Brooklyn Nets 2013-14 Team Review

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

In their second season in Brooklyn, the Nets were able to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season despite a really difficult start to the season that saw a learning curve for Head Coach Jason Kidd, and a lot of injuries, which included losing Center Brook Lopez for the season. The turning point for the Nets was their first game of the 2014 calendar year on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Going against one of the best teams in the NBA, the Nets were able to get a huge victory thanks to Joe Johnson, who showed off his clutch gene hitting a buzzer-beater that turned the season around.

After the huge win against the Thunder, Brooklyn would have a fantastic month of January, going (10-3). As 2014 went on the Nets would emerge as one of the best teams defending their home-court, with a 15-game home winning streak. Jason Kidd did a very good job hanging in tough after the poor start, and making adjustments, no one more important than him deciding to go with a small lineup. In his final season with the New York Knicks, Jason Kidd was mostly on the court with another Point Guard, and in the Nets turn around he implemented that with his team moving Shaun Livingston into the starting lineup with Deron Williams. The lineup not only helped the Nets on the offense end by having Paul Pierce as a Power Forward causing lots of mismatches, but on the defensive end it turned the Nets into a position-less defense similar to what the Miami Heat do with players being able to constantly switch and rotate quickly. Overall it was a successful regular season for the Nets, finishing with a (44-38) record.

Some careful positioning and rest late in the season the Nets finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, which set them up with a first round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, who won the Atlantic Division. Brooklyn seemed to want no part of facing the Chicago Bulls for the second straight postseason, but the young Raptors pushed the veteran Nets to a fantastic seven game series. The Nets would come out on top of the Raptors with victories in both games 6 and 7, with Game 7 being a great one, as the Nets squeaked out a 104-103 win in Toronto to advance and face the defending champs.

In the second round of the playoffs the Nets had the daunting task of trying to knock off the LeBron James and the Heat. The Nets were behind the eight-ball to begin the series, as the Heat impressed at home, defeating the Nets by double-digits in the first two games. When the series shifted back to Brooklyn, the Nets would start to play much better, as they were able to win Game 3 before suffering close losses in Game 4 and 5. The Nets goal was to be title contenders, but even with Lopez that would have been unlikely as long as the Big 3 are together in Miami, but for the Nets the season has to be considered a good one as they were able to win their first playoff series since the move to Brooklyn, and they just unfortunately ran into the best player in the world, and a more talented Heat team.

Standout Star: Joe Johnson

Easily for the Nets in the regular season and the postseason their best and most consistent player was Joe Johnson in the 2013-14 season. Statistically in the regular season, Johnson was the best the Nets had, leading the team with 15.8 points per game on 45.4% shooting from the field, 40.1% from three point-range, and 81.5% from the free throw line. Johnson was under some scrutiny when he was selected to his seventh All-Star Team, but with the Nets doing well coming into the All-Star Break, Johnson being the Nets best player got the nod.

After the Lopez injury, Kidd needed to make changes losing arguably the Nets most talented half-court offensive player, especially in the post. With the loss of their best post player, Kidd would start to run the offensive through Johnson in the post, as being 6-7, 240 caused lots of mismatches, and often forced teams to bring double teams to Johnson, who then made excellent passes out to set up often wide open three-point attempts for teammates.

Johnson had a few special games in the regular season, with the before mentioned buzzer-beater in Oklahoma City, he also had another one earlier in the season against the Phoenix Suns, as Kevin Garnett gave him the nickname “Joe Jesus” due to his clutch gene. His highest scoring game of the season came against the awful Philadelphia 76ers, where he dropped 37 points, which included a 29-point third quarter, and a career-high 10 three-pointers made.

In the playoffs Johnson really shined stepping up his game, as the Nets proved to really need him to in order to win a series. He was able to average 21.2 PPG in the playoffs, with an improved shooting percentage across the board going 53.3% from the field, 41.5% from three-point range, and 83.7% from the free throw line. In what ended up being the Nets final game of the season in Game 5 against the Heat, Johnson came through with his best performance of the playoffs. In the 96-94 loss, Johnson scored 34 points, which was his most of the postseason on 15 for 23 shooting from the field, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Nets season alive.

Off-Season Needs:

The off-season for General Manager Billy King will not be an easy one, as with the trade last season for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Nets are strapped in the salary cap, and also have no picks in the 2014 draft. For the Nets they thought to have a two-year title window after the additions of Garnett and Pierce, but for the 2014 season there is no guarantees that either one will be back, as Pierce can leave via free agency, and although Garnett is under contract, he had a tough year and maybe thing retirement at the age of 38. There doesn’t appear to be any way to replace the production that even at their age Pierce and Garnett can give the Nets, as King will have no money or picks to bring in comparable replacements.

