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Rumor: Nets discussing Evans, Terry for Kings’ Thornton trade

Posted on: February 18th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Marcus Thornton (AP)

Marcus Thornton (AP)

The Nets and Kings are currently discussing a deal that would send guard Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. In return, Brooklyn would send Jason Terry and Reggie Evans to Sacramento.

Both Terry and Evans have had trouble carving out predictable rotation minutes for the Nets so far this season. Thornton, 26, is averaging 8.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 26 minutes a game. Known as a sharpshooter, Thornton could more effectively fill the role that Jason Terry was supposed to have coming into the season.

Marcus Thornton signed in 2011 for 4 years and $31.15 million with the Sacramento Kings. He is making $8.05 million in 2013-2014. His contract would come off the books after next season, effectively making him useful trade bait as an expiring contract.

In a follow-up tweet, Wojnarowski also notes: "For Sacramento and Brooklyn, this is one of several conversations officials are having with several teams." 

Could this be the third mystery team that Cleveland wanted to involve before dealing Jarrett Jack as reported yesterday?

Rumor: Nets interested in Lakers’ Jordan Hill

Posted on: February 17th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Jordan Hill (AP)

Jordan Hill (AP)

The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have discussed a possible deal surrounding Jordan Hill, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Such a trade would be absorbed into the Disabled Player Exception after Brook Lopez's season ending surgery.

The talks are preliminary, but the Nets have been in the market for a post defender. After Garnett, Brooklyn doesn't have any standout defenders in the paint and Hill could fill that need.

It's unclear where talks currently stand: Brooklyn may have just floated the offer to start a conversation and the Lakers could be mulling it over or may have even rejected it already.

So far this year, Hill has averaged nearly 9 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

The Nets have until March 10th to use their DPE on a FA or by February 20th in a trade. So if talks for Hill fall apart it's likely that a new rumor will crop up eventually. The Brooklyn Game discussed in length what options the Nets have moving forward with the DPE here.

Rumor: Nets looking to deal Terry for Jack?

Posted on: February 17th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Jarret Jack (AP)

Jarret Jack (AP)

Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN-NY tweeted today that the Brooklyn Nets may be looking into a Jason Terry for Jarrett Jack swap.

With Thursday's Trade Deadline looming, the sinking ship in Cleveland may be looking to deal off their expensive off-season pick-up. Like Terry, Jack is a former 6th Man of the Year Award winner but has struggled to fit with his new team.

Terry is currently signed for 2 more years after this one. He is making $5.23 million in 2013-2014. Jack's deal is another year longer than Terry's and makes nearly a million more per year.

Worth noting is that Jack cannot be swallowed into the Disabled Player Exception (an avenue opened by Brook Lopez's season ending surgery) because he makes too much money and isn't in the final year of his contract.

However, Jack's contract comes with a team option on a partially guaranteed contract in the fourth year. If the Nets were to waive him before the deadline, much like the Cavaliers did with Andrew Bynum this year, they would only owe the point guard $500,000. Practically speaking, it means that Jack's contract will expire after the 2015-2016 season, allowing the Nets to remain, for now, in the hunt for Kevin Durant.

Since moving Shaun Livingston into the starting lineup, the Nets have had a hard time finding production off the bench at the guard spot. Adding a guard of Jack's caliber could be an incredible move for Brooklyn and comes at a much lower price than what was rumored for Toronto's Kyle Lowry.

If the Nets are able to snag Jarrett Jack for a wholly disappointing Jason Terry without giving up any assets (Picks, Bogdanovic) then they should.

Update: ESPN has reported that the Cavaliers would like to find a 3rd team to take on Terry's contract before continuing on.

Joe Johnson doesn’t care if you think he doesn’t deserve an All-Star spot

Posted on: January 31st, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce

Joe Johnson (right), seven-time All-Star. (AP)

Less than a month ago, before Brooklyn finally decided to win some basketball games, the possibility of any Nets making the All-Star Game in New Orleans seemed incredibly bleak.

Enter Joe Johnson. Joe Johnson's game-winning buzzer beater in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on January 2nd jump-started his stalling team. Since the new year, the Nets have the best record in the NBA. Analysts have made arguments over the snubs of Toronto's Kyle Lowry and Indiana's Lance Stephenson, and Johnson spoke in length about his All-Star selection.

“I don’t care,” Johnson said, according to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record. “I don’t care, man. It is what it is, you can say whatever you want. What’s done is done, it’s over with.”

