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Preview & Chat: The New Jersey Nets

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Due to some technical issues, this is the first ever preview from the phone in FB&G history. It also will be in bullet points for that reason. I am sorry about that.

* I think the biggest long-term thing out of the Lakers destruction of the Warriors is that Phil has tightned the rotation to 8: Odom, Farmar and Brown are the men, at least until garbage time.

* After the loss to Houston, that is 5 straight double-digit wins for the Lakers.

* Bill Bridges and I are on the same page: Ron Artest’s three-point and one in the Third quarter was what sparked the Lakers run to pull away. He is finding his place and role on this team more and more.

* Lawrence Frank was fired today, although put out of his misery may be the better phrase.

* Part of me is sad to see Frank get fired. Not that it isn’t warranted, at 0-16 somthing needs to be done. But Frank is not another former player given a chance to start as an assistant in a good place because a former coach liked him. Frank started basically shagging balls at coaches clinics. He woked hard and absorbed what he heard. There was no old boys network to help him out, he earned his way up the ladder, all the way to the NBA. Before the Nets stripped their roster for 2010, he had them in the playoffs four straight years. The NBA needs more guys like him.

* I’ve been telling anyone who would listen that Long Beach State was pretty good this year.

* Things are better off long-term in New Jersey than say with the Knicks from where I sit. Look at it as if you were a future first-ballot Hall of Famer looking for a place to spend your prime years. A new stadium in Brooklyn is on the way. There soon will be a new owner with very deep pockets who will not be scared off by some Luxury Tax. And the roster has some talent in need of a star: Devin Harris is a borderline All Star at PG; Brook Lopez can score as a center and is solid; I like Chrs Douglas-Roberts; and guys like Dooling/Alston/Najera can be solid role players. There is a future there.

* Harris is the kind of PG that gives the Lakers trouble, they need to pressure him and have good defensive rotations from the bigs (a bit of a challenge because Lopez can hit from 15 so he can pull a big away from the basket). However, Harris is not fully healthy and it shows in his shot, which is off. He was 6 of 22 against Sacramento.

* Game at 6:30 on Fox Sports and ESPN 710 radio.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Kareem says

    From the last thread:

    It really kills me that every mainstream writer, including Adande, keeps repteating the trope, “the Ariza and Artest trade was a wash.” It is absolutely, undeniably no contest so far. Ariza couldn’t play the minutes Artest is and fill up the stat sheet in the way Artest does. Artest is grabbing rebounds that Ariza didn’t and is passing when Ariza couldn’t. His play is such a perfect fit for the team right now, and his ascent this year really highlights the skills that he possesses. I know we say that of every player that Phil coaches, but of anyone whose benefited by moving to a Phil Jackson coached team, Artest might be the greatest success story, granted he keeps this up for the rest of the season.

    Bill, do you think the difference between Kobe and Artest is artificial or real? I know that Kobe is used as a panacea for failings of our bench unit. When leads are blowing, he’s inserted into the game (when Artest might not be) and that might reflect on his +/-.

    Also, do you think that Artest’s stats are coming at the expense of Lamar? Lamar’s numbers seem a little down, as he was a monster on the +/- last year. Thoughts?

  3. chris h says

    according to “the art of war” a cornered rat will fight like a lion so we should expect these Nets, who are facing an NBA record for most loss’s to start the season to come out fighting like a cornered rat! if we come out over confident, we are quite possibly in trouble tonight.
    the team does have a way of just winning because they just have better players, but there is always the “off night”, for any number of possibilities, so I hope PJ really pounds it into their heads, they could get beat tonight!
    just cause a team is 0 for 16, doesn’t mean they can’t beat us.
    and I’m really enjoying the tighter rotations, but I do think we could give Pau a bit more breather and work Josh Powell into the mix.
    seems to be that PJ always likes to push Pau’s minutes.

  4. Gr8 Scott says

    Last night was a great win. We have tended to find ourselves in very tight games over the past few years when visiting the Warriors, so to see us run off with this was great. I’d like to see Powell get more minutes. Methinks that unless Sasha can start to actually hit more than just the front of the rim, he may be trade bait come January.

  5. sT says

    Is not modern technology just wonderful, who needs a standard PC now days to get the ‘work’ done wherever. I like the 8-player rotation, but will it not give that group enough rest for the Playoffs? The other players’ work out fine in practice, those eight need someone to practice against, right? I do not think that I will be worrying about the outcome of this game tonight, very much, or at all for that matter.

    Go Lakers…

  7. chris h says

    gr8 scott, I’m with ya on Sasha, but wo’s going to take a very expensive (with one more year still on top of this one) a very expensive shooter who can’t shoot?
    Mitch already got his miracle.

  9. J says

    All things being equal with health, decent production, etc I think a 9 man rotation would be ideal. Gives enough rest to starters and enough minutes to dole out and keep everyone happy. LO, Brown, Farmar and Luke being the four off the bench.

    I think Josh and DJ know that they aren’t going to get regular minutes unless someone is hurt or there’s a ton of foul trouble. Both of them seem to exhibit the right attitude and professionalism despite that. They produce even when they sit for long stretches.

    Unfortunately that means Sasha is the odd man out. Unless he starts shooting lights out, I can’t see him jumping over Brown or Farmar for minutes.

    LO, Luke, Jordan and Shannon are a good blend of abilities to mix into the starters for any situation. I’d love to see most of the starters in the low 30’s for most games and Fish in the high 20’s at most. I think that would keep them fresh for the season and playoffs while still keeping them sharp.

    I never understood the concerns about Bynum’s minutes once Pau got back. There’s 96 minutes between the C/PF positions. Divided by Drew, Pau and LO, that’s 32 each. Plenty for everyone without overworking them.

  12. j. d. hastings says

    Most apt part of this post: The Lakers should also be able to phone it in tonight and still walk away with a convincing win.

    I’ve had a lot of respect for Long Beach State ever since I shared a jet blue flight with them up to the Bay Arera when they played Cal a year or two ago. Can you imagine for guys that size to unfold themselves from coach and play within a few hours? Do bigger schools do that?

  13. 3ThreeIII says

    I think Pau is getting a few more minutes than normal simply to get his legs back.

    Once Pau is back to speed and his conditioning level is good I expect to see Powell get a few more minutes each game.

    Apparently Adam Morrison is also horrible in practices, because he is getting almost no work, even in blowouts.

  15. j. d. hastings says

    HAHAHA- conversation accidentally caught on mic between Norm Nixon and Bill McDonald on league pass, apparently joking about an interactive segment on Wilt Chamberlain’s promiscuity:

    Norm: …they should take a poll- Do you believe it or do you not

    Bill: No- If you’ve been with Wilt…

    Norm: Call in, right?

    Bill: That’s right. Here’s the phone, get online….

    Norm: What’s your cell #?

  18. chibi says

    Love the extra defensive intensity from Kobe, energizing the team and warding off a lethargic 1st quarter.

  22. j. d. hastings says

    Testing the small lineup with Odom at center, Artest at PF, Kobe SF, and Farmar and Brown in the back court.

    That is- theyre treating this game as practice at this point.

  23. VoR says

    I hope the Lakers can keep their focus and finish of the Nets early, but I am really ready to see them play some upper echelon teams.

  26. chibi says

    Wow. Nugs blow a huge lead and lose to the T-Wolves in Denver. I hope that isn’t a sign of things to come.

  27. jeremyLA24 says

    I haven’t watched a nets game this season so far and I guess this is what 0-16 looks like. It’s like they don’t know what to do out there, almost like if they are a pick-up squad that’s playing for the first time together. If they weren’t wearing the same color jerseys, I don’t know if they would know who to pass it to.

  29. Warren Wee Lim says

    Chris h, apparently, the Nets didn’t read the art of war in their spare time… 😉

    They are tanking the season (and not by choice) to land John Wall, lots of cap space and a deep pocketed Russian owner. 2010 will be very scary for ze Nets.

    “Ve are villing to pay ze Luxury Tax”

    ^^ sounds more German than Russian LOL but you get my point…

  30. J says

    Kobe must have finally noticed his 3pt% for the season. Looks like he’s going to try and get it to his career avg all in one night. He’s raised up the percentage 6 pts already tonight.

  31. Warren Wee Lim says

    Its just painful to be a Net these days…

    Harris-CDR-TWill-Lopez-Yi is a good young bunch though… coupled with the Mavs 1st and their own 1st, max cap space and no bad contracts. I say the Nets will recover very quickly.

  32. Mimsy says

    Following the game on the box score tonight (new videogame…), and honestly, I feel bad for the Nets. Their coach did not deserve to get fired.

    How d you recover mentally and emotionally from starting the season this way? How do you regroup?

  33. Mico says

    @Mimsy, on Lawrence Frank’s firing

    in fairness to the nets management, I read somewhere that one of the reasons they fired him is that Rod Thorn (I think the Nets’ President) didn’t want him to get the tag of

    “the coach that lead his team to the worst start in Nba history”

  34. lakergirl says

    Just how bad is this game…Kobe just made another left handed shot…i wonder what the count is between him and Gasol now…

  35. Mimsy says

    @Mico,
    So it’s a case of, “here, let me amputate your leg so that sprained ankle will stop bothering you”?

    Nothing personal against you, that was meant as a joke. 🙂

    I just don’t think he deserved getting fired, with the circumstances he had to work with. The man isn’t a miracle-worker, there is only so much a coach and his staff can do. Like Warren said, the young players on the team has potential, they just need a little time to develop.

  36. Simonoid says

    Wonder how Bynum feels about his 6 & 6.

    There goes my 20 & 10… *chugs up court*
    *the old man better play me in the 4th…*

  37. 3ThreeIII says

    Wow. The Nets are very sad right now.

    They might be good in a year or three, but this is just painful to watch…

  39. harold says

    i’ll be mad if the starters play in the 4th…

    *looks like Kobe won’t, he’ll foul out before the 4th!
    *and maybe Bynum will too 🙁

  40. Simonoid says

    Actually, Mimsy – it’s a matter of here, “should I amputate your leg now or should I amputate it later and let it hurt for a little first?”

    You know he’s getting the axe either way. I thought they would wait until 0-18 (assuming they lose to Dallas) and then give the interim coach a chance to look good and lead them to their first victory in the next two (New York, Charlotte).

  41. Jim says

    Gasol for a triple double? We need at least one starter on the court in the fourth. Fans want tacos and our bench is playing like we traded them for fans in the stands.

  43. Simonoid says

    Farmar’s awesome lately.

    Like I said last thread, seeing his FG% & 3PT% steadily decrease over the last 3 seasons (including this one) is still a little unnerving – just good to see a couple of his hoists go in.

  47. J says

    Pau’s probably in there to stabiize the bench. Put DJ in there right now and it’d be a complete disaster. As it is, the lead is slowly being whittled down.

    It’s also been mentioned Pau needs to get his conditioning back.

  48. jeremyLA24 says

    well simonoid, for the second night in a row we could have said that Jordan had an increadible game but he blew another practically uncontested dunk… so sad.

  49. Mico says

    @Mimsy,

    No offense taken mimsy hehe

    I think it’s more of you’re gonna get canned anyway (same article said that they’ve been looking to fire Frank since last year), so might as well kick you with some dignity intact

    —

    It seemed that Phil wanted Gasol to really play into shape 😀

  50. J says

    I don’t know if I’d call that an uncontested dunk. I think he did blow it because he saw it was going to be challenged and tried to adjust.

    Still, I’d trade a missed dunk like that every time for a game like this. Just a solid performance from him with only a few minor lapses.

  51. Mimsy says

    might as well kick you with some dignity intact

    Now that I agree with. There’s no point in adding insult to injury.

    I’m probably irritated mainly because this firing makes it look like they’re trying to hang Frank out as the scape-goat for the Nets’ bad record, and I don’t think it’s his fault. Hopefully for him enough people agree with me that he will be able to find another job.

  53. J says

    Ammo with a ton of burn tonight. I wonder if PJ is trying to see if he can be the designated shooter off the bench. Of course, he’s the only one who hasn’t scored.

    Sasha ruining his percentage again.

  54. sT says

    I do not like games like this one tonight as a basketball fan, but the Laker in me is just fine right about now. I started doing “other” stuff tonight besides watching my beloved Lakers play a basketball game. I will take the win though.

  55. Warren Wee Lim says

    If we beat the Nets by less than 15 I’d be mad coz I have them at -14.5 on a 2k bet… 😀

    Thanks for the tacos (2000php).

  56. Mimsy says

    @Simonoid,
    Sorry, I didn’t see your #40 post until now. I have been lazy about refreshing since I was watching the box score in another window.

    And from that point of view you have a good point and you’re probably right. I, and lots of other fans, no doubt, have a tendency to only look a the current season and not at the history of anyone getting fired or released from his contract early… and as a result, we miss out on the entire story.

    That said, I was actually happy to hear rumours that the 76ers are considering signing Iverson again. He was great once. He deserves to go out on a better note than he did.

  57. drrayeye says

    Here was a game where Jordan Farmar did his stuff. He made the defensive play of the game by stuffing a breakaway dunk, made three for four threes, and mostly played the triangle–avoiding most run and gun temptations.

    He did revert to his unacceptable tendency to miss free throws and made several unnecessary turnovers, but, for a change, he outdueled ShanWOW.

  59. Warren Wee Lim says

    Drrayeye, these are the games that we saw Farmar play that made us anoint him the next Laker PG… he really outdid himself tonight.

    PG minutes:

    Fisher – 22
    JFarm – 18
    Shanwow – 8 as PG, 15 as SG

    I am getting the hang of them playing side by side as the new mob. I guess the 8-man rotation really works… but then again its against the hapless, hopeless and winless Nets so you can’t really make it a basis… I just hope it becomes a confidence booster for him as he steps up to become that long-lost PG we all long for.

  60. Anon says

    didn’t watch the game.. how did harris play? if you’re looking for clues about the PG rotation I’d start there..