SB Nation - Jarvis Hayes

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

Preview: Nets at Kings

Ziller — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:00:20 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

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"No mas! No mas!"

THE OPPONENT

Holy crap. Where to start? OK, for one, I don't know if you have heard this, but the Nets have not won a game since, like, April. 0-15. Zero wins, fifteen freaking losses. No team is really that bad, though I remember the awful 1998-99 Clippers, the team that got it's first win against the Kings in Game No. 18 of a 50-game season. That team was this bad. The Nets, though, aren't. Injury has played such a massive role in this bad start. Everyone has that excuse -- even the Lakers and Cavs and Magic and Mavericks have dealt with missing players. But for the Nets, it has been exceptionally rough. Devin Harris is the motor of the team, and he just came back. (Tonight will be his first start since October.) Courtney Lee missed lots of time. Yi Jianlian -- I have no idea what's gone on with him. Chris Douglas-Roberts had the swine flu! Brook Lopez and Terrence Williams are the only two good players on that team that have been in action throughout, and one of them is an apositional rookie. ROUGH.

As I said, Harris is back, as is Lee. Harris-Lopez might be the best young inside-out combination in the league, with the possible exception of Roy-Oden, Rose-Noah and Gordon-Griffin. (We'll see on that last one, as well as Evans-Thompson or Evans-Hawes.) Harris should have some rust, I'd think, but adrenaline might counteract those limitations, and I wouldn't be surprised if he plays as hard as he ever has. If a well (hopefully) Beno Udrih is guarding him, let's hope our Slovenian can funnel him into help defense, because Harris is lightning quick and smart with the rock.

Lopez went for 32/14 in Portland. Aack!

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Brook Lopez	15	35.3	6.8	14.5	47.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.9	4.9	78.4	2.9	5.8	8.7	1.5	2.7	0.4	2.6	3.7	17.5
Chris Douglas-Roberts	12	35.5	6.3	13.5	46.3	0.3	1.3	25.0	4.1	4.7	87.5	1.4	3.7	5.1	1.7	1.9	1.1	0.4	1.9	16.9
Devin Harris	5	28.8	4.4	12.8	34.4	0.0	1.6	0.0	4.6	6.4	71.9	0.6	3.2	3.8	6.2	2.6	2.0	0.2	2.6	13.4
Terrence Williams	15	28.1	4.3	11.9	36.0	0.8	2.8	28.6	1.4	2.1	65.6	0.5	5.1	5.6	2.0	2.1	0.6	0.0	1.7	10.7
Rafer Alston	15	34.2	3.7	10.6	34.6	1.1	3.3	34.0	1.9	2.3	82.9	0.3	2.6	2.9	4.8	2.8	0.9	0.2	2.0	10.4
Yi Jianlian	4	29.5	3.3	8.0	40.6	0.0	0.3	0.0	3.3	3.8	86.7	1.3	6.3	7.5	0.5	2.3	0.5	1.3	3.0	9.8
Courtney Lee	8	30.9	3.0	9.8	30.8	0.4	2.1	17.6	3.4	3.9	87.1	0.6	1.6	2.3	1.8	1.0	2.4	0.5	2.0	9.8
Trenton Hassell	11	35.9	3.5	8.1	43.8	0.0	0.2	0.0	1.8	2.3	80.0	1.9	3.4	5.3	1.0	1.5	0.4	0.2	2.7	8.9
Bobby Simmons	13	19.7	2.1	5.9	35.1	0.9	3.2	28.6	0.6	0.6	100.0	0.4	2.8	3.2	0.6	1.0	0.4	0.2	2.6	5.7
Eduardo Najera	8	16.5	1.9	4.8	39.5	0.3	1.4	18.2	0.8	1.0	75.0	1.1	2.5	3.6	1.8	1.0	0.8	0.3	2.6	4.8
Josh Boone	15	17.9	1.9	4.1	46.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.9	38.5	2.0	3.7	5.7	0.6	1.0	0.5	0.6	2.0	4.2
Sean Williams	11	12.9	1.4	2.8	48.4	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.5	1.0	45.5	1.6	1.1	2.7	0.0	1.3	0.5	0.9	2.6	3.2
Jarvis Hayes	1	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	0.0

THE KEY BATTLE

Lopez vs. Spencer Hawes. Goofy lottery big white dude vs. goofy lottery big white dude. Lopez has certainly started his career off in more bombastic fashion, though obviously Hawes has been no slouch, and these two are effectively the same age. Hawes would do well to pull Lopez away from the rim to open up lanes for the slashers and elbow room for Jason Thompson. On the other end, expect early help, especially if Lopez is going strong in the post.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

The crowd at ARCO is going to be really interesting. I mean, can anything good come of this game for Kings fans? I haven't been this nervous about a game since that time I played strip Parcheesi with Keira Knightley and Fran Drescher. Mix in the holiday weekend, the lack of a pre-game buffet and the anonymity of the opponent, and ... hmm.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Lawrence Frank is going to yell at someone. Not necessarily a Net.

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Kings by 13.

