SB Nation - Bobby Simmons

Lawrence Frank gets Bzdelik'd...

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:59:02 -0000

For his second franchise in a row, Kiki Vandeweghe has firebombed the roster, sacked a decent coach with the carnage and prayed for some luck with the draft and free agency. It worked for the Nuggets, but will it work for the Nets in New Jersey/Brooklyn?

Let's take a quick trip back to 2002. The Nuggets are floundering with a losing record, a coach/team president that calls a Hispanic fan a "Mexican piece of shit" and an expensive, relatively worthless roster featuring the likes of draft busts Raef LaFrentz and Tariq "Don't Call Me Olivier St. Jean" Abdul-Wahad, the mercurial Nick Van Exel and the grossly overpaid Avery Johnson. In comes Kiki Vandeweghe - a former Nuggets star who had been mentored by the Nelsons in the Mavericks front office - as the new G.M. Vandeweghe's first act, a bold and swift one, is to deal away LaFrentz, Abdul-Wahad, Van Exel and Johnson to his former team, take back some expiring contracts, suck for a season-and-a-half and hope for the best with free agency and the draft.

The huge - and in my opinion, unforgivable - misstep of drafting all-time bust (and Denver Stiffs Hall of Famer) Nikoloz Tskitishvili aside, Vandeweghe's gamble worked. As part of the plan, Vandeweghe brought in a young, hard-working coach in Jeff Bzdelik to change the culture on the floor and the Nuggets remarkably won 17 more games than they should have in the 2002-03 season. 17 wins was low enough, however, for the Nuggets to score Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 draft and by parting with those heavy contracts, the Nuggets had enough cap room to sign Voshon Lenard, Andre Miller and my all-time favorite one-season Nugget, Jon Barry.

Years later and in a new geographical location, Vandeweghe is doing very similar things in New Jersey under the tutelage of Rod Thorn (who in the ironies or ironies swindled Vandeweghe into trading three number one picks for Kenyon Martin in 2004). Hired in late 2007 as a "Special Assistant" to Thorn, Vandeweghe became the Nets G.M. in May of 2008.

During Vandeweghe's tenure with the Nets, the franchise has dealt the aging, overpaid Jason Kidd to Dallas for Devin Harris and several soon-to-be-expiring contracts including Trenton Hassell's, sent the overpaid Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlin and Bobby Simmons' soon-to-be-expiring contract and recently traded another max player, Vince Carter, to Orlando for the expiring contracts of Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.

Left in the wake of all these deals is the 26th lowest payroll in the NBA with the salaries of Simmons, Alston, Battie, Hassell, Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes coming off the books in 2010. Plus, the Nets have one of the better young point guards in the NBA in Devin Harris, a solid center in Brook Lopez (even though my Uncle Marty claims he's a Stiff after watching him up close against the Nuggets last week), a good swingman in Chris Douglas-Roberts and even Yi was playing well before going down with another injury. Oh, and the Nets have their own lottery pick plus the Mavericks' first round pick in 2010.

But also left in the wake is a lost season that head coach Lawrence Frank - whom Vandeweghe inherited - is about to take the fall for. Saddled with a gutted-out, injury-riddled roster Frank is being Bzdelik'd. And it's not fair. Lest we forget that Frank won his first 13 games in a row when he took over the Nets for Byron Scott several seasons ago. But life's not fair (Frank does make - gasp - $4 million a year, so I don't feel that bad for him) and unlike Bzdelik's amazing performance in 2002-03, Frank's team is losing all the games they're supposed to lose.

Similar to the situation for Bzdelik in Denver, Vandeweghe won't stand up for Frank (even though this is clearly Vandeweghe's plan) and is just buying time before he can hire a big name coach to right the ship when LeBron James and/or other free agents and a top draft pick join the franchise next summer. Different from what happened in Denver, though, is that Vandeweghe is rumored to take over as head coach. I guess the bottom line is that when you lose your first 16 games (about to be 18), no matter how bad your roster/injury situation is your job isn't salvageable. Good bye, Lawrence Frank.

How's this for a far-fetched prediction moving forward? Vandeweghe takes over as coach for the remainder of the season and - a la Kevin McHale in Minnesota - the Nets beat up on some equally bad teams en route to winning about 15-18 games with a spirited effort on the floor. Then, the Nets score LeBron in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes (I really don't think LBJ is leaving Cleveland, but if he does it's to the Nets who have the best surrounding cast plus cap space to offer him) and none other than current Nuggets coach George Karl takes over as head coach when the Nuggets fail to offer Karl an extension. (On a side note, I used to think that Karl was imposed on Vandeweghe by Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke in 2005 but have since learned that Karl and Vandeweghe have a friendly relationship and get along great, so I'm just connecting the dots here.)

