Nets End 2007 With Another Tight Win

At least we can win in the clutch now (11-3 in close games).

2008 is a new year, hopefully a new team also.

Go Nets!!!

This was a good game from Kidd, and Carter. Now I understand more why Carter is a great player. Kidd is the best at finding open players and Carter just as good.

A real nail-biter. Nets hung tough though. Didn’t fold down the stretch.

Made the big shots when it counted, and, played clamp-down defense to close the Bucks out.

Kidd EARNS his pay every night.

Excellent win Nets!

Statistically, the rookie challenge was pretty even: Sean with 6 points, 3 assists, 10 rebounds, Yi with 12 points, 0 assists, 8 rebounds, but I thought Sean was more active and deserves the nod….he is becoming a realistic ROY candidate.

The reconfigured Nets are 4-1, I like it, what are all the pessimists going to post now, I don’t see anything yet as I write this.

I like the emotion that J.Kidd showed last night. I thing that helped fired the team , he should so more emotion more often

FINALLY, Twin with the DNP CD and Magloire gets some playing time. He had a nice contribution off the bench with a couple of buckets and a few rebounds. Like I’ve said before, he’s not perfect, but he’s big, can rebound, can score around the basket, and is better than Collins. Given minutes, he can help this team.

It sure took him a while, but Frank is starting to get the rotation right. Very little small ball, and almost always at least one of Josh or Sean on the floor. I think a large majority of Nets fans have been clamoring for this rotation since early in the season, and you can’t argue with the results. The Nets have won 4 of 5 and more importantly have been in games from the start. No double more digit first quarter deficits. I’m just surprised it took Frank so long to figure it out. Better late than never though.

Now that Frank is starting to set the rotation, he needs to address the next issue, which is the offense. The Nets are next to last in points-per-game in the league (only ahead of Chicago). On a team with Carter and Jefferson, the second highest scoring duo in the league, that simply should not be the case.

I honestly don’t think the main issue is whether the offense goes through RJ or goes through Carter. They’re both great scorers and they’ll get their touches over the course of a game. The primary issue is that the offense is too perimeter-oriented. Too much passing around the perimeter and then settling for a contested jumpshot. There are multiple problems with this kind of offense:

- Outside shots don’t go in on some nights. If the Nets can’t get stops and score in the fast break, then they won’t be able to score enough to win.

- Defenses start to key on this and will start to play the passing lanes. You saw this tonight with the Bucks. They had a few steals early on because the Nets were just passing it around on the perimeter.

- It lets the opposing bigs off the hook because they don’t have to guard the Nets big men down low and they don’t get into foul trouble.

I don’t know if Frank just doesn’t trust Sean/Josh with the ball or what. Compare this to how the Bucks used Yi tonight. There was one play where he was isolated on the right baseline against Sean and he drew a foul on him. Why can’t Sean get the same play a couple times a game? He has a back to the basket game from what we’ve seen so far. Why not utilize it on occasion instead of having him always run the high screen and roll?

The worst case scenario is that he misses a couple shots. OK, don’t go to him anymore that game. The best case scenario is that he scores, draws a foul on the opposing big, or gets doubled and finds an open shooter. Both Carter and Kidd shoot much higher percentages when they are set and waiting for the pass than when they are moving off the dribble or off a screen.

For the Nets to take the next step and compete with the elite teams of the league, they have to have some sort of interior scoring. Just the threat of being able to score inside makes the opposing defense think and opens up the offense for everyone. Getting Krstic back will help, but I think Sean is capable of scoring inside right now, probably more so than Josh. Frank has made a lot of progress so far, and I hope he realizes the problem with the offense before it’s too late in the season to correct it.

Carter and Kidd sealed the game for us……..especially carter with 4 curcial points, 2 assists and one big rebound in the last 1:30…

it is really simple- give VC the ball and he makes it happen.

I really begin to like this nets team- VC is getting more and more touches, RJ is still effecitve and our young front court is just awesome, plus, Kristic is on his way back………..I really think 2008 will be a good year

cheers

I really hope that at the end of the season Vince and Kidd would be in the All NBA First or Second team….at least Second….they deserve it.Vince is probobly the best clutch player in the league.I like Kobe and Lebron but VC is so good with the ball in his hands at the final minutes, and Jason is making his name an icon.

Jonathan,

I disagree with you about the part that say that it matters not who hands our offense flow through. Yes it does. Case in point, when Carter gets the ball 2 other players are usually open because he brings the defense toward him plus his effective ballhandling gives him a notch to find an open man. When Richard gets the ball he usually doen’t find the open man because he is usually erratic going to the hole. He think shot first. So if he misses it, this allows the other team to rebound and score. Plus Richard rarely has more than 1 or 2 assists a game. Someone pointed this out to me while reading the message board.

Jason Kidd is a great teammate but he must show that fire everynight. Last night he didn’t care whether he made or missed because he was going to shoot until he made it. Carter kept passing him the ball and he made it when it really counted.