Pierce isn’t the only Net that maybe be testing free agency, as including Pierce there are six possible free agents for Brooklyn. Known for sure of the players that have player options, is that Andray Blatche has declined his and will be an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Blatche has said that he would like to come back to Brooklyn, and the Nets would like to have him back, but with him in the open market coming off a good season, averaging 11.2 points, and 5.3 rebounds in just 22 minutes per game the price may get to high for the Nets to bring him back. Another player with an option is Alan Anderson, who holds a player option, which he will be declining, worth just over one millions dollars for next season. Anderson was a pretty steady member of the rotation for the Nets, playing in 78 games with 26 starts. He averaged 7.2 PPG, while playing solid defense, and if the Nets could have him back he could figure to be in the rotation once again for Brooklyn. Andrei Kirilenko, who had a lot of injuries and a poor 2013-14 season by his measure has made the decision that he will be returning to the Nets with his option. Kirilenko will certainly be in the rotation in the coming season, but the Nets could really use him to play better than he did in his first season in Brooklyn.

A major concern for the Nets heading into free agency is that there is a very strong possibility that they will not be able to keep Livingston, who had a great bounce back season, and is now a free agent. Last season, Livingston played in a career-high 76 games, while averaging 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. In Kidd’s system, Livingston plays a major role in the two-point guard set on offense, and on defense his height and athleticism make him a perfect player to be able to switch on to multiple players.

Due to the Nets lack of financial flexibility, trades will certainly be in the mind of King, as in all likelihood Livingston will be gone, which has brought up some rumors of a possible Marcus Thornton for Jarrett Jack trade. Kidd likes to have two Point Guards on the court together at the same time in his offense, so in case of the loss of Livingston, Jack would be a good replacement for the rotation.

The possibility of trading Williams or Lopez are both viable ones for the Nets, as the often injured Lopez is making a lot of money, but should draw decent interest if made available. Williams has sort of said that he would like to be moved, but after a down year, ankle surgeries, and a max contract, the return for Williams wouldn’t be a very good one more than likely. in the event that either player is traded, it would likely be for cap relief, young players, or draft picks, as it would mean the waving of the white flag on the championship expectations.

King has made it very clear that he would like to get into the draft somehow or someway, and on draft night he was able to acquire three second-round picks all for cash considerations. The 44th pick was the first one the Nets were able to get, selecting Markel Brown from Oklahoma State. The final two picks of the draft would go to Brooklyn, as they selected with the 59th pick Xavier Thames from San Diego State, and with the 60th pick Cory Jefferson from Baylor. King said all along he would like to get into a deep and talented draft, so getting three second-round picks will add some much needed depth and youth to the Nets bench.

Recently their has been some turmoil in the Nets Front Office, with news emerging that Jason Kidd has made a power move to try and gain more control than King when it comes to personnel decision making. The Nets have quickly shot this play by Kidd down, and now an offer from the Milwaukee Bucks has been accepted. the deal will be for two second-round draft picks. 

2014-15 Season Outlook:

In the upcoming season there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Nets right now with the recent mess in the Front Office/Coaching departments, but their best case scenario if Williams and Lopez are healthy, with Pierce and Garnett back would be them in the middle of the Eastern Conference, with them challenging for the Atlantic Division title, and maybe another playoff series win or two. A lot can also go wrong for the Nets in the off-season if they lose some players because they don’t have the cap or draft picks to bring in adequate replacements. Health is a major concern as well for the Nets will two starters coming off surgeries, and the fact that they are an older team to begin with, which can be a recipe for disaster.

Moving forward for the Nets though in the coming seasons will be mostly disappointment, as the title aspirations they had after the big trade with Boston were unrealistic to begin with, and will cost them down the road with basically no first-round draft picks, and a lot of money invested in players that simply aren’t playing up to it. King will have his work cut out for him, and some extremely difficult calls to make about what the team is really capable of as constructed, which would be an admitted failure by King. The departure of Kidd will mean the Nets will be once again looking to bring in a new Head Coach, and King,who is still running the show will have some good options to replace Kidd for 2014-15 season.

Read More

Andray Blatche Decides To Test Free Agency

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 15^th, 2014

One day after the Brooklyn Nets were eliminated their off-season started, and it started with Andray Blatche announcing that as expected he will be opting out of his contract, as he declined his 1.4 million dollar player option for next season.

Blatche said coming back to the Nets is his “Number 1 Priority” when asked if he wants to come back.

elsa/getty images

“Yeah, definitely. I feel like we have a strong team here,” he said. “We have a good core. Everybody gets along, Everybody holds one another accountable. I can still learn from some of the players here. But at the same time it’s a business. So if I’m not here I appreciate everything this organization has done for me.”

“I’m going to see what’s out there for me,” Blatche said Thursday. “I would love to stay here. They gave me my first opportunity. So if things work out, hopefully I’ll be back here. If not, I just want to thank the fans and the whole organization for giving me that second chance.”

