Nets Are Scorching

Nets rookie forward, Jordan Williams was thrown into the mix early in his assignment with the Nets’ D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor.

Williams, assigned to Springfield on Wednesday, drove four hours to the birthplace of basketball in time to go through a 90-minute workout in preparations for Thursday night’s game against the Maine Red Claws.

The limited time didn’t stop Williams from recording a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) in 35 minutes of action during Springfield’s 93-91 win over Maine.

“It’s the D-League. It’s ‘Hello. Let’s go,’” said Armor head coach Bob MacKinnon. “That’s the way this league works. You’ve got to be ready to go.”

A written statement by Nets general manager, Billy King explained the assignment: Read more…

Nets General Manager Billy King announced today that Jordan Williams has been assigned to the D-League affiliate Springfield Armor. This is the first player assigned to the Armor this season.

Williams, a Torrington, Conn. native, played two seasons at the University of Maryland before being drafted by New Jersey with the 36th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 1.0 point and 1.5 rebounds per game in six games with the Nets.

Williams is expected to play for the Armor Thursday night at home against the Maine Red Claws.

For updates on Williams and the Springfield Armor, follow @terrence_payne.

Jerry Smith/ Photo Courtesy of the Springfield Armor

Jerry Smith and the Springfield Armor head out west to Reno, Nev. for the 2012 D-League Showcase. The event is held for four days, Jan. 9-12, has been around in 2004-2005 season as a way to get more exposure for players from general managers and scouts from all 30 NBA teams.

On the Armor 10-man roster, Smith has the potential to be one of the standouts in next week’s event.

Back in early December, Smith along with teammate JamesOn Curry and current-New Jersey Net Dennis Horner, was invited to Nets training camp.

“I was very excited,” said Smith, the former Louisville Cardinal. “I knew it was going to be a great opportunity ahead of me.”

Smith, a 6-foot-2 190-lb guard, has a strong all-around game. Offensively he has a well-balanced scoring game. He can drive to the lane and finish at the rim or he can step back and stroke from behind the arc.

On the defensive side of the ball, Smith is a gritty on-the-ball defender, rarely giving up space to the opposing ball handler.

At Nets training camp, Smith’s defensive prowess was tested with the New Jersey backcourt. During the camp, Smith was matched up against Deron Williams, a consensus top three point guard, knock down shooter Anthony Morrow, and a hungry rookie MarShon Brooks.

Although he didn’t make the cut, Smith was happy with the feedback he received from the Nets.

“They thought I did real well with my defensive presence,” said the Wisconsin native. “I was able to knock down open shots and run the offense the right way. I thought I did well when I was there.”

That training camp invitation gave Smith a glimpse of the NBA, which has added a little confidence and motivation to his game.

“It’s positive reinforcement,” said Smith. “It lets you know that all the hard work is paying off and that you’re heading in the right direction.”

Smith gets another chance to make an impression on NBA executives at next week’s showcase and he is eager to perform in front of dozens general managers and scouts.

“I’m going to go out there and compete the same way I’ve been doing,” said Smith. “I’m not trying to do anything special, just play hard and play the right way.”

Although he is averaging 18.7 points per game, Smith wants to show off his on the ball defense, which he believes is his way of getting a coveted call-up.

“You’re not going to shot your way [into the NBA], they got a ton of shooters,” he said. “I think it’s going to be the defensive end for me.”

Smith and the Armor take on the Los Angeles D-Fenders Jan. 9 at 3:45 p.m. which will be aired live on NBATV.

Bob MacKinnon/ Photo Courtesy of the Springfield Armor

Despite shooting a dismal 32 percent from the field through three quarters, remarkably the Springfield Armor still had a chance to win the game, tied at 70 going into the fourth quarter against the Erie BayHawks.

In the fourth quarter, the eight turnovers and 3-for-19 shooting, cost the Armor a chance to sweep the two-game home stand as Erie (7-10) won 95-84 (box score) Saturday night at the MassMutual Center.

“We missed a couple of shots and we lost our focus,” said head coach Bob MacKinnon. “At halftime we had four turnovers and then we had 12 in the second half. From a veteran team, that shouldn’t happen.”

“Once we missed a couple of shots, we started pressing and we turned the ball over.”

Springfield (8-8) shot the ball poorly all night, but made up for it in other areas.

The Armor had more scoring opportunities, taking 14 more shots than Erie, thanks in large part to 20 offensive rebounds.

Defensively Springfield forced 15 Erie turnovers through three quarters.

But in the fourth quarter the momentum quickly began to turn.

Erie opened the quarter with six straight points, while the Armor continued to struggle, missing the first six shots of the quarter.

Springfield also had several turnovers resulting in Erie fast break points. Nine of the BayHawk’s 18 points in transition came in the fourth.

“This game was winnable if we took care of the basketball and we didn’t,” said MacKinnon. “That’s the disappointing thing because we lost our focus in the fourth quarter.”

Several times in the fourth Springfield cut the deficit to three, but each time Erie would answer.

