Would you Trade Terrence Williams?

The Case For Trading Terrence Williams:

The man is all potential at this point.  Williams is a favorite of a lot of Nets fans and surely many will cry foul should T-Will be traded.  Afterall, some may have spent $40+ dollars on a Williams jersey and it only appreciated one year’s worth of value?  In any case, Williams is loaded with talent and athleticism and brings a certain amount of excitement every time his kicks touch the hardwood.  However, he can’t shoot for excrement!  Granted it was his rookie season, but shooting 40.1% for the season is as bad as answering your girlfriend when she asks you if she looks good in a certain outfit (BTW, the answer is always to ask a question back such as, “Do you think you look good in it?”).

Taking a closer look at it, Williams shot 55.4% at the rim and 50.0% from less than 10 feet, which is decent, but 31.6% from 10-15 feet, 22.0% from 16-23 feet, and 31.0% from three-point range.  In a word, yuck.  Obviously as a wing player, one must, you know, be able to hit shots from the wing and Williams clearly cannot do that yet.  Unfortunately for T-Will, there are other players now on the team that can.  Anthony Morrow is a career 48.1% shooter from 10-15, 44.1% from 16-23, and 46.0% from the land of treys.  Travis Outlaw, in the past four seasons, has hit 39.8% of his shots from 10-15, 41.8% from 16-23, and 36.4% from behind the three-point line.

Granted getting to the rim is part of being a wing player, but both Morrow and Outlaw are pretty good finishers at the rim themselves, so Williams doesn’t stand out in that respect.  So, unless T-Will can get a jumper of some kind with the quickfast, he has to be considered expendable, particularly for a player of Carmelo Anthony’s caliber.

The Case Against Trading Terrence Williams:

The man is all potential at this point.  However, the last two months of the 2009-10 season, in particular, showed how great Williams could be.  In 15 March games, T-Will averaged 14.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG.  In 7 April games, he slightly upped the production by averaging 14.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, a month that includes getting his first career triple-double (27, 13, 10) versus the Chicago Bulls on April 9th.  And to get back to his shooting, in March, Williams shot 42.9% from the field and did a lot better in April, hitting 45.5% of his shots.  So, there is hope yet!

Given the burn on the court, T-Will is basically a triple-double waiting to happen.  His Per 40 stats break down to 14.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG.  Williams is a freak athlete with outstanding court vision and passing ability for a wing.  In fact, there always seems to be talk about T-Will playing the lead guard position as a back-up to Devin Harris.  Williams has the tools to become an outstanding defender at the NBA level as he was during his college days at Louisville, able to defend multiple positions.  Again, there is a lot of potential here with Williams.

The Final Verdict:

Potential is a nice thing, however, it can only get you so far, especially if you’re the Nets trying to make the playoffs and change the culture surrounding the team.  So, the question is, will Carmelo Anthony help the Nets into the playoffs?  No question.  Will T-Will?  Quite possibly, but there is a better chance with Melo around in a Nets uni.  So, Terrence Williams, we hardly knew ye.  Enjoy Denver.

“I’ve always been a big fan of trying to get a little bit better every day,” Krystkowiak says. “That’s a personal goal for me. And I don’t have all the answers – don’t have close to all the answers. I’d love to pick up something each day that can help me get better at my job. And also be challenged with the players on the team, to make sure they’re doing the same thing. Really, I’ve been pretty fortunate having that mentality and that philosophy: bigger picture things tend to work themselves out when you focus on the day-to-day stuff. If that means head coach down the road, great. If not, I’m not getting restless and wanting anything to do with that. I’m just one day at time, and I’m real content with that philosophy.”

Would You Trade Brook Lopez

The Case for Trading Brook Lopez:

Brook Lopez is easily one of the best young centers in the NBA. The numbers he has put up in his first two seasons are very impressive and any team would love to have him on their roster. While the upside is there, the question the Nets organization has to ask is whether they think Lopez can single handedly win them an NBA title? In the past, the NBA was built on the big man and having a dominant center was a key to winning a championship. But it is now the age of the prolific wing player, and acquiring a guy like Carmelo Anthony could be worth getting rid of Lopez.

