It has been quiet on the free agency front for about a week now and I think that it is safe to say that the Nets are going to hold off signing anymore players this offseason (a trade is another story, but we aren't talking about that right now).  What that means is we can now look at the four free agents that the Nets brought in and look at what they can do well, and more importantly, how that fits into the Nets' system.

Anthony Morrow

What He Brings? Anthony Morrow might very well be one of the best catch and shoot three point shooters in the NBA today.  In fact, according to a tweet from NetsDaily, Morrow currently has the highest career three point shooting percentage in the history of the NBA at 46%, he just needs nine more attempts to qualify.

Does He Fit? Yes he does.  The Nets biggest problem last year was that they had nobody who could hit a jumper, let a lone a three point shot for them.  Sure, Keyon Dooling or Courtney Lee would have games where they would hit their shots, but they were far from consistent (and don't even get me started on Bobby Simmons...the Nets' "shooter").  What does a consistent outside threat do for the Nets?  It opens everything up, especially for Brook Lopez.  What Brook Lopez did last year averaging 18.8 points per game was pretty remarkable considering the amount of double (and even triple teams he saw).  Teams were able to bring all this pressure on Brook because there was nobody he could kick it out to on the outside.  In addition to helping Brook, having Morrow stand at the three point line clears the middle and opens up the Nets' pick and roll game (and Devin's drive and kick game).  Morrow will force defenses to be honest and keep a man close to him at all times.

The Problem? Morrow's only really excels at shooting the basketball.  He doesn't play defense particularly well, and despite showing some athletic ability he can't really put the ball on the floor or create his own shot (95.7% of his threes were off of teammates' assists).

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Sebastian Pruiti

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OK - I promise not to mention any trade rumors/speculation this morning regarding a certain athletic wing player the Nets currently employ.

In his latest piece at Nets Insider, Al Iannazzone says there's no doubt that the Nets are a better team than last year. So now, with their cap flexibility, they have to be on the lookout for the right time to make a trade that could bring a legit superstar into the fold a la the Celtics and the Pistons from a few years ago:

The Nets still have more work to do. They need a starting-caliber power forward and hope to get one without having to give up Favors.

They’re high on him and would like to keep him. But Favors is a chip they planned to use in free agency if they needed him to get one of the superstars. He also could be one that helps them get an established star who could become available this off-season or next season, such as Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.

Given the Nets inability to lure free agents to the swamp in the past, trade really does seem to be the only option to put this team over the top. Unlike some other teams out there pining for guys like Paul and 'Melo, the Nets have acquired some legitimate assets to make a deal work.

Mark Ginocchio

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With all of the starting caliber power forwards free agents pretty much locked up, the only way the Nets can get a guy to play in front of Derrick Favors for a few years so he can develop is through a trade.  As Mark told us over the weekend, Terrence Williams might be the guy who gets sacrificed to make this happen.

People who read this site on a daily basis know how much I like Terrence Williams, but I do think if a deal gets made he is the one most likely to be dealt.  In my opinion, Terrence Williams is valued higher by other teams than by the Nets.  This is because Avery Johnson loves guys who can play both ends of the court, and right now Terrence Williams is weak on the defensive end.  So who can the Nets bring in by dealing Terrence Williams?  Well, I decided to use Trade Machine to take a look:

Terrence Williams for Carl Landry

Carl Landry is the exact type of Power Forward the Nets are looking for.  He is only under contract for another two years, and he is a guy who wants to bang on the inside...the Nets need that.  As for the Kings, they don't have a standout Shooting Guard on their roster, and T-Will can be that.

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Sebastian Pruiti

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Nets fans and observers who think Terrence Williams may be best suited as trade bait for a starting quality power forward got some more fuel for their fire in a Marc Spears column over at Yahoo! Spears suggests that #3 Draft Pick Derrick Favors was one of the "losers" of the Summer League, but it really wasn't his fault:

The third pick in the draft averaged just seven shots in the New Jersey Nets’ first four summer league games in Orlando because teammate Terrence Williams(notes) was busy hoisting away. Williams, the Nets’ second-year guard, averaged 19 shots a game.

When the Nets limited Williams to just four minutes in their finale, Favors went for 23 points and 11 rebounds while making 10 of his 17 shots. If the Nets could do it over, they might want to feature Favors a little more prominently.

I didn't get to watch too much of the summer league this year because I'm not a league pass guy, so maybe Sebastian and Devin can chime in over here, but it seems a little premature to say that it was solely TWill who affected Favors' performance. I just have to wonder if some of these writers are being set up by Nets brass to go negative on TWill to make a trade of his a bit more acceptable as it seems inevitable.

Mark Ginocchio

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A few of us have speculated as much around here, but Dave D'Alessandro really pokes the hornets nest and suggests that Terrence Williams greatest role with the Nets going forward may be as trade bait for an established power forward.

Admit that right now, this kid is a spare part – and an extremely valuable one.