Johnson wasn't expecting the selection. “I didn’t even get a chance to watch it. I was actually asleep and found out an hour, hour and a half later. But I’m happy man, and I’ll enjoy it. Every time I’ve been, I’ve had a great time and I’ve really enjoyed the whole weekend.”

The All-Star reserves are selected by a group of NBA coaches. "To get selected by the coaches means that much more,” Johnson said to the Record. “It kind of just shows where we’ve come from as a team, man. This is a tribute to the coaching staff, the players the whole Nets organization, because just a month ago this couldn’t have happened. So to be selected, this is definitely an honor for us as Nets.”

NorthJersey.com -- Andy Vasquez -- Joe Johnson responds to All-Star critics

Coaches: Jason Kidd vs. Mike Woodson

Posted on: January 20th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Mike Woodson (AP)

Mike Woodson (AP)


... MORE →

NetLinks, 1.17.2014 — “We needed the beatdown.”

Posted on: January 17th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Good afternoon, Nets fans. Here's the best news and notes from around the 'net, following a week in London:
... MORE →

Roundtable: Nets-Cavaliers

Posted on: January 4th, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

 

Joe Cool (AP)

Joe Cool (AP)

Simply put, this may be the battle between the NBA's most disappointing teams.

The Nets lost the last time these teams played. The Nets have lost to a ton of teams. Back then, there was still hope for Cleveland, too. But, since then, the Cavaliers have lost in bunches as well. With two point guards that would like to be considered elite, they've floundered under high expectations.

Someone suggested that the Nets should make an offer for Andrew Bynum, the NBA's biggest wildcard, which quickly prompted every Brooklyn fan in the nation to write a strongly worded letter to Billy King. Elsewhere, Joe Cool saved the day (and Chris Hooker!) in Oklahoma City.

This is the second straight game the Nets have played in which their opponent is missing their superstar-- they must take advantage if they'd like to right the ship once and for all. If the Nets win tonight, they'll likely find themselves just one game out of the playoffs.

We're talking about playoffs? Playoffs?

Well, we'll hold off on playoffs for now-- The BK Game breaks down this game below!

1. We finally saw a great game out of Deron Williams, can he repeat against the Irving-less Cavaliers?

Max Weisberg: Williams could (and should) be able to repeat his performance vs. OKC against anyone in the NBA -- especially the Cavs sans Irving. The only question will be: which role will Deron Williams be in? Will Kidd use the two point guard lineup again which allows Williams to become a scorer off the ball or will he use D-Will exclusively at point guard, allowing him to become the facilitator? With Shaun Livingston on the floor this season, Deron Williams' AST% is 24.4%. With Livingston on the bench this season, Williams' AST% increases to 34.4% -- clearly two different roles for D-Will.

Ben Nadeau: My fantasy team sure hopes so. But really, Williams had one of his better games of the year against OKC-- so, I'd to think he can come close to replicating it against the lowly Cavaliers. Jack isn't really known for his defense either. Last roundtable, I gave up on Deron Williams. This roundtable, I'm not ready to jump back on the bandwagon, but he's warming me up.

Will Rausch: I doubt Deron will match the season high 29 points he had against the Thunder, but there's a good chance he plays well against the Cavs. I'd say we're looking at more the double-doubles D-Will put up when he came back from his ankle injury in December. Jarret Jack is no scrub, but he's also not a stalwart defender. And let's create and buy into the narrative that the Nets want revenge for the opening night loss to the Cavs that set them on this odyssey of maladies that has been the 2013-14 season.

2. Should the Nets try to trade for Andrew Bynum?

Max Weisberg: If Bruce Ratner becomes majority owner of the Nets again, then yes, the Nets should trade for Bynum in order to save a couple million. Otherwise: NO.

Ben Nadeau: If anybody in the Brooklyn Nets franchise believes that Andrew Bynum is the answer to this team's problems-- they are sorely mistaken.

Will Rausch: Slowly step away from the trade machine, Billy King. For better or worse, this is the Nets team we should live with for now. It's time to put a moratorium on win now and win-nower moves.

3. With Irving out, which Cleveland player will give Brooklyn the most issues?

Max Weisberg: Jarrett Jack? It always seems like those quick-trigger point guards always give the Nets (and D-Will) trouble.