With 6:50 remaining, JamesOn Curry nailed a 3-pointer to cut Erie’s lead to three at 78-75, but Erie’s Devin Green responded with back-to-back layups giving the BayHawks some insurance.

After a Jeff Foote putback with 4:36 remaining again cut the lead to three at 82-79. But once again Erie responded six straight points.

“They fought hard through the first three quarters and they just executed a little bit better in the fourth,” said Armor guard Jerry Smith, who had a game-high 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

Curry had 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out seven assists, while Foote finished with a double-double of 18 points and 12 boards.

Erie was led by former NBA veteran Mike James, who had 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists in his D-League debut. Big man Chris Daniels had 14 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, after only coming away with one on Thursday night.

Both these teams head to Reno for the D-League Showcase, which takes place Jan. 9-12.

Notes: Springfield’s first game at the D-League Showcase is against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. That game will be Jan. 9 3:45 p.m. and can be seen on NBATV…Last year Armor guard L.D. Williams won the Slam Dunk Contest at the D-League Showcase…Springfield’s next home game will be against the Maine Red Claws on Jan. 14. It will be the first time the Armor takes on the Red Claws since former NBA vet Ricky Davis joined Maine.

JamesOn Curry/ Photo Courtesy of Chris Marion

Springfield Armor guard JamesOn Curry spent the last two nights in the gym with his head coach, Bob MacKinnon, working on his shot. And when the Armor needed it most, Curry delivered, hitting crucial shots on the Armor’s way to a 113-111 victory Thursday night against the Erie BayHawks.

Springfield (8-7) and Erie (6-10) started the overtime period with multiple chances to break the 108-108 tie. It wasn’t until a trio of Armor free throws gave them a slim 111-108 lead.

With just under a minute to play, Curry used a screen at the top of the key and saw his shot take a friendly bounce of the front rim, then the backboard, finally falling through the net.

“He’s been terrific all year,” said MacKinnon. “He knows the game. He knows how to play. He’s in the right spots all the time.”

Erie never gave up, trailing by five with 40 seconds remaining; Kyle Spain hit a three-pointer, cutting the lead to 113-111. Springfield’s Jerry Smith missed a three-pointer, giving Erie one more chance with 9.5 seconds.

Devin Green, who had a game-high 34 points, held the ball out of the wing for six seconds before making his move and taking a contested, fade away three over L.D. Williams, before hitting the front iron as time expired.

“I thought we played good solid defense there,” said MacKinnon. “I thought L.D. did a great job contesting.”

Curry, who scored 19 of his 27 after the first half, nailed shots in the last minute of regulation to help force overtime. Curry hit a step back jumper over Green with 14.5 seconds remaining to tie the game at 108.

Then the game saw a bizarre series of events occur.

Erie called a timeout and on the ensuing inbounds, BayHawks point guard B.J. Jenkins, being harassed by Armor guard Lance Hurdle, fumbled the pass into the backcourt resulting in a backcourt violation.

It seemed Springfield would end it in regulation, but they too had problems putting the ball in play. Williams was called for a five-second violation, failing to throw the ball in or call a timeout.

Erie did get the ball in the next time, but Hurdle forced a jump ball with Jenkins. Hurdle tapped it back to Jerry Smith, who raced down the sideline, but was met at the rim by two Erie defenders and Smith couldn’t connect on a reverse layup attempt.

Springfield trailed for much of the first half, but early in the third quarter, the Armor took the lead back from the BayHawks.

“We came in a halftime and said we needed to defend better,” said MacKinnon. “It was more about us getting stops. When we get stops were fine at the other end.”

In the third quarter alone, the teams swapped the lead 15 times. The overtime contest was a great one from start to finish, with 33 lead changes and 11 ties.

“I though the fans that came got a good treat,” said MacKinnon of the 1,749 fans in attendance at the MassMutual Center.

Jeff Foote had 27 points and eight rebounds, while Smith had 20 points, while dishing out six dimes for Springfield. Kyle Spain had 20 points, six boards, and four assists.

It was the first home game of the year at home for the Armor. Springfield just came off a grueling two-week road trip that ending with the Armor dropping five of seven.

Coincidentally, the Armor’s final home game before the road trip was an overtime loss to the BayHawks.

Springfield likes to keep games interesting, winning all eight games by single digits.

“We don’t always play well, but we’re going to play hard and tough,” said MacKinnon. “When you do that you stay in games.”

Springfield hosts Erie again Saturday night at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. This will be the last time these two teams meet until April.

Notes: Bob MacKinnon earned his eighth win of the season, one more win than former Armor coach Dee Brown, now with the Detroit Pistons, had in his entire first season with the Armor in 2009-2010…Former Armor forward Dennis Horner played in his fourth game of the season Wednesday night against Boston. Horner didn’t record a point or a rebound in his four minutes of garbage time in the Nets 89-70 loss…According to reports, Saturday night former NBA point guard Mike James has agreed to play for the Erie BayHawks. He last played in 2009-2010 for the Washington Wizards, but appeared in only four games. James, an eight-year veteran, should be active for Saturday against Springfield…Yahoo! columnist Adrian Wojnarowski was in attendance at the MassMutual Center Wednesday night. According to MacKinnon Wojnarowski said it was the best D-League/NBA game he’s seen all year.

