"No, I'm not a Nets fan, I just fell down the stairs!"
What's Love Got to Do With It?
You fall in love, you fall out of love...but I feel so cheap and used these days, by a Nets franchise caught in a lie. We'll hire a new President, they said. We'll hire a bright young coach who will preach defense and hustle and winning ways. We'll use the talent we have - it's a good nucleus, you know, and we'll build a winner here in NJ. But these Nets give new meaning to the term "so ugly only a mother could love them." Joe's been away for awhile, just wanted to catch up on some things that I've been thinking about while trying to cure my damned Nets habit. I didn't see any of the games between Christmas and New Year's, but being the "committed" one in this relationship I have with the Nets (as in, I should be committed), I did tape the Atlanta and Boston games, for review at a later date. Oh, and by the way, have I mentioned that the Nets SUCK?
Item:
Nets in freefall. Again.
Nets, in the "soft" part of their schedule, have now lost seven straight games. Last three losses have been against Atlanta (a team we were supposed to be better than, at least on paper), Boston (miracle last second shot after all-too-typical last second screwup, thereby pulling a loss out of a sure win), and Chicago (let's not even talk about this one)
Item:
Nets will not make the playoffs.
Will the last remaining optimist please leave the arena quietly? Nets will have to work hard to make a 20 - 62 season at the rate they're going. Don't get me wrong, I still think any team with Marbury on it will do better than that, even if he has to will a few wins. But Houdini he ain't.
Item:
Marbury leaves cold, lonely Minnesota for New Jersey, where he's closer to home and can potentially earn more endorsement deals.
Does anyone think that Marbury is asking why in hell he asked to come to a franchise as needy and co-dependent as the Nets? Do you really think he still has faith in any of his teammates, or even his coach right now? Look, $70+ million is a lot of Bentleys, but Marbury probably wishes the Sopranos would come and take care of at least 8 or 9 of his talentless teammates right about now. And hey, those endorsement deals are really rolling in now, aren't they?
Item:
Byron Scott - Good Coach or Bad?
Before I weigh in on this one, someone, anyone, give me an objective, unbiased opinion. Email Joe at joe@joenetsfan.com and let me know what you think. I mean, last year was the Don Casey debacle and yet as of today the Nets have a WORSE record than they did last year. I know, injuries and bad luck...but every freakin' year? My quick two cents on Scott: he knows a helluva lot about basketball, and about players, but he's still trying to figure out how to make a silk purse out of the sow's worth of talent he has. And he's trying to work out game situations and substitutions. So, he's pretty good, and he'll get better. If he doesn't quit or walk away in frustration.
Item:
Nets need talent.
I hope someone is rethinking the "keeping the nucleus of a young team together" idea. Nets need to clear cap space, make trades, bring in the CBA contingent. Anything to put a better product on the floor right now.
I've got games to review. I've got a crisis desk to man. And like all Nets fans, I have to get over this disappointing season and start shifting my interests elsewhere.
I mean, what's love got to do with it anyway?
Archive | Backlash | Bio | Calendar | Champagne's Blog | Diatribe | Game x Game | History | Home | Joe Netsfan's Blog | Media | Opponents | Players | Playoffs | Search | Specials
© 2001 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski
