the Nets drop another one. To the Pacers once again for the third time.
Pacers had a great second half. That's what fueled them after an about even first half.
The Nets continue to struggle without Brook. Now 1-3 since the broken foot news.
The second half has been horrible for the Nets this season. Its been their achilles heel.
The Nets are now 0-15 when giving up 100+ points.
The Nets the next two days off before playing in San Antonio against the Spurs on New Years Eve.
The Nets ended their losing streak to the Milwaukee Bucks.
They came out early with a sense of urgency. Already without Brook Lopez, they learned Andray Blatche would miss the next games due to personal reasons
Shaun Livingston was inserted in the lineup along with Paul Pierce.
Livingston had a monster game. Scoring 20 points on 6/11 shooting grabbing 6 boards and collecting 5 assists.
Nets had 5 players in double figures and improved to 10-19 on the season. The final score was 104-93.
They head to Indiana tomorrow to face a tough Pacers team.
For the second straight year it hasn't been a very Merry Christmas for the Brooklyn Nets.
Today's game almost completely modeled Monday's loss against Indiana. A great start in the first stayed at par in the second then collapsed in the second half.
After one the Nets led by 2. Then trailed by 3 after 2. It wasn't pretty after that. The Nets turned the ball over. Ended possessions on missed shot after shot. There was a point they missed 10 consecutive shots.
The Nets are now 0-2 since Brook Lopez was announced out for the season.
This Nets team is struggling horribly now ten games under .500 at 9-19.
I think Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have to start showing their veteran leadership. Andray Blatche has to be more consistent. Deron Williams has to keep doing what he's doing. And Joe Johnson needs to make those open shots.
This Nets team still has a chance. Plenty of time, but they'd better hurry if they want to turn this around.
Andrei Kirilenko should be back for Friday's game against Milwaukee.
Nets have an off day tomorrow before hosting the Bucks Friday night.
The Nets started their journey without Brook Lopez. It started well, but it sure didn't end well.
The Nets started off early taking a 16-10 lead. Pretty much after the first things went south for the Nets.
They again were badly out-rebounded.
The only bright spot for the Nets was the return of Jason Terry. He was 4/7 for 11 points.
Bad news for the Nets is in the 4th Nets down by double digits Deron Williams goes down and limps and buries a three. Seemed alright to me, but had a noticeable limp.
More good news on the injury front for Brooklyn, Andrei Kirilenko will play either Wednesday or Friday.
Nets have tomorrow off (as does the rest of the NBA) before a home Christmas Day matchup against the Bulls at 12 ET on ESPN.
Merry Christmas, Nets Nation!
After last night's game Brook Lopez was diagnosed with a fractured foot and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
This is a huge blow to a team that has been without Andrei Kirilenko for all but three games and Jason Terry missing 15 games. It also hurts the Nets inside. Lopez is probably the best post scorer in the NBA. Losing him for the season leaves the Nets limited. They will have to rely on their jump shooters to make their shots. This also could mean more minutes for KG than they would've hoped.
The Nets have a number of options. They can stick Plumlee at the 5 and keep KG at the 4. They could stick KG at the 5 with either Teletovic or Blatche at the 4.
The Nets this season are 7-10 with Brook, 2-7 without him. It's gonna be very difficult for the Nets to contend as they hoped they would coming into the season. Without Brook's inside scoring the Nets will struggle mightily. Brook was also the leading scorer on the team. Averaging just under 21 PPG and 56% shooting.
This team is going to have to have the heart and will to contend now. I still believe they can. It will be very difficult.
Also, in his first 3 seasons, Lopez didn't miss a single game. The next 3? He's averaging 32 games a season. Tough luck for Brook and the Nets.
The Nets beat down the Sixers Monday night at Barclays. Tonight was different. This game experienced 30+ lead changes. Back and forth they went all game.
This is back to back games that the Nets had 3 players score 20+. Last game Pierce, Johnson, & Brook all scored 20+. Tonight the Nets were led by Alan Anderson with 26, Pierce with 24, & Lopez with 22.
This game came down to the last shot. With the game tied 108-108 in regulation it was iso Deron as he missed the jumper at the buzzer. (Thought they'd go to Pierce).
