Pardon The Interruption

So, it's been a long, long time away from anything to do with Joe Netsfan.com. If anyone is actually reading this, I'd be surprised.

Well, long time or first time, Joe's been battling with illness and surgery over the past three weeks, further stressing out the season of stress we like to call Christmas. In any case, though I still feel like crap, I am due for a long break of vacation and will be attempting to go through my copious notes of the Nets goods and bads over the last 9 games and catch the site up.

Some of the surprising things we continue to see in Netsfanland:

-Devin Harris is bonified. See the way he outplayed Kidd the other night? Priceless.

- The Nets, though they've surprised the hell out of us thus far, have a long, long way to go on defense.

- Love the way that Jarvis Hayes fits in with this group. Hope he can stay healthy.

- Brook Lopez is going to be a load in this league, and I mean that in the best way possible. Lopez vs. Jason Collins - compare. I'll give you two sentences, max.

- The Nets are blowing games they should be winning, but they're also winning games they should be losing. It's going to be a year of that, and if the Nets wind up at 41 - 41, I think we'll all be happy, playoffs or not. This team can definitely have a future, with Harris and Lopez the building blocks.

- Jury's still out on Yi. Can't seem to string together two consecutive consistent minutes, let alone two games. You have to wonder if he'll ever be Mr Consistency.

- Though you love to beat on him, Lawrence Frank has done a helluva job with the personnel he's been handed. You would have thought that 8 - 18 was a more likely record after 26 games.

- Lastly, Vince Carter has been mighty impressive as well. He's playing all out, and even if he has a bad game, he's showing leadership like Kidd used to provide for the younger crowd.

Give me the next week or so to catch up (assuming no setbacks with this damned bug). I may get the latest few up, and then do a summary of the other games I missed.

And if you weren't reading before, well, I guess no great loss, right?

-Joe

Say A Prayer

Say a prayer for Rodney Rogers, aka Deebo, who was the scorer off the bench for the 2002 - 2003 Net squad that went to the NBA Finals. Rodney apparently fell off his ATV in the middle of nowhere and is now paralyzed from the shoulders down. Though it never quite worked out here for Rodney, he was a good guy, fun to watch, and his story got much better once he retired back to his roots of Durham, NC.

As for me, well, say I prayer that I can ever get back to the level of service I expect to provide. Trying to catch up to the present, but I've been trying to do that since May 31.

We'll regroup and get back on the beam shortly. For now, I'll get the Washington game (which I've yet to watch) and tomorrow's TWolves game up as soon as I can this weekend.

Here's to a hope for recovery for Rodney.

Joe

Setting Expectations

So the Nets roster has been set at 15 after the cuts of Julius Hodge, Brian Hamilton, Eddie Gill and Keith Van Horn. Not that anyone thought these fine young fellows had a chance at sticking, although Eddie Gill is probably a better pure point guard than Keyon Dooling and deserves better. It's such a bittersweet fairwell to Keith Van Horn, isn't it?

So from those 15 the Nets have 5 guards (Carter, Harris, Dooling, Douglas Roberts and Ager), 7 forwards (Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons, Jarvis Hayes, Eduardo Najera, Stromile Swift, Ryan Anderson and Trenton Hassell) and 3 centers (Josh Boone, Brook Lopez and Sean Williams). Not exactly murderer's row, but at least they are young, long and athletic, which is the exact opposite of what they had been, especially the bench, in the past few years.

How the rotation will shake out is still a mystery, as too many injuries have made the judging impossible. But if the final Nets preseason game was any indication, expect Lawrence Frank to lean on veterans while force feeding Brook Lopez. Lopez has shown a nice tough from outside, a decent game inside, and the ability to alter a team's offense by swatting a few balls and generally making life miserable inside with his length. You would think that Chris Douglas Roberts will get time but not consistently, and Ryan Anderson will find himself getting playing time only if the other players aren't going well, at least at first. Lord knows Lawrence Frank won't be able to deal with a 10 or 11 man rotation.

So Carter, Harris, Simmons, Yi (if healhty) and Boone (if healthy) will start. Too many defensive weaknesses in this group for my liking, but it is what it is. Hopefully, their best defense will be to outscore the other team, especially since practically everyone is new to each other on the team, and team defense is suffering because of it.

Expect Dooling to get minutes at both guard spots, Hayes to replace Simmons as the offense off the bench, and Najera when healthy to cause general havoc. You paid those guys and brought them in because they are good citizens, so you have to play them. Lopez should get consistent minutes because no one else can do what he does.

Everyone else is likely situational, including fan darlings Chris Douglas Roberts and Sean Williams. Sorry, though I'd like to see both get PT, there is no way that can happen and have Frank keep an effective rotation.

I would also guess that Mo Ager, Stromile Swift and Trenton Hassell to take turns being deactivated for the games.

After that, all bets are off. This could be a very surprising team, but in both directions. Underachieving when nothing is expected, though, is the worst sin of all. So let's hope the Nets give 48 minutes of effort every night and see what develops.

It's going to be an interesting season. For now, these are the players you have to live with. Lots of young talent, but can they rise to the challenge behind Vince Carter's leadership?

