Game 65 - Nets @ Thunder - Friday, March 12, 8:00
by Net Income on Mar 12, 2010 12:34 AM EST
in Game Previews
107 comments
If there is a model out there for the Nets to emulate, it may be the Thunder. With some smart draft picks and opportunist trades and free agent signings, Oklahoma City is one game shy of 40 wins and tied for fifth place in the West with the Suns. Of course, a little bit of luck helped too. If they had won the 2007 lottery and taken Greg Oden instead of Kevin Durant, it's unlikely they'd be sitting so pretty. Durant has emerged as one of the game's young superstars, averaging close to 30 points a game at age 21. He's not the only emerging star on the Oklahoma City roster. Russell Westbrook is averaging 18 and 9 over the last month. One undercovered element of the teamr's success: they've become a defensive juggernaut. Oklahoma City has won 15 of 18 behind a defense that ranks fourth in the league in efficiency.
Meanwhile, on the Nets side of things, Terrence Williams admits he has matured over the course of his "rocky" season, and it's helping his game. He tells Al Iannazzone, "I don’t think I say things I would have said earlier in the year now. I take it for what it is being that it is a job. It’s nothing personal if you’re not playing. But if I’m thinking something I’m not going to voice it."
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Who Plays Center For OKC?
Anybody know the answer to this question?? Here’s a clue: He used to play for us! If he was still with us, he’d be playing 15 min behind Brook and 15 min at PF, and he’d have five to eight more wins. Letting him go was a RATNER cost cutting mistake.
Paul
Delray Beach, FL
by DelrayBeachPaulie on Mar 11, 2010 7:31 PM EST reply actions
What were we supposed to do? Kristic was playing terrible one year- 2007 or 2006- ibelieve. we might actually have less wins with him
And we would’ve had to match like 6 mil a year, I believe. Not worth it.
by JohnFromLongIsland on Mar 12, 2010 11:38 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
gina
Marshal on now. Whiteside not a pf in the nba. Too frail. Marcus camby clone
by Ryan243 on Mar 11, 2010 7:41 PM EST via mobile reply actions
and the problem with camby is…? One of the leagues top rebounders and blocked shots year after year not good enough?
yeah isn't a marcus camby clone
the type of player we want?
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Brook is missing
Brook is missing in last two games. If he had played better, we would have won the last game. It is time for him to get out of that funk.
we are alot like the thunder:
Lopez is our Durant
Harris is our Westbrook
Lee is their3rd best player who i dont know
Team Defense is the Key on winning games.
by jasperjarrod on Mar 11, 2010 10:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Team Defense and a point guard that is willing to pass instead of shoot. Both of these i feel the Nets don’t have.
start TWill @ PG
Why not start this guy at PG for the rest of the season and see if he can handle it. We do need a PG that can rebound, set his teammates out for an easy basket, score some points when needed and play some D.
by jasperjarrod on Mar 12, 2010 6:09 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
sign David Lee, draft John Wall, trade Devin Harris and Yi for Andre Iguodala. Problems solved. Starters: John Wall, Courtney Lee, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Brook Lopez. Bench: Terrence Williams, Chris Humphries, Josh Boone, Chris Quinn, draft picks
I’d rather trade Harris for a top Five pick for a chance to grab a PF on this draft. A PF that can play the 5 when needed.
by jasperjarrod on Mar 12, 2010 6:23 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah; and both players they picked were very talented big men, who ended up with leg problems. 20/20 hindsight is wonderful… LOL
The thing is
teams apparently knew Oden needed microfracture surgery before the draft even happened. So them picking a big men they basically already knew was going to need major knee surgery over Durant is pretty much inexplicable.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
"If there is a model out there for the Nets to emulate, it may be the Thunder".
We have emulated the losing just fine.
Now we just have to emulate their luck in the draft.
It only takes one player to turn things around.
Of course it has to be the right player.
Imagine how good we would be with Durant.
Exactly...
Outside of the Pistons of a few years ago, the champs have always been somewhat lucky with either a top pick (Duncan, LBJ), big FA signing (Shaq) or gratuitous trade (Gasol or Garnett).