It’s hard to find a flaw in the numbers that Lopez has put up in his first two seasons but is he a guy who can lead the Nets deep in the Playoffs? The biggest factor in the case for trading Lopez is that it would certainly persuade the Nuggets to deal Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey (and soon Brooklyn). The Nuggets current starting center, Nene, is only signed through the 2010-11 season (with a player option for 2011-12) and Denver would be eager to make an upgrade to the more durable Lopez. The thing the Nets have to weigh in this case is whether Carmelo Anthony gives the franchise a better chance to win an NBA title than Brook Lopez. Most would say that he would, but what if you could pair the two together?

The Case Against Trading Brook Lopez:

Just look at these numbers and this case should be made for keeping the young center. In two seasons in the NBA, Brook Lopez has averaged 15.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He is only 22 years old and will continue to get better. He has NEVER missed a game in his two-year career, and has started all but 7. He is a legitimate center standing at 7-feet, 265 pounds and he is incredibly athletic for his size. Lopez runs the floor, can hit the 15-18 foot jumper consistently and also has a strong repertoire of post moves. His defense also continues to improve and he will be a critical deterrent in the paint.

Every recent NBA Champion has had a Superstar-caliber wing player, but each has also had a dependable, talented center. It has been proven in this era that you need both to win a title. The easiest way the Nets may be able to acquire Carmelo Anthony is to trade Brook Lopez, but that is not the best move for the franchise in the long run.

The Final Verdict:

Under no circumstances should Brook Lopez be traded. There are other young, talented players on the roster that can be dealt to acquire Carmelo. Even if you are getting one of the top 5 players in the NBA in return, you just do not trade a 22-year old center that is already a proven commodity. Having Lopez on the roster for the next 10 years would be a major factor in convincing Anthony to sign a long-term contract with the Nets. Carmelo is a great player but he knows he can’t win a title by himself. The Nets could replace Derrick Favors, Terrence Williams or even Devin Harris. But there is no replacing a young, burgeoning center that will anchor the post for the next decade.

Would you Trade Devin Harris?

The Case For Trading Devin Harris:

Devin Harris played like and was recognized as an All-Star during the 2008-09 season, but there was a significant drop-off in his performance last season when he became the team’s focal point after the departure of Vince Carter.  His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) dropped from 21.65 to 16.28 and his frailty really became exposed last season when he only played in 64 games due to assorted injuries – his third consecutive season of under 70 games played.  Despite his aggressive style of play on offense, his field goal percentage on shots taken at the rim (53%) was an all-time low for Harris last season, according to hoopdata.com. Harris doesn’t hit enough of his remaining field goals (40% total, 28% from three) for the Nets to survive offensively without him connecting regularly on his drives to the hoop.

And still, despite these flaws, he demonstrated glimpses last year than when healthy, he could play like an All-Star. He averaged 20.3 points and 9.1 assists during the month of February, which were in-line to his final statistics in 2008-09 (21.3 ppg, 6.9 assists). And, as one of the longest-tenured players on the Nets, he makes enough salary ($8.4 million) to help make some of the money in a potential Anthony deal match up – an all too important factor in the NBA.

The Case Against Trading Devin Harris:

With six years of NBA experience, Harris brings veteran savvy to an otherwise inexperienced team of players, and as one of four players still on the roster from last year, he also provides stability and continuity for cornerstones like Brook Lopez and Terrence Williams. And while Jordan Farmar may be a solid back-up, he’s never proven that he could ably fill-in long term in a starting line-up. Unless the Nets could solidify themselves at the PG spot with a subsequent deal, they would be seemingly weakening themselves overall. If part of the reason Anthony wants to leave Denver is because they’re not competitive enough to win a championship, there’s little reason to believe a team with Farmar as the starting PG could compete with the Heat and the Magic in the east.

Meanwhile, because of Harris’ dropoff last season, his trade value has never been lower. Would Denver even want him in a deal for Anthony? Do they have faith that he can regain his all-star form, or will they rule his 08-09 season as a fluke? Perhaps, by being reunited with Avery Johnson, his coach in Dallas, Harris could regain his all-star form and become an attractive trade chip again.

The Final Verdict:

If Harris is the centerpiece in a deal for Carmelo Anthony, you have to do it. While the Nets would have to upgrade at PG at some point, Anthony brings enough on offense, that paired with Brook Lopez, and eventually Derrick Favors, the Nets can end up with their own “Big Three” and all they would need to run the offense is a solid ball distributor who can occasionally knock down a jumper. If the Bulls were able to win in the 90s with John Paxson as the PG, and the Lakers can win two rings in a row with Derek Fisher, then the Nets could win without a sparkplug like Devin Harris, who is still too offensive-minded to effectively run the point anyway.