With Karl overseeing a roster featuring Harris at point guard, Courtney Lee or CDR at shooting guard, LBJ at small forward, (enter free agent here) at power forward and Lopez at center, the Nets move into their shiny, new Brooklyn confines in 2011 with the support of their Russian billionaire owner as a championship contender.

Frank might be getting Bzdelik'd right before our eyes, but sunny days are ahead for the Nets and Kiki knows it.

Photo courtesy of AP Photos: Bill Kostroun

NJ Nets Previews

Jeff Clark — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:12:44 -0000

After two years of fire sales, the New Jersey Nets (or Brooklyn Nyets if you prefer) are in full rebuilding mode with an eye towards next year. But what do they do this year? Here are a couple of previews to give us some clues.

Slippery When Nets: Everything You Wanted to Know About the 2009 Nets...But Had Better Things To Do Than Ask

As Michael Scott once said, "My weaknesses are actually my strengths." It is very appropriate when describing this team. The Nets have a lot of youth, and a lot of cap space. Basically, the pieces are aligning for a serious run at the top free agents in the summer of 2010. The new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, is now the richest owner in the NBA, which could help in the future as well.

QTBM Part V: How Will The New Jersey Nets Do In 2009-10?

Jianlin is hands-down a bust and shouldn't take up the spot another more promising player could be filling. Veterans such as Bobby Simmons, Trenton Hasssell, and Alston may not be willing to help the younger players because they wouldn't want to give up their place in the depth chart. Eduardo Najera and Keyon Dooling would probably be the only ones willing to help the Nets youth get better, so the bench situation could get toxic, particularly from Alston who believes he has the talent and deserves the shot to be a starter.

See the full schedule of previews here.

Spoiler Alert: New Jersey Nets Preview

djturtleface — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:36:24 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Yi Jianlin and Sean Williams might be silly looking, but they also tandem to create the most unimpressive position for any team in the Association. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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I think I'd like to get this over with quick. Sorry Nets fans, but as much as you might dislike Vince Carter, trading him isn't going to make the Nets any better this year. The Nets were basically only acceptable last year because they had two players who could really create, which overcame most of the problems young teams have, namely moving the ball effectively. Life won't be so simple this year.

Just how bad are things going to get? Probably kind of bad. I count three proven NBA starters, not counting Courtney Lee's timeshare for the Magic. That's not a good sign, especially when two of them are both small scoring guards. Just how bad can you possibly be in the East? Follow me over the jump for the answer.

Preview

At this point the Nets roster is a bit funky. It's brimming with both high-risk, high-potential players and players who have, essentially, already proven that they will never live up to their promise. Most of these high-potential guys will probably never amount to much, but each has to be terrified seeing their dark future next to them on the bench. Chris Douglas-Roberts, meet your new mentor, his name is Bobby Simmons. Early reports say that Terrence Williams can play like a superstar, but, to paraphrase a past conversation with Shoals, it remains to be seen if he'll blossom into a smaller Lamar Odom or never develop a niche and be squandered as a smaller Lamar Odom.

Of course Devin Harris and Brook Lopez are trapped in the insanity. They're the protons and neutrons of this squad, desperately trying to rein in the eclectic cast that surrounds them. These two players are definitely a solid core, one which Courtney Lee will nicely complement--though it remains to be seen how useful Lee will be in a larger role, especially since he often looked overwhelmed in the playoffs. Devin will likely shoulder an even greater offensive load, which I fear might break him forever, and Brook if going to need to be a viable isolation option on offense.

By the way Yi Jianlin and Sean Williams will account for the biggest hole at any single position in the entire league.

Fantasy Preview

Breakout- Terrence Williams: I love Terrence Williams as a last pick in a fantasy draft. The Nets will keep him on the floor for his defense, and he should contribute a nice number of steals, rebounds, and even blocks from the shooting guard position. While his shooting and scoring might hurt you compared to other options left on the board, there is a good chance that he'll contribute enough in the all-around game to give you a boost.

"If Blake Griffin didn't exist, this would be Terrence"

Bust- Brook Lopez: Here I'd be very wary of falling into the Al Horford trap, that is drafting him too high expecting significant statistical growth in the sophomore year. I know that Lopez plays at a very thin position. There are never enough centers in fantasy basketball. But ESPN ranks Lopez as the fifth most valuable center, and 36th most valuable player overall. I'd be very concerned drafting him this high, not because he doesn't have a shot at it, but because you could probably get a guy like Horford, Bynum, or Bogut at least four rounds later--I'd argue that all three have just as much upside.

Useful- Devin Harris: Sorry Skip, Lee, and Yi, but this isn't going to be your year. Besides the two guys above, Devin Harris is going to be the only other Nets player worth targeting in your draft. ESPN has him ranked at 31, though I predict he'll drop into the late third in most drafts. That's good value, because Harris might be putting up Gilbert Arenas-like numbers this season. I'd also like to note that I loved Harris last year because he got off to a very hot start, and I'm a notorious sell-high trader.

Predictions

My Predictions: 26-56 (ESPN: 29-53)

Another case where I'm relatively close to ESPN. This team did win 34 games last season, and I'd say Vince is worth quite a bit more than Courtney Lee. Even keeping in mind the improvements their youth should make, this team has the potential to be abhorrent. Their bench is better than most non-playoff teams, but they only have two impact starters. I love Terrence Williams, but I think he takes a couple years before he actually helps his team, as opposed to being an impressive oddity, a la Russel Westbrook.

But you get LeBron and Boozer to fill all those gaps next season. Buy your season tickets now, right?

Poll

How many games will the Nets win this season?

Over 26 games.

17 votes

Under 26 games.

15 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

2001 NBA Draft Re-draft Part 1

Jon L — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:25:28 -0000

More photos » by Steve C Wilson - AP

Don't worry, Mehmet Okur, you won't fall very far in our re-draft. (AP Photo/Steve C. Wilson)

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Sorry this is a little late today - Jon L

Ah, the 2001 draft. A year forever etched in the memory of Washington Wizards fans. We're going to take a second look at the second round, but I thought (and probably should've done this with the others) I'd recap where we are in the draft process.

High-schooler Kwame Brown was the number one pick, selected by the Washington Wizards and GM Michael Jordan. In a way, Brown was selected for the complete opposite reasons that a lot of players are. Jordan focused mostly on Brown's intangibles, or perceived intangibles, and ignored some of Brown's tangible, physical attributes, namely that the guy has small hands.

Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and Eddy Curry followed. The first round saw the likes of Shane Battier, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, Richard Jefferson, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, and Tony Parker all hear their names called. The same goes for Rodney White, Steven Hunter, Kirk Haston, Jeryl Sasser and Raul Lopez. All of which, as always, we're leaving in place. The Chicago Bulls are on the clock. There are some stars and some solid players available. Who did they pick? Who will we pick for them? Part 1 is after the jump.

30. Chicago Bulls (original pick - Trenton Hassell)

The Bulls drafted Eddy Curry in the first round and traded for fellow 2001 draftee Tyson Chandler, so they don't need a big man. That Chicago team had a rather patchwork backcourt, with Jamal Crawford, Jalen Rose, Greg Anthony, Kevin Ollie, AJ Guyton, and Travis Best all getting at least a handful of starts. Oh, you say Gilbert Arenas is available? Yeah, we'll draft him.

31. Golden State Warriors (original pick - Gilbert Arenas)

Arenas wears the number 0 because that's the number of teams that drafted him in the first round. Some teams had multiple picks, though, so it's not like absolutely everyone passed him up. Golden State had just drafted Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy in the first round to complement budding star Antawn Jamison, and Jamison-Richardson-Murphy-Arenas wasn't a bad young core. The team was pretty terrible, though, which is what happens when your centers are Erick Dampier, Marc Jackson and Adonal Foyle. There aren't a ton of great centers in this draft, but the best is undoubtedly Mehmet Okur, whose relative lack of rebounding isn't as much of a weakness with Jamison and Murphy beside him.

32. Orlando Magic (original pick - Omar Cook)

Ah yes, the Patrick Ewing-Horace Grant Magic. Orlando had signed Grant Hill to complement Tracy McGrady, but Hill played only 14 games that year. The team's other offensive options were Mike Miller (fine), Darrell Armstrong (age 33) and Troy Hudson (now you're pushing it). McGrady needed help, and while Bobby Simmons is probably the best available, he likely wouldn't have gotten playing time behind McGrady and Miller. Carlos Arroyo went undrafted that year, but eventually ended up in Orlando as a decent backup to Jameer Nelson.

33. Memphis Grizzlies (original pick - Will Solomon)

Memphis traded for first-round pick Pau Gasol after drafting Stromile Swift the year before, so up front is "set." I don't hate the Solomon pick, as he's made somewhat of a name for himself over in Turkey despite not making much of an impression in the NBA. Beyond fellow 2001 draftee Shane Battier, though, the Grizzlies' small forwards were terrible. He'd need some work, but Jamario Moon would be a good complement to Battier and Gasol.

34. Atlanta Hawks (original pick - Terence Morris)

Morris was traded to Houston, we're making Atlanta keep the pick, etc. The usual deal. Those early 2000s Maryland teams really fooled a lot of NBA teams. Terence Morris has become a top player in the Euroleague, though he's considered a "big man" there despite being about 6'9" and being a small forward in college (if I remember correctly). Atlanta's guards that year were Jason Terry, Dion Glover, Jacque Vaughn and Emanuel Davis. They could've had Jamaal Tinsley, but they apparently thought they were fine in the backcourt and traded him to Indiana. We know better, though, and will draft Trenton Hassell, who's become a defensive specialist and would've been a decent complement to Terry.

35. New Jersey Nets (original pick - Brian Scalabrine)

I wouldn't say that I'm biased, because I have no real reason to be, but I was completely baffled at how much playing time Scalabrine got in the playoff this year. I know Garnett's injury forced the team to go deeper into its bench, but I couldn't name one thing that Scalabrine does well. The Celtics had three first-round picks that year, selecting Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte. Then they traded Johnson partway through the season. So, not a good draft. We'll give them Bobby Simmons to give them someone who'd produce after Brown and Forte didn't.

36. Cleveland Cavaliers (original pick - Jeff Trepagnier)

Hassell would've been a nice pick here, as Cleveland's defense that year was terrible (hi, Ricky Davis). Maurice Evans, another defensive specialist, is available, and hopefully he can take some of the minutes away from Davis and Lamond Murray. Or failing that, from Trajan Langdon.

37. Philadelphia 76ers (original pick - Damone Brown)

Yes, that Damone Brown. The Sixers made the playoffs that year with a lineup of Iverson-Snow-Harpring-Coleman-Mutombo. Coleman as in Derrick. That's an okay lineup, but their bench was pretty terrible, especially the frontcourt. As I said earlier, though, there aren't a lot of great big men in this draft. Could I interest you in the lesser Collins brother? How about Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje? Loren Woods? No? I'm not going to lie to you, this one really stumped me, as the team's needs don't really fit the draft's strengths. Sean Lampley has become a decent scorer in Australia, and was an okay-but-not-great bench player in the NBA.

38. Detroit Pistons (original pick - Mehmet Okur)

Other than Jerry Stackhouse and Chucky Atkins, Detroit's guards that year were Michael Curry, Jon Barry, Dana Barros and Damon Jones. Charlie Bell has had his moments in the NBA, and would be a hometown pick.

39. New York Knicks (original pick - Michael Wright)

This might've been the last Knicks roster that made sense. Unfortunately that didn't give them very many wins. That's because they were a bad offensive team, with only three players that scored more than 700 points for the season. Omar Cook is often cited as a guy who went to the NBA too early, and was never much of a scorer anyway, but he showed an ability to rack up assists and steals in the D-League, and perhaps receiving tutoring from fellow St. John's point guard Mark Jackson would've helped him out.

40. Seattle SuperSonics (original pick - Earl Watson)

Seattle needed a shooting guard more than a point guard. Horace Jenkins went undrafted in 2001 and went overseas, where he became a pretty good scorer, and earned a contract with the Detroit Pistons in 2004-2005. He may not have been able to contribute immediately, but he is/was certainly a hard worker and could've developed for Seattle.

41. Indiana Pacers (original pick - Jamison Brewer)

This was the year Indiana made a big trade with Chicago, so Ron Artest, Brad Miller and Jalen Rose spent part of the season on their roster. Indiana was pretty set up front, with Reggie Miller, Al Harrington, Jermaine O'Neal and Jonathan Bender plus Austin Croshere and Jeff Foster (remember that team?). Brewer didn't work out for them, but Earl Watson might have.

42. Seattle SuperSonics (original pick - Bobby Simmons)

Simmons was traded to the Wizard for Predrag Drobnjak. The SuperSonics have a weird history of accepting lousy center from Washington - Drobnjak, Jim McIlvaine, Calvin Booth. Michael Jordan loved Bobby Simmons. Even after he was traded to Detroit as part of the Stackhouse deal, Simmons was cut by the Pistons and Jordan re-signed him. Simmons had a few productive years in Milwaukee before getting injured. Seattle just had a pick, and while they had four centers on the roster that year, they were all lousy. Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje racked up the blocks in college, so maybe he could've produced with the Pacific Northwest's other franchise.

43. New York Knicks (original pick - Eric Chenowith)

This was originally Seattle's pick as well. Chenowith practically defines "well-traveled" as according to, uh, Wikipedia he's been under contract for eight different NBA teams and four D-League teams as well as the ABA and CBA, and has played in France, China and Puerto Rico. Apparently he shoots and runs the floor well for a guy his size (7'1"). Well, the Knicks obviously didn't want him, so we'll go with Loren Woods and hope he can beat out Felton Spencer and Travis Knight for the backup center job.

44. Dallas Mavericks (original pick - Kyle Hill)

This team had a lot of point guards, including Steve Nash, Avery Johnson, Nick Van Exel and Tim Hardaway. Oh, and Darrick Martin. Van Exel could play shooting guard, as could Michael Finley, but that's still a little point-heavy. All of the decent shooting guards are disappearing, so we'll take Jeff Trepagnier, who averaged about 11 points a game with the Bakersfield Jam this past season.

New Jersey Nets 103, Orlando Magic 93

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:07:59 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Orlando Magic lost their third game in four nights against the New Jersey Nets on Saturday, 103-93, due to a poor defensive effort and little-to-no offensive flow. Worse still, they lost Hedo Turkoglu with what appeared to be a rather serious sprained ankle in the 4th quarter. J.J. Redick also left the game after playing one fourth-quarter minute due to back spasms. The loss locks Orlando into the Eastern Conference's third playoff seed.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Magic	87	106.7	50.0%	20.8	29.3	14.9
Nets	87	118.4	62.1%	22.9	17.9	16.1

First, the offense: Orlando had nothing doing. Second-leading scorer Rashard Lewis sat out for the first time this season due to knee tendinitis, leaving more work for Dwight Howard and Turkoglu. Howard was not up to the task, managing a mere 7 points on 2-of-7 shooting against Brook Lopez, the Nets' brick wall of a rookie center. Stan Van Gundy left him in the game for only 26 minutes. Turkoglu, meanwhile, looked fairly sharp and routinely drove to the basket, but it wasn't enough. He tallied 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and appeared to be working himself into a groove until he injured his ankle trying to turn the corner on Yi Jianlian. Tony Battie, making his first start of the season, scored all 14 of his points in the first half. Brian Hill, the Nets assistant who coached the Magic two seasons ago, must have felt pretty good about that, seeing as though he started Battie ahead of Darko Milicic in all 82 games that season.

Defense is the real point of concern here. The Nets--playing without All-Star point guard Devin Harris--were able to get into the lane at will and create easy baskets for their bigs. Lopez and his backup, Josh Boone, combined for 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting. Even when the Magic took away the interior passing, the Nets moved the ball well enough to get open three-point looks, converting 11 treys in 20 attempts. Vince Carter, who led all scorers with 27 effortless points, had 4 triples and Bobby Simmons added 3 off the bench. New Jersey tallied assists on 27 of its 38 field goals. It's April. The Magic cannot, and should not, be having defensive breakdowns against anyone, especially not a lottery team missing its best playmaker. There really aren't any excuses, and Van Gundy said as much:

"I don't know what to tell you, it's bad and it's getting worse and we don't seem very determined to change it. I'm not making any excuses, pre-playoff blues are any of that crap. We're playing awful basketball."

Awful indeed. Van Gundy now faces a somewhat difficult decision: does he cut his starters' minutes to rest them for the playoffs? Or does he try to play them regular minutes in light of their recent poor play, trying to get them into the playoffs on a high note?

Recap: Nets 99, Bucks 95

Frank Madden — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:44:33 -0000

Box Score / AP Recap / JS Recap

This one hurts. With a chance to gain some breathing room against the Nets in the hunt for the final playoff spot, the Bucks couldn't hold serve at home as an old weakness--defending the three point shot--again reared its ugly head. Strangely, stopping Devin Harris and Vince Carter wasn't the problem--the high scoring duo scored just 29 points on 8/34 shooting--but focusing on the Nets' backcourt eventually allowed the Nets' supporting cast to win the game.

The Bucks (38.5%) shot even worse than the Nets, who made up for a cold start by draining seven of their last nine threes including an open dagger from Jarvis Hayes with just 18 seconds left. It was basically the same play the Nets used to get a tying Bobby Simmons three the last time these teams met in Milwaukee, as Richard Jefferson again got pinned down low on Brook Lopez and left his man open in the corner following a Vince Carter drive. In RJ's defense, at least this time around the Bucks weren't winning by three.