According to the Springfield Armor, the New Jersey Nets D-League affiliate, it was announced yesterday that Armor forward Dennis Horner made the opening day roster.

Horner played in three games in the D-League with Springfield. The 6-foot-9 former NC State star averaged 15 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Springfield had four players attend NBA training camps this past week. Center Jeff Foote was invited to Portland, while guards JamesOn Curry and Jerry Smith joined Horner in New Jersey. Foote, Curry, and Smith are all back with the Armor (6-4).

Horner is the second Armor player in history to be called up to the NBA, and the first under the hybrid Nets-Armor affiliation.

Lance Hurdle/Photo Courtesy of Eric Wallis

The Springfield Armor (5-2) wanted to begin its brutal two-week road trip on a good note with second consecutive win over the Erie BayHawks (3-6) Thursday night.

However Erie returned the favor after last night’s loss, handing the Armor a 123-117 overtime loss, snapping Springfield’s four-game win streak.

Both teams spent an awful lot of time at the line. Erie’s 41 free throw attempts were one short of Springfield’s 42 attempts –- a season-high for the team.

It was only fitting that the end of regulation came down to the charity stripe.

With 22 seconds remaining and the Armor leading 110-108, Erie point guard B.J. Jenkins drove to the basket and a foul was called on Armor’s rookie forward David Akinyooye. Jenkins calmly sank two.

Springfield got the ball back with the chance to win the game. Lance Hurdle hit L.D. Williams with a pass, and the 6’4″, 210-lb. guard immediately drove to the lane, drawing a foul from Kyle Spain.

Williams, who at the time had game-high 30 points (finishing with 33), came up short on both.

“He got to the line,” said head coach Bob MacKinnon. “And I give him credit; he wanted the ball to make the play at the end. I’ll live and die with that every day.”

Jenkins, Erie’s hero in the fourth, returned for an encore in the overtime.

With the score tied at 112 and only 1:46 remaining in the extra quarter, Jenkins knocked down a three to give the BayHawks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I just thought it was two teams battling, I thought it was a great game,” said MacKinnon. “They did some good things and we did some good things.

“It came to overtime and Jenkins, a veteran guy, makes a three. That happens. Now you deal with it and move on.”

The game was close throughout. Springfield shined on offense when attacking the rim. Early in the first quarter Springfield scored six consecutive points going to the basket, giving them an 11-7 lead, forcing Erie to burn a timeout.

However after the timeout, Springfield began to shy away from the hoop and settle for jumpers as Erie went on a 10-0 run, while Springfield, which started by converting five of its first six shots, didn’t record a field goal for three and a half minutes.

In the second quarter, a pair of consecutive Armor turnovers led to BayHawks fast-break points, forcing MacKinnon to burn a timeout as his team trailed by its largest deficit of the game at 10 points.

After the timeout, it was Springfield’s turn to go on a run, 12-2 to tie the game at 42. But in the last six and a half minutes, Erie would wrestle the lead back and go into the locker room with a 58-52 lead.

In the third quarter, the Armor had its largest lead of the game at five, before handing it right back. The teams swapped leads five times during the third, ending with Armor forward Jonathan Thomas tipping in a Hurdle miss to give Springfield an 83-82 lead going into the fourth.

Springfield, along with other D-League affiliates, are missing starting players who are attending NBA training camps, and MacKinnon understands that this is a young team at the moment. “You’re looking at some guys, who are not used to playing at this level,” said MacKinnon. “We want to play fast, but we don’t want to rush and right now I think our young guys are caught up in the rush phase.”

Besides Williams’ 33 points and 10 rebounds, Springfield had six other players in double-figures. Travis Cohn had 19 points and 8 boards off the bench and Hurdle chipped in 16 points and had 8 assists.

Erie was led by 27 points from Tirrell Baines and 22 points and 8 assists from reserve guard Mike Gerrity.

Now it’s time for Springfield to hit the road, not returning to the MassMutual Center until Jan. 5.

“The only game I know we play right now is Saturday in Tulsa,” said MacKinnon.

Notes: The reports from Nets camp is that the coaching staff is pleased with all three Springfield Armor players: Dennis Horner, JamesOn Curry, and Jerry Smith. According to an Armor team source, all three may see some action in the upcoming preseason games.

Bob MacKinnon and the Springfield Armor had their work cut out for them before Thursday night’s game against Maine. Springfield was without its four top scorers – JamesOn Curry, Jerry Smith, Dennis Horner, and Jeff Foote – who all received invitations to NBA training camps for tomorrow.

Despite the absence of four starters, the Armor (3-1), who sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, were able to have other players step in as Springfield rolled over the Red Claws (1-4) 97-89 Thursday at the MassMutal Center.

“Milton Lee has done a tremendous job of getting us players,” said MacKinnon. “If we lose players, the next guy steps in.”
Read more…