Welcome to the fourth edition of the NetsAreScorching Mailbag.  In this week’s edition we look at the Carmelo Trade, Damion James, Jordan Farmar, and the slim pickings in the Nets’ team store.  Let’s get started.

Manuel Martinez

Would you rather trade for Melo and give up practically all our assets maybe leading us to mediocre playoff team (which some Nets fans think this will happen if we make the trade since we will no longer have flexibility, but i dont) or just keep our roster intact this season and let our young guys grow together and form chemistry and continue building our team through the draft?

That’s tough, but I think the Nets would end up making this trade for a ton of assets, and I would actually be ok with it.  Part of the reason why you build assets like younger players and picks is so you can make yourself available to take advantage of teams in a position to deal one of their best players.  The only problem I would have is if Brook Lopez was to be included in the deal.  This is because the team wouldn’t even be competitive, let alone make the playoffs, if Carmelo were to come over with Brook Lopez going in the other direction.  If the Nets can somehow get Carmelo without including Brook they would have a future front-line of Carmelo, Derrick Favors (can’t be traded for a year, so he is staying), and Brook Lopez.  Pretty solid if you ask me.

How comfortable would you be with Farmar as our starting PG if we do get Melo for a package including both Harris and T Will?

I’d be ok with it.  Farmar wouldn’t be asked to do what Devin will have to do if Carmelo doesn’t come over.  That is score and get the Nets into their offense.  There would be so much scoring power in the front court that all Farmar would have to do is bring the ball up, get the Nets into their offense, and hit an open shot here or there.

John Katehis

What kind of NBA player do you see Damion James developing into and what NBA player does he remind you of. He reminds me of Gerald Wallace, a good defender, a good rebounder, but ok (streaky) offensively. Also they both can play at the SG, SF, and PF position, and both are 6-7 and 220 lbs. What do you think?

For me, it is hard to call him a Gerald Wallace type player especially when we haven’t seen James play as a pro yet.  Also, I think it would be a stretch to say he can play the shooting guard position.  James isn’t the best ball handler, and if he is playing the two, he would be required to handle the ball a ton.  This year, I am just looking for James to contribute on the defensive end of the court.  Anything else is an added bonus.

Blake Ratcliff

Why is the Nets’ official online store so bare?  And who is to blame for that?  If you take a look at the Nets’ store, and then look at the online stores for really any other team, you see that the Nets offer some Lopez gear but little else–and there’s absolutely nothing for the newly signed free agents at all.  The draft picks and some returnees have some jerseys at least.  A rundown, because this is laughable: there are 3 T-shirts, and two are discounted below half-price, and one discounted longsleeve shirt; 4 hats, with 3 super-discounted and the other one the draft hat; two items of ladies apparel, both super-discounted; and very weak assortment of the usual NBA novelty crap.  While there is no shortage of Nets gear around the internet, this situation strikes me as strange…that a team that’s redefining itself and generating a buzz would do so without stepping up their merchandise…especially this marketing-savvy bunch.  Where’s a shirt with the “Blueprint for Greatness” image on it?  Where is the Troy Murphy gear?  Even some clever shirt with just Prokhorov’s half-smile on it would probably sell.  What do you think the team’s delay in updating the site has been, and do you think it’s related to the proposed name change at all?  Is a big, new relaunch on its way, do you think?  I just can’t believe this has fallen through the cracks.  Right now, they cannot be waiting on a new logo/name/color scheme.

In my opinion, it is going to take some time for stuff to get into the team store.  I mean think about it, there are only four players on the team from last year.  From the limited knowledge I have of team stores, they usually wait until they can fill a large number of orders before putting up things for sale.  By the time the season starts, I expect to see Murphy, Favors, Outlaw, and Morrow jerseys in the team store.

As for T-Shirts with Prokhorov’s face on it.  It strikes me as something he wouldn’t be for.

The Nets have the assets and the location to lure Anthony. The pieces are in place to make a deal happen without giving up Lopez.

Billy King needs to avoid the panic button. Patience is the better part of valor here.

Denver will realize that New Jersey has the best package to offer, it just might take a little time while Ujiri tries to hold one team hostage.

Agreed. NAS will discuss potential packages for ‘Melo later this week, but Hrinya makes a great point and being patient.

The Nets won just 12 games last season. It was by all accounts one of the worst seasons in NBA history. So don’t blame me if I’m a bit skeptical of starting point guard Devin Harris when he says the team’s expectation is to make the playoffs in 2010-11. Let’s just take this thing one step at a time, Devin.

