Well the Deron Williams Nets era has officially begun, but unfortunately it started on the road against one of the best teams in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. The fun continues tonight as the Nets take on another Western Conference foe with Houston. This is the Rockets’ third game since the break as they rolled off two wins against the Pistons and Cavaliers heading into our match up.
Some things to look for tonight:
Line-Ups: Avery Johnson suggested the team that started against the Spurs may not be the team that starts next game. But aside from starters, the rotation certainly will be tweaked and changed as the season moves on. We saw a little of Deron Williams off the ball with Farmar in the lineup, so keep an eye on more of that.
New Look Rockets: This will be the first for Houston since their deadline deals. In two separate deals the Rockets moved Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier and got back in return Goran Dragic and Hasheem Thabeet (the principle parts). I don’t think either of these deals changes the complexion of their team much, but taking Battier off the floor will certainly effect their defense. These moves may also open up some playing time for Ex-Net Terrence Williams, who I’m sure would like nothing more than to play a great game against the team he had a falling out with.
Deron Williams: Certainly the story of the game at least from the Nets side of things is the play of Deron Williams. He already notched a double-double in his debut and seemed to be the “straw that stirs the drink” like we thought he would be. As he goes, so goes the Nets. He certainly creates open shots for guys like Sasha Vujacic and the like, so it’ll be interesting to see those guys get more comfortable having to step up and make shots.
For more news and analysis on the Houston Rockets, check out our TrueHoop affiliate Red94.