Andray Blatche made it clear that he would like to be back, and after coming off a nice season the Nets would certainly like him back as well. The Nets do have Blatche's early bird rights, which means the most that they can offer him is a four-year 25 million dollar deal. His former team the Washington Wizards are on the hook for 8.4 million dollars next season, so Blatche will be making a nice paycheck regardless next season.

In the 2013-2014 season Blatche had very good numbers, as in 73 games he averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and shot a very good 47% from the field. Blatche will certainly have suitors, and Nets General Manager Billy King will be a bust man with five other pending free agents in Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston, Andrei Kirilenko, Alan Anderson, and Jason Collins.

Read More

Nets Narrowly Defeat Raptors in Game 7

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 4^th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors Game 7 Recap

Final Score: Nets 104 Raptors 103

In a win or go home Game 7 in a hostile arena in Toronto, the Brooklyn Nets were able to survive the young Raptors for a thrilling Game 7 victory on Sunday. A few missed free throws at the end of the game for the Nets nearly cost them, but a block by Paul Pierce on Kyle Lowry sealed the deal for the Nets, as the advanced to the next round.

nydailynews.com

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Easily the best player for the Nets throughout the entire series was Joe Johnson, and Game 7 was no different. Johnson finished with a team-high 26 points on 11 for 25 shooting, with four rebounds, and four assists. The Raptors threw the kitchen sink at Johnson with multiple defenders guarding him and frequent double-teams, but Johnson made the right pass out almost every time, as he could have a lot of hockey assists.

Positives:

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were in different roles in this Game 7 than previous seasons. They both only played 25 minutes, but it was an effective one from both of them. Pierce finished with 10 points on four for 10 shooting, but made the play of the game for the Nets blocking Lowry's shot in the final seconds. Garnett had a very good game, as he was able to notch a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, as it was his first double-double since February 1^st.

Brooklyn's bench showed up for Game 7 after a mostly disappointing series against the Raptors, as Andray Blatche, Shaun Livingston, and Marcus Thornton all had good games. Blatche, who was in a bit of foul trouble still played well with nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. Livingston in his second straight game coming off the bench was a much bigger factor in the game than he was on Friday night, as Livingston scored 10 points on four for five shooting, and hit two extremely clutch free throws down the stretch. For the first time in the series, Thornton was able to get hot from the field, as he finished with 17 points on four for eight shooting, and went five for six from the free throw line in his best game of the series.

Negatives:

Toronto really pushed the Nets in this series, and could have easily won it in large part due to their back court of Lowry and DeRozan, who played well in Game 7. Lowry finished with a game-high 28 points on seven for 19 shooting, and went an outstanding 12 for 14 from the line in addition to grabbing seven boards. DeRozan didn’t have a monster Game 7, but still played very well scoring 18 points on five for 12 shooting with six assists, and seven free throws, as DeRozan and Lowry lived at the free throw line in the series.

The Power Forwards for the Raptors also stepped up in Game 7, as Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson both put together nice games. Johnson was a beast despite looking a bit hobbled, as he scored 20 points on nine for 12 shooting with 10 rebounds before he fouled out. Patterson was great off the bench most of the series, and in Game 7 he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on a perfect day shooting from the field.

Nets Point Guard Deron Williams had a tough Game 7, and nearly cost his team the victory down the stretch, as he struggled from the foul line. Williams finished just 13 points and four assists, as yet again it was a disappointing game from him.

Next up for the Nets will be a series against the two-time defending champs in the Miami Heat, who will be well rested before Tuesday's Game 1 in Miami.  

Read More

Nets Have Big Letdown in Orlando

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 9th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 111 Magic 115

sbnation.com

The Brooklyn Nets coming off a great win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night laid an egg on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, losing 115-111. The loss moves the Nets to (43-35) on the season, which leaves them three games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division with four games to play, almost assuring that the Nets will be the fifth seed in the East.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

Easily the best player for the Nets in their losing effort on Wednesday was Joe Johnson, who for the second straight game led the Nets in scoring. Johnson finished with a game-high 31 points on 11 for 19 shooting. Johnson also added five assists and four rebounds to go along with his big scoring night, but it wasn’t enough to help the Nets get the win with three rotation players sitting, as with a chance to tie the game he had his three-point attempt blocked by Kyle O’Quinn.

Positives:

In his second game back from the back spasms that cost him to miss 19 straight games, Kevin Garnett was very good in his 17 minutes of play. Garnett scored only five points on two for two shooting, but grabbed eight rebounds, and had six assists. A productive Garnett can be a huge weapon for the Nets come playoff time in what will be a difficult first round match-up.

After a huge game-winning block on LeBron James, Mason Plumlee was moved back to the bench with the return of Garnett, but Plumlee played extremely well coming in for Garnett. Plumlee finished with 16 points off the bench on seven for eight shooting to go along with five rebounds, but Plumlee did foul out in the fourth quarter.