Ben Nadeau: Tristan Thompson, I guess. Garnett and Blatche aren't exactly the strongest forces inside anymore. Thompson is a hard-worker and has some decent range that will likely give them fits. Or Varejao-- he hustles too much not to have success against the Nets in the paint. Really, anybody that tries really hard will likely do well.

Will Rausch: Anderson Varejao. The floppy haired Brazilian is an inherently annoying and crafty player and the last time he played at Barclays, he dropped 35 points and 18 boards. In the Cavs first game without Irving on Tuesday, Varejao had a team high 18 points and 25 boards in the Cavs OT win.

Final Predictions:

Max Weisberg: Nets 102, Cavaliers 90

Ben Nadeau: Nets 100, Cavaliers 88

Will Rausch: Nets 95, Cavaliers 90

 

 

Roundtable: Nets-Thunder

Posted on: January 2nd, 2014 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

 

Kevin Durant is good at basketball. (AP)

Kevin Durant is good at basketball. (AP)

New year, same Nets.

After a blowout at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, the Brooklyn Nets will look to avoid starting 2014 like they started the season: like hair clogging a shower drain-- miserable and gross. It's not a great image, but, hey, watching the Nets play basketball this season hasn't been pretty either.

Tonight, they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder-- or, as I like to call them: the Oklahoma Westbrook-less-team-that-is-still-a-million-times-better-than-the-Nets City Thunder. In case you've missed out on the continuously deteriorating season that belongs to Brooklyn, Garnett recently said he didn't know where he fit into the offense and Deron Williams confirmed that he's playing hurt again.

I wonder what Mikhail Prokhorov chose for his New Year's Resolution, any thoughts? Comment below!

The BK Game Crew breaks down the impending blowout!

1. Last game, we wondered how Deron Williams would match-up with Tony Parker-- and, well, the results speak for themselves. Tonight, Williams gets Reggie Jackson-- does it get better? Does it get worse? What's going on with DWill?

Ben Nadeau: I don't really know-- maybe it's time to get another injection? Is he sad? Is he embarrassed? Those things usually motivate players to compete at a higher level. But thus far, the Brooklyn Nets have not answered the call. It begins and ends with Williams and, unfortunately, I don't expect anything from him anymore.

Justin DeFeo: There are reports coming today that Williams might be a bit banged up, which is something of an explanation for the lackluster and uninspired play we've seen from Deron over the last few games. I sense something deeper, but historically Deron's play falls off a cliff when he's hurt, so there may be some credence to that. Either way, Reggie Jackson attacks, so they'll need Williams to offer up more than he has been..otherwise I'd suspect more of the same and another opposing point guard outplaying him.

Will Rausch: I do think D-Will has a chance on the hardwood against a 67 year old Hall of Fame baseball player. Oh, it's not THAT Reggie Jackson? It's the up and coming backup point guard for the team tied for the best record in the NBA? The one some think will go on to stardom once he gets to start full-time elsewhere a la James Harden? In that case, things get worse for D-Will. The Thunder are coming off a loss and have only lost back-to-back games once this season, so things don't look good for D-Will and co. As for what's wrong with D-Will, it's the injuries, sure, but I'm starting to think it is as much a problem to be addressed by Dr.Freud as it is one for Dr. James Andrews.

2. How many points will Kevin Durant drop tonight and why?

Ben Nadeau: 60. Devin wrote about this season clearly being the Darkest Timeline, so, things can always get worse. With nobody great bodying the man that has destroyed every defensive matchup he's faced, Durant will go off tonight. Is a little bit of history in the making? How many people have goatees on OKC?

Justin DeFeo: This could be a special night for Durant as the Nets are rarely qualified to relenting scoring bunches: a team which appears to be quitting, on the road and with the only person on the roster even close to capable of guarding Durant effectively (Andrei Kirilenko) restricted to just 12 minutes. The only thing threatening to stop Durant from a 40+ point night would be Durant being forced to the bench due to lopsidedness...which is sadly very much in play.

Will Rausch: 40 because YOPN-TAY (You Only Play the Nets Twice A Year). KD has dropped 30+ in the last three games without Westbrook and Durant has averaged more points per game on Thursday (28.80) and January (28.0), than any other day or month, respectively, in his career. Again, things don't look good for the Nets.

3. What do you expect out of Mirza Teletovic tonight with Serge Ibaka on him?

Ben Nadeau: On the perimeter, Mirza *should* have the advantage-- but in this topsy-turvy season, nothing that is supposed to happen happens. So, I'm guess that Mirza will pick up two early fouls trying to guard Ibaka on the other end and we'll see a little flurry of threes in the second half, but that'll be that and Brooklyn will have already lost the game. I'm so happy about things these days.