There is no question that this year’s version of the Nets will have more talent. The additions of Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors and Jordan Farmar will certainly help the team (and I guess you can throw Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw and Johan Petro in there, too). But with so many new pieces a major factor will be how this team meshes together. New Head Coach Avery Johnson will have the task of getting everyone on the same page and making sure everyone knows their role on the team. But in the increasingly point-guard driven NBA, much of the success of this season will fall on D. Harris.

Devin Harris will be entering his third full season in Jersey and the team is hoping he can regain his 2008-2009 form. Despite the team winning just 34 games two seasons ago, Harris’ numbers were quite impressive. He averaged 21.3 points, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals, on his way to being named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. But his numbers trailed off dramatically in 2009-2010, and he admitted that in 2010-11 he needed to get healthy and regain his All-Star form.

The relationship between Harris and Avery Johnson will be one to keep a close eye on. The two were together in Dallas and many in the media felt that Johnson did not let Harris play the point guard position with enough freedom. However the Nets point guard did say he was excited when the organization hired Johnson to be the team’s new head coach.

The former Wisconsin star is the definition of the modern-day hybrid point guard. He is most effective when he’s scoring the ball first and dishing to teammates second. But with the new pieces the Nets have on their roster, he needs to be more of a facilitator and get everyone else involved. In 64 games last season, Harris had 10 or more assists just 7 times. If the Nets are to improve in this upcoming season and take a substantial step towards respectability, he will need to up his play and be the team’s true floor general. Devin Harris can say he expects the Nets to make the playoffs in 2010-11, but much of the team’s success will fall on his shoulders, and if he can become an All-Star caliber player again.

The Nuggets made it clear to teams they want young players and draft picks for Anthony, league executives said. The New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as the two most probable destinations for Anthony because they have assets that appeal to Denver. The geography works for Anthony because of his wife LaLa Vazquez’s entertainment career.

Since these ‘Melo trade rumors began a few weeks ago, I’ve heard a lot of Nets fans say Anthony is not the kind of franchise changing player the Nets should be chasing. Balderdash. Granted, I wouldn’t trade just anyone for ‘Melo, it would have to make sense. But if you pair an offensive talent like Anthony with a center like Brook Lopez, the Nets can become a dangerous team.

Anthony Morrow is one of the best sharpshooters in the league, while Troy Murphy may be one of the NBA’s better shooting PFs. However, Jordan Farmar and Travis Outlaw also bring respectable shooting to the team. And while I’m sure you’ve heard this before, I’d like to point the many advantages of having legit shooters in the NBA: it spaces the floor better for your big men in the post while preventing defenses from settling into monotonous zone defenses – something that repeatedly did the Nets in during their close games last year.

So how much better are the Nets at shooting threes? By looking at just how their new acquisitions performed last year, the answer is: miles and miles better. Collectively, the current Nets roster shot 37 percent from three last year, which would have placed them 6^th in the league based on overall percentage. It’s difficult to gauge if those shooters could have replicated those numbers in the Nets system last year – keep in mind that Courtney Lee went from a 40 percent shooter in Orlando to a 34 percent shooter with the Nets – but it’s a good indication as to how much more improved the Nets are in that one area.

It’s also worth noting that good three-point shooting does not guarantee success in the NBA – Toronto and Golden State were both in the top 6 last year. But look at some of the other teams near the top in this statistic – Phoenix (1^st), Cleveland (2^nd), Orlando (3^rd) and Dallas (5^th). So it obviously only helps, especially if they’re able to accomplish other things on offense besides launching treys.

As a fan, these numbers are also reassuring that the front office has developed a legitimate strategy for improving the team on offense. While the Nets didn’t acquire the “best” player at any one position, outside of Johan Petro, all of the new acquisitions have long range shooting skills and an offensive system can be built around that, especially with Brook Lopez in the middle.

“I look at the team that we had, and some of the games we were losing, it was just mental. We were in a lot of games – though we got our butts kicked our fair share, too – but we just made mental mistakes down the stretch. That’ll change with a new season. Coming back, we’ve got a lot of new guys. You look at last year and move forward.”

You would have to think that if Harris was playing like an all-star for most of last year, the Nets would never have been flirting with the worst record of all time. I think Harris’ performance out of the gate will go a long way in determining if he’s really that special kind of a player we all saw in 2008-09, or if that season was a bit of fluke.