Joe Netsfan Opponents | 2005 - 2006 Season



				Opponent 71: Atlanta Hawks (22 - 48) - Friday, March 31, 2006, 7:00 PM - Philips Arena Flying Blind New! The Atlanta Hawks are just playing out the string, trying to figure out once again who stays and who goes as they fly into the sunset of another losing season. The Nets, meanwhile, look for win number 11 in their dash to the playoffs...Read on... Opponent 70: Memphis Grizzlies (41 - 29) – Wednesday, March 29, 2006, 7:30PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Ominous Signs Of Things To Come? Last time the Griz and Nets met, it was another in what seems like an endless series of bad losses against Memphis. It also came at the end of a 10 game win streak. With the Nets at 9 wins again, will history repeat? Read on... Opponent 68: Detroit Pistons (55 - 13) - Sunday, March 26, 2006, 7:30PM EST - The Palace At Auburn Hills Clear Favorite One last game with the Pistons, the unanimous choice for Eastern Conference representative in the NBA Finals come June. Though the Nets are streaking, can the Nets find a way to get perhaps their biggest win of the season on the road? Read on... Opponent 67: Minnesota Timberwolves (28 - 39) - Thursday, March 23, 2006, 7:30 PM - Continental Airlines Arena Howlin' Wolf Kevin Garnett is the Timberwolves franchise, but even he has his limits. Frustrated by the losing and popping off, will KG be in play in the off-season? The Nets look to revenge a bad road loss 3 weeks ago and up the win streak to seven...Read on... Opponent 66: Washington Wizards (34 - 31) - Tuesday, March 21, 2006, 7:00PM EST - MCI Center Capitol Punishment The Wizards are averaging over 101 PPG, have the highest trio of scorers (Arenas, Jamison, Butler) in the NBA, and are trying to blow by opponents on their way to the playoffs. The Nets counter with some of their best defense of the season...Read on... Opponent 62: Houston Rockets (29 - 34) - Monday, March 13, 2006, 8:30PM EST - Toyota Center Back Up New! T-Mac is out with a back injury, Yao's been playing like the monster he should be, and Jeff Van Gundy's got the Rockets approaching the playoffs. It's time for Jason Collins and the Nets to get their backs up...Read on... Opponent 59: Sacramento Kings (28 - 31) - Monday, March 6, 2006, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena King Of All Shock Jocks Ron Artest is back playing basketball and minding his manners in Sacramento. Meanwhile, what's become of King (and should-have-been Net) Shareef Abdur-Rahim? Read on... Opponent 58: Toronto Raptors (20 - 37) – Saturay, March 4, 2006, 1:00PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena The Sun Rises In The East Fixing a franchise is never easy, but a good start might be to hire someone who's successfully built one. Coming from Phoenix, can Bryan Colangelo make the Raptors rise in the East? Read on... Opponent 57: Minnesota Timberwolves (24 - 31) - Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 8:00 PM - Target Center Poster Children KG's the poster child for a frustrated superstar not happy with the rebuilding efforts in Minneapolis. The Nets are just plain frustrated after losing two winnable games? Which one gets the win? Read on... Opponent 56: Atlanta Hawks (17 - 37) - Monday, February 27, 2006, 7:00 PM - Philips Arena Major Johnson Joe Johnson's the man in Atlanta, but so what? How to be important in a place where basketball isn't as the Nets head over to Georgia to match wits with the Hawks, probably without Vince Carter...Read on... Opponent 55: Indiana Pacers (27 - 25) - Sunday, February 26, 2006, 6:00PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Off The Pace Ron Artest is gone, the best Pacers are injured, and they've lost 6 in a row on the road? How in the world can Indiana keep up? Read on... Opponent 54: New York Knicks (15 - 38) - Friday, February 24, 2006, 8:00 PM - Madison Square Garden Keeping Your Guards Up How many guards does an NBA team need, anyway? Apparently, you can never have enough in NYC, which is why the sudden need to bring in Steve Francis. Another new wrinkle in the Nets/Knicks grudge match as they get set to face off at the Garden...Are the inmates running the asylum? Read on... Oponent 53: Orlando Magic (19 - 33) - Wednesday, February 22, 2006, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Franchise For Sale Selfish Stevie Franchise on the move to the Knicks? The rebuilding has begun in Orlando as the Dwight Howard era begins to take shape...Read on... Opponent 52: Milwaukee Bucks (27 - 25) - Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 8:00PM EST - Bradley Center Talking Points Break's over - now get back to work! Can the Nets turn the Bucks' civil discussion into a loud and demonstrative win? The second half starts in Milwaukee...Read