The Bucks still had a chance to tie it in the final eight seconds, as Charlie Villanueva rebounded Malik Allen's miss and nearly got a three point play opportunity before watching his layup attempt roll off. He hit both free throws to bring the Bucks within one, but Harris answered with a pair of his own to make it 95-92. The Nets then turned the game into a free throw contest, fouling RJ intentionally--though the officials for some reason swallowed the whistle when the Nets initially bodied Luke Ridnour. Jefferson hit twice (95-94), Harris answered again (97-94), and another intentional foul on Villanueva left the Bucks forced to make the first and intentionally miss the second. CV accomplished both (97-95), but Lopez grabbed the rebound to seal the win.

For three quarters the Nets had been relying largely on Lopez (24 pts, 9/13 fg, 12 rebs), who once again looked fantastic in utterly dominating the Bucks' weaker centers. Though neither team could ever gain clear control, the Bucks were ahead for most of the game until four turnovers in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, two by Richard Jefferson, allowed the Nets to string together an 8-0 run and jump ahead 71-70. Still, the Bucks fought back and led 84-76 with just over four minutes remaining. And then the Nets' three point attack reared its ugly head.

Four triples in just over two minutes highlighted a 14-2 run that put the Nets up four, and each began with a Harris/Lopez high screen and roll that allowed Harris to find an open teammate. Carter and Hayes hit the first two bombs, as the Bucks scrambled to help down low--Lopez and Harris had been killing them afterall--and conceded open looks as a result. Following a Harris layup and Malik Allen jumper, Keyon Dooling finished the run with consecutive threes from the right corner, though Luke Ridnour wasn't terribly positioned either time. Again it was the same formula: Lopez sets a high screen, the Bucks switch, a third defender sucks down to prevent Lopez from getting another dunk, and Harris finds the open man.

Three Bucks

Charlie Villanueva. Not an efficient shooting night from CV (9/22 fg, 24 pts), but it was that kind of night for the Bucks. He also grabbed 15 boards, the sort of glass work we haven't seen as much since CV has picked up the scoring slack. Unfortunately, he also deserves some of the blame for rookie Ryan Anderson's big night off the bench (13 pts in 12 minutes).
Ramon Sessions. Sessions' 19 points and eight boards are nothing to sneeze at, especially on a night when Harris struggled to score. But Sessions again couldn't draw fouls (3/3 fts), which makes his 8/17 shooting less efficient, and he somehow managed to collect just a single assist all night. Sessions spent most of the night at his more familiar point position--probably due in part to what Vince Carter did to him in New Jersey a few weeks ago.
Luke Ridnour. Not a lot to choose from on this night, but Ridnour had perhaps his best all-around night since returning from his thumb injury. In 23 minutes he managed 10 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two turnovers.

Three Numbers

.385/.261/.864. While the Nets weren't exactly lighting it up for most of the game, the Bucks' meager shooting splits meant they didn't have to.
19. Believe it or not, the Bucks' rebounding actually kept them in the game for a change--rather than nearly costing them the game. Milwaukee hauled down 19 offensive boards and 52 in total, compared to 8 and 42 for the Nets. OK, so throwing up so many bricks definitely helped inflate those second chances, but the Bucks' 35.8% offensive rebound rate for the night is well above their current average (28.8%).
38. The Bucks put together three very good quarters of defense, conceding just 19, 20, and 22 points. But then everything fell apart, as slow rotations and hot-shooting allowed the Nets to outscore the Bucks 38-28 in the fourth.

Three Good

Defending Carter/Harris. The Nets feature arguably the most potent offensive backcourt in the league, so holding them to 8/34 shooting isn't easy. Of course, the downside was that all the attention on the Nets' stars eventually provided opportunities for other guys (we'll get back to that later).
Hustle board. For the first time in a while the Bucks' hard work showed some results on the glass, and it very nearly allowed them to steal a win on a night when they couldn't finish around the hoop or shoot it from deep.
Hanging in. Somehow the Bucks are still hanging on to the eighth spot by a half game.

