Scouting the Competition - New Jersey Nets

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT in Feature Stories

The disappointment of how last season ended has slowly worn off.

The embarrassment of seeing the team promote red while it was the Nets in that same colour alongside the memories of the Calderon pass that just missed and the lackluster performance of CB4 are all slowly fading into the background.

That’s the advantage of having such a young and upcoming team. There’s always next year to build on past successes. It’s a process, and much was done and experienced that will help the team grow and develop over the next few years.

That’s not exactly the case for the New Jersey Nets.

Grandfather time is not looking kindly on this squad, mostly because their leader Jason Kidd is now entering into his 14th NBA season. Each year that goes by without true post-season success (which they have not had since they made the Finals with K-Mart) is another missed opportunity. Unlike the Raps, the Nets window is slowly closing and this team did nothing this off-season to convince me that their season won’t end well before NBA Finals again.

For a team with a supposed "big-three" they have very little to show for it. Although the team has experienced solid regular season success they are rarely considered a true threat to win the East. Of course none of this can fall on the shoulders of aforementioned Kidd. Love him or hate him he is still a top flight PG in the league despite his age. Although no-one is expecting Kidd to slow down we are not far off from his inevitable fall from grace. It won’t be this season though as he is currently playing with Team USA and will undoubtedly enter the season in great shape. The problem for the Nets is determining HOW MUCH Kidd has left.

(As an aside, this writer would love to be watching Kidd and Kobe playing together in Vegas (See: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2007-08-14-basketball-leadership_N.htm). If these two develop a great chemistry, given "Mamba’s" off-season blow-ups (Bynum better become a GREAT player) this could be cause for fireworks in La-La Land.)

Kidd can hit the big shot and makes the game easy for his teammates. There’s no question that without Kidd playing at his consistently high level this team would be in a world of trouble.

So where does the blame rest?

His team-mates.

There is no real point in talking about Vince other than to say he fills the stat sheet but disappears at clutch times and his lack of love and passion for the game will inevitably be his and the Nets' downfall. Re-signing him is a big mistake if the goal is to win championships.

Richard Jefferson is a solid player but is somewhat overrated. He has had difficulty staying healthy two of the past three seasons and although a good player, he is not a great one and more a product of the system. RJ’s value will never be much higher than it is now and it shocks me that Rodd Thorn has not made a bigger push to move him for someone like Jermaine O’Neal. As good as RJ is in the Nets system, their front-court really needs an established athletic big-man.

Speaking of big-men, there are a number of questions facing the Nets and their front-court this season. The 4 and 5 positions have been a bit of a revolving door since K-Mart left town. Aaron Williams, Mikki Moore, Nenad Krstic, Jason Collins and now Sean Williams and Jamaal Magloire to name a few. The Nets are hoping that Sean Williams can help replace the now departed Mikki Moore. An athletic freak Williams will have no issue running the floor and making some spectacular blocks. There are a ton of questions about him and his game however. How will he adjust to the NY life-style? Does he have any offensive game to speak of? Can he stay out of foul trouble and trouble in general? Can he play disciplined ball? Many people look at summer league as a time to see not who "can" play, but who "can’t." If that’s true unfortunately for the Nets, Williams currently falls under the latter more so than the former and it would be a stretch to think he will contribute much this season. His play this summer was sporadic and foul filled.

The Nets also signed the "Big Cat" to help boost their front-court. This move is baffling to say the least. For a team that loves to run, get in the open court and push the ball, this signing makes about as much sense as Troy Hudson making another Rap album (See: http://slamonline.com/online/2007/08/troy-hudson-sucks-at-rap/). Unlike Moore who is a human pogo-stick and thrives in the up-beat tempo, Magloire is your typical big man who thrives in a slow half-court set. I am highly skeptical about what sort of success he will have in the swamp and seeing him regain his All-Star form is highly unlikely.

The Nets will however get a shot in the arm from the return of Nenad Krstic (the Nets X-Factor for this season) and an off-season of development from their younger players. Krstic was well on his way to become a solid player prior to his injury and if he comes back fully healthy it will be a great addition to the squad. Marcus Williams will be looking to take another step forward as well the other UCONN product Josh Boone.