Justin DeFeo: I expect Mirza to continue staying aggressive with a mix of long range shooting and attacks to the rim. I'm more concerned about how he'll deal with Ibaka's size and athleticism on the other end of the floor..if he has to spend time guarding him.

Will Rausch: It's not so much what I expect out of Mirza tonight as what I expect in to Teletovic; as in, balls blocked in his face by Serge Iblocka. That's not to demean Mirza's turnaround this season from his virtually anonymous rookie season. The Bosnian big already has ten more points in 24 games this season than he did in 53 all of last year, but again, things don't look good for the Nets tonight, and Mirza going up against one of the best defensive bigs in the game is part of that inauspicious outlook.

Final Predictions:

Ben Nadeau: Thunder 120, Nets 80, Kevin Durant 70.

Justin DeFeo: Thunder 115, Nets 95

Will Rausch: Thunder a lot, Nets not a lot

 

Roundtable: Nets-Spurs

Posted on: December 31st, 2013 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

 

Popovich, Parker (AP)

Popovich, Parker (AP)

Ho-hum, another elite team. At least there's really no doubt what will happen anymore. The Nets will lose, but, thankfully, it's because they're supposed to lose to teams like San Antonio, the model NBA Franchise. The Spurs are well-coached, rebuilt through the draft and have kept their core around since they joined the league. Jason Kidd is not Greg Popovich. Tim Duncan has aged far better than Kevin Garnett.

Tonight, just like Indiana, there is very little hope of a Brooklyn win. San Antonio's fluid offense will tear apart the shoddy, duct-tape defense the Nets have been employing as of late. Deron Williams hasn't been playing like a max contract player and, hey, did you hear? Brook Lopez is having season-ending foot surgery on January 4th.

Man, I feel like I'm going through the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Grief-- though it's hard to tell if this is the anger or acceptance stage.

The Brooklyn Nets stink right now.

The BK Game crew breaks it down further in a special New Year's Eve edition of the Roundtable:

1. Who wins the PG matchup between Tony Parker and Deron Williams?

Chris Hooker: You know, I've been sort of negative recently, but I have a feeling that the Nets are going to pick up the pace a little tonight. The Spurs have the respect of everyone and I do think Kidd admires Poppovich. Brooklyn always talks about wanting to be the Spurs and I think they do mean it. I'm picking Deron over Tony tonight. Parker hasn't been great and I just think D-Will is due for... something.

Ben Nadeau: Both point guards have been putting up rather mediocre stats for their usual pedigree, but Parker has a chance to tear this paper mache defense apart. I'll tell you one thing: If the Nets play their half-hearted, jogging, lazy defense tonight, the off-ball movement and fluidity of a Spurs offense that has been running without fail for almost a decade will make your head spin. Parker is quick enough to stick to Williams, but will DWill stick to his promise to be more aggressive? Sadly, the Nets seem to be all talk this year, so who knows what Deron Williams we'll see tonight. The Nets will need a classic performance from Williams in order to have a shot at all. 

2. If he plays, what kind of impact do you see having Andrei Kirilenko having on this team?

Chris Hooker: I think he can mean a lot more than we think he can. He's the Nets' only wildcard. We don't know what they have in him, and he's the only one so far you can really say that about. If he can stay healthy, a Williams/Johnson/Pierce/Kirilenko/Garnett lineup can be very effective.

Ben Nadeau: I'm going to put my rain cloud away for just one second and say this: Andrei Kirilenko can change this team's identity. For his entire career, AK47 has made a living on creating havoc and having his hands everywhere. Kirilenko isn't a player to take entire games off and his hustle and grittiness play-style may just be the jump start the Nets need to save the season. It's easier to play lazy if everyone else is-- but if everyone sees AK47 selling out for every loose ball like Crash did last year, well, things will not be as bad.

3. Should the Nets be looking forward towards 2014? Will it be any better there?

Chris Hooker: It can't get any worse, and really, it can only get better. It all depends in how much faith you have in Kidd getting better, Deron getting stronger, Kirlilenko getting healthier and KG/Pierce getting now older. Time will tell if they do.

Ben Nadeau: Annnnnnnd we're back. Not really-- what would there be?

Really, I'll wait.