@runnin

it was me who pointed that out ;-)

anyway, it just shows that RJ is great at drwaing fouls and getting to the whole but he is NOT a franchise player…………carter is just at a different level especially when it comes down to creating plays for his teammates

give him the ball and the nets will be tough to handle………

cheers

Hard to run the offense through RJ as far as initiating offense, because as good and strong as he is a finisher, he’s a bad passer and weak ball handler.

You can run the offense through VC against poor to mediocre defenses, but against good defenses, VC is too slow on the dribble and in his decision-making. His court vision isn’t good enough either, in the sense that when he’s forced to turn his back to a play, he loses track of where everyone is. Very susceptible to traps.

@ Jonhatan
I like your team perception. Let me share my own. The NETS right now are a little better in offense since some of the
problem before was the inability of the bigs to convert once they get a drop pass. We have that now and plus some offensive rebounds due to athleticism . To have either Sean or Boon do a post up is not going to happen. I believe they should have a 15 foot jumper develope first. Most of the time I see a situation where they could have shoot but instead they try to pass or drive to the basket.
If they develope this then they are going to be on the same category like Duncan and Bosh. Boon has been a lot quicker laying up to the basket. Not like before he will try to gather energy first to dunk it which wasn’t working. I can see now he just jump as quick as he could and just shoot the ball almost like Shawn Marion.
Sean have the potential to be Kristic but a lot quicker. he is too light to develope a post up play, he can shoots but a slight bump we’ll put him out of form. But one thing that might work is to create a mismatch and post up only to entice a double team and free up a shooter , but unfortunately we don’t have that. We want somebody like Reggie Miller. Nachbar,Jefferson , Carter, or Kidd are not that kind of shooter nigth in and night out. Where is Houston, that’s the guy we need for this to work more efficient. And he is a Detroit killer also. They may say defense will be weaker with Houston in but the NETS should learn to play team defense and I believe they are good on zone defense. Look at Milwaukee not a good defensive team but they were able to limit Jefferson and Carter to less than 50 points combined. Milwaukee efficient offense give them a better chance to set up a defense just like Detroit, not much fastbreak allowed.
Orlando is the next game and it will be tough. The key is to stop Lewis and Torkuglio and limit D Howard. You take out Howard and the game is more manageable. Since we don’t have a post up guy this will not happen. It will depend on Jefferson/Carter attacking the basket and getting fouls from the big guy. Maybe constant high screen and roll will make this thing happen. Whoever Torkuglio is guarding will be a good option for high screen and roll since he is not a good defender but you need the atheliticism of Jefferson, Carter and Sean to put Howard in bad position.

why is frank fouling there it makes no sence what a meathead

Love Kidd’s OUTWARD EMOTION late in the 4th quarter. Took the team’s INTENSITY through the roof!!! Need to see emotion more often from each of the ‘Big 3’.

Love the CHEMISTRY & BALANCE of this starting-five. If Sean and Josh LIVE IN THE GYM this summer and come to camp next year with 17-foot jump shots, we’ll be VERY tough to beat!!!

Love the UPSIDE of this team with Curly and Toine returning, Marcus and Boki getting their mojo back and HOPEFULLY GETTING A NEW HEAD COACH. Rick Carlisle or Mark Jackson would be perfect!

NEW YEAR WISHES: WE ACQUIRE A WING SHOOTER, AVERAGE 12 OR LESS TURNOVERS PER GAME AND PLAY WITH PASSION EVERY NIGHT!!!

dunkenyonutzz, fouling late in the game before they can attempt a three is a very good idea and makes great sense.

Kidd displayed the leadership the team needed during that losing streak. He stepped up and rallied the team on the court at the time they needed a kick in the butt.

Overlooked, but important, Kidd shutdown Redd down the stretch.

Williams and Boone keep playing well, but I point to RJ and VC’s aggressive, attacking offensive approach as the big difference offensively between the Nets of the past two weeks and the first month and a half.

mjs, www.njnetscast.com

The emotion from JKidd and his tough defense on Redd were very impressive. The FT shooting was not!

I suspect this is the frontcourt rotation we will see for a couple weeks. Wonder what happens to the rotation when Krstic comes back.

We need Marcus Williams or Wright to do something in the new year to give Kidd and VC a rest. Although all the focus is on the frontcourt, I think we need a good third guard just as much.

This game overall, even though the teams were both below 500 and it is the middle of the season, was a very good one, very competitive. People who sneer at the NBA as guys who only play hard some of the time do not know what they were talking about. Really enjoyed it.

TrueNetsFan -no **** i get why he does it but you shouldn’t foul with 12 seconds left have faith in ur defence to many things can go wrong if you foul with 12 secs left u drag out the game,with 2 seconds left i like it but not 12 frank got to be easy esp the team was playing lock down D down the stretch as of late

@ dunkenyonutzz
The Nets aren’t the only team that does that.

I agree w/ what mjs and mt57 said about JKidd shutting down Redd when it really counted.

In the last 9:47 minutes of the game, Kidd held Redd (their #1 scorer) to only 1 basket and 2 free throws. (Redd also made a desperation 3-pter at the very end of the game that was too late to help them.)

JKidd was battling that cheap-shot artist throughout the 4th quarter.

Redd was trying his hardest to score, and the Bucks were constantly trying to give him the ball. But JKidd WAS ON HIM LIKE GLUE.

Kidd scored 11 pts and 5 assists in the crucial 4th quarter, while simultaneously putting the clamps on Redd.

Jason Kidd gets the job done!!!

I agree w/ dunkenyonutzz about disagreeing with Frank’s foul call.

I know it’s a possible strategy to use in that situation, but it’s more risky than just playing good defense and letting the 12 seconds run out.

The Bucks had only made 3 out 12 threes. They were shooting only 25% from the arc.

I really don’t think they would’ve made a three, in 12 seconds, w/ 5 Nets all over them, (All 5 of the Nets would’ve been on the perimeter for that last shot – giving up the inside shot).

Franks foul call gave the Bucks some daylight. After they made their free throws, it was 93-92 w/ 11.9 seconds left. They fouled and put us on the line.

In that situation, if we missed even one foul shot (much less two) – which has been known to happen – they could not only tie the game with a two, but now they could WIN the game with a three.

Fortunately Vince nailed both free throws. In the previous situation, the best that they could’ve done was tie the game, and it had to be with a three.

I would’ve played good defense and let the 12 seconds run out on them.

“Plus Richard rarely has more than 1 or 2 assists a game.”

Runnin’, RJ is averaging close to 3 assists a game this season. He’s averaged as much as 4 assists/game in his career.

I didn’t say it doesn’t matter who the offense goes through. I’ve stated in previous posts that Carter is the better offensive player, and the ball should definitely be in his hands more than RJ’s. I just don’t see it as the main issue with the offense, which is the fact that the offense is too perimeter-oriented.

JuliusIrving, Sean and Josh developing a 15 foot jumpshot can only help, but it’d more helpful if they played with their back to the basket more. The Nets already have big guys who can hit the 15 foot jumper in Krstic and Malik. What they don’t have is a legit post presence on offense.

“Nachbar,Jefferson , Carter, or Kidd are not that kind of shooter nigth in and night out.”

Actually, Carter and Kidd are very solid three-point shooters when they are stationary. Their percentages drop dramatically when they are on the move off the dribble or off a screen. Carter, especially, likes to shoot off balance when a defender contests his shot, but if he’s set, he’s very accurate from outside.

This is a big reason why it’s key the Nets develop some sort of post presence. Off a pass out of a double team, Carter and Kidd can set their feet, square up, and shoot a very good percentage from three. Look at those two big threes Kidd hit against the Bucks. Both times he was set and waiting for the catch and shoot. He doesn’t hit it nearly as well off the dribble.

In the past, the Nets didn’t have the personnel to play inside-out. But now with Sean and Josh, they actually have guys who can potentially provide an offensive post presence. With the big 3, the Nets are primarily going to be a perimeter-oriented team. But mixing up the offense a little bit, so the opposing defense has to worry about more than the big 3 will be the key to taking the next step and competing with the elite teams of the NBA.

malik allen did hit a few shots toward the end especially the last one where the team went up 4 with less than a minute left, but they wouldnt of needed it if he wasnt on defensivly guarding YI. the bucks knew where the mismatch was and YI hit 3 straight shots to keep the bucks in it. everytime malik allen got out of positon for no apparent reason, they found YI for the open jumper. he’s a serious liability on the defensive end. if frank needs to put him in the offense in crucial times, call timeout and make subs.

Other than that frank almost did everything right this game. he finally realized that mags is a better version of collins and went through carter at the end of the game when it mattered most. in the last 4 wins, vc has made all the big plays at the end. so we’re seeing improvement on frank’s part in his decision making.

kidd was electric, and when he shows emotion like this the rest will follow suit. also his scoring is opening everything up for his teammates, especially vc.

the nets are showing improvement and they beat a team that is really good at home. hopefully they can add to this and keep it going.

if they can somehow beat orlando away, then we can truly say that they’re making strides. but we all know these nets are the most unpredictable team in the NBA.

GO NETS!

I did not agree with fouling the last 12 seconds in the game. The better % is to play defense the 12 seconds. Putting them on the line only put them down by 1. Plus the way we have been turning the ball over lately, give the Bucks a chance to steal the ball and eventually win the game.

Another close one. Hung in there.
Need to win one going away once in awhile.

I just wish Frank had woken up sooner – he could have played Boone more last season. All those minutes wasted on Collins… It may be my imagination, but Kidd’s emotional play makes me thing he is starting to act like a player coach.

If Krstic comes back and is scoring – start him with S. Williams. A second squad of Boone, Allen, Nachbar, Wright, and M. Williams is one of the best they’ve ever had. (Although M. Williams needs to get going).