All that said, the long and short of it is that as long as Jason Kidd is in the swamp and playing at a high level this New Jersey team will push for the Atlantic Division title. The games between them and the Raps should be hard fought and the HQ is looking forward to upcoming battles at the PG position. Williams vs. Ford is something Raps fans should get used to seeing for years to come.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the Nets-Raps match-ups this season as compared to seasons past is that Mo Pete will no longer have the responsibility of containing Vince. The "slap" and the history between those two has been well documented and watching these two battle it out will be missed. The departure of Mo may actually be felt the most in the Nets-Raps games then any other and once again play at the 3 position is the biggest concern. Much like the Celtics and the 76ers, this squad has strong players manning the 3, be it Vince or Jefferson or to a lesser degree Nachbar. Finding someone on the current Raps roster willing to step-up and take on this challenge is key to the Raps securing W’s against this Atlantic Division foe and improving on last season's 2-2 record.

On a whole the Nets again look like a strong team both player and coach wise. Lawrence Frank was at his best during the Raps-Nets playoff series and he recently added Orlando’s ex-head coach Brian Hill to the staff. Expect the Nets to push the Raps this season in an attempt to regain their Atlantic Division crown. Provided they are healthy there is no reason the Nets shouldn’t be in the mix again. Just don’t expect much post-season success.

HOWLAND

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Comments

I agree with most of the comments you made about the nets. The Magloire signing is a little on the curious side unless you take into consideration the Nets Playoff run last year. The Nets were not a good rebounding team as both Moore and Collins who got most of the minutes at the pivot were weak in that department. Collins was also a complete waste against the Raptors as all he provided was defence (not to be understated) against Bosh and not much else. Once Bargnani was able to start over Rasho Collins actually became a bit of a detriment to his team. Jamaal will at least bring the interior toughness that Collins brings and he is a decent rebounder and has more of an offensive game than Collins. When you look at it in that light the signing is actually a very sneaky play as it helps balance the Nets offense as they can now run half-courts sets and have someone who teams will have to at least put a body on as opposed to leaving uncovered (Collins). Kristic can easily fill the role that Moore had last year so they will not be hurting there. The only problem is that they now have a number of players who could go down with injury and any one of them could cause the Nets problems if they are gone for an extended period.

by McGateway on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I think the Nets will start to unravel soon. While I'm always glad as a fan to see all-stars playing international ball, I'm baffled as to what Kidd is thinking playing for Team USA this summer. Younger, more spry players who have suited up for the national team (like Bosh last season) have had difficulty staying healthy and energized in what amounts to a 110 or 120 game season. Somehow a 34-year-old Kidd with roughly 32871982739817 km on the odometer is supposed to not only hold up, but be in better shape than normal? I'm not buying it. If Kidd goes down, the Nets are finished. Even if Kidd manages to stay healthy, you have to think that he only has a couple years at most left in the tank. Marcus Williams will develop, yes, but I can't help thinking that he's still slightly overrated from the lingering hype that surrounded him before draft day. He'll be a good player, no doubt, but the dropoff from Kidd will be precipitous indeed.

The VC contract situation came at the worst possible time for the Nets. Had they not resigned him, in an off-season with no other impact FAs (sorry, Rashard doesn't count) would have amounted to an admission that they weren't going to make a last run at a title with Kidd, as Kidd would be 35 or 36 by the time they got another opportunity to sign a big name, and his legs would be done. And yet, the Nets can't win a title with VC. I'm convinced of it. No team with Vince as its go-to option on offence will ever win squat. Really, it was a lose-lose situation for the Nets. Personally, I would have passed on Vince, traded Kidd, tanked a few years with a Jefferson/Williams/Krstic/whatever- they-got-for-Kidd nucleus, sit on the cap room left by VC's departure and waited until 2009 or 2010 to make a splash in free agency. I think this'll go down as a textbook case of not knowing when to blow it up and start over.

by jordan on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Also, I think that part of the reasoning behind retaining VC's services was "hey, we're moving to Brooklyn soon, we absolutely *need* to have an exciting, well known player for marketing purposes!". Sadly this kind of thinking isn't really conducive to winning basketball games.

by jordan on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I agree that NJ is probably not a major threat in the playoffs, but they are still dangerous.

Getting Kristic back will be a huge boost. Williams could also prove to be quite helpful. Magloire should give them a bit of a lift (I agree that he will not thrive). With those guys in the line up, if Kidd, Carter and Jefferson all play 75 + healthy games, you are looking at a 45-55 win team. If all three teams have a reasonably healthy year I expect the divison to look like this at the top: Boston, New Jersey, Toronto. That said I do not think that the teams will be far a part, and I expect the Raps to win the division in 2008-2009.

by JBen on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Toronto Raptors guard Carlos Delfino injured his knee over the weekend and may miss part of the FIBA Americas Championship, according to a report in an Argentine newspaper. Delfino injured his knee in the Tuto Marchand Cup and could sit out Argentina's game against Uruguay in Las Vegas on Thursday. "It is the same knee I underwent surgery on two years ago and that's what makes me worry most, as I cannot stretch the leg too much," Delfino told La Nacion newspaper on Sunday. "I know it's not serious, but I worry because I cannot get out of my mind memories about how much I have suffered with this knee."

by ustation on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

A healthy Nets team is capable of winning the division - they finished off last season on a high and I don't see them dipping yet. I think Sean Williams might be the steal of the draft. They were hurt by injuries last year and will come back motivated this year. Don't for a minute think they are not aware that their window is closing - lets be honest, their window is Kidd. Jersey's success is equal to Kidds health. With a healthy Kidd, this team can compete with anyone in the East.
It'll come down to Jersey, Boston and our Raps fighting for the Atlantic crown - can't wait for it to start.

by Tinman on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

1. In his comment, jordan is absolutely correct that Wince was likely re-signed for promotional purposes given the future move to Brooklyn. However, in NJ, "Air Continental" hasn't helped the Nets much, as their home attendance is 24th in the league at 84.7% capacity:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?sort=home_pct&year=2007&seasonType=2

Then again, their road attendance is 98.4%, or 12th in the league, thereby suggesting that Wince is still a draw, for what it's worth. It's the local fans that appear to get sick of him as we know all too well.

2. Update on Garbo; according to this Spanish article FIBA Spain paid his insurance so if the Raptors medical staff okays him the only way he won't play is if BC threatens his family:

http://66.249.91.104/translate_c?hl=en&langpair=es%7Cen&u=http://www.as.com/articulo/baloncesto/Garbajosa/seguro/dependen/alta/medica/dasbal/20070820dasdaibal_1/Tes/

Gotta love Google Translate; Las Vegas becomes "Fertile Valleys".

3. Thanks for the update, ustation, about Delfino's injury; hope he won't press too much in the tournament to overcompensate. Maybe it's lost in the translation as well, but quotes like: "I worry because I cannot get out of my mind memories about how much I have suffered with this knee" make him sound like a baby. Think Garbo would talk like this?

by jjdynomite on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Nice link jjdynomite, that is an hilarious translation for "Las Vegas". There is another funny one for "Bryan Colangelo, presidente de la franquicia canadiense" which is translated as "Bryan Colangelo, president of the Canadian tax exemption". LOL!

As for the Garbo situation, I can say that the arguments for both sides look pretty reasonable to me, so i will understand any decision that is made. In these situations in general, i think it's fair that the player can play if he wants, but it'be even more fair if he volunteered to take a 50% salary cut or something if his injury worsens. Anyway, hopefully the insurance (which is paid by the national team) would cover some of that.

Regardless of the final decision, in my opinion Garbo is ready to be in the squad and contribute but probably on more of a secondary role with limited (but quality) minutes. That could be a nice compromise with the player happy to be there but the injury risk much lower if he only plays 10-20 minutes a game.

by Sergi P on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Why??!!
Tell me Why is everyone on this Bandwagon??
What Bandwagon.....?...the one where everyone thinks that Boston Celtics will magically win the Atlantic!!
I mean what gives you guys the idea they will??
Hmmm..wait a minute...its not because of, Ray ( i dont play no defence, i rather act with DENZIL and call myself Jesus then worry about playoffs ) Allen??
Or is Paul ( the reason i sucked all those other times was because Tone-(walker) never saw a shot he didn't like and the Refs are against me, if i slash, so im gonna pull a wince and jack em up with j, but only j's from 15 feet..lord knows 3's r way too much effort )
Pierce?