Three Bad

Betting on Brook. I wasn't advocating the Bucks pick Lopez pre-draft, so I can't say I told you so. But imagine if the Bucks had taken Lopez (who eventually went 10th overall) over Joe Alexander. It certainly would have complicated the politics of re-signing Andrew Bogut and minutes may have been scarce for Lopez early on, but the Bucks would be doing just fine in Bogut's absence right now. It sure seems like the Nets have found a quality big man around which to build for the next decade.
Triple Threat. For most of the season the Bucks have focused on containing opposing guards by helping on defense, effectively daring other teams to kick it out and beat them with the long ball. Two months ago, the Nets nearly eked out a win in Milwaukee that way, with Bobby Simmons doing the damage for much of the night. Tonight they got started much more slowly (2/18 from distance to start), but they found their stroke in time to finish 9/27. For the Bucks it was largely a matter of picking their poison: Lopez had been killing them down low--sorry, Elson and Gadzuric just don't defend with enough muscle--and Harris averaged 36 ppg last week. Forcing Hayes, Dooling, and Anderson to make shots seemed like a good idea, but they made the Bucks pay.
Everyone in the Yi trade. Not a memorable night for the players involved in the draft trade last summer. Jefferson couldn't make a damn thing (4/18 fg, though he was a lovely 12/12 from the stripe), Yi was invisible (2/4 fg, four points in 16 minutes), and Simmons was scoreless in 17 minutes off the bench.

Hey! Orlando! You Forgot the D-League!

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:25:34 -0000

Dear Otis Smith,

I'm not a fan of you right now. I wasn't a fan when you signed Rashard Lewis to the first billion dollar contract in NBA history. I wasn't a fan when you kept old Adonal Foyle over a developing James Augustine. Today, I'm certainly not a fan of seeing you nearing a deal to trade for Tyronn "freaking ZERO Upside and PLENTY of downside" Lue.

I posted quite a bit over at ThirdQuarterCollapse over the last couple days, the official SB Nation blog of your Orlando Magic. I put up a post here yesterday telling not to forget about the D-League and that post was picked up by Yahoo as well as HardwoodParoxysm. How you missed all of this, I'm not sure. The message was very clear: instead of going after an also-ran point guard, why not go to the D-League, where the talent is cheap, hungry, and at the very least has some upside?

I'll give you a bit of a history lesson, as you're obviously not all too familiar with the D-League. The D-League, or NBA Development League, is a place where players under the radar go to recognized. Some of them need lots of developing, yes, but others are NBA-ready and are just developing, honing their skills, waiting for the right situation to arise so that they can show the world what you, and other NBA general managers, have been missing.

See, there are quite a few players that have started in the D-League (or CBA before the D-League), got a call-up and their chance to shine, and now are success stories for the whole basketball world to admire! My first example is going to be one that your constituency will remember fondly, Darrell Armstrong. See, Armstrong originally went undrafted by the NBA, played in the Global Basketball Association, the USBL, and even the CBA before finally getting a look from your Orlando Magic. Darrell, besides his 1996 dunk contest entry, turned out to be a pretty good player, didn't he, Otis?

Hey Otis, how about Mike Wilks? You obviously thought he must have something to bring to the table after bringing him in this preseason. See, Mike played two seasons in the NBDL with the Huntsville Flight before getting a look in the NBA. Looks like he's put together a decent body of work over the past six seasons for a man like yourself to be giving him an opportunity.

Now, and stay with me even though we're moving a bit out of your comfort zone, I'd like to direct your attention to some other players that have turned out to not be terrible that started their career in the minor leagues: Lou Amundson, Stephen Jackson, Ronny Turiaf, Rafer Alston, Mikki Moore, Bobby Simmons, Devin Brown, Ime Udoka, Bruce Bowen, Von Wafer, Kelenna Azubuike, Malik Hairston and even your own Jeremy Richardson started their career as an NBA Call-up!

After seeing that, Mr. Smith, why is it that you were so afraid to look at one of the hungry, talented, hard-working, passionate individuals just waiting for that chance to prove to you just how much they belong on the NBA hardcourt.

Sincerely,

Ridiculous Scott

P.S. Please forward this on to your other friends in the NBA world, as they may as well take advantage of these players sitting right under your nose if you're not willing. Thanks!

HtOST: WFAN's Evan Roberts On the Nets

Steve Weinman — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:00:09 -0000

A Daily Babble Production: How the Other Side Thinks

Given last week's IZOD Center rant, and considering the fact that I'll be back there on Thursday and will likely have more to say afterward, we're throwing a curve today by forgoing one of my usually requisite introductory cracks about Nets fans. We're happy to have Evan Roberts aboard today. Evan is a Nets diehard, and he co-hosts the midday show alongside Joe Benigno on my all-time favorite radio station, WFAN 660 AM in my home state of New York. With the Celts opening their second Atlantic Division home-and-home of the week against the Nets tonight, Evan had plenty to tell us about the state of the team, Lawrence Frank and ~~Wince~~ Vince Carter. Away we go..

