Game 64 - Nets @ Mavericks - Wednesday, March 10, 8:30
The Mavs are hurt but hot. It's possible the Nets won't face Jason Terry, Erick Dampier, Brendan Haywood, Jose Barea or Tim Thomas when they play in Dallas. They will face Jason Kidd and they will face Dirk Nowitzki and that was enough for the Mavs to blow out the Timberwolves Monday night. Now that we've dispensed with how hurt they are, let's talk about how hot they are? They've won 12 straight and are only two and a half games back of the Lakers in the West. The Nets have been riding Brook Lopez and their three perimeter players--Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams--this month. With Dallas lacking a shot blocker, they could be making a lot of trips to the painted area. A Net win would gain them something more than respect. It could help in the NBA Draft. The Mavs run has had the effect of dropping the Nets in the draft.. The Dallas pick, owned by the Nets, is now #27 in the first round.
- New Jersey Nets Game Notes - New Jersey Nets
- Dallas Mavericks Game Notes - Dallas Mavericks
- Getting Inside - New Jersey Nets - Sports Xchange
- Getting Inside - Dallas Mavericks - Sports Xchange
- Nets-Mavericks Preview - Stats
- Change Has Been Good For Dallas - Al Iannazzone
- Mavericks have new look after trading deadline - Peter Vecsey - New York Post
- Mavericks' other streak ties record - John Hollinger - ESPN
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CDR, Frustrated with Nets' Role, Uncertain of the Future
He says he and the head coach have a "unique" relationship. He admits, "I don’t really know what my role is" in the new inside-out offense, then adds, " I had to take a backseat." He's stopped letting out his emotions on Twitter, realizing it wasn't helping his reputation – fair or not – as a malcontent. And as for his future with the Nets, he says, "I’m going to see how everything goes, but I’m going to focus on me." That's the brunt of a Memphis Commercial Appeal profile of Chris Douglas Roberts' frustrating season. The Appeal's Scott Cacciola notes that CDR and Kiki Vandeweghe display a studied avoidance of one another, barely speaking. And while noting the Memphis product's frustration with the system, he adds that other wings like Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams don't seem to have the same problems fitting in, as Monday's box score attests.
- Nothing but 'Net: Frustrated Douglas-Roberts sees his season slipping away - Scott Cacciola - Memphis Commercial Appeal.
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NBA Power Rankings: Where March Matters
SB Nation's Mike Prada loves March Madness as much as the rest of us, but in this week's edition of the SB Nation NBA Power Rankings, he reminds us that March matters in the NBA, too.
The Nets are still "In their own category."
SI Writers' Poll: Nets Won't Be Downtrodden for Long
Two of Sports llustrated's four NBA writers think the Nets have the best long term prospects of the East's worst franchises. The writers were asked which of the six teams projected to lose 50+ games this season would they invest in. Ian Thomsen and Chris Mannix chose the Nets without question. They cited the presence of solid young players, the dual hoards of picks and cap space, the new arena in Brooklyn, and of course, the new billionaire owner. One writer chose the Knicks, the other the Pistons. No one likes the prospects of the 76ers, Wizards or Pacers.
Thomsen once again noted the likelihood the Nets will be "rebranded" the New York Nets "to tap into the biggest of all markets". He concluded, "No team has more upside." Mannix, who ranks the team last in his weekly power rankings, says simply "The Nets, believe it or not, are the most promising" and suggests Mikhail Prokhorov will spend "on an elite coach" as well as the roster.
Sports Illustrated was not alone Tuesday in spreading the gospel on the Nets. NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper writes that the shovels used in Thursday's ground breaking could serve as "a recruiting tool, too". He quotes Kiki Vandeweghe on what the lure of New York could mean for the Nets in this free agency season and beyond, how the Nets can offer free agents a chance to be part of building something.
- NBA Roundtable - Ian Thomsen, Chris Mannix, Jack McCullum, Frank Hughes - Sports Illustrated
- The pitch is feverish in Brooklyn as shovel hits ground - Scott Howard-Cooper - NBA.com
- The Teams That Make the Nets Look Good - David Biderman - Wall Street Journal
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Could Harris and Wall Play Together?
A few weeks back, with Devin Harris still playing hurt, conventional wisdom among basketball pundits was that the Nets would have to trade Harris if they got the first pick--and John Wall--in the draft. Harris has looked more like his All-Star self of late, averaging 21.8 ppg in March after going for 20.3 ppg and 9.3 apg in February. He's even shooting 38.1% from deep this month.
Sports Illustrated, in handicapping the best landing spots for Wall, still thinks the Kentucky guard would complicate things for the Nets. "Sure, New Jersey is threatening to become the worst team in history and any infusion of talent is welcome at this point," writes Frank Hughes. "But drafting Wall would hasten the departure of Harris, whose disappointing season means the Nets likely wouldn't get equal value in return."
What about playing them together--if the Nets get lucky? There's some in the Nets front office who would like to try that combination out and see what it looks like. Of course, who plays the point would be the issue....but a nice issue.
- Projected top pick John Wall may be hard fit for lottery teams - Frank Hughes - Sports Illustrated
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FDU Passes on Barrise
Tom Barrise's next coaching job will not be at Fairleigh Dickinson, his alma mater. FDU has decided to pass on Barrise and instead name interim coach Greg Vetrone to the job permanently. Barrise had been Lawrence Frank's top assistant and was head coach for the last two games of the team's 0-18 opening streak. He moved to the front office as Rod Thorn's assistant shortly thereafter.
Ratner, Jay-Z, But Not Prokhorov, Will Wield Shovels Thursday
It may be Bruce Ratner's last official act as the Nets' principal owner and Jay-Z's first appearance at any Nets-branded event this season. Thursday's Barclays Center ground breaking in downtown Brooklyn will feature them as well as the team's CEO, Brett Yormark; Barclays CEO Bob Diamond; and three of the project's biggest political supporters: Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Boro President Marty Markowitz. Protestors from Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn are hoping to get some attention as well, claiming the state is "caging" them. No word if any of the Nets will be on hand. The team will between games in Dallas and Oklahoma City, although Yi Jianlian will be available. Not on hand: Mikhail Prokhorov, who awaits approval by the NBA Board of Governors.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 1:30 at the corner of Fifth and Atlantic Avenues in Brooklyn, acccessible via ten subway lines and Long Island Railroad at the Atlantic Terminal station, now promoted as part of the overall Atlantic Yards project. The ground breaking will be broadcast live on YES.
- Paterson, Bloomberg, Markowitz, Ratner, Jay-Z (but no Prokhorov) scheduled for arena ground breaking Thursday - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report
- Atlantic Yards Groundbreaking Set for Thursday - Brooklyn Eagle
- Atlantic Yards Update: New Renderings; Signage Debated!
- Barclays Center- Renderings - Barclays Center
- State 'cages' key Atlantic Yards holdout - Rich Calder - New York Post
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The Prokhorov Effect: If I Were a Rich Man...
As ground-breaking for the Barclays Center approaches, NetsDaily is offering a series of reports on "The Prokhorov Effect".
Sunday's report focused on Prokhorov the man, Monday's on an examination of his wealth . Tuesday's focuses on how his ownership could affect the future of the Nets.
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