Negatives:

Deron Williams really struggled on Wednesday coming off a poor game scoring against the Heat where he scored just eight points. Against Orlando, Williams scored 11 points on a horrendous three for 14 shooting day, which included going one for six from behind the three-point arc.

For the Magic off the bench a major factor in their second quarter domination was E’Twaun Moore. Moore scored 14 straight points in the second quarter, and finished with 17 points on a perfect six for six shooting day from the field, which included him going five for five from three-point range.

The Nets were far from 100% in this game, as Shaun Livingston was given the day off, Andray Blatche missed his second straight game with an illness, and Paul Pierce despite being five points shy of 25,000 sat out with a hip pointer.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip back to the Barclays Center where they have won 15 straight, and will look to make it 16 straight on Friday against the Hawks.

Read More

Nets Clinch Playoff Berth Against Rockets

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 1st, 2014

Houston Rockets vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Rockets 96 Nets 105

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pick up yet another win at the Barclay’s Center, as with the victory against the Rockets on Tuesday night the Nets have now won 14 straight games at home. The win moves the Nets to (40-33) on the season, which is 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, and it also clinched the Nets a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

nba.com

In the win on Tuesday, the Nets got a huge performance from Joe Johnson, as he notched his fourth 30 point or more game this season. Johnson finished with a game-high 32 points on 13 for 21 shooting, which included him going four of eight from three-point range. In addition to the monster scoring game from Johnson, he was able to record four rebounds, three assists, and one steal to help him have the highest +/- of any player, with +17.

Positives:

Shaun Livingston put together a great game for Brooklyn, as normal he filled up the stat sheet, but on Tuesday he also broke out with big scoring game. Livingston finished only behind Johnson on the Nets in scoring with 17 points on six for 12 shooting. As expected Livingston did more than just have a good scoring game, as he had six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

The bench for Brooklyn continued to be good in the win, as once again they were able to have two players in double figures. Andray Blatche led the Nets bench with 13 points on six for 12 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Mirza Teletovic also played well off the bench, as he scored 10 points on four for seven shooting, with seven rebounds.

Negatives:

Even without one of the best Center’s in the NBA in Dwight Howard, the Rockets were able to do well on the glass against Brooklyn, as possibly the best backup Center in the NBA; Omer Asik had a big game on the glass. Asik finished with a double-double, as he scored 12 points on five for eight shooting, but most noticeably was the eye-popping 23 rebounds Asik had. The Rockets did win the rebound battle 44-42, which isn’t all bad for Brooklyn, but it is still a work in progress.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Madison Square Garden to face the rival New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday night.

Read More

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat March 12th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 12th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat

The Brooklyn Nets will be heading to Miami for the first time this season to play the two-time defending champions the Heat on Wednesday night. The Nets are one of the two teams in the NBA that have beaten the Heat twice this season along with the Chicago Bulls, but both of those victories came at the Barclays Center.

barclayscenter.com

- Atlantic Watch

After what was a huge win for the Nets on Monday night, beating the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors in a very close game, the Nets will have a tough task of staying within three games of them when Wednesday is all said and done. The Heat are one of the best home teams in basketball, as they own a (25-4) record, and the Nets have struggled on the road all season with a (12-19) record, which is not a good recipe for Brooklyn. If they decide to scoreboard watch a bit in this game they will also see the Raptors playing the Detroit Pistons in what should surely be a home win for Toronto, which could put the Nets back into a four-game deficit with a loss in Miami.

- Stopping the King

LeBron James is once again having a fantastic season for the Heat, as to nobody’s surprise he is right there in the hunt for yet another MVP award. James is averaging 27 points, seven rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, and in the two meetings against Brooklyn, he is averaging 31 points on 57% shooting. Few people can be expected to guard LeBron James one on one, but given the task of slowing him down will most likely be Shaun Livingston to start, and if Andrei Kirilenko can play with his sprained ankle will surely get some time guarding James. The Nets defense has been very good this season, especially lately holding their opponents to under 100 points in their last seven games, but that streak will be put to the test on Wednesday, as Miami is 9th in the NBA averaging 104 points per game.

- Batman’s Sidekicks

When playing the Heat obviously James is the main concern, but teams certainly can’t sleep on their other two All-Stars in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who are both having good years in their own right. Miami has done a good job giving Wade rest, and it has shown in his stats, as in 45 games he is averaging 19.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Bosh is by far the best third option in the NBA, as he is averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds a game.

