Bleacher Report - New Jersey Nets

Harris Returns, But New Jersey Nets Fall To 0-13 After Loss to New York Knicks

Christopher Chavez — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:49:06 -0500

The New Jersey Nets entered Saturday with hopes of finally winning a game in the 2009-2010 season. The Nets had reason to have hope. Their star player, Devin Harris, was returning to the team after a injury that kept him out of 10 games. They were also playing the New York Knicks who are not that good this season. The Nets were 0-12 entering the game and hoped to finally end their bad luck and go 1-12.

But a win was not going to happen.

Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari of the Knicks each had 17 points to help keep the New Jersey Nets winless in this new campaign. The Knicks' David Lee also contributed with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Knicks showed that they were not the worst in the East and that bad basketball is not played in New York, but in New Jersey.

The Nets are about to go on a very difficult road trip out West to play the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. The main goal of this trip for the Nets is to get a win and try not to start the season with a record of 0-17 to tie the NBA record set by the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 24 points and Nets Center Brook Lopez had 18 points. The nets didn't even crack 90 points against one of the NBA's worst defensive teams.

Devin Harris made his return to the Nets and immediately had an impact and had his presence heard in the first quarter. For the most part, Harris looked healthy and the Nets are happy to have him back.

But Harris was not enough to propel the Nets over the Knicks in the end. The 98-91 loss to the Knicks puts the Nets' coach Lawrence Frank on the hot-seat in New Jersey. In January 2004, when Frank was promoted to the head coach job, he won a streak of 13 games to begin his career. He now has a streak of 13 losses to match that.

The game was very bad overall for the Nets and the fans in the stands. But the kids did have fun as Dora the Explorer went on the court a few times and an Elmo balloon hovered above the court for most of the game.

These tow teams are bad and could already be looking forward to 2010. It's going to be a battle between these two for a possible number one draft pick this summer. Better yet, the battle for LeBron James could be between these two.

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The New Jersey Nets: Are They Really This Bad?

Courtzide Seatz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:49:17 -0500

The New Jersey Nets started the season in lowly fashion, losing their first 11 games by an average of 10 points.

But just how bad is their start?

The team launched a marketing campaign called “10 is Enough” after their 10th loss, giving each of its season ticket holders two additional tickets. They also encouraged Nets fans to rally around the team like never before for their home game against the Indiana Pacers.

The team still lost.

Yet, as always, the numbers only tell half of the story.

When you take a closer look at the team, the circumstances surrounding their current roster, and the quality of basketball played within those 11 losses, you begin to realize that maybe this team isn’t as bad as they appear.

First and foremost, the Nets have been decimated by injuries. Currently, the Nets have seven players listed on their injury report: Devin Harris (groin-out); Jarvis Hayes (hamstring-out); Keyon Dooling (hip-out); Tony Battie (knee-out); Yi Jianlian (knee-out); Courtney Lee (groin-questionable); and Eduardo Najera (back-questionable).

In their most recent defeat, the Nets had arguably one of the most overmatched starting lineups of all time. Rafer Alston started at point with Chris Douglas-Roberts at the two, Terrence Williams at the three, Trenton Hassell at the four, and Brook Lopez at the center position. This wouldn’t even be a good second unit for a championship-caliber team.

That said, this team proved they will not go down without fight, and, despite their setbacks, they have still found a way to be competitive.

The Nets nearly beat the Philadelphia 76ers twice this season (losing by a combined six points in the two games), and they took a very good Miami Heat team to the final one-tenth of a second before succumbing to Dwyane Wade’s game-winner.

Once their players return from injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team start winning these games.

Devin Harris is nearly at full strength, and Courtney Lee hopes to be back by Saturday’s game against the Knicks. Najera, a key energy guy, should be back in the lineup by then, too. Keyon Dooling returned to practice last week and is anticipated to be back in the lineup by late November.

They certainly won’t be world beaters, but I think the Nets at full strength are far from the worst team in the league.

I bestow that dubious honor to their cross-town rivals, the New York Knicks, with the Minnesota Timberwolves coming in a close second.

There are pieces in New Jersey to build around, so all hope is not lost. The Nets have an All-Star caliber point guard in Devin Harris and a young, talented center in Brook Lopez, who is capable of eventually becoming a double-double type player. These are two pieces that should be very attractive to big time free agents as they move into the feeding frenzy of the 2010 offseason.

Courtney Lee was a shining star in last year’s playoffs with the Orlando Magic and looks to return to form with the Nets as he is healthy.

Yi Jianlian has been impressive, yet inconsistent. The jury is still out on his abilities, but if he lives up to his potential he will be a nightmare matchup.

They have other solid contributors: Chris Douglas-Roberts (CDR), who is probably better suited as a sixth or seventh man; Keyon Dooling, a good combination guard; Jarvis Hayes, a long-range specialist; and Terrence Williams, a young and athletic shooting guard.

Lawrence Frank has proven himself to be a good coach and deserves to see this team through to the end of the season. Rod Thorn has always been a Frank fan and will certainly do his best to spin their early season struggles around their injury woes, and rightfully so.

For New Jersey, the future is actually much brighter than it looks right now. A healthy Nets team can still finish with 25-30 wins despite their poor start, and they have some very good pieces in place to build around.

A key acquisition in the 2010 free-agent period coupled with the momentum of a change of scenery might be just enough to put this team back in the picture of NBA relevance.

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Shooting Burritos?! R.I.P. 2009-10 Nets

Fred Richani — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:28:15 -0500

Many of you might be wondering why I didn't post a recap of the Nets losing 91-83 to the Indiana Pacers last night. After all, 0-11 is a horrendous record and their worst start in franchise history. Well, there are a few reasons:

After watching the game live and in-person, my head exploded. Yes, the seats were $10, which was an extremely kind gesture by the Nets organization, but Tuesday night was depressing. Sure, the Izod Center has never been sold out on a consistent basis, yet it would always be rockin'.

Last night, the arena looked half empty. It was lifeless—much like the play on the court.

I don't live in Los Angeles, so I don't watch the Clippers on a regular basis, but what I saw last night was not worth going into detail about who scored how much.

Bottom line, last night was just horrendous basketball.

The Nets' only bright spots, outside of injured All-Star Devin Harris, are Chris Douglas-Roberts, who scored a career-high 27 points and Brook Lopez, who added 26 points and 16 rebounds. I know quite a few of the players are/have been injured for New Jersey. Still, that is no excuse.

The Nets had a chance to cut the lead or tie and got so close, only to miss key rebounds and commit fouls (I'm talking to you, Sean Williams).

Outside of the three aforementioned players, Courtney Lee, and perhaps rookie Terrence Williams, none of these Nets will be there next year. Not Bobby Simmons. Not Trenton Hassell (yes, he's still in the league). Not Yi Jianlian...especially not Yi Jianlian.

You can argue with me that the Nets are a rebuilding team and all. Go ahead.

I already know New Jersey has potential, but potential doesn't equal wins. 2010 seems so far away right now.

Sigh...it's going to be a long, long season.

Oh, by the way, the Nets weren't shooting t-shirts into the crowd last night...as WFAN 's Steve Somers said, they were "shooting burritos..."

Burritos?!

You know your team is bad when that becomes the topic of discussion on local sports talk radio. 'Nuff said.

Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a columnist for The Sports Courier , 411Mania.com , and everythingyntk.com . Richani founded The Sports Courier in 2009. His work has been featured on CBS Sportsline , Pro Wrestling Torch , GOOGLE News , and USAToday.com . He has also interviewed Platinum-selling bands Blue October and OneRepublic . Richani currently resides in Freehold, N.J., just an hour from New York City and Philadelphia.

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The Pacers Come To New Jersey: A Quick Preview

David Glazer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:43 -0500

The Nets front office is trying a new marketing slogan for tonight's game, "10 is enough." While most Nets would agree that losing the first 10 games of the season is enough, it has also been understandable. No team is going to win very many games when 4 out of your 5 starters are hurt.

Which brings us to tonight's game against the Pacers. The question is whether or not the Nets have enough fire power to defeat a Pacers team that just beat Boston. On paper, the answer appears to be no. Here is a rundown of the key match ups for the game.

T.J. Ford vs. Rafer Alston

This is in many ways a mirror match up. Both players handle the ball very well and have played for winning teams. Both are excellent passers with average jump shots. Both will knock it down when left open and have trouble with a defender in their face because both are on the small side. However, both have the ability to make the circus shot in the paint on drives to the basket. In many ways, this match up is a push. Where the Nets lose is in the backups. The Pacers can go to Earl Watson, an established backup while the Nets have to use a SF in Terrence Williams. So, this edge goes to Indiana.

Brandon Rush & Dahntay Jones vs. Chris Douglas-Roberts & Terrence Williams

CDR can score and is developing the rest of his game. His is really a SF who can play guard. However, Courtney Lee and Keyon Dooling were the starter and backup and neither is available. So, CDR gets to play guard. The good news is that Jones is primarily a defender and Rush is primarily a spot up shooter. As such, neither is likely to expose CDR's lack of lateral quickness at the guard position. Williams can provide some minutes here, but he is a poor shooter and is also a SF by nature. This match up favors the Nets.

Danny Granger vs. Trenton Hassell & Bobby Simmons

Hassell and Simmons are nice role players who play good defense. Danny Granger is one of the best scorers in the NBA and a rising superstar. This match up is not even close and a huge reason why the Pacers will probably win. Hassell and Simmons will have to play the games of their lives and Granger would have to be off for the Nets to win.

