Welcome to the "Contraction Bowl", not yet a New Year's Day tradition but one that LeBron James can certainly appreciate. It was LeBron who two weeks ago suggested that the NBA might be better if the Nets and Timberwolves were disbanded and their players redistributed across the league.
So now the two teams go head-to-head in the New Year in Minneapolis. A good basketball game would prove James wrong. The Nets have won one more game than the Wolves, nine to eight, but both teams are 2-8 over the last 10. Of course, both are rebuilding. The Wolves are a bit ahead of the Nets, with Michael Beasley, averaging 22.2 and 6.4, and Kevin Love, putting up 20.8 points and a league leading 15.4 rebounds. Both are shooting better than 43% from deep. Beasley is 21, Love 22. (And yes, there were reports last June that the Nets could have had Beasley for Keyon Dooling's contract.)
The Nets will dress 10 players again on Saturday, with Jordan Farmar officially out. The MRI on his right knee reveals a bone bruise and a slight meniscus tear on his right knee. He expects to play Wednesday vs. Chicago.
- New Jersey Nets Game Notes - New Jersey Nets
- Minnesota Timberwolves Game Notes - Minnesota Timberwolves
- Getting Inside - New Jersey Nets - Sports Xchange
- Getting Inside - Minnesota Timberwolves - Sports Xchange
- Nets-Timberwolves Preview - Stats LLC
-
Three New Year's Resolutions for the New Jersey Nets - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Contraction Bowl: Minny vs. Nets, sponsored by LeBron - Stefan Bondy - The InterNets
-
Brook Lopez and Kevin Love: The rebounding regression and the progression - Stefan Bondy - The InterNets
- Gameday: Wolves vs. New Jersey - Kent Youngblood - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-
Happy New Year!: Nets at Wolves tonight - Jerry Zgoda - Minneapolis Star-Tribune