Posts tagged ‘Pre-Game’

Desperate for a win, who better to play than the New York Knicks, the laughingstock that Isiah built. In recent years that meant an automatic win for the Nets, sporting an impeccable record during the Jason Kidd era, then that nasty migraine hit in December. This season, the Knicks have given the Nets headaches, sweeping the three meetings thus far. Monday night the Knicks look to sweep the season series for the first time since the strike shortened 1998-99 season, and the first four-game set since 1994-95.

Back to back weekend losses combined with Indiana and Atlanta win streaks leave the Nets tied with the Pacers, 1 ½ games behind the Hawks, in the race for eighth in the East, and a date with the Celtics in the playoffs. Following the Knicks, New Jersey has a home and away with Indiana to end a critical seven game stretch against lesser opponents before navigating the playoff heavyweights. So far, not so good - dropping three of four last week leave the Nets in a precarious position. Given the lighter schedule facing Atlanta and Indiana, a poor performance in the next three games could end the Nets chances.

Outside of Miami, who barely fields a team these days, the Knicks are the worst team in the NBA at this point in the season. Entering action tonight at 19-50, riding a four game losing streak, the last two against Minnesota and Memphis, teams with a combined 36-102 record, by double-digits. Toss in the daily Isiah Thomas-James Dolan soap opera, open rumors about possible replacements, and half the team on the bench with injuries, New York has lost 11 of its last 12, only beating the aforementioned Heat in that span – and barely at that. The Knicks are an utter disaster.

With only four wins away from home in the new year, the Nets need to take advantage of this cupcake to get their feet back under them away from Izod heading down the home stretch. Unfortunately the Knicks depleted active roster still includes Jamaal Crawford and Zach Randolph, two guys that tortured the Nets in the losses earlier this season. Surrounded with the likes of Randolph Morris, Fred Jones, Wilson Chandler, Malik Rose, and Reynaldo Balkman, coach Lawrence Frank must force anyone but Crawford and Randolph beat them. Saturday in Philadelphia, the Nets defense showed improvement, holding Philly to a sub-40% shooting night and 91 points, the lowest total in the past six games. Now they need the offense to get back on track quick. Consistency has eluded New Jersey all season. If they intend to turn the ship around, the Nets need a complete effort on both ends of the floor for the entire four quarters, night in and night out. Call it judgment week, call it must win, call it what you want, the Nets have no excuses for losing to this Knicks team tonight.

Two critical wins against playoff caliber teams prove the Nets are capable of great things, however now is not the time to rest on those laurels. Tuesday starts of four games in five nights, 25% of the 16 remaining games, including the next two against the teams battling New Jersey for the final Eastern playoff spot.

Following Monday’s action, the Nets head to Chicago in 9^th place, two games ahead of the Bulls and ½ game behind Wednesday’s opponent, Atlanta. The next seven games, particularly these two, may well determine the Nets playoff fate. Six of seven against sub-.500 teams, five against teams outside the playoff picture, and five against the group battling for the final two playoff spots, if we stretch to include streaking Philly in that group. Besides taking advantage of the last weak portion of the remaining schedule, these head-to-head match-ups may have tiebreaker implications.

To earn a playoff berth, New Jersey needs to win some road games. The Nets dropped seven straight away from the Izod Center since the Kidd trade, and are 2-16 dating back to mid-January. Tomorrow is the perfect chance to get on track, against a Bulls team playing back to back nights after blowing a double-digit second half lead in New Orleans on Monday, and that the Nets beat twice already this season. Opening night seems like an eternity, two teams with high hopes battling into overtime. Looking back, that game was more April Fools for both teams, than it was Halloween.

Offense, Offense, Offense. Coach Frank raved about the improved passing the past two games, as Devin Harris finally took control of the offense, pushing the tempo whenever possible, setting up his teammates with open looks, and taking better shots himself. The Nets shot over 50% from the field two straight games for the first time this season, and they attacked the rim, scoring 48 and 62 points in the paint in the respective contest along with a season-high 50 free throws on Saturday. It adds up to two 100+ point games, a key barometer for success this season with a 17-7 record when they crack the century mark.

Two players to keep an eye on are Vince Carter and Boki Nochbar. Carter is the lone Net regular to struggle offensively the past two games. Despite the point total, VC has shot often, and shot the ball poorly. Though he did play aggressive Saturday getting to the line 14 times, a knock on him most of the season, Carter needs to become more selective when he’s misfiring and look to pass.

Meanwhile, Boki needs to get involved earlier. He provided the spark the Nets needed off the bench in the 4^th on Saturday, following up a solid 21-point effort against Cleveland. Similar to the Nets, Boki’s capable of great things, but consistency continues to allude him. With a contract on the line, and nobody else on the Nets bench stepping up, Boki can really give the Nets a lift with 15 points a night, and earn a few dollars in the process.

For one night, the Nets played like a playoff team – 51.3% FG, 30 assists on 39 baskets, 6 players in double figures, season-high 38 points in the first quarter – returning home to snap a six-game skid, 5 on the road trip, where they hardly looked like a team, never mind playoff team. One night wonder or new trend? Tonight will provide the first answer when New Jersey hosts the Utah Jazz in one of the seven remaining games against teams over .500 in the Nets 17-game fight to continue their playoff streak.

Utah wiped the floor with the Nets on November 19^th in Salt Lake City, 102-75. A game more remembered for Jason Kidd’s infamous “glass jaw” pre-game comments, the first of many in-season criticisms by Kidd, than for the 27-point drubbing the Jazz handed out. Vince Carter missed the game with a sprained ankle.

The Nets enter the game tied for 8^th in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta, at 27-38, in search of consecutive wins for the first time since a February 12^th win over Minnesota extended the last win streak to three. Ironically, that marked Kidd’s last game as a Net.

Sitting fourth in the ever-changing Western Conference standings, at least for today, Utah’s one kryptonite this season has been playing on the road. At 16-20, the Jazz have dropped games to 11 of the 14 teams currently outside the playoffs, including 6 of the 7 non-playoff teams in the East (Milwaukee the lone exception). Dissecting the stats, defense is the only notable difference, opponents average 94.9 points at Energy Solutions Arena, but the Jazz allow 104.6 ppg on the road, a large ten-point gap. Even in the Jazz recent string of 4 out of 5 road wins, they held the opponent under 100 only twice, and one was Memphis, so take that with a grain of salt.

Tonight’s key for the Nets is another efficient offensive performance to follow-up the Cleveland outing. Utah can score with the best of them, currently 6^th in the NBA in points scored, reaching the 100 point plateau in 46 of 67 games this season. In contrast, the Nets sit third from the bottom in points, and next to last in the field goal percentage, while Utah leads the NBA. To win tonight, New Jersey must score, not necessarily crack 100 points, but play efficient, shoot over 45% and get to the foul line. As evidenced Wednesday, it starts with passing and attacking the goal. Simply put, on the recent losing streak the Nets finished with 15 or less assists in 4 of the six games and did not crack 100 points, before the 30 assist, 104 point game against Cleveland. Passing and movement on offense leads to better scoring opportunities in the paint, and open jump shots off kick outs. Utah’s defense is susceptible away from home, and the Nets must take advantage.

Newly acquired Devin Harris gets another chance to win over Nets fans against an elite NBA point guard in Deron Williams, who dialed up a 32 point, 8 assist effort in last night’s win in Boston. In 5 head-to-head meetings, after Harris became a starter in Dallas, Williams holds a 3-2 advantage, averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 5 rebounds to Harris’ 11 points and 6.4 assists, however Williams played more minutes and took an average of 7 more shots per game. Earlier this season, Williams lit up Harris and the Mavs for 41 points, but lost the game. During the road trip, Harris, noted for his quickness and stellar defense, struggled to stop penetration and watched Tony Parker and Chris Paul, two other elite Western Conference points light up the scoreboard in lopsided wins. Tonight, Harris gets another chance to prove his defensive prowess against the best, as do the Nets.

After the Utah game, New Jersey has a pivotal seven game stretch where they face only one team above .500 – Denver, who currently sits outside the Western Conference playoffs – and includes fives games against teams in direct competition with the Nets for the final few playoff berths in the East. A two-game win streak against top notch playoff teams would bolster confidences, and be a good way to head into that stretch.