The Nets got dragged down to Chicago’s level in this game, and it wasn’t pretty: both teams were mired in foul trouble, and ultimately Chicago slugged harder in the loss. The Nets were abysmal in crunch time, running isolations as the Bulls got open shots off screens and misdirections. It was a matter of one team outplaying and out-executing another, and the Nets were on the wrong side of it.
I do not know if he’s healthy, but he sure isn’t playing like it.
Opened the game by abusing Mike Dunleavy with and-one layups on back-to-back possessions, but got himself into quick foul trouble and wasn’t much of a factor afterwards.
Iso-Joe had a little fun to end the first half and used an Iso-Finger to annoy Jimmy Butler in the third quarter, but other than that looked listless. Way too many isolations in crunch time.
As an undersized power forward, Pierce struggled to defend and rebound against Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, without the ability to take them off the dribble like he did against the Bobcats defense. Led the team in scoring, but the team could’ve found him for more.
Pretty move on Taj Gibson in the second quarter and played impassioned defense on Gibson and Carlos Boozer. Can’t put the loss on him.
He was the only Nets player that could score in the first quarter once Shaun Livingston left the game, but the team’s defense notably nosedives when he enters. Part of that is that he’s replacing Kevin Garnett, who’s one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, but part of that is due to his own indifference on that end. Kidd entered Blatche in crunch time for Garnett and he promptly gave up open shots.
Started to involve himself in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer (no, really) and
some smart defensive switching on the weak side in a quiet first half. He’s really playing his way into starter’s minutes.
His shot is way prettier than it is effective these days. Every time he shoots, it looks like it’s going down, but his shot’s been inconsistent all year.
Upon entering the game, Taj Gibson promptly hit the exact same shot in his face twice in a row, a turnaround jumper towards the baseline on the left block. Did not play in the second half.
Brutal.