I cant say much about Mr. i sprouted from a basketball like a flower, iam tough and dangerous...Garnett!
I kinda like Garnett...and that is the only reason Boston might get better..shoots,blocks,dunks..terrific D'!!
But the rest of Boston collectively SUCK!!!!!

Whose gonna shoot in the last 10 seconds..whose gonna have the rock in their hands..whose buying the SaltMalt Liquor after the
game????????????????????????

I for one will be on the Record...quote if you like..but come playoffs..im not only am certian they wont make it...better teams havn't...but it will be hardpressed for me to believe that Boston will more than the amount they won last season..Seattle had some great pieces when they had that run..a few yrs back but still got swept in the
first round...ahem
Same for Boston...ahem
And the about the same for my boy Garnett....ahem

See a pattern....bring three wrongs together...and pray to RED that its a RIGHT!!

Peas&Luv

by Keon Clark on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Since BC came to town and I've stopped paying attention to the Leafs,my name has needed changing.

Anyway, this was a very interesting blog. I'm not in agreement with Keon Clark's assessment of the Celtics. Boston's Big 3 are a bunch of guys who have been Eric Lindros types - best players on the losing team - most of their careers. They all need to win more than to be all stars. The Raps may be responsible for the Celtics success by showing the success that team ball can bring. I'd love KG and PP to get in to some bitch fights over who's team it is, but I don't think it will happen. This team is gonna try to play Sun's basketball, which is useful for them because as Keon has mentioned, only KG cares about defence.

The key to Boston and where they may fall down is where Howland's main point about Kidd comes in - the point guard. If the Celts had Jose Calderon getting everyone involved, they'd be dead. Rondo is a great talent, but whether he can become a floor leader is the big question. He can drive and kick like TJ, but he will have to make good decisions.

As for Kidd, he can no longer drive and kick like TJ. His command of the game transcends everyone else in the division. On offense, he's still unparalled despite not having the quickness of other guards. On defence, he is the Bruce Bowen of point guards. Like Bowen, he can't keep up with the younger, quicker players anymore. But, like Bowen, he has the reputation for being a great defender and is given the freedom to hand check and foul without being called. This holds true even when Doherty is not the referee, though certainly more so when he is. When Jose turned his ankle, it was because he misstepped from the pushing by Kidd. Bowen practically tackled Nash all series. Kidd is vulnerable if the refereeing is fair. Wince will choke as usual, especially with all those guaranteed years. RJ is a good player. He was hitting 3's, playing tough around the basket, and a difference maker on defence in the series against the RAps. Magloire is a good addition for the defence he brings (when he bothers) and serious boards that can start a fast break. He doesn't have to be the one down court to finish the plays, which is good because he probably could not be bothered.

by EaseMyPain on Aug 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

"What Bandwagon.....?...the one where everyone thinks that Boston Celtics will magically win the Atlantic!!
I mean what gives you guys the idea they will??"

Well, how about that they have 3 of the top 5 players in the division, and arguably 3 of the top 10 players in the conference? That's usually a good sign...

With the Celtics, it'll come down to injuries. They can field, bar none, the best 5-man unit in the East at any given time. Rondo will be a good fit for them because he won't need to ever take a shot and can focus on his strengths, namely defence and setting up his teammates. Really, their only hole is at the 5. However, everything changes if even one of the big 3 gets hurt. Allen or Pierce gets hurt and the Celts have a mighty hard time putting points up. Garnett goes down and they're lucky to finish 3rd in the Atlantic. It seems like the Celts will either be dominant, or else a huge disappointment. Nothing in between.

by jordan on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Sounds like the Spanish National team is going to make a decision on Garbajosa today as to whether or not he'll play. I'm thinking they'll put him on their roster but bring him along slowly and only use him a bit. Ok...that's my hope...excited for some ball to start up in any event...

by Franchise on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Great blog. I think everyone will be watching magloire to see if he can keep up with a faster pace. Can't quite see it, but then again the running game has never won anybody anything, so why not beef up and be ready to play both speeds?

I expect the nets to be hungry this year (save vince probably) and even if the raps improve and do better in the playoffs this year, the atlantic title is going to be tough to take.

by axl on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Although I agree that Boston's fate will be completely relient on Injuries (or lack of them), it is a little off topic. The issue here is how are the Nets going to do. As I previously stated that Magloire is a step up from Collins and Moore combo, you would have to think that with Kristic coming back they are going to be a threat.
I did forget that Kidd was playing for team USA which will no doubt wear him down a little as the season goes on. Even still, the nets have some nice pieces, especially in a still very weak eastern conference where Cleveland proved that just about anyone can get to the finals. It is too bad that Basketball downplays divisional play so much (you play less than 25% of your games against divisional opponents) as it would be interesting to see just how well the top 4 teams in the division would play against each other if they had to play say 6 games each (total of 24 games for the division). Unfortunately that isnt the case.

by McGateway on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

[Your pal Jordan knows a thing or two about comebacks. What advice has he given you? Oakley: MJ is my best friend. He respects me as a friend (regardless) of what I want to do. He says, "If they going to pay you, you come back. If they're not going to pay you, don't." I'm not going to come back for no veteran's minimum. I'm coming back for a good salary. You can't buy me. Money can't buy me. But I'm not coming back for no bull---- money. OK then, what is not "bull---- money"? Oakley: At least two years, $10 million. Nine or 10 million. I'm not coming back for a million and five. My value is worth more than that.] - I love the Oak man!

by ustation on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Oak Man

Stay at home for nothing that is what you will bring to the floor at your age

by Davl on Aug 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

hoops on tv?

Canadian Mens Basketball

Canada will open up the tournament with a game against Brazil on Wednesday, August 22 at 8:30 pm EST. They will then face Venezuela on Thursday, August 23 at 6:00 pm EST. On Friday, August 24, Canada will take on Virgin Islands at 6:00pm EST. Canada will wrap up the preliminary round on Saturday, August 25 against USA at 3:00 pm EST. All games will be broadcast on The Score Television Network.

by Davl on Aug 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Davl...thanks for the rundown. I figured the games would be on RapsTV which I don't have. Nice to know they're on the Score

by Jdbar on Aug 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Breaking news from Doug Smith...

Robert Archibald – yes, that Robert Archibald – is trying, along with Luol Deng, to lead Great Britain to the top of its group play against Slovakia, Holland, Albania and Belarus.

Archibald tweaked his ankle in a warmup game against Ireland last week but swears he'll be ready to go.

Who knew?

by Robert Archibald on Aug 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Wait, aren't *you* Robert Archibald. Wouldn't you know about your participation in the FIBA tournament, then? ;-)

Looking forward to tonight's game in one hour; it will be tough, even without SideShow Bob, Brazil has Barbosa, Nene and Splitter and are favoured to go far. Go Canada!

by jjdynomite on Aug 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Hey, I actually watched that Robert Archibald play a lot of games last year, he played for Joventut which is the spanish club i root for (in the same team as Rudy Fernandez, Ricky Rubio...). I thought he was a pretty decent backup center for a spanish league team, by the way.

Breaking news from the spanish media: Colangelo has confirmed that Toronto probably won't allow Garbajosa to play the eurobasket:

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/305/eurobasket/es/desarrollo/1028339.html
Google translate: http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marca.com%2Fedicion%2Fmarca%2F305%2Feurobasket%2Fes%2Fdesarrollo%2F1028339.html&langpair=es%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

I think this is not such a huge deal for the spanish team (he is important but not as much as Navarro or Gasol, and backup Reyes is emerging as a great player too) but it sure is a pitty for the guy because he was really looking forward to play. Anyway i do understand the decision from the Raptors point of view.

by Sergi P on Aug 23, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions