New Jersey Nets: Regular Season Game 3 Breakdown

Orlando Magic 94, New Jersey Nets 78

If last night was the New Jersey Nets' sales pitch to Dwight Howard, they are the worst salespeople in the world. However, Howard should realize that he is the star player that they need. D12 was able to grab 24 rebounds against the Nets and sent one of his three blocks into the third row of the Amway Center.

If Deron Williams wanted to prove to Dwight that he is the player he should want to pair up with, he also failed.

The Nets again struggled in the first quarter and had to crawl their way out of a ditch in order to get back in the game.

The Nets right now are struggling to score. They held the Magic to under 100 points, and for the most part, were out of the game. They could not score and keep up with the Magic.

The Nets now sit at 1-2 and are currently tied with the Knicks for third place in the Atlantic Division. I will breakdown the Nets team in their second loss of the season.

Deron Williams

Deron Williams struggled again for the second straight game. Williams is the star of the Nets, and if they want to compete in this league, he has to play better.

Deron made just two out of the 12 field goals he attempted and had six turnovers for the second straight game.

Even with the Nets' scoring troubles, he still had seven assists.

He also missed all three of the three-pointers he shot.

Williams' stat line: 10 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB.

Backcourt Scoring

This game was eerily similar to the game against the Hawks because the only bright spot was rookie MarShon Brooks.

Avery Johnson shook up the Nets' starting lineup, putting Sundiata Gaines in as a starter, and had Anthony Morrow come off the bench.

Deron Williams, Morrow and Sundiata Gaines were a combined 7-of-31 from the field. That is about a 22 percent field goal percentage. With Brook Lopez out, the backcourt must fulfill his role of a consistent scoring presence, but have failed to do that.

If the Nets want to compete in this league, they either have to get more consistent scoring from their important players or go out and find a small forward that can put the ball in the hoop.

Meanwhile, Brooks put up 17 points with three assists and two rebounds in just over 20 minutes of playing time. He was the lone player who was successful offensively and came off the bench in the second quarter to start a run that got the Nets back in the game. Expect Brooks to become the starting shooting guard if the trend from last night continues.

The Big Men

Avery Johnson also shook up the starting center position, as he dropped Johan Petro as a starter and slipped Mehmet Okur in.

The Nets' biggest concern going into this game against the Magic was what they were going to do against Dwight Howard. The game plan for the big men on the Nets had to be to keep up with Dwight.

The Nets were able to get Howard in foul trouble early on, which helped them cut a 20-point deficit into three, but never capitalized further. Howard dominated the boards and had more rebounds than Humphries, Okur and Petro combined.

Kris Humphries had another decent game, but he is going to have to become more of an offensive weapon with Lopez out. Throughout his time with the Nets, he has been a consistent double-double player and was one point away from one last night. He had nine points and 10 rebounds, but should strive to have games like he had against the Wizards.

Mehmet Okur showed some life offensively last night, as he went 4-for-9 from the field, including a three-pointer. He was brought in to fill Lopez's role at center and played 25 minutes last night. In 25 minutes, he should have grabbed more than six rebounds.

Johan Petro is back to being a bad player. After a decent game against the Wizards, Petro has become irrelevant again. Do not expect his role on this team to increase or for him to be a major factor in any game.

Keys to Losses

• Out-rebounded: Dwight Howard had the same amount of rebounds as Mehmet Okur, Johan Petro, Kris Humphries and Sheldon Williams combined.
• Lack of Consistency: The Nets key scorers, Anthony Morrow and Deron Williams, have been awful from the field. In the past two games, they are a combined 8-for-38 in field goals, which is a shooting percentage of  21 percent.
• Slow Start: Every game this season, the Nets have struggled in the first quarter. They have been outscored a combined 82-40 in first quarters this season.
• Missing Another Star: A key to the Nets loss last night was that Howard was in the game, but in a Magic jersey. The Nets need Howard as soon as possible to clean the glass and run the floor with Deron Williams. When Williams is not on, like last night, the Nets don't have another proven player to turn to. 

Next 3 Games

The Nets have lost two in a row, and the previously mentioned hopes of winning one out of the three games against the Magic and Hawks seem to be done.

The Nets go to "Hotlanta" to face the Hawks for the second time this week. The Nets need to improve their weaknesses from the last time they faced the Hawks, or they could be out of the game at halftime. Expect Deron Williams to be more of a factor this game and score around 20 points.

After the Hawks, the Nets face the Cavaliers in a game they should win. These games are the ones the Nets have to win if they want to make a run at the playoffs. 

Then, the Nets face a young and talented Pacers team that are 2-0 but have beaten two weak teams, the Raptors and Pistons. This will be a good test for the Nets as they try to string together a few wins in a row.