And really, can you disagree with Dave D.? The Nets are overloaded at the wing position, and unless Courtney Lee has completely fallen out of favor with the new regime, I can't see TWill taking PT away from some of the new guys on this team like Anthony Morrow, Damion James and Travis Outlaw. You could maybe solve this problem and move Outlaw to PF temporarily to open up a spot in the starting five for Williams, but I haven't read a single team-connected report that mentions that as a possibility.

I'll be on the record and say I think trading Williams for a stopgap PF will be a mistake, but I agree with Dave D. that there's a certain inevitability to it.

Mark Ginocchio

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Obviously, this is a New Jersey Nets blog, however, the NAS crew absolutely love the NBA in general. So, every week, Sebastian, Mark, Devin, and myself will answer questions regarding the L.

1) Since the Miami Heat locked up LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, are they automatically going to win the Eastern Conference?  Who will be in the hunt for the conference?

Sebastian: I don't know if the Heat are a lock to win the East, but they are certainly the favorites.  In the playoffs I see a team like Orlando giving them trouble.  A team with a big man that can do work against either Bosh or Haslem.  Plus, that team can defend.... MORE →

Dennis Velasco

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With the news cycle starting to slow down somewhat, for the time being, I'm going return to doing the "Daily Link" approach and give you some early morning fodder for discussion, rather than dump a bunch of links into your lap which all say essentially the same thing. If you all don't like the format, let me know in the comments.

With that said, new Nets GM Billy King was formally introduced yesterday, while outgoing team president Rod Thorn got the rare opportunity to introduce his successor. Say what you will about Thorn, but he's been class all the way during this process, though I wonder if after some time has passed if we'll ever get the real dirt behind why he decided to leave so abruptly after Mikhail Prokhorov made it known how badly he wanted him to stay (money? power? clashing with Avery Johnson?).

King, somewhat acknowledging that he's made some bad moves in his time in Philadelphia, says he's grown up a little in Dave D'Alessandros' report:

“I’m wiser,” said the 44-year-old GM. “When I took over Philly, I was 32 years old. I did a lot of listening to guys like Rod, Donnie Walsh. Jerry West and Wayne Embry. I think now I have a better understanding and probably a little more patience. In Philly, we tried to do a lot of things quickly. In this league, if you do some things and it doesn’t work, you’re punished for a while.”

Devin expressed his opinions a little bit earlier in the week, and I'd like to echo and say I'm not wild about this hiring, but it's also pretty clear that this is Avery Johnson's team right now and King seems to be a bit of an empty suit if you believe the reports. Whether that's true or not, in an attempt to be positive on the King hiring, the NBA is a sea full of bad contracts that were handed out by GMs not just named Billy King. In Philadelphia, he took his shot with an undersized headcase as his team's focal point, and he even got to the Finals one year. You can't say that about a lot of GMs.

Mark Ginocchio

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With tomorrow expected to be Rod Thorn’s last day with the Nets organization before he either edges into retirement or finds another job in this league, I thought it would be appropriate to relive the highs and lows of his tenure with the organization. It was undoubtedly a roller coaster with Thorn, who was the NBA’s executive of the year in 2002 while the organization found itself in back-to-back Finals before vying for the worst record of all-time in the latter stages of his time here. For the sake of avoiding arguments, I’m not going to rank these highs and lows – but feel free to use the comments section to dispute or arrange what I’ve put down.

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Mark Ginocchio

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Jordan Farmar on why he picked the Nets over the Lakers: “We talked about it, and it wasn’t really how I wanted to spend my whole career, being a backup in a triangle (offense),” the Nets’ new backup point guard explained yesterday.

Al Iannazzone continues to speculate the Nets options for PF. They include Andrei Kirilenko, Troy Murphy, Kenyon Martin, Brandon Bass and Paul Millsap.

Daily News has part two of their interview with Mikhail Prokhorov. There's more amusing stuff in there, including this nugget:

Q: Can you play (PF)?

A: Power forward? I’m too old for this. And I don’t like the salary of the players. I can make more in business.

Mark Ginocchio

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UPDATE: Al Iannazzone now reports that the Nets have hired Billy King to be their new General Manager, rather than hiring him as President. To quote Mikhail Prokhorov:

I am very pleased Billy King is coming on board as Nets general manager. He has all of the qualities we’ve been looking for in a candidate:  professionalism, good relations with the league, players and agents, and strong communications skills.  He will be an excellent fit with Head Coach Avery Johnson. Most importantly, Billy is ambitious.  He wants to win.  This is what I felt when I met with him and why he will be a strong addition to the Nets organization.

NBA.com states King's experience in the original story as follows:

King's tenure as the Sixers' basketball boss was uneven. He was able to surround Allen Iverson with enough talent for the 76ers to make the Finals in 2001 and for Iverson to win league MVP honors that season. But Philly never reached those heights again, as King made a series of questionable financial decisions, including giving journeyman forward Kenny Thomas a $50 million contract and center Samuel Dalembert a $64 million deal. He gambled that Chris Webber and Iverson could coexist when he traded for Webber in 2005, and the team made the playoffs that season. But they didn't get there in 2006, and by 2007, Webber's knees had deteriorated to the point where he and the team agreed to a buyout.

After Brown's departure for Detroit in 2003, King also went through several head coaches, including Randy Ayers, Jim O'Brien and Mo Cheeks.

But King drafted pretty well during his tenure as president, taking forward Andre Iguodala in the first round in 2004, guard Lou Williams in the second round in 2005, guard Thabo Sefolosha in the first round in 2006 and forward Thaddeus Young in the first in 2007.

Now that King has been confirmed as GM instead of President, I'm still not a big fan of this move. Even less so, actually. What do you guys think?

Devin Kharpertian

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New Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov made some rounds yesterday, talking with his beat reporters and other Nets writers at the Four Seasons hotel and via e-mail. He answered some obvious questions about the team's search for a new President (UPDATE: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo is reporting Billy King is the front runner with Avery Johnson's blessing). He's also very bullish on the team's "Plan B" roster, despite understanding why fans may be disappointed about striking out on the "big names."

From the keyboard of the hardest working team blogger in the NBA, Ben Couch: "There is no contradiction between Plan A and Plan B," said Prokhorov on Tuesday at the Four Seasons. "I think we have great trade opportunities. really good trading assets and a really deep bench. That’s why I’m satisfied. I understand that fans feel a little bit upset, a little angry maybe. But I think they will like this team very soon."

In an e-mail exchange with NetsDaily, Prokhorov talked about the ideal candidate for team President: "For a championship team, we need a president with a combination of professional skills.  He should be respected in the League, very ambitious and able to work well with Avery Johnson.  We need not only teamwork among the players, but great teamwork on the management side."

Throughout these interviews, Prokhorov also flashed his personality and sense of humor. When asked about where he was when LeBron James made his announcement to join the Miami Heat: "Prokhorov said that he was asleep in Moscow. “Maybe it will surprise you, but I still keep some assets to work on,” he said."

When asked about his "Blueprint for Greatness" mural in New York City: “I think Jay and I look really great. I’m looking into the possibility of buying the building and having it shipped back to Moscow,” he said.

About what happens if he fails to get the Nets a championship in five years: "I'm going to get married," Prokhorov joked, playing to his playboy reputation. "It's the worst punishment."

As for his overall message to Nets fans: "Be patient. Support our team. We will win for sure. And, trust me, the next season will be completely different -- aggressive, young," Prokhorov said. "Now we have a really good ambition: to beat Miami Heat."

Mark Ginocchio

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The Summer League stats for the Nets are now up on our Statistics page, and over the five games a some interesting indicators came up in the numbers. Because of that, I'm going to do a quick statistical breakdown of the Nets players and how they fared last week.

First, the Big 3:

Terrence Williams (18.8 PPG, 3 RPG, 5 APG, 4.2 TPG, 44.3% FG%) was the star of Summer League. While he was off at times - in game 3 he struggled from the floor, shooting 8-26 - he was the most consistent producer for the Nets throughout. Attacking the rim regularly, T-Will took almost 16 attempts from the floor per game and a little over 6 attempts from the free throw line.

One important note is that in the 5th game, he only played for the first five minutes, so only looking at his stats from the first four games produces a line of 23-6.3-3.8-5.3-44.7%, which other than the huge turnover number is very impressive. As I mentioned in the game 3 recap, it did seem that T-Will was experimenting a lot with his game, so the turnover number doesn't bother me too much. If he tightens his play up for the regular season, he will have a very good year.

Damion James (18.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1 APG, 46.4 FG%) showed a lot of signs that he's going to be an impact player at the next level. Although he was forced to sit out the final game due to injury, James was aggressive at all times on both sides of the floor and really showed off his impressive stroke. He hit many mid-range jumpers and shot 4-10 from the field over the five-day period, two of those in his 30-point breakout on Wednesday. His only serious issue is free-throw shooting - he shot 19-34 (a paltry 56%) from the charity stripe, which is worse than his college average this past season (67.4%) but not by much. His weaknesses pale in comparison to everything he brought to the team last week, and he'll have a definite impact on the Nets next year.

Derrick Favors (10.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 4.8 FPG, 46.7 FG%) Had an up-and-down Summer League performance, but really started to put it together by the end of the week.  While struggling with foul trouble, turnover issues, and an occasional lack of aggressiveness early in the week, Favors dominated in the final game of Summer League, breaking out for 23 points, 11 rebounds, and a variety of post moves and high-flying jams. After watching in-depth for a week, the talent is clearly there - he just needs to work on his aggressiveness in the lane and work on the flaws in his mid-range jumpshot. He's got all the unteachables - an NBA body, ridiculously smooth athletic ability, and a knack for finishing around the rim - all he needs now is a coach who will get in his head that he actually can score on anyone. Luckily, the Nets have the perfect man for the job in Avery Johnson.

The rest:

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Devin Kharpertian

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