We've hit the apex of Andray Blatcheness. There is nowhere left to go. When you've conquered the land of Blatche, what is there left to conquer?
I say this every two weeks. He'll do it again soon.
For now, just enjoy the fact that the Nets have a slow seven-footer who thinks he's a point guard and will do absolutely anything to prove it.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was on hand for Wednesday night's Grizzlies-Nets game, and when YES Network's cameras captured him, he looked, well, unenthused about the experience:
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On the latest and greatest edition of #BKConnect, YES Network's Chris Shearn, Newsday's Rod Boone, and I dish on the latest on all things Nets, including Monday night's emphatic victory over the Chicago Bulls, the latest in playoff positioning, and the latest potential Nets moves.
If you want your question on the next edition of #BKConnect, connect with YES Network on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, with the hashtag #BKConnect.
Jason Collins checked in with just over two minutes left in the 96-80 Brooklyn Nets win over the Chicago Bulls to a standing ovation from the crowd, becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in Brooklyn.
Within three seconds of entering the game, Collins committed a foul on Bulls forward Taj Gibson.
It was perfectly Collinsian. Revel in this historic moment.
The Nets drafted Mason Plumlee 22nd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft thinking he'd spend most of his time in Springfield.
Now, with Kevin Garnett out with back spasms, Plumlee's arguably been the team's most electric player: swatting opponents, getting free in the lane, running the floor, and finishing.
The best part of this play: Joakim Noah, one of the league's best defenders, is standing right there. He's right in the way. And you can still see the finish coming from a mile away.
Joakim Noah's one of the league's best big men: a phenomenal passer, world-class defender, and awkward but effective offensive player. You'd imagine he'd give a rookie like Mason Plumlee fits on both ends of the floor.
Enter Noah driving to the basket near the end of the first half and meeting THE SWIFT HAND OF THE PLUMLEE. Plumlee, making his second consecutive start, threw Noah's shot into the stands and brought a loud "OOOOH" from the crowd.
Not bad to have a seven-footer with a 36-inch vertical.
Andrei Kirilenko has battled his fair share of injuries this year, limiting his minutes on the court. On Sunday's game against the Lakers, AK47 turned back the clock with 10 points, 10 boards, three assists, four steals and one block in 35 minutes of action. It was his second game in a row playing 30+ minutes, and it looks like Kirilenko may keep his hot streak going tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Kirilenko logged 12 minutes midway through the 2nd quarter, and showed Damian Lillard why he was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2006 with a nasty steal and dunk on the other end. Just another example of the little things AK47 does that translates into stops and buckets.
Througout his career, Jason Collins has been the no-stats all-star, putting up a surprisingly good plus-minus despite bringing very little in terms of scoring, rebounding, and blocking shots. But Collins made his mark as a consummate professional that was willing to throw his weight around, setting hard screens using his six fouls.
Watch history made as Collins does what he does best, setting a hard, illegal screen on Jordan Farmar and getting called for an offensive foul, his first foul on the night and the first called on an openly gay athlete in NBA history.
Collins finished the game leading the bench with a +8 plus-minus and committing five fouls in just under 11 minutes, none more significant than this illegal screen.
Barriers getting broken every day.
Brooklyn Nets announcers Ryan Ruocco and Mike Fratello were incredulous about Jermaine O'Neal's free throw shooting, and the video shows they had every reason to be.
In the Nets' 93-86 loss to the Golden State Warriors, O'Neal took longer than Joe Johnson during the three-point shootout to take his free throws.
The NBA rules specifically dictate that players can only take ten seconds to shoot a free throw, and O'Neal whizzes (sleepstands?) right past that. The first took at least 11 seconds (0:04-0:15), the second 13 seconds (0:40-0:53), and the third 13 seconds (1:13-1:26). It's obvious to anyone with a pulse and a clock, and around the one-minute mark, you can hear Ruocco and Fratello count down incredulously.
The Nets deservedly lost this game -- there's no excuse for giving up a 23-13 game to 35-year-old Jermaine O'Neal -- but that's also three obvious points added on the board in a close game, which result in free throw violations getting called against the wrong team.
The script is eerily similar to last season: the Nets get off to a slow start in the beginning of the season, lose to the Spurs in their last game of the calendar year, beat the Thunder for the first game of the New Year, and finish off the season strong behind a resurgence from Deron Williams after the All-Star break.
Last season, Deron got his pep back in his step after a lengthy rest and series of cortisone shots. He competed at an ultra-high level and looked like the point guard Nets GM Billy King had traded for.
Deron showed Stephen Curry his signature crossover, and completely faked out the first Warrior to start in the All Star Game since P.J. Carlesimo's best friend Latrell Sprewell, getting to the rim for a layup and drawing the foul.