DETAILS

Game at 7. Game thread at 7. Post-game thread at 9:45. Recap at Boreal.

Let's Keep Quentin Richardson on the Move, Shall We?

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Fernando Medina - NBAE/Getty Images

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Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves engaged in a fairly inconsequential trade. You can read more analysis at Clips Nation and Canis Hoopus, but the gist is this: L.A. shipped Quentin Richardson to Minnesota, receiving Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen. In Telfair, the Clippers have a solid backup point guard to Baron Davis, while Smith adds depth to a fairly beefy front-line which already includes Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, and #1 draft pick Blake Griffin. Minnesota? It gains Richardson's $8.7 million expiring contract while simultaneously filling a void at shooting guard and small forward, a void created when it dealt Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for the 5th overall selection in this year's draft. Two lottery teams are now slightly deeper and better off financially. So why do we care?

Because it's, frankly, amusing that Richardson has changed teams three times in the last three weeks. New York, for which he's played the last 3 seasons, traded him to Memphis for Darko Milicic. The Grizzlies, in turn, sent him to L.A. for Zach Randolph. Now, he's Minnesota-bound. The novelty of a career role-player being a hot commodity on the trade market appeals to us irony-craving folks, especially in the doldrums of the NBA offseason, with few marquee free agents left to sign and with most contenders having already filled out their rosters.

Richardson's third move in three weeks blew up the NBA Twitterverse. Richardson (@QRich), for his part, is taking his latest move in stride:

Round and round I go on this NBA tour. Where o where will it stop no one knows. Lol. Right now I'm a t'wolf. Tomorrow? Who knows? Lol.

So it is in that spirit we suggest ways to get Richardson to the 26 teams of which he hasn't been a part this summer, with commentary on select trades. It all follows the jump.

to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford

The Hawks themselves just acquired Crawford, and he fits coach Mike Woodson's "type" as an undersized shooting guard who can shoot from distance, so it's doubtful they'd give him up. Then again, with no progress in their hopes to re-sign Marvin Williams, their starting small forward and a restricted free agent, they could pull the trigger on this deal for Richardson and hope to explore sign-and-trade avenues with Williams.
to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine

Nope, I can't even reach for a basketball reason here: the Celtics have no need for Richardson, nor would they be inclined to part with Perkins, an outstanding post defender whose NBA experience (364 games over 6 seasons) belies his age (24).
to Charlotte for Boris Diaw

Not much of a reason for Charlotte to unload Diaw if all it's getting is Richardson, although it might enjoy divesting itself of Diaw's deal. The Bobcats have a lot of long-term money committed to mediocre players, so losing Diaw--although he's an above-average player--might be worth the financial flexibility down the line.
to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich

Well, Richardson's a finished product, so I'm not sure why the Bulls would want him. They tend to be more interested in younger players whose growth they can stunt, am I right, Matt and Kelly? Zing!
to Cleveland for Daniel Gibson and Delonte West

Yup, it'd be crazy for the Cavs, a championship contender, to part with two decent, young combo guards. Clearly, they're not worried about saving money, having traded for Shaquille O'Neal (owed $20 million) last month. But sources did tell Marc Stein last week not to be surprised if the Cavs traded West this season... wait for it... in order to save money.
to Dallas for Greg Buckner and Matt Carroll

Hey, the Mavs can add another thirtysomething to their rotation! Buckner, 32, has the age, but won't play for Dallas. Richardson? He could conceivably see the floor as a situational shooter, and will turn 30 in April. As a bonus, he could join homophonically named Quinton Ross on the roster.
to Denver for Nene
to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince
to Golden State for Stephen Jackson and Marco Belinelli

Jackson is a favorite of Ws owner Chris Cohan, which is why he got a hefty extension last season despite still having a few years left on his deal as it was. Given how awful the Warriors are now, it's probable that even Cohan would be willing to part with Jackson's silly deal in exchange for Richardson's cap relief. Plus, Richardson's three-point marksmanship--he's a career 39.8% shooter from beyond the arc--would blend well with Golden State's trey-happy offense.
to Houston for Brent Barry and Shane Battier

Houston will likely hit the lottery this season, having lost Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for the duration. Richardson's expiring deal would give Rockets GM Daryl Morey plenty of flexibility next summer. Morey? With options? Frightening, and that's not me being pithy.
to Indiana for Jamaal Tinsley
to the L.A. Lakers for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic
to Miami for Mark Blount and Yakhouba Diawara
to Milwaukee for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric
to New Jersey for Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes, and Eduardo Najera
to New Orleans for Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson

This potential trade is notable for its being comprised entirely of three players who Tweet regularly. We previously linked Richardson's account. Here's Peterson (@mopete9) and Butler (@RasualButler45). Also, the Hornets wouldn't be the Hornets if they weren't stocked with swingmen (don't forget James Posey and Julian Wright!) while their frontcourt is so barren they're forced to play Sean Marks and Melvin Ely heavily.
to Oklahoma City for Chucky Atkins and Nenad Krstic
to Orlando for Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick

Magic GM Otis Smith values flexibility as much as the rest of the league's executives, but not even he's willing to part with Pietrus, his starting small forward, for a few extra bucks next summer.
to Philadelphia for Willie Green and Louis Williams
to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley
to Portland for Steve Bake and Martell Webster
to Sacramento for Beno Udrih

The Kings would accept this deal faster than Mavis Beacon can type "Richardson." Udrih, with a career Player Efficiency Rating of 12.9, is owed $26.7 million over the next 4 seasons.
to San Antonio for Matt Bonner, Michael Finley, and Roger Mason
to Toronto for Marcus Banks, Patrick O'Bryant, and Antoine Wright
to Utah for Mehmet Okur
to Washington for Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson

Open Thread II: 2009 NBA Draft Lottery- Welcome to the 2009 Playoffs Warriors fans!

Atma Brother ONE — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:15:10 -0000

UPDATE (4:06 pm): Originally posted on May 19, 2009 12:15 AM PDT. Bumped up for the big show, but you better believe it's going back down if the Warriors fall to #10. Whether the Warriors land the #1 pick or slip 3 spots- remember GSoM is a family show!

----------------

How's this for dedication? We had an open thread up for today's big event TWO whole months in advance!

It's playoff time in the Bay! It's time for our annual installment of the NBA Lottery.

Photo: Warriors.com

After the jump a look at the 7 different possible scenarios for the Warriors this afternoon and how they've worked out the past 10 years for the teams drafting in those respective slots.

Odds via Wikipedia

#1 PICK (4.3% chance): A dream come true.

Hey you know GSoM did win the 2009 NBA Blogger Draft lottery, so maybe our luck will continue. Blake Griffin is the consensus #1 overall pick and I doubt the Warriors deviate from the norm here. Griffin would be a god-send and looks like a real deal franchise player.

Here's the last 10 #1 overall picks:

2008: Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
2007: Greg Oden (Portland TrailBlazers)
2006: Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors)
2005: Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks)
2004: Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
2003: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
2002: Yao Ming (Houston Rockets)
2001: Kwame Brown (Washington Wizards)- BUST
2000: Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets)
1999: Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)

#2 PICK (4.9% chance): So close, but not close enough.

The pundits seem to be picking Ricky Rubio to go #2, but is he really that much better than the next point guard on the board Brandon Jennings who is "mocked" to go as low as 7? I don't know.

#2's since 1999:

2008: Michael Beasley (Miami Heat)
2007: Kevin Durant (Seattle SuperSonics)
2006: LaMarcus Aldridge (Chicago Bulls)
2005: Marvin Williams (Atlanta Hawks)
2004: Emeka Okafor (Charlotte Bobcats)
2003: Darko Miicic (Detroit Pistons)- BUST
2002: Jay Williams (Chicago Bulls)- BUST
2001: Tyson Chandler (LA Clippers)
2000: Stromile Swift (Vancouver Grizzlies)- BUST
1999: Steve Francis (Vancouver Grizzlies)

#3 PICK (5.8% chance): In any other year this would be a real blessing.

But this year? Not too exciting, but who knows?

2008: O.J. Mayo (Minnesota Timberwolves)

2007: Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks)

2006: Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats)- BUST

2005: Deron WIlliams (Utah Jazz)

2004: Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls)

2003: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)

2002: Mike Dunleavy (Golden State Warriors)- BUST

2001: Pau Gasol (Vancouver Grizzlies)

2000: Darius Miles (LA Clippers)- BUST

1999: Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets)

#7 PICK (60.0% chance): We tanked it for this one.

Thanks to that marvelous extra tanking by Nellie and crew this is where the Warriors are currently slotted. If the Warriors don't move up to one of the top 3 spots and none of the teams below them move up they'll be drafting here.

Just for reference here are the last 10 players drafted at the #7 spot:

2008: Eric Gordon (LA Clippers)
2007: Corey Brewer (Minnesota Timberwolves)
2006: Randy Foye (Minnesota Timberwolves)- BUST
2005: Charlie Villanueva (Toronto Raptors)
2004: Luol Deng (Phoenix Suns)
2003: Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls)
2002: Nene Hilario (Denver Nuggets)
2001: Eddie Griffin (New Jersey Nets)- BUST
2000: Chris Mihm (Chicago Bulls)- BUST
1999: Richard Hamilton (Washington Wizards)

#8 PICK (23.2% chance): Moving down...

2008: Joe Alexander (Milwaukee Bucks)

2007: Brandan Wright (Charlotte Bobcats)

2006: Rudy Gay (Houston Rockets)

2005: Channing Frye (New York Knicks)

2004: Rafael Araujo (Toronto Raptors)- BUST

2003: T.J. Ford (Milwaukee Bucks)

2002: Chris WIlcox (LA Clippers)

2001: DeSagana Diop (Cleveland Cavaliers)

2000: Jamal Crawford (Cleveland Cavaliers)

1999: Andre Miller (Cleveland Cavaliers)

#9 PICK (1.8% chance): 2 teams leap-frogged the Warriors.