on... Opponent 50: Detroit Pistons (41 - 9) - Tuesday, February 14, 2006, 7:30PM EST - The Palace At Auburn Hills Love Fest Four of the five starters Pistons were chosen as All Star reserves, even as they've hit a slump, losing 3 of 5. But don't expect any love for the Nets, who beat Detroit two weeks ago in this Valentine's Day rematch...Read on... Opponent 49: Milwaukee Bucks (26 - 23) - Sunday, February 12, 2006, 6:00PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Bucking For Respect Michael Redd returns to the place that he set on fire back on opening night, looking for respect for himself and his team after being bypassed for the All Star game...Read on... Opponent 48: San Antonio Spurs (38 - 10) – Friday, February 10, 2006, 8:00PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Rodeo Roadies On the road because of the rodeo, can Tim Duncan and the Spurs buck the Nets off their backs and end their 12 game home win streak? Read on... Opponent 47: New York Knicks (14 - 33) - Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 7:30 PM - Continental Airlines Arena Thomas' Promises Thomas promised Knick fans a winner, and in so doing has turned the roster over repeatedly trying to build one, hired the legendary Larry as coach, and nothing has worked. With Marbury hurt, a five game losing streak, and continued roster turnover, will the Knicks ever fill those nooks and crannies and get things straightened out? Read on... Opponent 46: New Orleans/Oklalahoma City Hornets (24 - 22) - Monday, February 6, 2006, 7:30 PM - Continental Airlines Arena Scott Rocket Guess who's being made to look like a genius, even after suffering through a franchise on the move? Why, it's old friend Byron Scott, who has rookie PG Chris Paul to thank...Read on... Opponent 45: Miami Heat (29 - 18) - Saturday, February 4, 2006, 1:00 PM - Continental Airlines Arena Heat Of The Moment Look who two of the five Eastern Conference All Star starters are: the Heat of the Moment, Shaq and Dwyane Wade. Can the Nets take over top billing and find a win in the Heat of the afternoon? Read on... Opponent 44: Cleveland Cavaliers (26 - 17) – Wednesday, February 1, 2006, 7:00PM EST – The Quicken Loans Arena Six Shooters LeBron and the Cavs have won six straight games even without the services of Larry Hughes. Can the Nets break long winning streak tonight? Read on... Opponent 43: Detroit Pistons (37 - 5) - Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Super Town It's a Super town, that Detroit, home of the NFL's Super Bowl on Sunday as well as the hottest, bestest team in the league...Read on... Opponent 40: Los Angeles Clippers (22 - 16) - Wednesday, January 25, 2005, 10:30PM EST - Staples Center Brand Conscious The Nets, smarting from their smackdown in Utah, find themselves Brand conscious in LA...Can the Nets shop around for a road victory? Read on... Opponent 39: Utah Jazz (20 - 21) - Monday, January 23, 2006, 9:00PM EST - Delta Center Beat The Clock The Nets go out West, with their first stop being the land that NBA offenses forgot, that time warp that is Utah...Read on... Opponent 37: Boston Celtics (15 - 23) - Friday, January 20, 2006, 7:30PM EST - TD Banknorth Garden Red With Envy The young Celtics of Boston are struggling, and the signing of ex-Net redhead Brian Scalabrine hasn't helped much. Rumors of trades is making the C's envious of the stability of New Jersey...my, how the NBA worm has turned...Read on... Opponent 36: Philadelphia 76ers (18 - 19) - Wednesday, January 18, 2006, 7:00PM EST - Wachovia Center Leaving The Answer Blank The Nets travel to Philly to face The Answer, who's been looking in the mirror and reflecting on The Truth - the Sixers just aren't very good, or very consistent right now. Can the Nets grab the answer key and get a road win? Read on... Opponent 35: Indiana Pacers (20 - 15) - Monday, January 16, 2006, 3:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena S.N.A.F.U. Joe's abbrievation for the deal going down in Indianapolis with the Ron Artest situation essentially means that all is normal, really - can the Nets recover their winning ways and take advantage? Read on... Opponent 34: Dallas Mavericks (26 - 10) – Saturday, January 14, 2006, 8:30PM EST – American Airlines Center Disappearing In Big D Dallas, the latest home of former Nets' hope Keith Van Horn, is next on the agenda for the Nets. Will the offense reappear, or get lost like the disappearing Van Horn...Read on... Opponent 33: Memphis Grizzlies (22 - 11) – Friday, January 13, 2006, 8:00PM EST – FedEx Forum Memphis Belle It's not so pretty down in Memphis, but they sure do love their NBA-leading defense. Even without their starting point guard, the Grizz are winning. Can the Nets start a new victory streak? Read on... Opponent 32: San Antonio Spurs (26 - 8) – Tuesday, January 