nets, but with the Nets playing some of their best basketball (and the Wizards playing some of their worst), I think the Nets can come away with this one. Onto the lineups…
Devin Harris vs. Shaun Livingston
Advantage: Devin Harris
Courtney Lee vs. Nick Young
Advantage: Courtney Lee
Jarvis Hayes vs. Mike Miller
Advantage: Mike Miller
Yi vs. Andray Blatche
Advantage: Andray Blatche
Brook Lopez vs. Fabricio Oberto
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Thoughts on the Game: Another Bad Second Half Dooms Nets
Mar 1, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Wizards, Thoughts On the Game
Truthaboutit – Bullets Forever – View from the Couch – Hoopdata Box Score
It’s not often that the Nets appear to have the most talent on the floor, but that certainly was the case last night against the Washington Wizards, who have watched their roster get blown up the past month due to the trades of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood. But this is the Nets we’re talking about here, and while a part of me thought they would be able to ride the momentum of their shocking victory against the Boston Celtics on on the road Saturday into last night’s game against the lowly Wizards, New Jersey just showed once again why they’re going to make all of us sweat as they get closer and closer to breaking the 72-73 Philadelphia 76ers all-time infamy mark.
With Courtney Lee nursing an injury, and Jarvis Hayes just returning from sitting a few games and looking out of sync, the Wizards were able to counter an early double-digit lead for the Nets by going all-but-exclusively to a zone defense, daring the Nets to shoot from the outside. The Nets had no answer, missing jumper after jumper, and shooting 35 percent for the game. Devin Harris, who was off to a tremendous start with 11 points and 8 assists in the first quarter, finished with 18 points, and was one of the key culprits for the poor shooting, going 7-24 from the field. So despite 50 first-half points, the Nets only finished with 85 for the game.
Last time the Nets and Wizards played, it was Earl Boykins who hit the game winning shot. The Nets were spared that indignity, but instead, found themselves giving up back-to-back jumpers to Randy Foye (20 points), both of which coming over the outstretched arms of Yi Jianlian, who looked more concerned about picking up his 6th foul, than getting up in the face of Foye to challenge those shots.
Yi put forward one of those games that really just drives you nuts as a Nets fan. The numbers in the box score look great: 20 points and a career high 19 rebounds. But in addition to the two Foye shots on his watch, he was consistently getting burned by Andray Blatche (36 points), who at this point is the only real offensive weapon left on Washington’s roster. Also, in the fourth quarter, Yi made back-to-back bonehead plays that almost put the Nets out of it for good: a travel off an offensive rebound, followed-up with a frustration offensive foul the next time down the court. He did redeem himself over so slightly with about 3:45 left when he grabbed a defensive rebound and found Terrence Williams streaking down the court with the outlet pass for the easy slam and the brief lead. But that’s what you seemingly get with Yi at this point – two bad plays, followed by one good to give you some hope. Kiki Vandeweghe seemed to be more smitten with the good last night, playing Yi 40 minutes.
More thoughts after the jump:
Nets on the Net: 3/1/10 Edition
Mar 1, 2010 Devin Harris, Draft, Nets on the Net, Nets vs. Wizards, Yi
Recapping last night’s loss, Al Iannazzone acknowledges the two sides to Yi’s game: It was a bittersweet night for Yi. He was aggressive and a force inside with 20 points and career-best 19 rebounds, but had his usual struggles defensively. He also missed two foul shots in the final 1:19. “I’ve got to hit them,” Yi said. “Could have been different, maybe.”
Newark native Randy Foye explains to Colin Stephenson and the Star-Ledger what most teams must think before they play the Nets: “That’s one thing that we were saying to ourselves before the game,’’ Foye said. “We said, ‘We cannot lose to this team. We know what they’re thinking; we know they think they can beat us, but we’re not going to lose to them.’’’
Julian Garcia has the understatement of the year as to how the Nets may finish out the season: Given their schizophrenic nature, the final six weeks of the season should be interesting.
In Fred Kerber’s recap, Devin Harris admits to a problem that’s been plaguing the Nets all season: “We need to work a little bit more on our zone offense,” Devin Harris said.
Over at the Daily Dime, Chris Sheridan talks with Tony Battie about his possibly buyout: “Honestly, I’m not sure,” Battie told ESPN.com. “I’m going to be professional about it, and whatever happens happens. That’s kind of where I’m going to leave it because I honestly feel that way.
The Bleacher Report writes that Ohio State SF Evan Turner is a better fit for the Nets.
For those who care about that sort of thing, I answered some questions about the Nets over at Truthaboutit, the Wizards TrueHoop blog.
Quick Recap: Washington Wizards 89, New Jersey Nets 85
Feb 28, 2010 2009-2010 Regular Season, Nets vs. Wizards, Quick Recap
Similar to last Sunday against the Grizzlies, the Nets saw a double-digit first half lead evaporate as they went ice cold in the second half, falling to the Washington Wizards 89-85 at the Izod Center.
- The Nets have 50 first half points, but only 35 in the second, and ended up shooting 35 percent for the game.
- Yi Jianlian had a career high (and team season high) 19 rebounds, to go along with 20 points, but he was torched all evening by Andray Blatche (36 points), and Randy Foye (16 points) hit back-to-back jumpers over Yi in the final minute to ice the game for the Wizards.
- 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks for Brook Lopez, but only two of those points in the second half. Feel like a broken record writing that.
- Devin Harris finished with 18 points and 14 assists, but was brutal shooting-wise, going 7-24 from the floor, including 1-5 from three.
- A solid 15 minutes off the bench for Terrence Williams, who finished with 11 points.
- Jarvis Hayes looked out of sync in his first game back from injury, going 0-4 from the field and not scoring a point.
- This was the 9th consecutive loss at home for the Nets.
Game 59 Preview Vs. Washington Wizards
Feb 28, 2010 2009-2010 Open Threads, Game Previews, Nets vs. Wizards
The Nets are coming off their biggest win of the year and now have their first legitimate chance at a winning streak as they take on the Wizards (the Nets also have a chance to put themselves on pace to get the ever important 10th win). The Nets have gotten their last two wins after multiple days rest, but I think this back-to-back is actually beneficial for the Nets. Their game in Boston (and what made them successful) is fresh in their minds, and hopefully they continue to do the things that got them their win in Boston. Onto the lineups:
Devin Harris vs. Randy Foye
Randy Foye has put together a pretty nice season this year, but he is just an average player. Not too quick. Doesn’t have great size. On the other hand, Devin Harris has regained his All-Star form.
Advantage: Devin Harris
Keyon Dooling vs. Mike Miller
My guess is that unless Courtney has a remarkable recovery, he is going to be out for tomorrow. He seemed to roll his ankle pretty bad, and he was unable to put a ton of pressure on it as he was helped off the court. Keyon Dooling is probably going to get the start at the 2. He brings in his shot-making ability and his good decision making. Dooling’s threes yesterday were key in the win.
Advantage: Push
Trenton Hassell vs. Al Thorton
Trenton Hassell gave the Nets some good minutes yesterday, but I am expecting to see CDR get a good chunk of the SF minutes tonight (If Hayes is still out). Not only because he played very well yesterday, but because Hassell has logged a bunch of minutes, so you can expect to see fatigue setting in.
Advantage: Push
Yi vs. Andray Blatche
You might remember Blatche as the man who went off on the Nets in their first meeting. Eduardo Najera isn’t on the Nets anymore, so you can’t expect him to put up the same numbers, but Blatche has been playing well since the trade, so you can expect him to get some things done against Yi, who is still struggling.
Advantage: Andray Blatche
Brook Lopez vs. JaVale McGee
Brook Lopez could be poised for a big game against the Wizards now that Brendon Haywood isn’t on the team anymore. I think Haywood has done the best job on Brook all year, so seeing him in Dallas is pretty refreshing. McGee is a long athletic center, but I don’t think he has the strength to match up with Brook on the inside.
Advantage: Brook Lopez
Bloggers Talk: Washington Wizards
Feb 28, 2010 Bloggers Talk, Nets vs. Wizards
For their final match-up at the Izod Center (and we can safely say “ever” now when it comes to the Izod Center), the Washington Wizards feature a considerably different roster compared to the last time we saw them. Here to explain some of the changes, and the future of the organization is Kyle Weidie, from the fantastic TrueHoop Wiz blog, Truthaboutit.
NAS: Obviously, Josh Howard’s ACL injury probably affects your answer, but overall, how do you think the Wizards fare in their big deadline trades of Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood? Does Washington have any worthwhile building blocks now?
I was disappointed that the Wizards had to give up Brendan Haywood to “get rid” of Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson. It just seems like a commodity like Haywood, an expiring contract and a defensive big man sorely needed by most teams, should have been able to fetch more. The insult is that the Wizards couldn’t manage a pick from Dallas and they had to send cash considerations Mark Cuban’s way. Even Mavs fans were surprised at that one.
On the other hand, you got to commend Ernie Grunfeld for the Jamison trade. Although Antawn was sent to Cleveland … sure, the “rivalry” between the Wiz and the Cavs is dead, but that doesn’t mean Wizards fans hate LeBron and the Cavaliers any less … Grunfeld was able to net the returns of: 1) getting out from the over $28 million owed to the 33-year old Jamison over the next two seasons; 2) Cleveland’s 2010 1st rounder, which will likely be the last pick in the first round, but Grunfeld has a decent history of late-draft finds (Andray Blatche – 49th, Keith Bogans – 43rd, Flip Murray – 42nd, Michael Redd – 49th); 3) Emir Predlzic — Who? Exactly. He’s Bosniak whose rights were previously owned by Cleveland and is a decent prospect; and 4) Al Thornton. Clippers fans were no longer enthusiastic about the former All-Rookie First Teamer (2008), but he has seemingly found new life in D.C. with his hustle and energy.
Worthwhile building blocks? Who knows. Andray Blatche has been great since the trades, but it’s too early to tell if he’s really turned a corner. JaVale McGee has shown some nice promise too and is certainly a talented athlete whose natural skills and size are matched by few, if any, in the league. Otherwise, the Wizards don’t have much that shows valid promise for the future, i.e, someone who could be a star like Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans or Kevin Durant (who is already a star). Obi-Wan Kenobi ain’t coming, so the Wizards’ only hope is effectively using the cap space they’ve created and finding a young Jedi via lots of luck in the draft.
NAS: How much of a makeover do you expect the Wizards to go through once the season is over?
Makeover? Uh, probably a decent bit since the Wizards only have six guys under contract next season. This is assuming, safely, that Josh Howard’s $11.8 million team option won’t be picked up and that Quinton Ross takes his $1.15 million player option. That leaves Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Al Thornton, Nick Young and Gilbert Arenas.
Who knows what will happen with Arenas. Recent remarks by Ernie Grunfeld suggest that the team might be open to taking him back, he is under contract after all. But Grunfeld might have been making those comments to preserve Arenas’ trade value, if any exists, which, you know someone might take the bait on if teams with cap room don’t succeed in their Summer ‘10 free-agent endeavors. I highly doubt the Wizards will try to void Arenas’ contract.
Randy Foye, if extended the qualifying offer, will be a restricted free-agent. He’s still auditioning for his job with the team, so he could be an additional player on the roster. You also have to consider the following: the Wizards might try to sign Josh Howard to a new contract on the cheap, as he will be coming off a knee injury, they would like to retain Mike Miller (although, I’m sure he will want to go play for a winner, perhaps taking less money to play with LeBron), and James Singleton is certainly looking like a player worthy of contract consideration.
The Wizards will be players in this Summer’s free-agent market, we’re just not sure how large. I’d like to see them be patient and build with young prospects and cap space, i.e., not do anything stupidly crazy like throw a bunch of money at Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer. So, you’ll likely see the team just try to sign some worthy fillers this summer and save some of the cap space for 2012.
In any case, the makeover has already happened when various parts were shipped out of town. Now it’s all about finding quality players who will form the foundation for the rebuilding project.
Thoughts on the Game: Nets Bounced by Boykins
Jan 30, 2010 Nets vs. Wizards, Thoughts On the Game
Hoopdata Box Score – Truth About It – Bullets Forever
For six years, I owned a car that never really ran well, but got the job done. The problem was, I drove the thing to the ground, and by the time I had amassed about 150,000 miles, every time I got into the car, I would hope against hope that the piece of crap could just get me through this one last trip. If the car could just get me a little further, I vowed to never take another long trip again, retiring the thing for grocery shopping and the occasional trip to Target.
And then one day the car just died. And I realized that my plans for using the car going forward were irrelevant. It was never a good car to begin with, and the abuse I put it through for most of its lifespan gave it a specific expiration date. That date had passed. Game over.
I guess this terrible, terrible analogy I made regarding last night’s Nets/Wizards game would have worked better if I told you that my car died when the smallest person in my town jumped in front and slashed my tires, while smashing my hood in with a baseball bat. Sadly, things don’t happen like in real life, only in the NBA.
Last night’s 81-79 loss to the Wizards just felt weird, and despite the overall shock value of it – Earl Boykins, a guy who wasn’t even in the league last year hits the decisive shot with .4 seconds? – the outcome also seemed inevitable. Despite a solid defensive effort, holding the Wizards to 81 points and 42 percent shooting, the Nets were never able to put away a clearly inferior opponent and it came back to kill them. Up 12 in the first half, the Nets were owned on the boards throughout, getting outrebounded 40-32 and allowing 15 rebounds on the offensive end. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Nets, who had been shooting around 50 percent for most of the game, just seemed to sputter offensively, as Kiki Vandeweghe seemed to lose the Midas touch had had Wednesday night with his rotation choices. Kris Humphries, a hero against the Clippers, was the goat last night, going 1-8 from the field, including way too many long twos in crunch time. Terrence Williams, who seemed to do everything right a few nights ago, was on the bench for the Wizards. Courtney Lee, who didn’t miss in the first half, scoring 17 points, disappeared in the second, finishing with 19.
So, like my car, the Nets had an expiration date in this game. I wasn’t sure when the nail would be driven in the coffin, but I was fairly certain about the outcome. It was clear to me after Yi Jianlian hit a jumper with about 5:30 left in the third to put the Nets up by 8, and they ended tied with the Wizards towards the end of the quarter. After failing to score the knocking blow, it was just a matter of time before the Nets were going to stall out and be stranded by the side of the road.