Read More

Nets Get Huge Victory Against Raptors

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

March 10th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Raptors 97 Nets 101

The Brooklyn Nets despite being banged up were able to maybe what will end up being one of their most important wins of the season on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors. The win ties the season series at (2-2), and moves the Nets to (32-30) on the season, which is now just three games behind the Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Nets Point Guard Deron Williams helped lead them to a victory with a solid game. Williams finished with 18 points on six for 13 shooting, while going a nice four for seven from three-point range, and he dished out five assists. In the second half Williams really got it going scoring 12 of his 18 points, as he led the Nets in second half scoring. In March so far Williams has been very efficient shooting the ball, as he is shooting 47% from the field, and 40% from behind the arc.

Positives:

Shaun Livingston was right there with Williams in scoring for the Nets, also scoring 18 points on seven for 10 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists. Livingston had one steal in that game that came at a perfect time with under 30 seconds left to help the Nets hold on to the win. Joe Johnson also did a very good job scoring in the starting lineup, as he pitched in with 14 points on six for 13 shooting, with four assists and four rebounds.

Not too many people expected Paul Pierce to be playing on Monday after he left Sunday’s game early with a shoulder injury, but for the Nets it was a huge boost having him in the lineup with Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko both out. Pierce finished with 15 points on three for eight shooting, as all three baskets were three-pointers, one of which was a huge shot breaking a 94 all tie with a 1:14 left in the game.

nydailynews.com

The Nets defense did a very good job holding the Raptors to under 100 points without two of their better defensive players in Garnett and Kirilenko, and did an especially good job against DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas. DeRozan was held to just 14 points on a tough shooting night going three for nine from the field, and Valanciunas played even worse scoring just six points in 22 minutes.

Filling in yet again in the starting lineup for the injured Garnett was Mason Plumlee, but unlike most of the other games he has started, Head Coach Jason Kidd actually gave Plumlee some extended minutes, and he did well. Plumlee finished with a team-high eight rebounds and chipped in with six points on three for seven shooting.

Next up will be yet another tough game for the Nets as they head to South Beach to play the defending champs and LeBron James on Wednesday night.

Read More

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers February 26th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 26^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets will be continuing their circus road-trip on Wednesday night in Portland against the Trail Blazers. The Nets are now (26-28) on the season, as they are getting close to the .500 mark, but with the Raptors winning seven of their last 10 games, it leaves the Nets 4.5 games behind them in the Atlantic Division.

barclayscenter.com

- Down A Star

On Wednesday night the Trail Blazers will yet again be without their All-Star Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has missed the last four games with a groin strain. In the four games without Aldridge in this stretch the Blazers are still playing well going 3-1 with their only loss coming against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers are obviously missing Aldridge, who has emereged as one of the best if not the best Power Forward in the NBA this season, as he is averaging 23.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and one block per game.

- Don’t Sleep on Lillard

Aldridge wasn’t the only Blazer to be selected to the All-Star Game however, as with the absence of Aldridge, Damian Lillard has picked up his already good scoring season in the last four games. This season the All-Star Lillard has averaged 21.4 points per game, as last season's Rookie Of The Year has clearly avoided any sort of sophomore slump. In the past four games without his partner in crime Aldridge, Lillard is averaging 30.5 points per game in those games. It will be a great match-up to watch a seemingly healthy Deron Williams against Lillard.

- Second Half Groove

Since the All-Star, like last season Williams seems healthy for the Nets, and has a bounce to his step, which just wasn’t their for the first half of the season. Against the Lakers on Sunday, it was the best game from Williams this season, as he scored a season-high 30 points. Lillard will be a lot more to handle for Williams than anyone the Lakers had to offer, but a healthy Williams is a huge difference maker for Brooklyn as they look to get to within one game of .500

- Bench Advantage

The Blazers bench is the one glaring weakness that the Nets should have a noticeable advantage in, as Brooklyn has one of the better bench units in the league, and it is expected to get better with Marcus Thornton liking making his debut Wednesday after dealing with food poisoning. Andray Blatche struggled against the Lakers, but has been great almost all season, and figures to have a bounce back game against the Blazers. The availability of Shaun Livingston may have an affect on the bench, as if Livingston cant play Jason Kidd maybe starting Andrei Kirilenko again.

Read More

Nets Lose Hard Fought Game Against Warriors

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 22nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 86 Warriors 93

The Brooklyn Nets hung tough in Golden State against the Warriors, but couldn’t pull off the road upset against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. The loss moves the Nets to (25-28) on the season, and are now four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

Offensive production was hard to come by for the Nets against the Warriors, but Deron Williams did look healthy, and played a good game for Brooklyn. Williams scored a team-high 20 points on eight for 16 shooting, while dishing out six assists. Williams was able to outscore Warriors Point Guard Stephen Curry by three points, as Williams did his part to win the match-up, but he didn’t get much help from his fellow teammates in the starting lineup.