Then in overtime down 119-117, Deron drove and kicked it out to an open Pierce who buried the three to give the Nets a 120-119 lead. Then off an inbounds Hawes handed off to Evan Turner (29 points) who drove to the basket a floated up a layup and got the roll at the buzzer and that's all she wrote. Sixers win, 121-120.
Nets will have two days off until they host the Indiana Pacers Monday night.
The Nets continue to have problems with the Wizards this season. The Wizards killed the Nets behind the arc and on the glass. The Nets just couldn't rebound tonight. They suffered by getting killed on second chance points.
A huge bright spot for the Nets is that that had 3 players score 20+ points. Pierce, Johnson, & Lopez. Johnson finished with 20. Brook finished with 22. & Pierce had 27 on 10/12 shooting and also added 6 boards and 3 assists.
Pierce finally had a break out game, even though it comes in a 113-107 loss to Washington. Deron Williams records another double-double with 15 points and 13 assists.
Since D-Will and Pierce's return Nets are 3-2. And the Nets continue to get killed beyond the arc. They give up the highest opponent 3pt FG% in the league. To even be close to as successful as they imagined, they have to defend the 3.
The Nets will be off tomorrow before returning to action in Philly Friday night as they visit the Sixers. A team Brooklyn dismantled Monday night, 130-94.
The Nets completely destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers. By a score of 130-94. The Nets have improved to 3-1 since Deron Williams' return. They were hitting everything. Locked in. The Nets knocked down 21 three pointers.
The story of the game? Joe Johnson. Well, his 3rd quarter was the story. He scored 8 points in the first half. He finished with 37 due to the 29 he dropped in the third quarter. There was a point where he made about 6 jumpshots consecutively. He ended up 10/13 in the quarter and 8/10 from three. He tied an NBA record for most threes in a quarter with Michael Redd. He finished the game 13/20 and 10/14 from three.
Another story is how much the absence of D-Will hurt the Nets. As you can see, his return has jolted this team. He makes a huge difference. His crossovers create space on the floor. He has been hitting his jumpers consistently. He also tallied 13 points and 13 assists tonight.
Pierce played a team-high 31 minutes tonight. He drained three three-pointers in the fourth quarter to get some rhythm. He finished with 14.
The victory improves the Nets to 9-15. Still remaining 2 games back of first in the Atlantic after Boston's victory tonight.
Nets have a day off tomorrow before facing the Wizards on Wednesday.
It was another one of those games for the Nets. Until the fourth quarter came. The Nets played a decent first quarter taking a 24-23 lead after one. It fell apart after that. The Nets were outscored in the second quarter 38-20. They found themselves down 61-44 at the half.
The third quarter didn't treat them any better. They got within 12 but the Pistons quickly turned that around. The Nets were playing without Brook Lopez tonight due to an ankle sprain. He should be back Monday. Anyways, Brooklyn then at the end of 3rd found themselves down 18.
The fourth quarter came. The Nets made a furious run. Down by 18 entering the quarter the Nets quickly made a run. Cutting the lead to 5 with over two minutes to go. They went cold for a while. Monroe hit a hook shot to seemingly out it away with 50 seconds to go. Deron Williams got fouled shooting a THREE, made all three free throws. Then on the other end Paul Pierce drew a charge against Josh Smith. Pierce then hit a clutch three to pull the Nets within two. That's as close as they got. Two big free throws by Singler and the Pistons are victorious, 103-99. D-Will finished with 22 points, 9 assists. Mirza also played well off the bench. 4/5 from three.
Nets have a couple of off days before playing against Philly on Monday.
During the 1st quarter it seemed like another one of "those games". Clippers jumped out to an early 13 point lead but the Nets responded pulling within 5 after one and eventually took a 33-31 lead in the second and never looked back.
The Nets were hitting their threes tonight. Hitting their free throws. Clippers struggled in both of those areas. Going 6/24 from three and missing double digit free throws.
Deron Williams put on a clinic in the 2nd scoring 12 points and having a couple great crossover moves on Chris Paul. The Nets outscored the Clippers 36-19 in the second. & here's a fun fact: for the third game in a row, the Nets don't falter in the third quarter.
There was a scary moment for the Nets. Brook Lopez seemed to come down wrong on his ankle and was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. He came back in and then exited a few plays later. He just seemed to tweak it. I expect him to play tomorrow.
The Clippers were out of sync missing shot after shot. Nets took advantage. Johnson and Blatche each had 21. Williams had 15. Pierce had 10, 7, & 5. The final score ended up being, 102-93. A lot closer than it really was, but it was an all-around great victory for the Nets tonight.
Deron Williams returned with a bang in the Nets 104-96 victory over the Boston Celtics last night. He had missed 10+ games due to an ankle sprain. Something he's had a problem with so far this season. Over the last few seasons he's had to deal with ankle injuries. Inflammation in ankle, 3 different ankle sprains and you could definitely see the Nets missed him.
Last night in his return, D-Will recorded 25 points, 7 assists. He only turned the ball over 2 times and also played 37 minutes. They sure did miss him. Driving by defenders. Hitting jumpers. Setting up his teammates. D-Will looked, well, like vintage D-Will.
During the game you could just see the difference with D-Will on the court. He's the leader of this team and he showed why last night. He must stay healthy for this team to succeed this season.
After the game KG made comments concerning Deron. "D-Will makes a difference" Also saying that: "D-Will set the tone tonight." You can tell this team misses him and glad he is back. With Deron healthy this team could be very dangerous. Still with Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry out. This team, if healthy is a force to reckoned with. It all starts with health, though. It starts with Deron Williams.
The Nets started this game off like they have the last few... very slow and not much effort. Settling for jumpers. And it showed as Phoenix easily jumped out to an early 14 point lead.
The Nets made a big run to get right back in it at the half, where they only trailed by 4. Deron Williams sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and didn't return. Shaun Livingston took his place and he helped lead the Nets to this OT victory. He was huge.
The Nets started the 2nd half on a huge 16-0 run. Took a 12 point lead. Phoenix recovered and got right back in it. Late in the game PJ Tucker hit a couple of key shots and it was tied 92-92 and we headed to OT, but not before some controversy. Paul Pierce seemed to be fouled when he was attempting to launch a half court shot at the End of regulation, there was no whistle.
We headed to OT, no team took control with about 10 seconds left Channing Frye missed a 3, a back tap right to Joe Johnson and he took it the length of the court and hit the game-winning runner. Mr. Clutch does it once again.
Nets next game is tomorrow is LA as they take on the Clippers at 10:30 ET. Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce reunited with Doc Rivers. Should be a joy to watch.
The Nets lost their first game at home tonight against the now 7-0 Indiana Pacers, 96-91. This game was close throughout. The Nets won the first half bit the second half belonged to Indiana. Paul George lighted up the Nets for 24 points and continued to hit jumpers all night long.
Brook Lopez had an off night. With Hibbert on him it wasn't going to be easy. Deron Williams had by far his best game this season logging 17 points and 10 assists. Joe Johnson added 17 as well.
Nets had too many mistakes late in this game to win. KG made a couple of mistakes. D-Will made a mistake trying to do too much. And in my opinion, with the score 94-91 I felt the Nets shouldn't of settled for a three. But they did and Johnson missed a good look.
Nets next game is next Wednesday at Sacramento. They hope to bounce back as they have now fallen to 2-4.
Coming off their slaughtering of the Utah Jazz the Nets had two days off before they traveled to DC to take on the Wizards. The Nets completely controlled the first half. But the duo of Pierce and Garnett struggled. Garnett was 2-11 from the field, while Pierce was 1-5. Lopez had 23 points and 5 boards. John Wall totaled 17 points and 14 assists.
Nets fans have to be thinking how could we lose to the Cavs, Magic, & Wizards but defeat the Heat? This loss also puts the Nets 0-3 on the road and they're 2-0 at home.
They started off the 4th great led the trio of Livingston, Terry, Anderson. Blatche also contributed adding 13 rebounds and receiving a lot of boos, at usual in DC. Wonder why J Kidd didn't leave that lineup out there when they were successful. The Wizards eSnded up being victorious in OT with a final score of, 112-108.
