Well, that was almost not ugly.
Here's your Net Worth:
Late push -- and a legitimately good one -- but wasn't enough after a rough, rough first half. Looked out of rhythm and out of control until it was too late.
BE VERY, VERY AFRAID: EVIL TWIN MO JOHNSON IS ALIVE.
No one out-hustles Gerald Wallace and holy crap, did he throw it down in the fourth quarter. Did commit a costly turnover late handling the ball, though.
Came off the bench for the first time after 97 consecutive games started (that he played in). Didn't do much -- got free for an open dunk in the fourth quarter during the furiocomeback thanks to a Deron Williams feed, but somewhat invisible otherwise.
Got to the line a few times in the first half and hit some early jumpers, but got burned defensively and didn't play in the fourth quarter.
One of Brooks' best games yet: scored off his own creativity and open feeds, and dropped 14 points despite only playing in the second half. Could this be a turning point that puts him in the rotation?
Performed semi-admirably in his first start. The Nets, believe it or not, got off to a red-hot start, leading 11-2 after four minutes, and two of those buckets came from Reggie Evans steals leading to fast-break points. He didn't look out of place in the starting lineup, but he didn't plug the plagued Nets, either.
Still getting available for these corner 3's, but...
callingalltoasters
December 9, 2012
Hey, look– Avery is still the stupidest coach in all of professional sports!
WynnDuffy
December 9, 2012
Honestly, do you guys actually watch the games, or know anything about the NBA?
callingalltoasters
December 9, 2012
I give up. Who are “you guys”?
DanRodriguez804
December 9, 2012
Good question. I was wondering the same thing reading some comments on this site. “The stupidest coach” comment is pretty ignorant. Unfortunately Avery couldn’t play center today or rebound today. A tough L for sure but why panic in December? Miami lost to the Wizards and the Knicks w/o Melo, and didn’t panic.
callingalltoasters
December 9, 2012
Yes, the players are the ones on the court. Thank you for pointing that out. I bow to your non-ignorance in matters of basketball.
Devin Kharpertian
December 9, 2012
What is NBA?
WynnDuffy
December 10, 2012
Google it
Devin Kharpertian
December 10, 2012
You’re so sour! Eating too many lemondrops.
But don’t worry, we can all still feel the brilliance emanating from your constant, smug self-flagellating denigration of a fun list we put together well over a year ago to talk Nets during the NBA lockout.
So keep it up! Makes you look really smart and everything
WynnDuffy
December 10, 2012
Pearl Washington
WynnDuffy
December 9, 2012
toasters, I’m referring to the persons that run this site and provided those grades.
DanRodriguez804
December 9, 2012
This site has some cool pieces but I’m also not a fan of the grading system. But I guess it’s a forum to keep fans involved and say how great they are after a win and how much they suck after a loss.
WynnDuffy
December 9, 2012
So you agree with me that they have no idea what they are talking about?
DanRodriguez804
December 9, 2012
Well, the dude Devin and some of the other guys on this site I actually think do a good job and have pretty good knowledge. I just don’t like the idea of the individual grading system in a team game. The team looked lost on offense for stretches. That’s gonna happen in an 82-game season. But it’s up to me just move on past this article if I choose. Since we are giving out grades, I’d give this site a B+.
WynnDuffy
December 9, 2012
You must be young
DanRodriguez804
December 10, 2012
Lol good and mature rebuttal. Sure I’m a young guy. Been an nba fan over 20 years. You could start your own blog if this site doesn’t know anything. You critique without saying what you disagree with. You must be republican.
WynnDuffy
December 10, 2012
No, I’m an Independent. And I’m not the guy on this site that ranked Pearl Washington amongst the top Nets.
William Rausch
December 9, 2012
How about we all agree that nearly everything about the majority of this game was bad. Agree? Or at least you can all agree with your disagreement of me.
WynnDuffy
December 9, 2012
Say Wha?