Positives:

Brooklyn’s bench was pretty solid once again, but they didn’t get to have newly acquired Marcus Thornton in Saturday’s game, as he was out with food poisoning. Andray Blatche played well once again, as he led the Nets bench with 14 points on six for nine shooting, with eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Andrei Kirilenko also played well in 32 minutes of game time, which is a lot more than usual. When Kirilenko is on the floor, the Nets are clearly better on the defensive end of the floor, as he is a versatile defender. He finished with six points on two for five shooting, with nine rebounds, three assists, and one block.

Negatives:

Without their normal starting Center Andrew Bogut, the Warriors started Jermaine O’Neal, who threw back the clock for a great game. O’Neal led all scorers with 23 points on a great 10 for 13 performance from the field. O’Neal was also the main reason the Nets were badly out-rebounded, as he had game-high 13. The frontline for the Warriors without David Lee dominated the glass, as O’Neal, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala all had double-digit rebounds leading to the 50 rebound day for Golden State.

espn.go.com

There was a lack of scoring support for Williams in the starting lineup, as Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce both struggled in the game. Johnson scored 15 points in the game, but shot the ball poorly going five of 16 from the field, and with the game close at the end had two costly turnovers. Pierce has been battling turf toe, which maybe affected him in Saturday’s game. He shot just three of 11 from field, ending up with just 11 points in 34 minutes.

A big blow for the Nets happened in the second quarter, as Guard Shaun Livingston went down hard and bruised his tailbone forcing him from the game. His status for their game on Sunday against the Lakers is unsure, which is a bad thing for the Nets, as Livingston has been playing very well of late for Brooklyn.

Next up for the Nets will be a the second half of their back to back against the Lakers, which is a situation that the Nets have struggled in this season.

Read More

Nets Start Off Second Half Strong in Utah

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 19th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Utah Jazz Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 105 Jazz 99

The Brooklyn Nets were able to start of the second half of the season on a positive note with a nice win in Utah against the Jazz. The 105-99 win moves the Nets to (25-27) on the season, as they have moved into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and are three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

The Nets lone All-Star Joe Johnson may have not been deserving of the nod for the trip to New Orleans, but on Wednesday he played like an All-Star. Johnson led all scorers with 27 points on 10 for 16 shooting, which included him going four for seven from three-point range. Johnson also had two season-highs, as he dished out six assists, and had three steals to go along with his great scoring. It was a very good sign for the Nets to see a game like this for Johnson, who was struggling heading into the break, as the last time he scored 20 or more points was on Martin Luther King Day against the Knicks.

nydailynews.com

Positives-

Andray Blatche was a major force for the Nets off the bench, as he was right behind Johnson in scoring with 25 points of his own. Blatche wasn’t as efficient as Johnson from the field, but still shot over 50%, as he was 11 for 20 from the field. Blatche rounded out his game with six rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 31 excellent minutes off the bench.

Shaun Livingston continued his all-around great play for the Nets on Wednesday, as he turned in another good game. In 40 minutes Livingston scored nine points on three for seven shooting, he also had seven assists, five rebounds, and one block.

The turnover battle was a huge victory for the Nets, as if it wasn’t for having a +12 in the turnover category the Nets would have more than likely lost this game. The Jazz bench struggled to protect the ball, as Alec Burks and Diante Garrett each had four turnovers. Rudy Gobert added two turnovers and Brandon Rush had one, as the bench for the Jazz combined for 11 turnovers compared to just one for the Nets bench.

Negatives-

Utah’s Center Enes Kanter was a handful for the Nets small lineup, as he was able to get himself a nice double-double. Kanter scored 18 points on eight for 14 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass. Rebounding in general was a problem for the Nets, as they were out rebounded by the Jazz 46-33.

Deron Williams did get his first win in Utah since being traded to the Nets, but it was a tough night for Williams. Williams scored 19 points, but with wrap on his shooting hand only shot six of 15 from the field. Williams got banged up pretty good in the game as well, as he was hit in the groin, and took an elbow to the head late in the game, but was able to play.

Next up for the Nets will be a few days off before they will be in Golden State playing the Warriors, where newly acquired Marcus Thornton will be making his debut with the team.

Read More

Nets Defeat Banged Up Spurs

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 6th, 2014

San Antonio Spurs vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Spurs 89 Nets 103

For the first time since 2010, the Brooklyn Nets were able to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, as they took advantage of the banged up Spurs, earning themselves a nice victory at home. The win moves the Nets to (22-25) on the season, which puts them three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Alan Anderson

newsday.com

One of the most unlikely people on the Nets to be the player of the game has to be Alan Anderson, but on Thursday night in a game the Nets needed to get against a Spurs team that was without so many of their rotation players, Anderson stepped up. Coming off the bench, Anderson played 30 minutes, while scoring a game-high 22 points on nine for 15 shooting. He really left his mark on the game in between the third and fourth quarters, as he scored 11 straight points for Brooklyn, which helped them secure the win.