Too bad John Wall isn't 6'9" like Durant.
Every player you just mentioned is “big”. Talented big men are the key to championships.
The Nets do have Lopez already, you know.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 9:59 AM EST up reply actions
Durant is much better then Lopez.
I love Brook but he is not in Durants, Garnetts, Duncans, LBJ class and probably will never be.
Just our luck, when we might get the top draft pick, we have a midget as the consensus #1 pick. LOL
To be fair, getting the best PG prospect since Chris Paul sounds like a good consolation prize. And Durant isn’t a big man, he’s just tall. The guy’s built like a rail.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 10:26 AM EST up reply actions
I here you... but,
The three top point guards in the last 15 years or so, are arguably Kidd, Nash and Stockton. How many championships have they won?
Magic Johnson won titles but he was 6’8".
Big men win titles and Dr. J. was 6’7" at a time when that was considered pretty big. MJ was 6’6" but built pretty solid.
Big is not just height, but also bulk.
Wall is not tall and he is not built solid. That may change of course.
I just wish we had a LeBron, Durant, Garnett type out there now that we have a chance at a top pick, especially when you rarely get a chance at the top pick.
"Durant isn’t a big man, he’s just tall".
Anybody 6’9" is a big man…Yi is a big man but plays small. Big difference.
Uh, Durant also plays small.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
7.5 rebounds per game is not small.
I know it’s not saying much but Durant would be our second leading rebounder and shot blocker.
3 debates found in every thread regardless of topic:
Brooklyn vs Newark
Draft Big vs Best Player Available
Yi vs Everybody
The thread could be about carvel sales at the Izod, but one of these 3 will come up and the conversation will be the same everytime. It’s like Groundhog’s Day once the trade deadline past…
by JohnFromLongIsland on Mar 12, 2010 11:44 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
What would you like to discuss?
If those 3 topics you “love” so much were not discussed, we would have no postings.
In fact there are only a handful of posters who try to keep any discussion alive while everybody else sits on their hands and complains.
Plus "Groundhog’s Day’ was a very interesting and entertaining movie.
Are you aware that Durant also plays eight more minutes a game and only gets 0.5 more rebounds? Come on man. I’m not slighting Durant or trying to pump up Yi, but Durant’s a perimeter player as a SF. He’s not a big. That’s all I’m saying. You can’t group him with Garnett and Gasol and Duncan and Howard and the like. No one but you thinks he’s the same type of guy here.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 1:10 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah; He's a 6'9" perimeter player. That's big...
How big is our biggest perimeter player. 6’5"?
And don’t tell me that CDR is 6’7". If CDR is 6’7" then I’m the smartest poster on this site. LOL
Dude
Are you just being willfully ignorant? Do you know that most people consider bigs in the NBA to be post players? Durant isn’t a post player. Period. Stop twisting the argument.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Now I know why you have "yellow" in your handle.
You are the one that started this “argument”
I guess if I don’t agree with your opinions and facts, I’m “willfully ignorant”.
I’m sorry, I will never disagree with you again.
Ok, let me go real slow
Because first you start out saying he’s a big – but he’s not.
Then you say he gets a lot of rebounds – he doesn’t.
But wait, he’s big because he’s tall.
Just like Yi. Who’s taller.
But Yi’s not big.
Explain that to me again?
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Dude
Because first you start out saying he’s a big – but he’s not.
Then you say he gets a lot of rebounds – he doesn’t.
But wait, he’s big because he’s tall.
Just like Yi. Who’s taller.
But Yi’s not big.
Explain that to me again?
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Let me go slower...
I never said that Durant was a post player. I compared him with LBJ, Garnett, Duncan as a great player.
You started getting picky about him not being a “big”.
I said that he is 6’9" and that is a lot bigger then Wall’s 6’4".
If Duncan, Garnett etc.played the way Durant plays, I would still call them big players.
Big is big. You can’t teach or ignore height.
If Yi was 6’5" do you think he would be on the Nets?
I started getting picky about him not being a big because you started off railing about how Wall’s not a big player and talented bigs lead to championships.