SW: At 19-19 and sitting in the thick of the action at seventh in the East, the Nets have been one of the league's early-season surprises (I was dopey enough to pick them last in the conference this season). What are the biggest reasons behind the team's better-than-expected start, and how have the first couple of months changed your expectations for the team this season?

ER: The expectations have changed. When you're at .500 after the wise Sports Illustrated said the Nets would be the worst team in the East, everything changes. This team has been better than thought for a few reasons. First, Devin Harris has blossomed into a bigger than expected offensive force. He's amongst the league leaders in points per game and has hit a ton of big shots, including the buzzer-beater against the Pacers on the road. Big factor number two has been that Vince Carter has been healthy and has been the veteran leader that most thought he wouldn't be. He has a good relationship with the younger guys and seems comfortable in his role for the first time as a Net. And the other big reason has been the maturation of Brook Lopez. He is getting better by the game. The injury to Boone that allowed Lopez to start was a major key. And the vets on this team have been very productive - [Keyon] Dooling, Jarvis Hayes and [Bobby] Simmons.

SW: Having taken over in January 2004, Lawrence Frank is currently the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference, and he remains employed despite having not led the Nets to a winning record since 2005-06. Has Frank deserved to keep his job as long as he has? How would you assess the job he's done in his time in the Swamp?

ER: The Little General Lawrence Frank deserved to get fired a year ago. I thought that he was the wrong man for a veteran team whose window was closing quickly. With that said, the Nets have gone through a major makeover since that time, and this team suits him better. He is a great teacher to younger players and is the perfect coach for this team. Not only that, thus far he has been a Coach of the Year candidate.

SW: I wrote recently about my latest visit to the IZOD Center and how poor the arena experience is in Jersey. In the meantime, the Nets' IZOD experience hasn't been great either, as the team is a confusing 9-12 at home compared to a 10-7 road record. Why the unusual discrepancy? And as a Nets fan, how do you feel about the atmosphere at IZOD?

ER: Part of the discrepancy is coincidence. The numbers will even out when it's all said and done. But there is no question that the lack of energy in that building hurts this team. As a guy who goes to just about every game, obviously its quite disappointing, but I don't blame the fans. This team has been a lame duck in Jersey for a few years now, and until it either makes a commitment to NJ or gets the heck out and into Brooklyn it will remain the same.

SW: Vince Carter: Ultra-talented loafer or given a bad rap because of a bad ending in Toronto? Why? Do you enjoy rooting for him as a Nets fan?

ER: He gets a bad rap, because he has won nothing in his career. Also the expectations for him out of North Carolina and after the slam dunk contest was that he was the next Jordan. He hasn't lived up to that billing, and though VC is very talented he is not on the level of the premiere NBA player. I wanted Vince out after the Game 6 loss at home to Cleveland, but he has handled himself beautifully with this team and the way its made up. If you dump Vince now the Nets playoff hopes are gone. He isn't an all-time favorite, but I have no issues rooting for him.

SW: Brook Lopez is off to a fine start to his NBA career, averaging 10 points and 8 boards per game and already entrenched as the Nets' starting center in his rookie season. Where do you see his ceiling?

ER: He has the ceiling to be a very good player. I see a lot of Carlos Boozer in him. The best thing about Brook is that he gets better game to game. When I see Brooke play along with Devin, you can see a combo together for years to come.

SW: A season ago, a rookie Sean Williams looked raw but blocked shots left and right and showed the potential to become a solid interior defender in this league. Now he's playing D-League ball. What's the deal with him?

ER: Sean Williams has made very little improvement. He continues to commit a lot of dumb fouls and can't stay on the court. Clearly, Coach Frank isn't a huge fan. I'm guessing he has work ethic issues, and his trade value has hit rock bottom. Expect him off the roster very soon.

SW: Time for a Daily Babble staple: word association. Just the first word, phrase or thought that comes to mind, please.

Devin Harris: tough

Yi Jianlian: Keith Van Horn

Bennett Salvatore: technical foul

Joe Benigno: BRO

Nets fans: not many

Gary Sussman: "It's a VC three"

Brian Scalabrine: Veal

Rodney Rogers: big shot against Milwaukee

SW: Got a score prediction for tonight's game?

ER: The Nets will lose to the Celtics, 89-82.

Thanks to Evan for taking the time to come on today. Good luck to the Nets and their legion of fans this evening and on Saturday.