2008: D.J. Augustin (Charlotte Bobcats)

2007: Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls)

2006: Patrick O'Bryant (Golden State Warriors)- BUST

2005: Ike Diogu (Golden State Warriors)- BUST

2004: Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)

2003: Michael Sweetney (New York Knicks)- BUST

2002: Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns)

2001: Rodney White (Detroit Pistons)- BUST

2000: Joel Przybilla (Houston Rockets)

1999: Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns)

#10 PICK (less than 0.01% chance): God is not a Warriors fan

This would mean THREE teams with better records this past season and consequently worse lottery odds for a top 3 pick moved up ahead of the Warriors. This would mean the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery went something like this: 1) New York Knicks, 2) Phoenix Suns, and 3) Charlotte Bobcats. Looks funny huh?

Here's the last 10 #10 picks:

2008: Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets)

2007: Spencer Hawes (Sacramento Kings)

2006: Mouhamed Sene (Seattle SuperSonics)- BUST

2005: Andrew Bynum (LA Lakers)

2004: Luke Jackson (Cleveland Cavaliers)- BUST

2003: Jarvis Hayes (Washington Wizards)

2002: Caron Butler (Miami Heat)

2001: Joe Johnson (Boston Celtics)

2000: Kenyon Dooling (Orlando Magic)- BUST

1999: Jason Terry (Atlanta Hawks)

On a side note, it's too bad the Golden State Warriors unlike the NY Times didn't pay attention to Polling GSoM. We wanted Thunder to rep the Dubs in Secaucus, NJ, but it looks like new GM Larry Riley will be manning the ship. I would've loved to see Thunder, but I wish Riley the best.

Still...

It's PLAYOFF TIME in the Bay!

Poll

Where will the Golden State Warriors be drafting in the 2009 NBA Draft?

#7- They'll stay in the same spot

195 votes

#1- Hello Blake Griffin!

166 votes

#2- Ricky Rubio?

132 votes

#3- They'll move up 4 spots for the right to overpay someone

67 votes

#8- The Bricks, Craptors, Bucked, Net Loss, BETcats, Posers, or Sunny Delight will move up to the top 3

49 votes

#9- Ike Diogu, Patrick O'Bryant, and ??? (2 teams with better records than the Warriors will move up)

20 votes

#10- "Unstoppable Baby!" (THREE teams with better records than the Warriors will move up)

69 votes

698 votes | Poll has closed

Everyone Could Use Some Advice...Even Future Lottery Picks

JakeTheSnake — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:59:34 -0000

Some need more advice than others...

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Over the next few months were going to be spending a lot of time talking about the Wizards' upcoming lottery pick. We'll spend time talking about who we should pick, who would be the best fit, whether or not we should trade down, and a bevy of other topics related to this year's draft.

What we often fail to do in these discussions is think of ways to prepare whatever lottery pick comes our way for the challenges they'll face as they enter the NBA. Sure, none of us can give advice from our own personal experiences, but we can examine what the stars of the NBA did right in their rise to stardom and what some of the most famous busts did wrong. Given that the Wizards last three lottery picks were Jarvis Hayes, Jared Jeffries, and Kwame Brown, a little advice to get our next lottery pick off on the right foot certainly couldn't hurt.

In that spirit, we've put together a list of rules for this year's lotter pick to live by, entitled "78 Rules for the Wizards' Undrated Lottery Pick." If you're familiar with the site 1001 rules for my unborn son, then you're probably already acquainted with how this project will work. If you're not, you'll catch on fairly quickly. Another rule will be unveiled each day as we get closer and closer to this year's big day.

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.

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.

Nets 93 Hawks 91 (OT)

Hoopinion — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:45:13 -0000

Boxscore

Gameflow

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL	99.6	0.91	50	12.3	15.9	17.1
NJ	99.6	0.93	45.6	9.8	30	20.1

Do you begin by saying the Hawks never should have been in a close game down the stretch given how the first half played out or do you begin by saying Vince Carter never should have had to make a 29-footer at the buzzer to win the game given how the second half and overtime played out?

If you prefer the former, the Hawks had a 19-point lead at the half despite not playing particularly well, New Jersey (reduced to being coached by Brian Hill) were in disarray, and Atlanta missed 8 of their 12 free throw attempts in the second half.

Do you tend toward the latter, it took a Mario West half-court shot at the halftime buzzer, a better return than could be expected from Josh Smith choosing to take 8 jump shots* (and they were all choices...bad ones), Devin Harris missing a fourth quarter possession due to injury (a possession which gave us all an object lesson in Keyon Dooling's limitations as a point guard), Joe Johnson committing his fifth foul with 4:46 left in the game which meant that a) Marvin Williams was pressed into duty guarding Devin Harris and did an extraordinary job (After Johnson's fifth foul, Harris went 0-5 from the floor and committed 3 turnovers) and b) Maurice Evans had to be put in the game with 20 seconds left in overtime (New Jersey ball, Hawks down one) to commit a foul, only Evans didn't foul anyone, instead he stripped the ball from Devin Harris which led to Josh Smith's go ahead layup with 11 seconds left in the game.

*3-6 on two-point jumpers and both of his fourth quarter three-point misses: at 6:13 with the Hawks down 77-74 and at 0:51 with the Hawks down 85-83 were rebounded by a teammate. Tip of the hat to Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby for correctly anticipating and grabbing those misses.

Marvin Williams:

"They just came out and punched us in the face after halftime, and we didn’t respond. Being up that big at the half on the road, especially against a team that’s already beaten us twice this year … there’s no excuse and no explanation for something like that.”

Sekou Smith is firmly in the New Jersey-never-should-have-been-allowed-to-get-back-in-the-game camp:

Carter’s last shot should never have been.

And not because the Hawks have shouldn’t have squandered that 20-point lead or because they should have made their free throws down the stretch or because they should have kept the ball moving on the offensive end until they found the best shot (as the Nets did to perfection in the second half).

But because Carter never should have been allowed to scoop up an errant inbounds pass from Jarvis Hayes without the Hawks swarming him like the ice cream man on a sweltering summer day.

A fair perspective, I think, but I do take issue with his description of the Hawks play so far this season:

...the Hawks have enjoyed a monster season so far while playing far below their potential for much of their first 32 games...

Joe Johnson is having the best season of his career.
So is Marvin Williams.
Mike Bibby is having a career year shooting the ball.
So is Flip Murray.
Al Horford is playing a little better than he did last year.
Zaza Pachulia has given every indication that last year was lost due to injuries not an erosion of skill.

Other than Josh Smith missing 12 games, what has gone counter to the most incredibly optimistic outlook for any Hawks player (who is allowed to play in games)?

Let's not use this surprisingly strong start as a stick with which to beat the team should they not continue to win 2 out of every 3 games the rest of the season.

New Jersey Nets 95, Washington Wizards 85

Mike Prada — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:57:18 -0000

Box Score
Game Flow
Post recap
Times recap
Tom Knott's annual doom and gloom column
Live-blog (scroll down)
Truth About It's link roundup
Wizards Insider
Nets Daily
Behind the Box Score

Highest plus/minus: Etan Thomas (+3)
Lowest plus/minus: Antawn Jamison (-11)
Best five-man unit: Antonio Daniels, Nick Young, Caron Butler, Darius Songaila, Andray Blatche (+4 for a period in 2nd quarter)
Worst five-man unit: Antonio Daniels, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche (-6 down the stretch)

Four Factors:

Team	Pace	Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Nets	92	103.3	51.3%	19.2	15.2	13
Wizards		92.4	40.1%	24.7	28.9	16.3

It's a day later, and I'm still struggling with how to view this loss. Let's not mince words, losing at home to the New Jersey Nets in your season-opener is very bad. I don't want to make it seem like it isn't. The problem, though, is assigning blame to parties that deserve it. We just didn't play well, shoot well, etc. Either that's an anomoly or it's a sign that we just aren't the team we think we are. I'm hoping it's the first, but I'm worried it's the second.

Here's the difference. Last year, I was infurated with how we lost to the Pacers on opening night. I was pissed because we were awful defensively, because Gilbert and Antawn were shot-jacking like crazy and because Eddie Jordan decided to bench Brendan Haywood again. We lost a game we should have won if our key guys made better decisions. Tonight, what could have allowed us to win this game? I can't blame Eddie Jordan because he played the kids and the kids mostly played well. I suppose I can't really blame the players for the way they tried to play. All I can really say is that the players didn't hit shots. We lost tonight because Caron and Antawn played poorly, not because they played the wrong way. Well, at least we can say that about Caron.

Anyway, there's a major problem with posting a 40.1 eFG% against the New Jersey Nets. We didn't run enough and, when the game got close, we resorted too much to contested jumpers. In the last six minutes, we were 0-7 from the field and could do no better than DeShawn Stevenson's contested jumpers. The score was 80-78 at the six-minute mark, but we just couldn't score after that. I blame Caron and Antawn for this. I actually don't think Caron played most of the game as badly as it seemed -- he was only 3-11, but he made a concerted effort to drive to the rim -- but he needs to be demanding the ball and running high screen and rolls all day. He doesn't have the best handles, but he'll make the best decision most of the time. Failing that, Antawn needed to get the ball on the block and go to work. He didn't do that, so all we could do was have DeShawn launch crazy long jumpers. Maybe we could have put Nick Young in for offense, but even if Caron and Antawn are struggling, they need to demand the ball. I'd feel better about this loss if they at least tried to do that.

Before that, though, we really missed our two injured guys. We missed Gilbert Arenas for his ability to create easier shots for everybody else. New Jersey's zone really bothered us, particularly when they trapped Caron. Nobody moved into the open spots and the results too often were long jumpers. On the inside, Etan Thomas played very well in limited minutes, but he missed too many short shots and we lost two points in favor of splitting two free throws. Combine that with Caron's uncharacteristic misses and you're approaching 10 points right there.