Too bad John Wall isn’t 6’9" like Durant.
Every player you just mentioned is "big". Talented big men are the key to championships.
So is Durant not a championship player? You can’t have it both ways, my man.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
by yellow fever on Mar 12, 2010 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
O.K. you win... but,
To paraphrase Bill Parcels, “I don’t want to be able to eat peanuts off the top of the heads of my players”.
If 6’9" is not big, especially for a perimeter player, then I stand corrected.
ibeg to differ
Brook in 1-3 years will be in the same class as the garnetts, howards, and duncans of their young generation. brooks overall size, skill set, footwork, defense, post up game, is just unbelievable. he is the new big fundamental. he just needs to work on his passing.
Here you go...
Top pick = John Wall
Big FA signing = Lebron James
Trade = Harris, Dooling for Al Jefferson
Luck = Brook Lopez
Money = Prokorov
Future = 9 draft picks over next 3 years
Mid-level = Mike Miller
Aging vet taking the min to play for a ring = Shaq (Newark’s son)
by jirohkanzaki on Mar 12, 2010 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
"Dreaming my life away"
If that ever happened where would we put all the Knicks fans jumping on our bandwagon?
Real Nets fans would not be able to find or afford a ticket. LMAO
Talkin small people blues...
In the last 35 years of NBA #1 picks only 2 “small” players were ever taken.
Allen Iverson and Derrick Rose.
Correct me if I’m mistaken.
That's probably cause most of those teams didn't have a franchise big man
we already do. Plus you seem to have a pretty “fluid” definition of what qualifies you as a big man.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
A big man in basketball is not 6'3" and 195lbs saoking wet...
It amazes me that people are so enamored of Wall that they can’t accept the fact that he is a “small” player. In fact, if John Wall is drafted #1, he will be one of the smallest #1’s taken in the last 35 years.
But if he is the best player, head and shoulders above the rest, then you have to draft him or trade the pick.
I just wish we had a bigger player to choose.
.
I don't want anything to do with Wall
I want Turner, I don’t like freshmen point guards anymore than I like slow footed big men with conditioning and character questions.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
If we were the Nets of 2002 I can agree with not liking freshmen PGs because you are expecting to compete….but this Nets team is not going to be competing next season unless we strike it rich in free agency….possibly as a direct result of having Wall and the hype that comes with him, in which case I could certainly live with some growing pains out of our PG. Plus, if we get Wall, we will still have Harris and TWill so we have the option of playing him off the ball.
Yeah but with Harris and T-wall
why take Wall? I don’t think Wall is anywhere near a can’t miss prospect like Paul, I’d much rather take Turner or Favors, hell I’d probably rather have Cousins. I mean maybe if they could put together a package with T-will or Harris to get some major pieces back but otherwise I just don’t see the point.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
I've said it before....
Yeah, Brook Lopez sucks.
I wish our whole team sucked that bad.
We’d win it all.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 11:05 AM EST reply actions
Brook Lopez is a very nice player but to compare him with great centers of the past or Howard or Duncan right now is kind of silly. Lopez is not a dominating center yet. If you watch the games you would know that. He is not an imposing rebounder of defensive presence.
He sure could use help at PF though. Too bad Nets management and fans don’t like big PF’s.
We play small ball. The smaller the better.
How is Derrick Favors not a big power forward
like you said big isn’t about height it’s how you play, and Favors certainly plays big.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
If I watch the games? I might miss 2 games a year for the last 20 years.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 11:57 AM EST reply actions
Where do you find the time?
Judging from the photo on your profile, how do you make all them movies and still get to watch 20 years worth of Nets games?
Curley!
I miss Curley! He was our best shooter. I was torn when he left but kinda understood it b/c he was not fully healthy, but now I see this was Kiki’s scourched earth policy (not Ratners). Kiki needed no competition for Yi. Big mistake as Nenad was our best shooter and could spread the floor much better than Yi. He also had a toughness and some ice in his veins. He was not afraid of the big moment. He’d could be a far better PF than Yi will ever be. I think he played a lot of PF when Collins was on the team. Wish him well. He is on a good team.
coming off the seasons he'd had and the knee injury
paying him 6 million would have been silly.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Can T-Will become a starting PG in the NBA?
Imagine if he learns how to shoot!
I love his line about not “saying what’s on his mind”.
I was very high on T-Will going into the season, soured on him big time, but now I’m getting excited all over again.
Maybe Kiki should get some credit on teaching T-Will how to be a professional. Nah…
I think he can. There is something special about that kid. He’s got ball handling, vision and quickness. Over time he will only get better. He’s built like a wide receiver and you can’t teach that. That’s why I don’t want Wall. We have the PG of the future. Favors is the pick.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Keep them legs still...
Walt Fraizer commented on T-Wills shooting mechanics and said that T-Will’s legs move around to much on his jump shots. Good shooters don’t have all that motion going on.
Maybe he can work on this and improve his shot.
Favors is high on everybodys list. I would love to draft big, but the Nets probably won’t go against the consensus #1 pick, which right now is Wall.
I just hope that there is a healthy debate among Nets staff on who we should pick and why.
I hate when other options or view points pushed aside because of popular sentiment.
I just can't think of any possible reason
to pick Wall over Favors or Turner, popular opinion or not it just makes no sense for this team.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Wall makes a lot of sense if we are picking BPA. Harris at PG is not set in stone for this franchise. We may take Wall and explore trading Harris for a big man. I do like Favors though.
But why is Wall the BPA over Turner?
What makes him head and shoulders above Turner is my question?
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Because Wall has the hype.
He is not a good fit on our team and like I said before, very few guards have been taken with the number one overall pick in NBA history.
That said, the Nets will take him.
Is anyone watching Evan Turner???
Please get us the 2nd pick so he can fall right in our lap…
Georgetown's Greg Monroe?
I was just wondering if anyone caught the Georgetown/Syracuse game yesterday? Greg Monroe had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assist in Georgetown’s win over Syracuse yesterday. I know he is listed as a 6’10" center but with the proper coaching maybe he could play PF. He has a certain finesse to his game and I haven’t seen any threads on NetsDaily where he has been mentioned. What do you think?
Greg Monroe...
There are a lot of quality PF/C types in this draft. Somehow Wall and Turner have made Favors, Monroe, Cousins etc. all hand me down draft picks.
Monroe would be a great pick. if the Nets could land Wall/Turner + Monroe I would be in hoops heaven.
I like Monroe better than Favors
He’s soft and lacks athleticism, but he’s so talented and so unselfish…
1. Turner
2. Wall
3. Cousins
4. Monroe
Andres, if he is soft why do you want him so badly. Finesse doesn’t win championships and we need someone tough as nails next to Brook. Favors is better than Monroe for us.
Lets find the next Anderson Varaejo
I was on draft express and there are a couple 7 footers with really hard to pronounce last names that seem to have some potential to be defensive aces. One guy’s name is Art and the other one is Serbian. Maybe one of them is the next Varaejo….I would love to have an Anderson Varaejo guy next to Brook. Perhaps we can grab him with our Dallas pick or the 2nd rounder…
His name should be "Ivan" Turner... LOL
If he wants Proky to draft him he should change his first name.
Where will Turner play? SG or SF? Does he make C.Lee/T-Will/CDR redundant.
At least he will be the biggest small man we have. LOL
SG
it wouldn’t make T-will redundant because it seems pretty obvious his place is as point guard of the future so Turner isn’t going to be in his way. And CDR’s likely on his way out either through a trade or being released. So we’d have Harris and T-will at the point, and Turner and C. Lee at sg with the ability to go small and move Turner to small forward and play C. Lee at sg.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Well go small without actually giving up much
because Turner has a long enough wing span to still be able to effectively defend taller NBA small forwards and C. Lee has proven he’s a capable defender.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
CDR won’t be released. There’s zero chance that happens. Enough with the nonsense.
Mike, I don’t think Turner would make any of our young wings redundant. They are role players, while Turner will be a star player.
Harris/TWill
Lee/CDR
Turner/FA signing (ie Mike Miller)
CDR could take advice from T-Will
T-Will stated: “I don’t think I say things I would have said earlier in the year now,” he said. “I take it for what it is being that it is a job. It’s nothing personal if you’re not playing. But if I’m thinking something I’m not going to voice it.”
My greatest fear...
I would hate to see young players like C.Lee and T-Will get short changed by drafting a player that will essentially take their minutes. Not to mention Harris and CDR.
T-Will and CDR get part time minutes now and it would only get worse with Wall taking some of their minutes.
Wall better be superman. If we end up drafting him, I hope he is.
Joe Johnson to Knicks supposedly a done deal
Per Frank Isola:
There is a growing sentiment among opposing team executives that at the very least the Knicks will sign Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, whose agent, Arn Tellem, orchestrated the Tracy McGrady trade to the Knicks and has been friends with Walsh for 20 years. It’s called a “wink-wink deal,” and even though it is against NBA rules, the practice does exist and is nearly impossible to police.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team soon to be owned by a Russian oligarch.
Wink-Wink deal? No, this could never happen in sports...
Welcome to the real world. I been saying for the past 6 months that this stuff goes on all the time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if other teams don’t have their own wink-wink deals in place, including the Nets.
There is too much money at stake to play by the rules.
In fact, I believe I saw LeBron winking at Jay-Z at the all-star party last month. LMAO
I'm shocked! Shocked!
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 4:38 PM EST up reply actions
If they sign him to a max contract that's a huge waste of funds
And I’m all for them doing something as stupid as that.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
Yes!
Getting J.Johnson and then sign and trading D.Lee & E.Curry to Phoenix for A.Stoudemire.
Wow!
No winks just do it.
Knicks 2010:
PG/T.Douglas
SG/J.Johnson
SF/W.Chandler
PF/A.Stoudemire
C/????? Buy into the draft and get C.Aldrich & D.Pittman
Bench:
PG/S.Rodriguez SG/B.Walker SG/SF T.McGrady SF/D.Gallianri
Coach D’Antoni could make this work with these guys.
ESPN reporting that Michael Jordan to be approved by the end of next week.
I know this is off topic; but any word on Proky? Is he still on track to being approved next month?
Evan Turner
just hit a game winner against Michigan.
What happen on going big in the Draft? Turner’s back scares me. He might going to miss a lot og games because of that injury that he have a couple of weeks/months ago. I’d rather take Cousins or Favors with our pick.
by jasperjarrod on Mar 12, 2010 3:58 PM EST up reply actions
We can't take a big man...
Favors, Cousins, Whiteside, Monroe, Davis are all busts.
Only Wall and Turner are guaranteed superstars.
How do I know this? I read NetsDaily….
Turner was my pick a while back also but after seeing our front court we really need another big out there who is not afraid to make contact and give a hard foul if needed.
by jasperjarrod on Mar 13, 2010 9:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
And except for Rose, look at the injuries of the last few #1 picks… Oden… Griffin… Turner? I hope not, but this 1st pick curse-in-the-making makes me nervous haha if we get Turner, I hope it’s with the #2!
by JohnFromLongIsland on Mar 12, 2010 4:12 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Change Your Mind?
The guy will become a star in the NBA.
High Character, Talent, Heart are the best incredents.
he has them all.
Rare to find just get him now.
Eh, that's just a chippy...
for "Devin “The Shot” Harris.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 3:28 PM EST up reply actions
Evan Turner hit the game winning 3 pointer from just pass halfcourt today!
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=300710194
We need to draft this dude!
Hopefully Thorn ain't doing the drafting...
Yormark will probably draft the player that can sell the most product.
We know who that is…
unfortunately
i’m not completely certain this won’t end up being true.
"We have a plan, and our plan, I like our plan'
it's Omar's world, we're just livin in it.
I promise...
If the Nets don’t beat the Thunder and that “little” runt Durant, I won’t post a comment until Monday.
Lets go Nets…
It’s tempting…but I can’t root against my team.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
by John at the Jersey Shore on Mar 12, 2010 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
John Wall
Nets take John Wall bec Lebron apparently wants him in his basketball empire…
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