DanRodriguez804
December 9, 2012
Lol I can agree with that. Let me see how I can disagree…well, the quiet-of-late crowd got riled up in the fourth. That was cool. Mr. Whammy represented. That’s cool. Willie Randolph was in attendance. Gerald Wallace looked like a stud. This game made me some think about Kenyon Martin in a Nets uniform again, but got over that quickly.
Those are the positives I can take into the next game.
WynnDuffy
December 10, 2012
NBA is a game-to-game league. You’ve been following the NBA for 20 years and you haven’t noticed that yet?
DanRodriguez804
December 10, 2012
I was being facetious in my response. You’re such a crab and a fake expert. Since you’re so knowledgeable and no one else knows anything, start your own blog. Call it “Wynn is right and you’re a moron.” Do you know anything about the nba?
maxw16
December 9, 2012
I’ve never seen anyone play harder than Gerald Wallace did in the second half. Best half of basketball I’ve seen from a Nets player in a VERY long time. All capped off by that dunk.
DanRodriguez804
December 9, 2012
I know it’s a bad basketball trade, but I’d feel okay about losing these games if we can just bust up the Knicks on Tuesday. Avery didn’t sound very optimistic that Lopez will play Tuesday either. I’m sure Dikembe Mutombo is chillin somewhere, available to work. Could we give him a one-day contract?
Sean Coyle
December 9, 2012
I’m really starting to wonder if Avery likes Marshon at all. The team only scored 31 points in the first half, and he know he has instant offense in Brooks. His defense is suspect, though it is getting better, but he attacks the rim, gets good looks and can create for himself. It’s everything we wish we had out of JJ…
cymbal2k
December 9, 2012
I dont get how Avery gets knocked so much. They gutted their whole entire team and started literally from scratch. The only people who have actually spent a whole season together are Deron, Humphries, and Marshon, who is a reserve now (Wallace came half way and prob got 5 practices in with the Nets due to the shortened schedule and Lopez was out all year). Yeah they gave Avery him great pieces, but nothing happens over night. Lopez going down clearly hurt the Chemistry of the team, and on top of all that, who on earth could have predicted that Joe Johnson would be this bad. I know he has recently had a few solid games, but he has just been painful to watch thus far. He is statistically down in every single category (except minutes, hah), which is ridiculous because I don’t think he has ever had an easier time getting open in his entire career. If Morrow got the looks he was getting, hed be dropping 50 a game, not that Morrow is even close to JJ, just saying he has been such a disappointment this year and if you want to blame the Nets woes on anyone it should be him.
Avery is a good coach, he will make the Nets one of the top defense. He has a track record for that (Dallas went from 26th ranked D to 9th the season he got there). Joe was brought in to be instant offense and honestly at this point I would rather see Marshon starting over him, at least I would have confidence with the ball in his hands & like I said the defense will come. I have zero confidence in Joe and as the pg, how much longer do you think Deron will have confidence in a guy who looks like he would lose to Dwight in a 3 pt shootout.
Point is, don’t knock Avery, this is on Joe (who almost makes Amare’s contract look good).
callingalltoasters
December 10, 2012
You know that Avery has been coach for over two seasons, right? I know, I know, the last two years don’t count because the players weren’t good enough for Avery to bother to coach. And now we have almost all new players except for 4/5 of our starting 5. Funny how the players Avery hasn’t had time to coach (the bench) play together well, while the starters don’t. I eagerly anticipate the explanations in April as to why this season also didn’t count.
But he HAS done better this year– the Nets no longer look less organized than a pick-up team. Now they look like a pick-up team. Huzzah.
DanRodriguez804
December 10, 2012
So the previous two years don’t count, but he deserves to be crucified in early December thru a series of injuries? Real smart. How about if I went to the drive-thru window at your job and told you how much you sucked because my fries weren’t hot.
callingalltoasters
December 10, 2012
Sorry, next time I will identify sarcastic statements as such, to help such bright lights as yourself figure out my meaning.
The whole sentence above this one is sarcastic, for instance.
cymbal2k
December 10, 2012
You must be a Knick fan converted to a Nets bc I have never heard anyone but a Knicks (and Yankee) fan get so worked up this early on about a team that is still learning how to play with each other…….oh yeah, and that will make the playoffs. Its not even that they arent playing well together, they are playing fine. The opportunities are there, they are getting plenty of open shots- Joe Johnson has just been dreadful and Deron has been shooting poorly. Could you even imagine how good this team would be if those 2 players got back to their normal form! Its not so crazy to assume that 2 players who have been consistently doing something their entire careers, will continue to do it. And of the 5 players you mentioned, only 3 have played together for a full season and 1 of those guys IS NOW A RESERVE!
And if your going to make the argument that anyone can coach a team where Sheldon Williams, Desean Stevenson, and Johan Petro all start in the same line up, youve got another thing coming to you.
Additionally, as DanRodriguez804 mentioned, they have only started losing after lopez got hurt. They looked real good on defense and lopez was able to carry them on offense. Also, how the heck can you ignore the fact that Avery won coach of the month! Fluke? cmon, I want your input on this one.
I cant stand fans like this- Avery is a good coach, last year was a disaster. The Nets almost set the record (i think they might have actually) for the most starting line ups put together over the course of a season (which, by the way, was a shortened season, thus more impressive). Don’t play him bc they guy they are paying 20 mil a year cant his a shot and Lopez hurt his foot for a couple of games, by the end of the season he will have this team where it needs to be. CHILL
callingalltoasters
December 11, 2012
“You must be a Knick fan converted to a Nets”
Yeah, in 1974.
“Also, how the heck can you ignore the fact that Avery won coach of the month!”
By understanding how those awards work, that’s how.
“And of the 5 players you mentioned, only 3 have played together for a full season and 1 of those guys IS NOW A RESERVE!”
Yes, Hump only started 18 of our 19 games. And in the 19th he only played his usual 25 minutes. Good point. TERRIFIC point.
“I cant stand fans like this- Avery is a good coach, last year was a disaster.”
I keep forgetting–none of the Avery boosters can remember 2 years ago.
“CHILL”
Yeah… no.
DanRodriguez804
December 10, 2012
I’m nervous about the extent of Lopez’s injury. The Bird Man Andersen is still a FA. I’d feel better about signing him or a big body, not eddy curry. Send Shengalia to the D League.
WynnDuffy
December 10, 2012
Sir, I know enough about the NBA to believe only what I see, and not what I read or am told to believe.
DanRodriguez804
December 10, 2012
Then say why you disagree. That’s the fun part of talking sports, to debate what team is better, what players are better, etc, etc. Thats what makes it fun. why even come here if you know all you need to know already? If you disagree, you can say something like, “I hear your point but I disagree. I think so and so is better.” It’s so petulant to simply say, no one knows anything but me.
WynnDuffy
December 11, 2012
That may be the fun part of sports for you.
I actually enjoy watching NBA basketball. Not listening to the commentators, or reading about it afterwards.
I am a fan of the game itself, and not the hype that has now become bigger than the game.
Perhaps you can’t conceive of that.
DanRodriguez804
December 11, 2012
Lol you’re a funny guy. Why go to a site whose purpose it is to promote the team and engage the fans if you don’t like going there? And then continue to comment? It’s like I don’t smoke but I’ll hang out in the smoker’s lounge….just to say how much I don’t like smoke. Smokers would like at me like, what’s with this guy? Is it attention you’re after? Try eharmony.com
WynnDuffy
December 11, 2012
Sorry Danny, I’m a Net fan, and I post my opinion.
Hope it’s not inconveniencing you.
Actually, couldn’t give a FF if it is inconveniencing you.
DanRodriguez804
December 11, 2012
Nope definitely not inconveniencing me, just makes me feel sorry for you.
WynnDuffy
December 11, 2012
Thanks. Your caring about me is quite the sweet gesture on your part.