I can't blame Eddie Jordan for this loss, though. His decision to play Andray Blatche down the stretch probably hurt us, and based on the way the dude was playing, it probably wasn't a good idea. But how can I blame Eddie for that when so often I've criticized him for not playing Blatche enough. Nothing Blatche did merited him playing 25 minutes, but at least Eddie gave him a chance. I don't think it cost us the game, to be honest. Caron and Antawn's passivity cost us the game, not Dray's poor play. I was pleasantly surprised to see Nick Young and the other young guys get so much burn as well. Young was probably the bright spot of this game and the offense seemed to run much better with Dee Brown in the game. The young guys played the best of the bunch, and while it'd be nice if Eddie had a smaller rotation, I can't blame him for giving those guys a shot.

As far as the starters, we've already gone over Caron, but I should apologize slightly to DeShawn Stevenson. He played very bad defense and took shots at the wrong times, but it's not his fault that Caron won't demand the ball from him. He was pretty proficient from deep and didn't turn the ball over. Defensively, he should have been better, but defense didn't cost us this game. The guy who deserves the most criticism is Jamison. He took too many threes, didn't mix it up inside, played poor defense on Yi Jianlian and grabbed only three rebounds. All the concerns people had over him suffering without Brendan Haywood look to be legitimate ones. He needs to play better.

All in all, it's just one game and it's hard to really throw blame around. That's probably more depressing than anything. KD said it best; this team looked old, even if it isn't. There were no extreme factors that caused us to get less out of our talent than we should have. Perhaps we just really aren't that good. Perhaps we just can't create good shots for ourselves like we used to be able to do in past years. If that's the case, then count me in for hoping that our young guys shine even if we don't win.

Wizards Game 1 Blog: vs. New Jersey Nets

Truth About It — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:32:59 -0000

Back for another season of game blogs......this year, home games will be on Bullets Forever, away games on TruthAboutIt.net. Let's do this.

Last Year's History Against The Nets:

Game 4: Nets 87 - Wizards 85
Bostjan Nachbar killed the Wiz with 11 early 4th quarter points (three 3s). Gilbert Arenas took a terrible shot to end the game (let the Nets trap him in the corner and attempted a wild, one-legged two pointer). Jason Kidd talked to Gilbert about his knee after the buzzer sounded.

Game 20: Wizards 104 - Nets 89
Butler and Jamison combined for 50. Game blog highlight: Great float pass from AD to a cutting AJ for the floater. Yup, float for the floater..sounds like toilet humor.

Game 28: Nets 109 - Wizards 106
Richard Jefferson goes crazy to score 21 points in the 3rd...and didn't even score in the 4th (26 for the game). Down 109-106, the Wizards elect not to foul New Jersey with 30 seconds left....Nachbar misses a three and the Nets get an offensive board. Game over.

Free Darko Prediction: Oct 29 New Jersey @ Washington. Experience Unlimited sings the national anthem.

Allllllll-right.....the NBA season is here, I just took a 5-hour energy (considering that with the DVR, it takes me about five hours to watch a game....I know crazy/sad -- okay, maybe not that long), Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" is playing as the reserves are introduced, and being pumped about this NBA season just hit me. I love this game, I love this team.....and I'm a cautious believer. Let's start the show.

Q1

The first play is run for Jamison....it seems like this is always the case...but instead of a jumper, he gets in the lane and just misses this scoop/hook thingee.

11:11: Veteran Dirt: Vince Carter and Jamison hit the floor fighting for a loose ball and Etan Thomas dives right into the scrum. Gotta like that...Yi Jianlian and a couple of Nets just stand and watch it unfold. Etan earns and wins the jump ball.

10:34: First points of the season! Step up DeShawn Stevenson....AD drives right to the FT line and DeShawn is open from three on the wing....wish all of his shots could come that easy/unforced. 3-2 Wizards.

9:48: Caron Butler will not settle...pushing the ball up the side after a Nets miss, Caron sees Yi not protecting the rim and only Bobby Simmons between him and the basket. He hits Simmons with an in-and-out with the right, goes behind the back to the left, drives and draws the foul.....2 FTs....his Foul Draw Percentage is up 41%.

9:00: Uhhh guys? Protect the paint? Vince Carter splits an Etan/DeShawn double team off a pick at the 3-point line and AJ just watches Carter go around him and to the basket for a dunk.....Jamison's feet were in quick-sand. 7-6 Wizards.

8:28: Jarvis Hayes checks in to a light smattering of boos.

7:41: Etan Thomas just hit the best, most fluid shot I've ever seen him take....he had Boone in the post on the left block, Daniels cuts through on the baseline to the other side....ISO Etan.....jab step left, one dribble to the middle, reverse pivot baseline, fading jumper. Add that to the fact that Etan already has three boards and made two FTs earlier. 11-6 Wizards.

For some reason I keep thinking Devin Harris is Kerry Kittles.

6:06: Nets press a little....Butler receives the pass on the far left wing and drives it on an out-of-position Yi for the layup. Who says that Tuff Juice settles? 13-9 Wizards.

5:51: Damn Etan....don't get lazy. Boone sets a pick to Harris' left....Etan is kinda there, but not really....AD positions himself to get over the pick, but Harris, seeing the lane wide open to the right, turns down the screen and drives for a layup. Confusion by all.....Etan was yelling, AJ wasn't around to help either, Daniels shouldn't have given that much of a lane. 13-11 Wizards.