I was chatting this weekend with a a few friends and the topic of the the guaranteed fourth seed for winning the Atlantic Division came up. It's true, at this rate, the Brooklyn Nets could go 30-52 and somehow will the division and get the fourth seed.

On one hand, you say: "Great, so we'll just lose to Washington in the first round instead of Indiana."

On the other hand, however, you could say: "If we get healthy and Deron starts playing strong and Kidd somehow gets the brains and Pierce and KG steal the hearts of young, wild animals and Mirza turns into the next Larry Bird and AK47 revolutionizes the team and Alan Anderson turns into the James Posey the Celtics had in 2007 and Brook Lopez comes back from the dead... hey! We might have a shot at this!"

I think I'm back to denial or bargaining on the five stages of grief. I'll see myself out.

Final Predictions:

Chris Hooker: Like I said earlier, I think the Nets really respect the Spurs and will play them tough. Spurs by 5.

Ben Nadeau: Spurs 95, Nets 84

Roundtable: Nets-Pacers: Uh-oh, Round 2

Posted on: December 28th, 2013 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

 

Lance Stephenson, Roy Hibbert, Paul George (AP)

Lance Stephenson, Roy Hibbert, Paul George (AP)

In Brooklyn, things are in flux. Blatche is gone for four games, the reason for which remains a mystery. Kirilenko still remains out with his back injury and Mirza Teletovic was easily the best player last night against Milwaukee.

The list goes on: Jason Kidd may have lost the team and Deron Williams recently called the season "a nightmare."

Meanwhile, in Indiana, nearly everything is perfect. Danny Granger is back, Paul George is an MVP candidate and the Pacers own the best record in the Eastern Conference. The last time the Nets and Pacers played basketball, Indiana walked away with a 103-86 victory.

So, uh, tonight should be interesting. Right?

The Brooklyn Game crew breaks it down below.

Who guards Paul George? Who guards Roy Hibbert? Do they stand a chance?

Ben Nadeau: Alan Anderson better bring his big boy shorts tonight. Garnett and Evans, I guess, will probably guard Hibbert, which is a pretty big issue in of itself. I don't know if they stand a chance, it just seems like they're over-matched at every position other than point guard. I'm usually one of the more optimistic predictors here, but tonight might be a slaughter.

Chris Hooker: Paul George is unstoppable. But the Nets are blessed in the sense that they, too, have a big guard in Joe Johnson. He's not the most lockdown defender of all time, but George's mismatch is eliminated because of Joe. You could put Pierce on him as well when George plays the three. As far as Hibbert, put Garnett on him and hold your breath.

Justin DeFeo: Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce will be the key protagonists on George while Kevin Garnett and Mason Plumlee will get the most cracks on Hibbert. They stand a chance but are shallow on the wings and with Brook already sidelined and Blatche out the Nets are critically thin in the front court as well.

Who is the most important player for Brooklyn tonight?

Ben Nadeau: I guess Alan Anderson or Pierce, probably, whoever has to guard George. The Pacers run through PG24 and most of their big plays come from the MVP candidate. If they can annoy George, they'll be a lot better off in the long run. Then they still have to deal with Granger, Hill, West, Stephenson...

Uh-oh.

Chris Hooker: It's whoever is in charge of stopping Mr. Paul George. Whether it's Joe, Pierce, Alan Anderson, the Nets need to stop this guy from scoring in bunches if they want a shot. Yikes.

Justin DeFeo: I answer this question almost the same every game and that'd be Deron Williams. He makes the Nets go and his penetration and playmaking will be even more critical against the stifling Indiana defense.

How does Brooklyn avoid being blown-out again?

Ben Nadeau: I'm not sure if it's possible. Maybe if Mirza goes supernova and hits eight threes, we'll only lose by 20. Garnett has to slow down Hibbert and Pierce/Anderson have to stick to George like glue. So, a checklist of a million things have to happen to avoid a blowout. Let's just run screens all day for Mirza, sound good?

Chris Hooker: Nifty three point shooting, avoiding presence in the paint and flawless basketball. The Pacers are a hard-nosed, tough team. The Nets aren't. They need to out muscle the Pacers and play strong defense and keep Hibbert and West from being gigantic and George from being the third best player in the league.

Justin DeFeo: Compete. There's Loud rumblings that Kidd has lost the team. Nothing will be a better indication of where this team is at than a test against one of the NBA's best teams.