10, 2006, 8:30PM EST – SBC Center Tall Tales The Nets go to San Antonio hoping to ride tall in the saddle on their way to keeping the win streak alive. Will the stingy Spur defense cut the Nets to the quick? Read on... Opponent 31: Toronto Raptors (11 - 22) – Sunday, January 8, 2006, 1:00PM EST – Air Canada Centre Rap Stars What the devil is going on in Toronto? The Raptors have suddenly become stars, winning five straight for the second longest winning streak in the league. Doesn't that hurt the brain? As the Nets head out to the road, can they up the winning streak to 10 games? Read on... Opponent 30: Orlando Magic (12 - 17) - Friday, January 6, 200, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Magical Mystery Tour The Magic are in town, reeling from Grant Hill's latest injury and a pasting at the hands of Toronto on Wednesday. Can the Nets keep the spacey head trip of an eight game win streak going? Read on... Opponent 29: Atlanta Hawks (7 - 20) - Friday, December 30, 2005, 7:30 PM - Continental Airlines Arena Flightless Birds In the last game of 2005, the Nets face the flightless Hawks, who have dropped two straight to Charlotte and Toronto after leading in the fourth quarter of both. Can the Nets, winners of seven straight, avoid the trap and continue to fly high with a victory over the hapless Hawks? Read on... Opponent 26: Miami Heat (15 - 11) - Monday, November 7, 2005, 7:30 PM - American Airlines Arena All Riled Up He's back, he's got his big man with him, and the Miami Heat are set in South Beach to face the Nets, with the Pat Riley/Shaq combo...Read on... Opponent 25: Orlando Magic (9 - 13) - Wenesday, December 21, 2005, 7:00PM EST - TD Waterhouse Center Another Hill To Climb The Nets face Grant Hill, back from yet another stint on the injured list, and the Orlando Magic as they try to climb the hill of another win down south...Read on... Opponent 24: Los Angeles Clippers (15 - 8) - Tuesday, December 20, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena LA Story Take a down-and-out team, always cutting corners, add one bad-ass, alien-esque veteran point guard, a shooter, and mix them together with a brutal power forward, an athletic hybrid, and Shaggy from Scooby Doo and you've got the makings of a Western Conference power. Yes, the Clippers are in town and writing a new chapter in their history...Read on.. Opponent 23: Golden State Warriors (14 - 9) - Sunday, December 18, 2005, 6:00PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Golden Barrage Fresh off a bombing (17 treys) in Canadian territory, the Warriors come to the CAA looking to terrorize the Nets from the skies...Read on... Opponent 22: Denver Nuggets (12 - 10) – Friday, December 16, 2005, 7:30PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Freaky Streaky 'Melo, KMart and the rest come to the CAA on a streak that's much more positive than the Nets' own streak...Just like the NBA as a whole, it's one big mystery why...Read on... Opponent 21: Charlotte Bobcats (5 - 17) – Wednesday, December 14, 2005, 7:30PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Cat-tastrophe Can the sinking Bobcats, curer of depression at this time last week for Netsfans and losers of 8 straight, be the cure New Jersey is looking for? Will someone be held accountable for last night's debacle? Read on... Opponent 20: Washington Wizards (8 - 11) - Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 7:00PM EST - MCI Center Paid Political Pundits The Nets head to Washington, where the talking heads are saying the Wiz are in trouble, going 3 - 10 after a 5 - 1 start...defense, they also say, is the ill, much like that of NJ...Read on... Opponent 18: Cleveland Cavaliers (11 - 6) – Friday, December 9, 2005, 7:30PM EST – The Quicken Loans Arena Scene Of The Crime Current Net and former Cav Jeff McInnis returns to the scene of the crime tonight, the place where his A-hole ways and a whole lot more caught up to the Cavs last season and dropped them out of the playoffs...Read on... Opponent 17: Charlotte Bobcats (5 - 13) – Wednesday, December 7, 2005, 7:30PM EST – Charlotte Bobcats Arena Carolina Country A reunion of Tar Heels? Will the Nets and Bobcats fight it out to see who has the better UNC players? How about one of these teams showing some consistency on defense? Read on... Opponent 16: Toronto Raptors (2 - 15) – Saturday, December 3, 2005, 8:00PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Can We Officially Call Them The Craptors Now? Officially caught in a shame spiral since long before Vince Carter was hoisted out of town, can we just call them the Craptors and be done with it? Toronto is in town...Read on... Opponent15: Detroit Pistons (10 - 2) - Wednesday, November 30, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Flipping Out Happier than