Phil Chenier comes back and diagrams an earlier instance where the Wizards did not defend a perimeter pick and roll well.

4:08: Wiz surprise the Nets with a press off a made FT and draw an 8 seconds call.

Dixon and Blatche check in for Daniels and Etan.

Dixon, caught on Lopez, shows great communication (Chenier loves this so much, he does a special diagram for it) and grabs Butler, who was following his cutting man, and forces the switch to Lopez while Dixon goes chasing Caron's man....Nick Young would not have done that....I'm just sayin'

3:06: And Juan nails his first jumper....wide-open open off a Jamison pick. 21-16 Wizards.

Nick Young checks in for Stevenson.

1:30: Nice work.....Dixon gets the ball from Young up top and waives to kid to cut like he's supposed to.....Nick does, goes off an Andray pick, ball moves right to left to Butler on the wing, and there you have it....Young receives the pass from Caron in good position on the baseline, and nails his first shot of the season, a fadeaway. 23-20 Wizards.

Dominic McGuire and Darius Songaila check in for Jamison and Butler to complete the substitution of the starters to the bench.

0:33: ANDRAY BLATCHE FOUL ALERT: Dooling gets an defensive board....clearly has complete control of the ball and starts to bring it up the court...and for SOME DAMN REASON, Andray decides to try to steal it from a point guard in the backcourt. Blatche picks up silly foul #2...the first one came on a loose ball foul that shouldn't have happened either. Terrible. So, the guy is in for about 3.5 minutes and picks up two fouls......it's not Eddie Jordan's fault that the kid doesn't play more, it's Andray Blatche's fault.

Tie game at 23. The Wiz shot 32% in the first, but only turned the ball over once.

Q2

11:44: Jarvis Hayes sneaks in the corner and hits a three....Steve Buckhantz says we saw him do that in DC....uhhh, not really.

11:30: Blatche makes a nice drive.....stops....Lopez goes right by him and he gets a nice inside bucket. 26-25 Nets.

10:39: Blatche hits a nice composed long jumper on the wing. 28-27 Nets.

9:07: Blatche backs down Lopez on a couple dribbles, then hits a step back fade from mid-range. 29-28 Wiz.

I like that Andray is displaying diverse offensive moves.....but I must add....way to pick on Lopez the rookie kiddo.

8:30: McGuire airballs his first shot of the season.....long deuce from the corner.

8:00: Uhhh...in the background, they're playing Journey as McGuire goes to the FT line....weird.

Butler comes back in for McGuire, Daniels for Dixon....Jamison set to return for Songaila. See? Eddie Jordan wasn't really going to neglect Young and Blatche.

6:17: Wiz get a defensive board....Nick Young goes streaking....Caron has court vision....long pass....and Monumental Air! 32-31 Wiz.

5:51: Songaila gets a deflection...Wiz get steal....Nick Young can't keep his clothes on....Caron still has court vision....long pass.....and Monumental Air! (except not a dunk.....a spinning layup for Young....didn't have the time/positioning for a dunk) 34-31 Wiz.

4:22: Jamison hits back to back jumpers. 38-35 Wiz.

Etan and Stevenson check back in for Young and Blatche....all starters back.

Yi Jianlian looks decent.....kid can stroke it. 6 points for Yi.

2:30: Jamison hits a trey, he's on fire....Chenier says the Wiz are now shooting over 57% in the 2nd and Steve says that the Nets have not gotten one offensive rebound in the game.

1:46: Yi hits a trey ball. 44-42 Wiz.

0:57: AJ does a good job defending him, but you can't always stop a Vince Carter Dr. J-like up and under from behind the basket. Tied at 44.

The half ends with the Wizards up 46-44. They played....okay. Defense was decent, considering no Haywood....didn't do the best job in keeping Harris out of the paint. Offense was sub-par, picked up a little in the second. We should be winning by more than two, hopefully they'll pick it up in the 2nd half. Gold Star goes to: Etan Thomas. He's been aggressive...hitting o-boards hard, great at getting inside position....6 points, 6 rebounds for Etan.

Q3

10:41: Still Not Settling: The Caron Butler Autobiography.....he gets around Yi and two other Nets for a sweet slicing reverse layup. 49-46 Wiz.

10:00: Etan Thomas is beastin' -- another offensive rebound (5) and trip to the line, makes 1 FT...8 points, 7 boards for Etan.

9:40: Yi answers with another jumper....12 points on 5-6 shooting....gotta start paying attention to him some time. This time, Carter drew Jamison's attention with a back-down and Yi was wide open at the 3-point line.

Vince Carter is starting to cause trouble for the Wiz on offense....and all of a sudden, the Nets are up 55-50.

The Nets are giving more double attention to Butler on D and the shots are not falling for the Wiz.

7:03: Carter blows by Jamison and hits a crazy, turning, spinning, hanging, reverse layup (with contract from Etan to boot)....And 1. 58-52 Nets.

The Nets have been posting up Carter on the left wing almost every time down the court.

