Bottom line tonight, says Deron Williams, this is a must-win game for a team that's lose four of its last five. "We’ve got to have a win tonight ... regardless of who we’re playing or what their record. This is a big game for us as a team," he said.
The Nets have lost four of their last five. Not good. The Bobcats have lost seven straight by an average 22.1 points per game, including a 122-105 blowout to the Blazers on Monday night. Disastrous. Michael Jordan's team is the NBA's worst.
The Nets are now a half-game behind the Bulls in the standings and a loss Saturday would drop them into sixth -- and six games back of the Knicks in the loss column. Not a good place to be, particularly with the Celtics rising.
If things had worked out differently, Deron Williams might be wearing the black and blue of the Dallas Mavericks Friday night, being booed by Brooklyn Nets fans and facing ... Goran Dragic. Whew! Instead, Mark Cuban didn't show up.
Nothing official yet on whether Joe Johnson will return to action vs. the Mavericks, but he's optimistic. "It’s better. It’s not 100 percent, but it’s definitely a lot better," he said of his heel injury. Johnson has missed three games.
Mirza Teletovic was the Man in Spain. Now sometimes he plays, sometimes he doesn't. He has his supporters and detractors. For him, the up-and-down, in-and-out requires some adjustment ... and not overthinking.
Deron Williams has had the most "good minutes" in the three games that Joe Johnson has missed. He's averaged 24 points, 8.3 assists and hitting 50 percent from deep. Since the All-Star Game, five games, he's averaging 22.1, 8.3 and 51.5 percent.
Brook Lopez says his brother Robin is the "worst player in the NBA." Robin Lopez will hear none of it. "I've got the family in town; got my mom rooting for me," Robin told New Orleans writer Jimmy Smith. With the Lopez twins, expect the strange.
With Joe Johnson out with a sore heel for the second straight game, C.J. Watson is expected to start for the Nets and why not? Watson is averaging 17.5 points on 57.4 percent overall and 57.1 percent from deep in his last four games.
The biggest trades before the deadline didn't take place Thursday, but three weeks before when Memphis made a series of them. Rudy Gay was dealt by the Grizzlies to Toronto for a package headlined...