ever, the Pistons and new coach Flip Saunders saunter into the Continental the defensive demons they always were, but also new-found offensive horses averaging an un-Piston-like 99 points per game. Read on... Opponent 11: Sacramento Kings (4 - 7) - Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 10:00PM EST - Arco Arena The Emporer's New Clothes Off to Sacramento, where the injured Nets meet the man who should have been King of East Rutherford - Shareef Abdur-Rahim - in the irony bowl of the young season. Shareef is still standing tall, anyway...Read on... Opponent #10 - Golden State Warriors (6 - 4) - Monday, November 21, 2005, 10:30PM EST - The Arena In Oakland Robber Barons The Nets board the train and head West to face their first challenge - Baron Davis and the Warriors, who are getting it done with defense, despite a slowed-down Davis...Read on... Opponent #9 - Washington Wizards (5 - 3) - Saturday, November 19, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Casting Spells Offensive juggernault led by ex-Net assistant Eddie Jordan comes to town? Will defense be in play? Read on... Opponent #8: Seattle SuperSonics (2 - 4) – Tuesday, November 15, 2005, 7:30PM EST – Continental Airlines Arena Et Tu, Seattle? The Sonics are next on the docket, suffering from the same ills as the team from East Rutherford: total lack of defensive intensity...Can the Nets send the Sonics into another funk and pick up a much-needed win at home? Or will Allen and Co. start the bombing and fire up the Sonic boom on the Nets? Read on... Opponent #7 - Houston Rockets (1 - 3) - Saturday, November 12, 2005, 8:00PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena The Race Usually Goes To The Swift Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Power Forward #1 in the off-season sweepstakes, is averaging 16 points and 8 boards. Power Forward #2, Stromile Swift, who didn't want to be waiting around for NJ to work it all out, is struggling in Houston, but still would have been a good fit...Can the Nets out-run and out-gun the Rockets of Yao and McGrady? Read on... Opponent #6: Indiana Pacers (3 - 1) - Friday, November 11, 2005, 7:00PM EST - Conseco Fieldhouse Diary Of A Madman The NBA's nuttiest head-case, is back on the court in Indiana and helping Jermaine O'Neal lead the Pacers to a 3 - 1 start. Despite cries of defensive woes, the Madman is tough on folks like Carter and Jefferson...Read on... Opponent #5 - Utah Jazz (3 - 1) - Wednesday, November 9, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena On Top Of The Mehmet The Jazz are in town, basking in the early success of man, myth, legend Mehmet Okur's nightly double-double and all-around unselfish play. That's the way coach Jerry Sloan's teams play, making due without stars...Read on... Opponent #4 - Miami Heat (1 - 2) - Monday, November 7, 2005, 7:30 PM - American Airlines Arena Shaq Racked, So 'Zo's A Go Guess which Net-killer has a sprained ankle and won't be playing tonight? None other than Shaq, which means the Nets get to face old complainer Alonzo plus the new hot Heat members Walker, Williams and Payton...Can the Nets get into Walker's head and take advantage of the Shaq-less Heat? Read on... Opponent #3 - Chicago Bulls (1 - 0) - Saturday, November 5, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena On The Fringes Playing on the perimeter sound familiar to you? The Bulls are next on the schedule, and they're built the same way the Nets are since the trade of C Eddie Curry - outside in. Can the Nets shred the young Bulls' confidence with another offensive performance from the Big Three? Read on... Opponent #2 - Toronto Raptors (0 - 1) - Friday, November 4, 2005, 7:00PM EST - Air Canada Centre Jurassic Parked How about having your GM say before the pre-season that the team won't be any better than it was last year? Such is the case of the Raptors, who have a GM that traded away Vince Carter and drafted Rafael Araujo and is now seemingly headed for the great petroleum dump in the ground...The Nets, meanwhile, need to defend against the purple beasts, or all those high hopes will be moot...Read on... Opponent #1 - Milwaukee Bucks (1 - 0) - Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 7:30PM EST - Continental Airlines Arena Boguted Out Finally, the regular season can begin! First up, the Milwaukee Bucks, with the overall #1 pick Andrew Bogut and a newly acquired Jamaal Magloire as well as 4 other giants among men on the front line. Can the Nets Tall Trio of All Stars beat the Bogut out of the Bucks? Read on... Archive \| Backlash \| Bio \| Calendar \| Champagne's Blog \| Diatribe \| Game x Game \| History \| Home \| Joe Netsfan's Blog \| Media \| Opponents \| Players \| Playoffs \| Search \| Specials © 2005 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski