Last time was fun, so lets do it again! Tonight the Nets are taking on the Orlando Magic and a former Net…I can’t remember his name though…before we talk about the game, I rewatched the Nets game from Wed. last night, and there are two things I wanted to note from Wed.
This was off a missed foul shot by Yi. Notice anything wrong? The ball is ahead of all five Nets. How does that happen? Off a foul shot? This was the kind of stuff I noticed when I rewatched the game. Yes the Nets were playing well, but they were also making a ton of mental mistakes, and once they stopped making all of their shots (and Minnesota started hitting theirs), the lead evaporated. We might have to get used to this though, the Nets are a young team…
Also, another thing I noticed was how successful the Nets were when they gave Brook the ball on the high post in the first 3 quarters and how unsuccessful it was in the 4th. In the first three quarters, everyone was cutting, allowing Brook to find open players and if his defender slouched off him, he hit the jumper. In the fourth, Brook was still getting the ball on the elbow, but there was no movement, no cutting, and that is why the offense fell off in my opinion.
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Alright, now lets turn our attention to tonight’s game. Yes, Vince Carter is returning, and yes he does deserve a standing ovation. He showed that he was a true professional last year with the way he acted both on and of the court. After the standing ovation though, at least in my mind, he is an opponent, and we can’t take the trade back, so I am not going to think, “man I wish Vince was here” or anything like that.
Nets Starting Lineup
- PG – Devin Harris
- SG – Courtney Lee
- SF – Chris Douglas-Roberts
- PF – Yi Jianlian
- C – Brook Lopez
Timberwolves Starting Lineup
- PG – Jameer Nelson
- SG – Vince Carter
- SF – Mickael Pietrus
- PF – Ryan Anderson
- C – Dwight Howard
Their Mismatches
Vince Carter vs. Courtney Lee – Courtney is coming off a tough shooting game which means he might be a little hessitant on the offensive end. That isn’t good, since he is going up against a poor defender in Vince. Also, when you attack him on defense, his offense will slip a bit. So if Courtney continues to struggle offensively, look for Vince to have a big night.
Our Mismatches
Chris Douglas-Roberts vs. Mickael Pietrus – For the second night in a row, CDR has got a favorable matchup against an opposing 3, Pietrus only has 15 pounds on CDR, and he doesn’t really attack the glass too much. Last game CDR got into foul trouble early against Minny and couldn’t get into a flow. Hopefully he can get into one tonight.
Matchup Of The Night
Brook Lopez vs. Dwight Howard – This is going to be an awesome matchup for years to come, and tonight we get to see why it will be so fun. Brook has got the polished offensive game and Dwight has the power and athleticism. Let’s see what comes out on top…
Keys To Victory
Defend The Three – This one is easy. The Magic are the best three point team in the league, and we are one of the worst defending the three. Hopefully we can get up for the challenge and close out hard on their shooters.
Get Dwight In Foul Trouble – Dwight Howard is so important for what the Magic do both offensively and defensively. On the offensive end, you always got to know where he is, and that allows the other Magic players to get open looks. On the defensive end, Howard erases a lot of mistakes. If he isn’t on the court, we got a chance.
Box Out – I mentioned it earlier, but three point shots usually come of the rim funny and lend themselves to long bounces. If the Nets don’t box out, they will give this dangerous 3 point shooting team more shots at the basket.
Prediction
Current Prediction Record: 0-1
You know how Vince Carter played good against the Raptors because their fans hated him? Maybe because most Nets fans love him and he will get a standing O, he will play poorly? Don’t believe that? Yeah me either. Magic win this one big.