Final Predictions:

Ben Nadeau: 100-75, every time I predict the Nets to win, they lose. So, perhaps some reverse jinxing here? I'll never tell.

Chris Hooker: The Pacers will win by 20 points. Unless Mirza shoots 90% from three on ten shots. Man, I'm so bitter. Go Nets.

Justin DeFeo: Pacers 105, Nets 95

Keys to the Christmas Showdown: How can the Nets avoid a debacle?

Posted on: December 25th, 2013 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

Jason Kidd (AP)

Jason Kidd (AP)

One year ago today, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and the Boston Celtics tore apart the Nets in Brooklyn, drawing the ire of Gerald Wallace, a second-half confrontation, and a 93-76 loss, dropping the Nets to 14-13 and bringing coach Avery Johnson just one game from his eventual firing.

If you can't beat 'em, trade for 'em.

Now, armed with Pierce and Garnett, the Nets host a Christmas game at Barclays Center at noon for the second straight season. They take on the Chicago Bulls: a game billed as marquee in October, but with significantly less luster today.

The Bulls, for the second straight season, have lost former MVP Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury. Jimmy Butler, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng, three other Bulls starters, are also fighting various injuries. Deng will not play. They're 10-16 on the season despite ranking fifth in the NBA in defensive efficiency, having lost 11 of 14 games on the road.

The Nets learned last weekend that they'll be without Brook Lopez for the season, after his third major foot injury in two years. Andrei Kirilenko, their assumed sixth man, is a game-time decision. After the assumption that they'd compete for a championship for one final season, the Nets have sputtered to a 9-18 start.

So much for the bright lights. Below, Benjamin Nadeau and William Rausch answer three Christmas-day questions.

1. Without Rose and Lopez, what's the key to this showdown?

Ben Nadeau: Deron Williams. Kirk Hinrich says he's going to play, but he's no world-stopper. After that, Williams will see Marquis Teague and D.J. Augustin thrown at him. After the loss to the Pacers, he said it needed to start with him, that he needed to play better. Today would be a good day to start.

William Rausch: Christmas is a holiday awash in emotionalism and sentiment, so let's be grinches for a moment and go with cold, hard facts. Staying rational also helps to counter the negative emotions that swell when thinking of last year's game 7 loss to the Bulls. The Nets are 0-16 when trailing after the third quarter and 0-14 when giving up 100 points. Clearly the Nets need to be leading after the third quarter and give up less than 100 points to a Bulls team that scores a league worst 91.8 points per game.

2. The Nets have an advantage at point guard. Predict Deron Williams's line:

Ben Nadeau: Like I said, this could be quintessential Deron Williams game. Maybe I'm optimistic or just overflowing with that Christmas joy, but here goes: 25 points, 11 assists, four three-pointers, two steals, and a partridge in a pear tree. I'll see myself out.

William Rausch: D-Will has an advantage over newly acquired Kirk Hinrich or D.J. Augustin, sure, but did D-Will get platelet-enriched plasma injections for Christmas? Deron tweaked one of his faberge ankles on Monday in the blowout loss to the Pacers and I'm not sure I trust that he's fine. That said, let's stick to the Grinch/avoiding negative feelings about game 7 angle and go with something around D-Will's average this season: 12 points, 7 assists.

3. Last year the Nets were embarrassed on National TV by the Celtics, firing Avery Johnson two days later. Will this year be different?

Ben Nadeau: After Pierce's game against Indiana, who knows what they'll get out of him? Jason Kidd called the Nets quitters, in so many words, so it'll be interesting to see how they respond. I believe they will, for some reason. Look for big games from Joe Johnson and Mirza Teletovic.

William Rausch: I don't think the Nets will get blown out like last year's Christmas Day Massacre at the hands of the Paul Pierce/KG Celtics. Sure the shorthanded Bulls are coming off a 100-84 thumping of the Cavs and are likely getting Hinirich and Butler back. And then there is that whole Bulls ability to rise to the occasion in Brooklyn thing, but why did you bring that up? Are you trying to ruin my Christmas? These aren't the 2012-13 Bulls and while I think they will likely beat the Nets, I don't see them winning in blowout fashion.

Final Predictions:

Ben Nadeau: Nets 99, Bulls 91

William Rausch: Bulls 92 Nets 90.

Billy King talks Brook Lopez injury (Twitter Story)

Posted on: December 22nd, 2013 by Benny Nadeau Comments

 

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