Troy Murphy & Tyler Hansborough vs. Sean Williams & Eduardo Najera

The Pacers power forwards are excellent rebounders. Murphy is a great shooter and Hansborough plays to contact. Najera is a smart player who can shoot and moves well without the ball. However, he is short and limited athletically. Sean Williams is a great athlete. He is tall with long arms. He is an instinctive shot blocker and decent rebounder. However, he cannot shoot the ball. He is a garbage man on offense. When he plays with effort, he is a good player. If the effort is lacking, he hinders the team. If the good Sean Williams shows up, then the Nets can compete because he dramatically improves the team defense with his shot blocking ability. If not, then the Pacers have a huge advantage.

Roy Hibbert & Jeff Foster vs. Brook Lopez & Josh Boone

Hibbert is big and strong. He is a good shot blocker and positions his body well on defense. He is limited on offense. Foster is a hustle player who is an excellent offensive rebounder because he never stops moving on offense. Josh Boone is the Nets version of Jeff Foster except that Foster can do more on offense.

However, Brook Lopez is a rising star. His offensive game is rapidly developing. Just last week, I wrote that he needed to develop a move where he turns over his right shoulder. Against Miami, he used a drop step move over the right shoulder several times to get a clean look at the basket. Hibbert will be a tough test because Hibbert is so strong, but he does not have the quickness to stay with Lopez. For the Nets to win, Lopez has to have a huge game. This match up goes to the Nets.

Overall, the Nets just do not have enough firepower with all of the injuries to be able to play with a team like the Pacers for 48 minutes. The Pacers are on a roll, having won their last four games. Plus, they have a truly dynamic scorer in Danny Granger with quality role players in Murphy and Ford. With Douglas-Roberts still getting his strength back after having the swine flu, the Nets just do not have a perimeter scorer to open up the middle for Lopez. The Pacers should win tonight.

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Are the New Jersey Nets the Most Irrelevant Team in Sports?

Austin Schindel — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:47:17 -0500

You would think a team owned by Jay-Z, rumored to be one of Lebron's primary suitors and situated right next to the new metropolis complex called "Xanadu" might get a little more love. But, sinking deeper and deeper into the New Jersey Meadowlands swamp seems to be the only future plans for this troubles and highly misguided excuse for a franchise.

How is it, that going into the 2007-2008, a team featuring Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vinsanity could fall so far from eastern conference supremacy. Now, Vince is living it up in Orlando, RJ is a title contender and, JKidd; well he is on his last crutch in Dallas.

Nonetheless, what do the Nets have to show for this trading spree? As much as Trenton Hassel and Yi tickle everyone's fancy, these shlubs have lead feet and the basketball IQ of an elementary schoolgirl. 0-10 to start the season is just the tip of the iceberg.

Sure the team has a load of future first round draft picks and eight figure salary cap space coming up, but if this team is banking on signing one of he big free agents, come 2010, they have another thing coming.

Besides poor ownership and a motley crew of hodgepodge "basketball players", the imminent move to Brooklyn seems to be years away. What was once Rattner's brainchild has grown to be a thorn in his side.

His desire to sell a large portion of the team is a good indicator of the confidence he has in the eventual success of this mega construction deal. Newark (the home of the devils) seems to be the next logical step for the Nets, where the brand new Prudential Center is the only plausible place for them to move.

And, it is not like the Nets are a hot ticket in town either. With no real public transportation system, the team has always been plagued with the difficulty of bringing fans into the stadium. T shirt launches, mascot dunking, and old people dancing (yes they have a senior dance crew) are by far, to some people, the most exciting part of their experience.

In a bad economy, people want results, and this embarrassment of a team needs to change their ways before they find themselves having to beg people to come.

Nets fans, this is going to be a long, long season. Strap in and buckle up.

In Eduardo Najera we trust...

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Week Three Observations

Hot Stove New York — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:44:01 -0500

1. Brandon Jennings is the real deal: In two games last week Jennings has scored 87 points with 14 assists. So far this season he is averaging 25 PTS (eigth in the NBA), 5 AST, 4 REB, and 1 STL. He also is shooting 49 percent from the field, 83 percent from the foul line, and has 17 three-pointers. In an eight-cat league his fantasy value equals the 10th overall player.

2. Marc Gasol has been playing like his brother: Gasol pulled down 16 rebounds last Saturday for the second time this season. He is averaging 14.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Also he is shooting 56 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line. He is looking like one of the biggest steals in the draft.

3. Danny Granger is showing why he was a top-four pick: The Pacers upset the Celtics last Friday and Granger was a big part of that with 29 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, and six three-pointers. His rebounding has increase with Troy Murphy sidelined.

4. Chris Bosh is outscoring Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki and out rebounding Dwight Howar d: Bosh is fourth in the NBA with 27.7 points per game. He is third in the NBA with 11.8 rebounds per game.

5. Charlie Villanueva is heating up: Charlie V has has scored 25 or more points in three of his past five games. It looks like his hamstring injury is over with and he should increase his 17 points per game.

Honorable mention: Chris Paul out with injury, Byron Scott fired, Knicks 1-8, Nets winless, Joakim Noah leads in the NBA with 12.2 rebounds per game, Kobe Bryant leads the NBA with 30.1 points per game.

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