Positives:

After a tough start in the game, going zero for four from the field for Deron Williams, he bounced back nicely despite having to go to the locker room in the second quarter after getting hit on his knee. Williams finished with 16 points on seven for 14 shooting to go along with his eight assists, and four rebounds. Getting hit on his knee however has to be concerning for Williams and the Nets, as he has missed a lot of time due to leg injuries, and those injuries have not helped his performance on the court in what has been a disappointing season for him.

The Nets bench was night and day different than against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, as with Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche back in uniform, the Nets bench unit played great. Kirilenko did all the little things that he was brought in to do, as he had a season-high eight rebounds and a season-high six assists, while the Nets improved to (13-5) when he plays. Blatche also had a nice game coming off missing the 76ers game, as he had 10 points on five for 12 shooting, with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Mirza Teletovic, who did play against the 76ers also got in on the action scoring 10 points on four for 10 shooting, while grabbing seven rebounds. The Nets for being a pretty small team without Brook Lopez, dominated the glass on Thursday, grabbing a season-high 53 rebounds.

Good performances were seen from most of the starting lineup, as besides the good game from Williams, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston all played well. Garnett played just 18 minutes, but almost notched a double-double with eight points on four for nine shooting and nine rebounds. Pierce also had an easy night minutes wise playing just 23, but he scored 12 points on five for six shooting, and grabbed seven rebounds. Livingston had another nice all-around game, scoring eight points on four for nine shooting, with five rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.

Negatives:

The only real negative for the Nets in the 14-point victory was that they did start off very sluggish in the first quarter, as they were outscored 24-17. They were down 18-6 at one point in the first quarter, but they bounced back and handled their business winning every other quarter by at least six points.

Next up for the Nets will be a trip to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday night, and the Nets will be without Garnett, who will be getting a game off for rest.

Read More

Nets Snap Three-Game Skid Against 76ers

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 3rd, 2014

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: 76ers 102 Nets 108

The Brooklyn Nets were able to end their three-game losing streak on Monday night with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at home without Joe Johnson. The win was a good one for the Nets, as they needed to beat a bad 76ers team, and the win moves them to (21-25) on the season, which is four games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce

nydailynews.com

Nets Forward Paul Pierce was the go to guy for the Nets on Monday night in the win, as he was the games leading scorer. Pierce scored 25 points on just five for nine shooting, as he did a great job getting to the foul line. When Pierce got to the foul line he made the most of it too, as he went a perfect 14 for 14 from the charity stripe. In the last four games Pierce has been getting to the line a lot, as in the three previous losses he was at the line seven times in each game. Without Johnson’s scoring in the starting lineup, Pierce did a great job helping out in the scoring department for Brooklyn

Positives:

Back in the Starting lineup for the second straight game, Deron Williams played much better than his three for 12 shooting performance in Indiana against the Pacers. On Monday, Williams scored 21 points on eight for 19 shooting, and he was good from three-point range, going three for seven. Williams also dished out six assists to round out a nice bounce back game after his struggles against the Pacers.

Off the bench for the Nets their wasn’t a whole lot of production without Andray Blatche or Andrei Kirilenko, but Mirza Teletovic did a good job picking up the slack scoring for Blatche. Teletovic scored 20 points on seven for 12 shooting, which included him, going five for nine from three-point range in 28 minutes.

Going against who is possibly the Rookie of the Year in Michael Carter-Williams, the Nets did a very good job defensively against the young Point Guard. Carter-Williams did score 21 points, but struggled with his shooting going six for 17 from the field. He also didn’t do a good job protecting the ball, as he turned it over six times, while only dishing out four assists. Overall it was a poor game by Carter-Williams, as the Nets did a great job defending him.

Shaun Livingston had yet another great game coming off his season-high of 24 points against the Pacers, as on Monday he didn’t score as much, but filled up the stat sheet nicely. Livingston scored 13 points on four for nine shooting with six rebounds, eight assists, and a career-high seven steals. A great all-around game from Livingston led to him having the best +/- of any player at +23.

Negatives:

The 76ers did a pretty good job keeping this game close despite being double-digit underdogs, as they were led by Thaddeus Young and off the bench Tony Wroten. Young did a good job in the starting lineup, as he scored 17 points on an efficient seven for 11 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Wroten led the charge off the bench with 18 points on six for eight shooting, while going six for nine from the foul line in his second straight game of scoring 18 points.

For the Nets they did have some struggles on the wings in this game without Johnson, as Alan Anderson and Jason Terry both played very bad. Anderson scored just five points in 31 minutes, as he went an awful one for eight from the field. Terry was just as bad off the bench, as he scored three points on one for five shooting. Terry, who was once one of the best bench players in the league, has only scored in double-figures once in 2014.

Next up for the Nets will be a little break before they host the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.

Read More

Nets Beat the Heat in Double-Overtime

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 10th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Heat 95 Nets 104

The Brooklyn Nets were able to pull off a double overtime win over the defending champions on Friday night to keep their winning streak alive. The Nets riding a five-game winning streak now are just three games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division, with a (15-21) record.

Positives-

Shooting Guard Joe Johnson once again had a great game in the absence of Deron Williams, who is still out with an ankle injury, and there is no real timetable for his return. Johnson scored a team-high 32 points on 14 for 25 shooting, which included him going four for six from three-point land. In his 46 minutes Johnson also added four rebounds and five assists to his great night.

Shaun Livingston did another fine job filling in for Williams at Point Guard for the third straight game. In 51 minutes of play Livingston recorded a double-double, as he scored 19 points on six of 11 shooting, with 11 rebounds and five assists. In his last three games at Point Guard, Livingston has scored in double figures each time, which is a big help for a team without their best player.

In the double-overtime thriller the old men for Brooklyn did pretty well, as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett both had nice games. Pierce did well scoring the basketball, as he had 23 points on seven for 17 shooting. Garnett playing a bit more than usual recorded a double-double with 12 points on five for eight shooting to go along with 10 rebounds.

Battling a knee injury Dwayne Wade sat against Brooklyn, which was the second game of a New York back to back for the Heat. Ray Allen got the start in place of Wade, and really struggled against some of his old friends from Boston. Allen scored just nine points on a horrendous two for 14 shooting night from the field, and was zero for five from three-point land. Chris Bosh was a surprising non-factor in a game that Wade wasn’t in. Bosh scored just 12 points on four for nine shooting with 10 rebounds.

Brooklyn as a team did a fantastic job protecting the ball throughout the game against one of the more opportunistic teams in the league. The Nets only turned the ball over 13 times, which would be great for even a game that ended in regulation.

Negatives-

The best player in the world was just that against Brooklyn, as expected LeBron James was his usual great self. James scored a game-high 36 points on 12 for 21 shooting, with seven rebounds and five assists. In what was a truly rare sight James fouled out just before the end of the first overtime for just the sixth time in his career.

A major negative for Brooklyn was their lack of production from the entire bench. Only Reggie Evans had a positive plus +/- off the bench for Brooklyn, and they didn’t have a player score in double-digits, as Andray Blatche was the closest with eight points on four for 10 shooting.

Next up for the Nets will be a difficult game against the Toronto Raptors in Toronto on Saturday night.

Read More

Nets Make It Three Straight With Victory Against Hawks

nydailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

January 6th, 2014

Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets Post Game Recap

Final Score: Hawks 86 Nets 91

The Brooklyn Nets for the second time this season are on a three-game winning streak, as on Monday night they were able to beat one of the few Eastern Conference teams over .500 in the Atlanta Hawks. The win moves the Nets to (13-21) on the season, which puts them four games back of the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Positives:

- With Deron Williams missing his 12th game of the season due to his lingering ankle injury, Shaun Livingston stepped into the starting Point Guard role, and came through with a very nice game. Livingston played 34 minutes, scoring 12 points on six for 11 shooting. He also grabbed five rebounds, and had three steals in route to being +15 for the game.

- The Nets got a much needed boost from Joe Johnson, who erupted out of nowhere scoring wise, after not scoring in double-digits since Christmas before Monday night. Johnson finished with a game-high 23 points on 10 for 22 shooting, as he picked up his scoring without Williams. Johnson was clutch in the fourth quarter on a nice run for the Nets, and also had four assists in what was a much needed good game for Johnson, who besides one clutch shot in Oklahoma City had been flat out bad.

- Mirza Teletovic had a big impact off the bench for Brooklyn, as he provided some great scoring. Teletovic scored 16 points off the bench on six for 12 shooting, which included him, going four for nine from three-point range. Jason Kidd stayed with Teletovic down the stretch, and the move paid off, as Teletovic hit a corner three-pointer with 44 seconds left that gave the Nets a 89-84 lead.

- After their disastrous third quarter against the Cavaliers, the Nets bounced back with a great one on Monday against the Hawks, which was desperately needed after being outscored by 12 points in the second quarter. In the third the Nets outscored Atlanta 26-15, as the defense came out looking great in the third quarter, and then yet again in the fourth. The 15 points the Nets allowed in the third quarter was the least amount of points they have given up in any third quarter this season.

Negatives:

- After a nine point first quarter from Paul Pierce, which got the Nets off to a good start, Pierce disappeared for the rest of the game. Pierce finished the game going three for nine from the field, and was the only Net in the starting lineup with a negative +/-. Another former Celtic Jason Terry also struggled in this game, as off the bench Terry played 11 minutes and went zero for five from the field, with zero points.

The Nets will be hosting the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, as they look to make it four straight wins.

Read More