We'll find out beginning Wednesday.

-Joe

Mercy Rule

The list keeps getting bigger, even as the season creeps closer. Count Stromile Swift, Eddie Najera, Jarvis Hayes, Josh Boone and Keyon Dooling amongst the injured or ill, and with a week to go before opening tip, the Nets have no idea who will be in the rotation.

Another season starting off on the wrong foot. Isn't there some sort of mercy rule or something?

Last night's wipeout by the Knicks (there were some good moments, true, but a complete lack of defense doomed them again, and well, this team shouldn't consider getting into scoring matches with anyone, is all I'm saying) while again shorthanded leaves Lawrence Frank scratching his head about what to make of the mess that remains. We're pretty certain that he'll field enough bodies to go 8 or 10 deep, but I don't think many of them will be the ones he thought he was counting on.

Assume that Devin Harris and Vince Carter are the starting guards. I would say that one is safe. Despite a whole lot of inconsistency, they paid too much not to start Yi and Bobby Simmons (I'm still waiting for him to show us something), so they'll be in there (plus, they're healthy front liners, making them that much more important). And it looks like Josh Boone or rookie Brook Lopez at center, Lopez if Boone doesn't get clearance to play, Boone if he does.

After that, well, the pickings are slim. Dooling, Najera and Hayes are the veterans being counted on off the bench, but they haven't exactly had time to build up a lot of chemistry with the club. Sean Williams looks lost to me, Chris Douglas Roberts and Ryan Anderson have moments but they're rookies, and the rest of the roster is interesting at best and minor players at worst.

The Knicks completely showed every flaw in the Nets defense last night. They still can't get out on the perimeter and stop the three point shooter, but now they're clueless as to how best to stop paint penetration. Of course, having a rookie out there in the middle will do that, no matter how high of a pick he was. Yi looks like a traffic pole out there, with every Knick this side of Jerome James running by him as if his feet were glued to the floor. Devin Harris was shaky, Carter's not a defender per se, and Bobby Simmons works hard but accomplishes little. That's a helluva basis for defense, friends.

Outscoring quality NBA teams (or even the Knicks) isn't a long-term option either.

We like Lopez' abilities (he can step outside and shoot, and make, shots - even flat footed!) inside and outside. Hell, that's why they hired him. But the rook needs a lot of help, and well, we didn't see a helluva lot of it, even if they did score 106 points and almost pull it off in the end. Carter and Harris and then what? ought to be the offense this year.

And with everyone out, they haven't had time to implement much of an offense anyway. That should work out great, with the season beginning next week in Washington D.C. That's right, against their old pal Eddie Jordan.

The Nets should get back Keyon Dooling and Josh Boone, in any case, before the opener. It's certainly possible that Hayes and Najera are ready to go as well, but they'll have more rust than the tin man on them. Swift you can likely forget about for awhile if not ever, not really sure what his place on this team was going to be anyway.

Let's see what happens (and who's healthy enough to suit up) against the Sixers tomorow night. I'm going to Cleveland to check on LeBron (he's still not taking my calls - like it's my fault the whole Brooklyn thing is held up?), so wake me when the season actually starts.

-Joe

More Like The Season To Come?

Is this more like it?

The Nets, without Vince Carter and adding Stromile Swift and Josh Boone to the impressively growing injury list, lose a non-compete scrimmage with the Celtics today. Very little offense (is Mo Ager the great hope? I don't think so), less defense (what are you teaching these guys, Lawrence?) and a whole host of other troubles (they were outrebounded by 30...) make us wonder if this isn't what's to come this season, at least at the start.

Wiht Eddie Najera and Jarvis Hayes still not suiting up yet, and two more bodies to worry about, the Nets vaunted depth up front might have taken a serious blow, especially if there is anything heart-related to Josh Boone's problems. Yi seems to be trying to adapt and fit in, but he's still miles away from a finished product (this guy, even at 7 feet, apparently has never met a rebound he liked), but he might be one of the best hopes for offense the Nets have. VC and Devin Harris will certainly lead the charge, but if Yi doesn't throw in 10+ per game, who does that leave to pick up slack? Bobby Simmons?

Defensively, this team still looks like they just met in orientation yesterday. Of course, we might be seeing a team that will be defensively challenged all season, since with the exception of Trenton Hassel and maybe Eddie Najera, no one comes to the Nets with an outstanding defender label. So, if the Nets need to cover for Carter, and there are several more defensively challenged fellows in the lineup with him, there could be very many long nights at the Izod.

Let's see what kind of effort the Nets give tomorrow night against the Knicks. You would have to think, injured or no, the Nets would want to send some sort of message to their rivals across the river.

The question is, is this team capable of doing that right now?

-Joe

Go Offense

Interesting game tonight again the Celtics, a competitive, spirited loss in which the Nets appeared at times determined to lead the world in turnovers and fouls. Yi looked good on offense, but was a foul magnet (he had 4 fouls in the first 6 minutes or so of the first quarter! Not even Sean Williams can do that), while Brook Lopez and Josh Boone look to be a potential dynamic duo in the middle. The guard situation, with Vince Carter and Keyon Dooling looking ready for the regular season (with Dooling's first appearance as a Net), looks to be a potential strength as well, as long as no one gets hurt.

