The Nets worked out at their Barclays Center practice court Saturday before hopping a plane to Sacramento to start their first west coast swing and first extended trip of any kind this season. There was little news, other than Gerald Wallace is "questionable" for the Kings. He's already missed six games.
When the Nets take the court in Sacramento Sunday afternoon (6:00 p.m. ET), they'll be facing another disappointing team. The Kings are 2-7, last in the West, and have the third worst record in the NBA. They've lost four straight. Their young stars, Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, are struggling, Evans on the court, Cousins on and off. Things have gotten so bad the team had a players-only meeting Friday night. Oh yeah, they might move to Seattle. Their arena, formerly the Arco Arena but now unfortunately renamed the Sleep Train Arena (really), is generally viewed as the worst in the league. Without a new arena, their increasingly unpopular owners are likely to seek better quarters. Otherwise, things are great.
Evans, Rookie of the Year two years ago, is the big disappointment. He's averaging 11.6 points, 3.1 assists, shooting 38.8 percent overall and an embarrassing 14.3 percent from three. Cousins numbers are down as well. He's shooting a little better than 40 percent overall, down from 45 percent last season, and he's just finished a two-game suspension of "confronting" Sean Elliot, the Spurs TV analyst. He's the second King to be suspended for two games. Thomas Robinson got hit with a suspension for a flagrant foul against Detroit's Jonas Jerebko. Despite being picked #5 in the draft, Tyshawn Taylor's Kansas teammate is averaging a paltry 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.
They can always break out, of course. As the Cavaliers proved, guarding the point and center are not exactly the Nets strong suits.
For the Nets, this may not be a "statement" game, but it does offer them the opportunity to show they can win the games they're supposed to win. They've also won four straight, one short of their 2010-11 streak, which is their longest since Jason Kidd left. As Rod Boone writes, it's a chance to show some swagger.
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes - Brooklyn Nets
- Sacramento Kings Game Notes - Sacramento Kings
- Nets at Kings - November 18, 2012 - Jeff Bartl - STATS
- Practice Interviews - Nov. 17 (Video) - Brooklyn Nets
- Nets in search of swagger - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Nets hit the road; troubles will follow - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Johnson delivers points, win in crunch time - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Brook Lopez is enjoying Brooklyn Nets' sudden success - Kristie Ackert - NY Daily News
- Wallace may return tonight - Zach Braziller - New York Post
- Johnson no longer facing pressure of huge contract - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Nets Collect Selves for Start in Sacramento - Ben Couch - Brooklyn Nets
- Brooklyn Nets Tickets - TiqIQ