clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Slumping Nets visit the Motor City

By Brian Fleurantin

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Detroit Pistons v Washington Wizards Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

It's starting to pile up. Facing the Western Conference's best team, the Brooklyn Nets went into Thursday's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers hoping to pull off a major upset. Despite their best efforts, LeBron James and friends proved to be too much for Brooklyn and they fell short. It was their fifth straight loss.

The opponent tonight will be the Detroit Pistons. It's been an injury-plagued year for Duane Casey's squad as they try to figure out where to go from here. They played the Memphis Grizzlies last night and lost.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN 101.9 FM on radio. Tip after 7 PM.

Injuries

DeAndre Jordan has been dealing with his finger injury for about a week, and he's out for the fourth straight game. He had stitches removed Friday. Nicolas Claxton missed Thursday's game due to a shoulder injury. He’s available. Kenny Atkinson said both did on-court work Friday and took contact. “So, they’re close.” Maybe Sunday at the Garden?

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has signed a new 10-day deal. His first 10-day ran out on Friday. This second —and final— 10-dayl will permit the Nets to hang on to him until February 3, three days before the trade deadline. Nets will then have to decide what to do with TLC who’s been playing well of late.

Bobby Marks notes that Luwawu-Cabarrot can be signed to a two-year deal after six days, which would be next Friday.

Blake Griffin is out for the season due to a knee injury. Andre Drummond has been out for most of the week due to a lip laceration. He’s probable.

Reggie Jackson is out. Tony Snell is out.

The game

The big news, though, is late breaking. Shams Charania reports that Spencer Dinwiddie is moving to the bench and either Caris LeVert or Garrett Temple will start in his place. More to come when Kenny Atkinson meets with the media shortly before 6 p.m.

The Pistons won the first game in early November. The two teams play again next week Wednesday.

The trade deadline is fast approaching, and Andre Drummond is the top name that's been floated in rumors thus far. Drummond is the league's best rebounder and a change of scenery may push his game to even higher heights. For the short handed (and just short) Nets frontcourt, they're hoping Drummond is out one more time. Jarrett Allen wasn't able to do much of anything against the Lakers, so he's hoping for a bounceback.

And if he isn’t traded, Drummond has a player option he’s likely to exercise. Adrian Wojnarowski said this week that the Knicks might be his destination.

In an alternate universe, Reggie Jackson would've been traded to the Nets for Brook Lopez in a four-team deal and everything would look drastically different around these parts. Even with the recent struggles, I think Nets fans would take this instead of the alternative.

Either way, Jackson is again out, having now missed 43 games due to a back injury. This would have been his third game out of four.

Kyrie Irving played the last Brooklyn back-to-back, and he's a good bet to do it again this weekend. His field goal percentages haven't been there as of late, but he's due to go off for another big scoring game soon.

Player to watch: Derrick Rose

So, there's a lot going on here. Over the past two years, we've heard a lot about Rose's redemption and overcoming the odds. If it were strictly about the injuries, then it wouldn't be much. However, Rose was sued for sexual assault a few years ago and that situation is too often lumped into said "odds." It makes for uncomfortable conversations as we think about things that really matter and go beyond our standom for a player's on the court actions.

On the court, he's been a revelation. Like many people, I thought Rose was finished a few years ago. However, he's back looking like his old, pre-injury self. The numbers are great and as Kuhkali of Detroit Bad Boys notes:

To put it another way, when Rose is on the floor Detroit plays like the eighth best offense in the NBA. When he is off, they play like the fifth-worst.

Rose is someone who might draw a lot of interest by the deadline, so we'll see what Pistons management hopes to do with him.

Spencer Dinwiddie is someone that is competing with Rose for an All Star spot. He's been solid for the most part this year, and with the second half of the year approaching, the Nets are running out of time to figure out the Irving x Dinwiddie x Caris Levert mix.

From the Vault

Been in a Dilla mood all week for some reason. It's a good place to be

More reading: Detroit Bad Boys

More From NetsDaily