The fact that the Celtics didn't play any of their stars (Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen)didn't seem to matter much to the Nets, who played this one like it mattered to them. And with everyone on the roster being new, it did, because playing time appears to have to be earned. DNP's to Ryan Anderson, Eddie Najera, Jarvis Hayes (all three injured), plus Mo Ager and Julius Hodge, who don't figure in the Nets plans at this point. Eddie Gill might make this team as the third point yet...

Devin Harris continues to not shoot well, which is concerning (though he had 8 assists), but this Nets team thus far has had no trouble scoring through the first three games. OK, they're not the second coming of the old ABA squads, but hey, it's certainly better than scoring in the 70's. I don't see a real place in the rotation yet for Stromile Swift, Trenton Hassell or even Sean Williams, but I'm sure Lawrence Frank will figure it out. Just like he has with the offense (what about defense, L Frank?)

Let the rookies play (and since everyone wants Chris Douglas Roberts to start already, give the kid some time to see what he can do). And since the offense appears to be flowing, get them heavy minutes this preseason and let them feel it.

Another chance against the Celtics on Sunday up in Boston. Should be another learning experience for the young Nets if nothing else (and hopefully, at some point Eddie Najera and Jarvis Hayes can get some playing time - we'd sure love to see how they fit in).

-Joe

The Long And The Short Of It

Stay positive, Netsfans. The chemistry on the court is brewing, the locking room is one big harmonic convergence, and all is right in the Nets universe.

It's only preseason.

The Nets are starting to sort out the pieces, especially with big men. We've read how well they're all playing, even seen it in some cases, but hey, you can't play 7 or 8 big men in one game, can you?

It's a startling amount of depth for Netsfans used to Jason Collins being the glue guy, Mikki Moore being the energy off the bench, and Nenad Krstic providing offense, with a whole lot of other roster fodder thrown in (anyone remember how Marc Jackson worked out?).

But it's a young bench, and aside from Josh Boone, who gave it his all each and every night last season, it's a seriously unproven one. Hell, even the vets on the squad, namely Stromile Swift and Eddie Najera, have question marks next to them because they're either consistently inconsistent (Swift) or NBA journeyman making the most of his talent (Najera). You've got 2 rookies in the mix - Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson; a second year athletic wonder (but without a true position, according to anyone you ask) in Sean Williams; Josh Boone, who continues to grow and surprise (he added a damned outside shot!); Yi Jianlian, the Chinese sensation (or Chinese, anyway) who was traded for Richard Jefferson; and Swift and Najera. Plus you have Jarvis Hayes, Bobby Simmons and Trenton Hassell to consider at the small forward (maybe even Chris Douglas Roberts, when he isn't in for Vince Carter). That's one helluva stew.

Time to weed it down some, whether it be to a DNP-coaches decision or off the team entirely. I think we're all there with Stromile Swift, since we can't quite figure out what it is he does well. I don't see what he adds to this team if he can't begin to harness any of that athleticism for anything more than a minute or two at a time.

Great, that's one. Now it gets much harder. I think you have to play Yi regular minutes and see what you have. Boone's earned the right to be in the rotation. I think the team is insane if Brook Lopez doesn't get some minutes in a semi-regular role (why pick him 10th, dump half the team as you rebuild and then NOT play him?) I think Eddie Najera has to play, or at least you have to see why you brought him to the team. That's the preferred list of regular minute getters at the power spots.

I think Ryan Anderson has a place on this team, but he'll have to outperform someone to get that chance. Maybe he can bump Sean Williams from any sort of rotation, or maybe Williams does that to himself. Frankly, I think he's a difference maker on the second unit, as long as you don't give him a major role in the offense.

So let's say you keep Yi, Najera and Williams at the power forward, Boone and Lopez at the center (with Williams occasionally floating through the spot as well), and Anderson in a spot role. Now you add in Bobby Simmons (who has to start based on the amount of money he's being paid, plus the lack of other overwhelming choices)and Hayes at the small forward spot, Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling at the point (lord, do we not look forward to Dooling running the point, but that's for another day), and Carter and Chris Douglas Roberts at the shooting guard. That's no less than 11 players you have to find time for on a regular basis (10 if you say that Anderson is brought along slowly), and a coach that loves to play 7 or 8 regularly. As for having two complete teams (Harris-Carter-Simmons-Yi-Boone being replaced by Dooling-CDR-Najera-Hayes-Lopez, for example), I'll believe it when I see it, especially when it gets past the end of December or January.

That's the long and short of the roster at the moment. Not everyone can (or will) get playing time, and what will that do to team chemistry? If the team is playing the rookies regularly at the start, will they necessarily still be in the rotation in January, or will they fall out of favor by then as they make rookie mistakes?

They're good questions I am curious to watch unfold here as the preseason gets going. A game against the Celts tomorrow should be a really good measuring stick, since the second teamers on the Celts put a licking on the Nets regulars several times last season.

More after the game tomorrow night, which is being televised on YES.

-Joe