Nets now turn their focus to tomorrow night as they host the undefeated Indiana Pacers. Should be a good one. Hopefully we can bounce back.
The Nets bounced back from a horrible loss Sunday against the Magic. And tonight showed how deep this team really is. Brooklyn controlled the game from the tip. The Jazz didn't have a lead the entire game.
Brook Lopez was the high man with 27 points and 7 rebounds. He didn't play in the 4th so he could've had a lot more. Also a side note, Paul Pierce has shot 50% or higher in every game this season and it continues tonight as he was 4/7 from the field.
This is also the first time Deron Williams and Andrei Kirinlenko first time defeating their former team.
The Nets won by 16 despite getting outrebounded 47-39. Nets now improve to 2-2.
Next up for the Nets is Friday in Washington against the Wizards.
Coming off a big win Friday night in their home opener against the two time defending champion Miami Heat, the Nets had to feel good. The Orlando Magic made sure they weren't the second consecutive Florida team the Nets beat.
The Magic beat the Nets in every aspect of the game. The Nets kept it close throughout the first half but they absolutely got killed in the second half.
The Nets missed shot after shot. They didn't get the ball down low much at all tonight. They seemed content with constantly shooting jumper after jumper.
It was Jason Kidd's regular season coaching debut and it wasn't pleasant at all. We all expected a lot more from the Nets after their win over Miami but I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Brook Lopez led the Nets with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Pierce added 16 more. Paul Pierce has showed up in his first three regular season games as a Net. Scoring 17 in a loss to Cleveland, 19 in a win against Miami, and 16 tonight in the loss to Orlando.
The Nets next game is Tuesday at home against the Utah Jazz.
All summer the Brooklyn Nets talked about beating the Heat. Well, in their home opener they did it. Beating Miami 101-100. They led for most of the game. Miami made a late run with a minute left to make it close.
In the first half Paul Pierce scored 2 points. He erupted for 17 in the second half. Joe Johnson hit a couple of key three-pointers down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Alan Anderson was key for Brooklyn coming off the bench. He played great defense and hit a couple of threes.
Nets had a lead of as much as 16 at one point. The score was close in the end but throughout Brooklyn dominated the two time defending champs. And for Nets fans around the world, this was a very great win tonight.
LeBron paced the Heat with 26 points and Wade added 21. The Heat fall to 1-2 after consecutive losses to Philadelphia and now Brooklyn.
The Nets next game is in Orlando, Sunday at 6 ET. Deron Williams should be back to normal minutes that game as well.
A much anticipated season opener for the new-look Brooklyn Nets didn't turn out how they wanted. As the Cavaliers defeated the Nets, 98-94. Brooklyn started off great. Jumping out to a 12-2 lead. The Cavaliers settled in and from the second quarter on they led for much the remainder of the game.
Throughout the game the Nets struggled to get stops. Their defense was not on point. Nets fans shouldn't overreact because this is Game 1 out of 82. Plenty of time to develop chemistry.
Kyrie Irving totaled 15 points and added 9 assists, hitting a couple clutch free throws late. Tristian Thompson added 18 points and 9 boards. Also, Andrew Bynum appeared in his first game in two years logging 8 minutes and scoring 3 points.
For the Nets, Lopez led the way with 21. Pierce added 17 on 5/8 shooting. Terry with 14, Johnson with 13, & Garnett added 8 points and 10 boards. Deron Williams had 7 points and 9 assists on 2/6 shooting. The question on most Nets fans mind was, "Why was D-Will on the bench for the whole 4th quarter?" I'm guessing it was a minutes restriction.
Nets have a day off before hosting the defending champ Miami Heat for their season opener Friday night 8 ET on ESPN.
A very anticipated game among most Nets fans was their first preseason game. The Nets defeated the Washington Wizards, 111-106 in overtime. The anticipated Nets debuts of Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce were short. Pierce scored on the Nets very first possession, hitting a jumper. He finished with 3 points in 12 minutes. Garnett also played only 12 minutes scoring 5 points to go along with 7 rebounds.
Tyshawn Taylor led the Nets with 16 points & 6 assists. Brook Lopez added 15 points. Alan Anderson added 13 more. & Andrei Kirilenko added 11.
This of course was Jason Kidd's coaching debut. It was a success. It's only preseason though.
Nets will play at home vs Detroit on Saturday at 7:30 ET.
Jason Terry, nicknamed "The Jet" is a veteran guard. Who is known for being one of the best sixth man in the league. Can give you a nice scoring threat off the bench.
In his career, Terry has played for four different teams. Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, and now Brooklyn. He has always been a great 3 point shooter. Me personally, I have always compared Terry to Ray Allen. Very similar.
Terry won his first and only championship in 2010 alongside Nets current coach Jason Kidd. He was then a member of the Dallas Mavericks as they defeated LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 6 games.
Terry may be on the wrong side of 30, but from what I've seen from him over the years he's still got what it takes to play at a very high level.
Also, it he vastly improves Brooklyn's bench. Last year the backup 2 guard usually was Keith Bogans. Jason Terry is a very good upgrade. To go along with Alan Anderson off the bench.
The trade that brought Terry, Pierce, & Garrett to Brooklyn was one of the biggest headlines this offseason. Terry was probably least talked about in that trade with all the attention on Pierce & KG. But having been a champion Terry is going to help this team massively. I'm going to make a bold prediction: At 36 years old, Jason Terry is going to win the sixth man of the year award.
Andrei Kirilenko is a Russian born NBA forward. He started his career with the Utah Jazz and played a few good seasons there along with his teammate Deron Williams.
He eventually went back to Russia to play for Moscow. He spent a couple years back in his home land. Also, where Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is from.
Last year he signed a 2 year $20 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kirilenko has had injury problems over his career but last season he remained relatively healthy.
Andrei is known for his defense. He can score from time to time. But he's not a scorer. But is very good at getting in the lane. He will also be asked this season in Brooklyn to guard the likes of, LeBron James, & Kevin Durant.
He signed a deal with Brooklyn this off-season for 1 year $3.1 million. I'll also note that he's making $6.9 million less this season than he did last season. Simply shows Kirlenko's desire to win. Andrei is a very important piece to Brooklyn.
Andray Blatche is a 6'11 talented NBA center. He can play many positions. Has better handle skills than most NBA centers would have. Blatche has been a very inconsistent player his NBA career.
When he was in Washington he was highly touted out of high school. The first couple of years he was good. Then he started getting out of shape which caused him to miss alot of games.
Blatche kept getting benched due to the fact of his body. He wasn't in shape. He wasn't motivated. He had mental lapses. Wasn't as fast down the court as he used to be.
Washington finally amnestied Blatche due to that. Blatche became a free agent. Last summer in Houston, Blatche worked out with John Lucas III to get back in shape. The Brooklyn Nets ended up taking a gamble on Andray. It ended up to be a good gamble.
Blatche played great as the backup center for Brooklyn last season. He proved to the NBA he still had What it takes to be a good NBA player. By the way, Washington still owes Blatche $16 million over the next two seasons due to the amnesty clause.
Blatche resigned with Brooklyn this off-season. For a minimum contract of 1 year $1.4 million. He's going to have a big role this season with Garnett needing to be on a minutes limit. Also, KG will be a great influence on Blatche due to his experience, toughness, attitude, & will to win. Besides from Brook, Blatche benefits the most from the KG acquisition.
Shaun Livingston is tall for a point guard, he's 6'7. Livingston is only 27 but he has already bounced around the NBA quite a bit. Having played for Charlotte, Cleveland, Miami, Oklahoma City, Washington (2 stints 2010 & 2012), LA Clippers, Milwaukee, & now Brooklyn.
Livingston isn't a point guard that is going to score that often at all. Not a good shooter but can get in the lane and is a good passer. Has great size for a point guard. Good defender. Decent back-up for Deron. (Better than Tyshawn)
Shaun had a very serious injury occur to him early on in his career when he was with the Clippers. Dislocating his left knee cap & tearing his ACL, PCL, and badly straining his MCL. Also dislocating his patella. Also, if you plan on watching the video, I hope you don't have a weak stomach.
He already had missed alot of games early on in his career due to injury. When healthy, Livingston can really help a team out on the bench. That's exactly What Brooklyn signed him to do.
Reggie Evans is a 6'8 forward. One of the best rebounders in the NBA. He does not have much of an offensive game. Not a good free-throw shooter either.
Last season Reggie led the NBA with rebounds per 48 minutes. He also had a game where he scored 22 points and grabbed 26 boards.
Evans also led the NBA last season in 20+ rebound games with 9. He became the starter for Brooklyn after Kris Humphries got injured and Evans stayed the starter for the remainder of the season.
Evans gives the Nets hustle, aggressiveness, and plenty of energy off the bench. This is a guy you love to be teammates with, but hate to play against him.
Paul Pierce, aka "The Truth" is a 10 time all-star. Shaq was the first person to call Pierce "The Truth". Paul is known to be one of the most clutch players in the NBA.
Pierce attended the University of Kansas.
Where he averaged over 16 PPG in his career there. After his junior year Pierce declared for the NBA Draft. He was taken 10th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1998 NBA Draft.
Pierce became a main-stay in Boston. Became loved by the fans of Boston. He hadn't experienced much success with the Celtics until Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came aboard in the 2007-2008 season.
That season Pierce won the championship he had always dreamed of. He was also named the Finals MVP. When you look at Paul's career in Boston you compare him to people like, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, & Dirk Nowitzki as players who spent their entire career with one NBA franchise.
This was until Draft Night in 2013. Pierce was sent to Brooklyn along with Kevin Garnett, & Jason Terry.
Although leaving Boston was tough for Pierce he knows he's at the stage of his career where he wants to win and win now. He doesn't have a much better shot anywhere else. Brooklyn definitely has a chance to help get Pierce his second ring.
Kevin Garnett, widely known as just "KG" is a 15 time All-Star. Garnett is widely known around the league for his toughness, tenacity, defense, and of course, trash talking. KG instantly can change a culture of any NBA team.
Kevin was drafted straight out of High-school by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1995 Draft as the 5th overall pick. Since then he has been an NBA icon. Great athlete coming out of High-school. Has a heart of a champion. One of the most intense players in the NBA.
KG spent most of his career with Minnesota, where he lead the T-Wolves to 8 consecutive playoff appearances. Also, leading them to the 2004 Western Conference Finals. That same season he won the regular season MVP award.
Kevin spent a total of 12 seasons with Minnesota before being dealt to the Boston Celtics in 2007 to team up with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Considering it was their first season together there was the worry they may have struggles. Well, they went on to win the NBA Championship that season as they defeated the LA Lakers and Garnett & Pierce got that title they've always wanted.
Kevin & Paul became a great duo in Boston. They made it to the Finals in '09 as well, second season in a row. This time they were defeated by the Lakers. As the years went by, people questioned at KG's age, how much could he really produce? He proved all the critics wrong. He may not be as athletic as he used to, but he still can contribute alot to a team.
On Draft night of the 2013 NBA Draft, Kevin Garnett agreed to waive his no trade-clause to be sent to the Brooklyn Nets along with, longtime Celtic Paul Pierce, & Jason Terry. In exchange for Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, & Kris Joseph, & 3 future first round picks.
Obviously, it was a tough decision for Kevin to waive his no-trade clause considering his loyalty. But in basketball terms, he made a very smart decision if he wants to win another title before he retires.
Deron Williams, aka "D-Will" is a 3-time all-star & 2-time U.S. gold medalist. For about the last 5 years he has been considered one of the best point guards in the league. When he was in Utah he was regarded as arguably the best PG in the game.
Deron attended the University of Illionois, where in 2005 Williams led his Fighting Illini to the National Championship Game where they eventually lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
He then went on and declared for the 2005 NBA draft where he was selected 3rd overall by the Utah Jazz. He had a decent rookie season. His second season is when he became noticed averaging over 16 PPG & 9.3 APG. He was starting to get the NBA's attention. Deron led Utah all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual champion, San Antonio Spurs.
In his third season, Deron led Utah to a 54-28 regular season record. They would eventually get bounced in game 6 of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers. After that season, he became known as one of the leagues elite point guards. Some even considered him the best. The next season he averaged 19.2 PPG & 10 APG. Also, was again snubbed at the All-Star Break.
In the 2009-10 season, Deron appeared in his first career All-Star game. The very next season followed with his second All-Star appearance. A year in which Deron received alot of criticism. Reports said Deron and long-time Jazz coach Jerry Sloan had arguments and rumors had it that Deron wanted him out. Eventually, Sloan decided to resign as Jazz head coach and most of the blame came on Deron.
On February 23rd, 2011, Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for, Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, 2 first-round picks, & $3 million in cash. In the 12 games Deron played with the Nets that season he averaged almost 13 APG. He also had a total of 47 assists in his first 3 games with New Jersey.
In that summer during the lockout, Deron went overseas to Turkey to play with a Turkish team called Besiktas. When the lockout ended, Deron went on to average 21 PPG & 8 APG that season. He was the only player to accomplish that in the 2011-12 season.
Deron was an unrestricted free-agent in the Summer of 2012. He had only two teams on his list, Brooklyn, & Dallas. It seemed like Dallas was going to be his choice until Brooklyn acquired Joe Johnson. That sealed the deal. Williams re-signed with the Nets on a 5 year, $98 million deal.
Deron had a sub-par year last season, but with the new additions, Deron should have no problem returning to his elite status.
Brook Lopez, 7 foot all-star center. Lopez was drafted by the then New Jersey Nets in the 1st round 10th overall. Brook is a great talent. Good scored. Decent defender. His biggest weaknesses would be his toughness & rebounding. Being 7 foot you should be able to average double-digit rebounding numbers. But not Brook. He averages 7 RPG. Something he needs to continue to work on.
Brook attended Stanford University where he played alongside his twin brother, Robin Lopez. Brook spent 2 years at Stanford until declaring for the NBA Draft. With drafting Brook, the Nets were basically drafting their big man of the future.
Lopez had a pretty good rookie season. Still was struggling to rebound the ball well but his offense continued to improve. In his second NBA season, Brook averaged near 19 PPG & 8.6 RPG. Unfortunately, Brook was a part of a Nets team that finished 12-70 that season. The next season he averaged a career-high 20.4 PPG. Rebounding totals dropped to just over 6.
After that season something called the "Dwightmare" occurred. In the pre-season, Brook broke his foot and only played a total of 5 games the entire season. Rumors had it that Dwight Howard was destined to be on his way to the Nets for Lopez & pieces. Dwight requested a trade to then New Jersey. Talks occurred, nothing happened.
In the summer of 2012 it seemed like Dwight would be destined to be on his way to Brooklyn, but Orlando didn't take Brooklyn's offer of Lopez, Humphries, Brooks, & 3 future first-rounders. They instead sent him to LA, which we all know how that turned out. Lopez ended up signing a 4 year $61 million extension with Brooklyn.
Brook has become one of the better centers in the game today. I would have to put him top 3. If he improves his rebounding, defense, & toughness he could be the best Center in the game.
Joe Johnson, aka. Mr. Clutch is a 6 time all-star. All appearances coming with the Atlanta Hawks. He's still on a contract that was worth 6 years $119 million. So, his contract was relatively hard to move until the Nets took it on last summer.
Johnson has never been out of the second round of the playoffs in his entire career. When the Nets traded for him last summer they saw it as an opportunity to have the best backcourt in the NBA. To go along with Deron Williams. Joe is also one of the most clutch players in the NBA. He hit clutch shot after clutch shot last season. Including 2 buzzer-beating winners against Detroit & Milwaukee.
Joe was always the star when he was in Atlanta. But when the trade to Brooklyn occurred alot of the burden came off his shoulders considering Deron is the superstar here.
Joe attended the University of Arkansas. He was drafted in the 1st round and was selected 10th overall by the Boston Celtics. Where he got to play alongside longtime Celtic and new Net, Paul Pierce. Johnson then was traded to Phoenix for Rodney Rodgers, & Tony Delk on February 20, 2002. Joe spent the 2002-2005 seasons with Phoenix. Later, on August 19, 2005 Johnson was involved with a sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks. In return Phoenix received Boris Diaw and two future first round picks. Joe spent the next 6 years in Atlanta leading the Hawks to numerous playoff appearances & earning 6 all-star appearances.
On July 1st, 2010 Johnson signed a 6 year $119 million extension with the Hawks. Making him one of the highest paid players in the NBA. In the summer of 2012, Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. In return Atlanta received, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson, & a 2013 first round pick. Clutch is the word to define Johnson. He'll need to be same this year as well.
• Nets open up the regular season October 30th in Cleveland against the Cavaliers. 7 ET on NBA TV.
• Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce return to Boston January 26th. 6:30 ET on ESPN.
• Home Opener is against the defending champion Miami Heat on November 1st. 8 ET on ESPN.
• Nets will host the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day. Noon on ESPN.
• Nets first matchup vs the Knicks is December 5th. 7 ET on TNT. Then they face off at MSG on MLK day. 2:30 ET on ESPN. The next two matchups will be in April.
• Nets face the San Antonio Spurs on New Years Eve. 6 ET.
• They face the OKC Thunder for the first time on January 2nd. 8 ET on NBA TV.
• Nets have a total of 26 nationally televised games this season.
These are just some of the biggest games the Nets have this season. To see full schedule, click here ---> http://www.nba.com/nets/schedule
As you all know, the Brooklyn Nets made a huge splash this off-season with a number of huge acquisitions. Starting with the Kevin Garrett, Paul Pierce, & Jason Terry acquisitions. They also signed Andrei Kirilenko to a a contract that is worth $6.9 million less than he was making last season.
They also were able to sign Alan Anderson, which now gives them plenty of depth at the forward position. Now compare them with the rest of the East. First of course you have the defending champ, Miami Heat. The Nets were 0-3 against Miami last season. All double-digit losses. Miami is definitely better than Brooklyn. Do I think the Nets will give the Heat a good challenge? Yes, I do. Ultimately I think the Nets have a great shot at knocking off Miami.
Then you look at Indiana. Brooklyn went 3-0 against the Pacers in the regular season last year. Indiana is known for it's good defense, led by shot blocker Roy Hibbert. Not a very talented offensive group but their defense makes up for that in a huge way. I believe Brooklyn is a better team though, but it's close.
Now you have to look at Chicago. If Derrick Rose finds a way to stay healthy, they're definitely going to be a tough team to beat. They're a very complete team. With Noah holding the middle for them, Deng can create his own shot, & of course you have one of the best players in the NBA (when healthy) Derrick Rose. Chicago could be very tough. Brooklyn had trouble with them last season going 1-3 against them in the regular season. But, I do think the Nets have the better all-around team.
Now we go to the Knicks. "Yes, the Knicks are actually in the "conversation." Nets & Knicks split their season series last year. With all but 1 game decided by single digits. When you look at the Knicks the first player you'll always point out is of course, Carmelo Anthony. Who by the way, could've easily been a Net. Anyways, without Melo the Knicks aren't a great threat in the East. With him, they're somewhat of a threat. They did great against Miami in the regular season last year going 3-1. They have a good defensive presence down low in Tyson Chandler. Have a pretty good scorer off the bench in JR Smith. They added Andrea Bargnani, but he's had his injury history over the years. In the end, I think Brooklyn is well past the Knicks. Depending on how JR & Melo perform. This is how I have the East panning out this upcoming season;
1. Miami
2. Brooklyn
3. Indiana
4. Chicago
5. New York
6. Cleveland
7. Detroit
8. Atlanta
In the end, I do in fact think the Nets will meet the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. From there it's just going to be who wants it more. How bad do KG & Pierce want another ring? How bad does LeBron want number 3? We'll just have to wait and find out!
The Brooklyn Nets filled their 15th & final roster spot on Friday by signing former Toronto Raptors' F Alan Anderson to a 2 year deal. Anderson is a very viable threat from beyond the arc. In two games vs the Knicks last season he scored a career high 35 points in one game & 26 points in another. This just gives Brooklyn another nice option off of the bench. To go along with Terry, Kirilenko, Blatche, Plumlee, Livingston, & Evans. With likely Mirza, Toko, & Taylor being reserves. Nets not only have an amazing starting 5, they now have a solid bench. Very solid signing by Brooklyn.