5:30: Wizards run good offense that gets a nice open jumper for......Antonio Daniels? Well, ok then.....he makes it. Tied at 58.

4:45: Ball movement gets Stevenson a three from the corner. 9-0 Wiz run, 61-58......gotta keep this offense up.

JaVale McGee checks in for Etan....uh oh, The Choppa is looking sweet with that cut part in his head.....looking like a member of an 80s all male R&B group....all he needs is a leather jacket over a turtle-neck and some jeans with creases ironed in them.

3:07: Jarvis Hayes nails a three....and gets booed. Yea, he was disappointing when in DC, but injured a lot.....not exactly something he can control. I don't think the boos are really necessary.

Dee Brown checks in.....joins Butler, AJ, McGee & Nick Young.

2:30: Jamison drives....gets it to McGee under the rim....he misses his first NBA shot at point blank range....hustles to get his own rebound with length over everyone....gets it to Nick Young in the corner.....he drives on Carter and hits an off-balanced runner in the lane. 64-63 Wizards....kids these days.

1:45: Brook Lopez uses his strength over McGee to get position and a bucket.

1:20: Keyon Dooling uses a screen to get separation from Brown....Jamison is not close enough to help....and Dooling hits the mid-range jumper. 67-65 Nets.

The 3rd ends with the Nets up 69-67.

Q4

Crunch time. Dee, Nick, Caron, JaVale and Andray to start the 4th.

11:41: Young gets penetration and hits a nice jumper on the first possession.....I'm getting more and more confident when the ball is in that guy's hands....on the other end Young plays great D to get a steal and draw a foul.

11:14: Dee Brown great pass with dribble penetration to a cutting Blatche for a dunk. 71-69 Wizards.

DeShawn comes in for Young....not sure I like that too much.

10:12: This Yi dude is sick....man that shot is so smooth. Nails a jumper. 74-71 Nets.

9:12: DeShawn hits his 4th trey of the game....hasn't forced too much so far. Good to know that stroke from last season is still around. Tied at 74.

9:07: Blatche picks up his 3rd foul....this one wasn't too bad, and somewhat questionable, as he was moving laterally to get through a screen.

Butler taks a rest.....Andray, Antawn, Dee, JaVale and DeShawn on the court.

8:55: That Andray Blatche blocking out problem again....Dooling misses a jumper.....Blatche moves almost right under the rim (not sure how you're going to rebound a jumper from there)....has his hands at his side....doesn't put a body on his man, Yi Jianlian.....and Yi is able to get a back-tap and a new shot clock for the Nets. Damn.....cannot have that.

B.S. Call: Both McGee and Lopez have a lane violation on a missed Jamison FT.....jump ball is the call. Ref calls a control violation on McGee on the tap, but the replay clearly shows this is not the case....a possession is taken away from the Wizards.

7:47: Blatche laziness. Stevenson swings the ball back to him at the top of the arc....Yi anticipates....but Andray doesn't secure the ball, rather casually waiting for it to get to him. Jianlian gets the steal and the break-away dunk. 78-75 Nets. Chenier agrees.....you gotta meet that ball.

Andray misses a three on the next possession.

7:11: Jarvis Hayes with back-to-back buckets. 80-75 Nets.

7:04: Caron misses his 2nd FT of the night....4-6 from the line. But he's leading the team in rebounding and assists at this point of the game.....huh?

The Wizards, to me, really aren't playing that bad.....but for some reason, I don't like the feel of this game....and being down 82-78 with just over 5 minutes left. Guess we're going to see what this team is really made of in this next five.

The lineup now: Young, Stevenson, Butler, Jamison, and Blatche. I'm down with Eddie Jordan's rotation tonight....he's had some creativity.

The Wizards have misses 8 free-throws tonight....Blatche just went 1-2 from the line (at least he got fouled trying to get an offensive board). 84-81 Nets.

3:40: Jarvis Hayes is draining every look he gets. 86-81 Nets. 14 points for Hayes and Nick Young can't answer on the other end.

Starters except Blatche for Etan working crunch time.

1:45: Devin Harris easily crosses up Daniels and hits a big jumper. 88-82 Nets. The Wizards just haven't been able to score.....don't know what it is, but they're shooting a terrible percentage, especially the Jamison-Butler duo.

Wiz can't get anything going.....Nets have the ball with about 1:15 left....fans are grumbling....and Vince Carter nails a long jumper. A minute left, Nets up 8, 90-82, and the crowd gets out of there as if someone just let out a huge stinker....and the Wizards dealt it.

There must be a lid on the rim....a short Blatche jumper goes in and out.

The Wizards have more turnovers (6) than field goals made (4) in the 4th quarter. These two teams aren't predicted to be on the same level in 08-09, but have looked on the same level tonight.....not good, at all.

This is not sitting well on my stomach.....not sure if it's good to pour pepto on top of a 5-hour energy, but I'm donig it anyway.

Yep, that's it...95-85 Wizards. Bad offense happens....but I'm still perplexed at this loss. Oh well, I'm sure it will be discussed and dissected over the next couple of days.

ESPN.com Box Score