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Kris Humphries, PF 32 MIN | 5-10 FG | 4-4 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 14 PTS | -6
Hump’s main objective today was to deal with Blake Griffin, and for that alone, he was about average. Griffin got loose for some slams early, but Hump matched his physicality as well as he could. Offensively came alive and started to attack the rim better in the second half. |
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MarShon Brooks, G 42 MIN | 7-14 FG | 3-4 FT | 8 REB | 3 AST | 19 PTS | +4
Another great offensive game from Brooks. Played at a great pace and didn’t force anything. Defensively, he used his wingspan to play active defense and caused few steals and deflections. Avery couldn’t take him off the court, and he led the team in minutes as a result. |
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Mehmet Okur, C 26 MIN | 6-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 15 PTS | -7
Still a professional center, and provided much needed offense in the early going. Would like to see the Nets start working in more pick and pops with Okur, especially early to open things up. |
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DeShawn Stevenson, SG 20 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | -26
Who knows what you’re going to get with Stevenson. Was on the court in the beginning of the game, and the Nets defense looked confused and scrambled. His shot wasn’t falling, and he lost his minutes to Jordan Farmar. |
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Deron Williams, PG 36 MIN | 5-14 FG | 2-4 FT | 0 REB | 6 AST | 14 PTS | -19
An unusually quiet game from Deron. Didn’t really put his prints on the game, positively or negatively. Tried to assert himself down the stretch, but wasn’t much of a factor, and missed a few free throws. Still was on the court during the fourth quarter comeback, the team’s best minutes. |
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Shelden Williams, PF 22 MIN | 2-5 FG | 4-7 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | +2
Did about as well as you can expect for a guy who can’t jump vs. the tandem of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Pulled out all the old man tricks today, including pulling the chair out on a Blake Griffin post-up. His fourth quarter energy was vital in the Nets comeback. Arguably his best game as a Net. |
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Jordan Farmar, PG 29 MIN | 2-11 FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 7 AST | 6 PTS | +14
Did a nice job off the bench picking up a team that needed a lift in the first half. Steadied the offense and hit the shots presented to him. Avery opted to use him along Deron tonight for the majority of the game, beating out Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson. Lots of energy, evidenced by his rebound total. |
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Johan Petro, C 16 MIN | 5-7 FG | 0-2 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 10 PTS | -9
His jumper was falling early, which sometimes leads Petro to shoot more and from further. Tonight, it went consistently, and he played better than expected defense. |
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Five Things We Saw
- Far more, Farmar. Yes, I stole that pun from the great Jimmy Sparkles (Spanarkle), but it fits. He’s quietly turning himself into our second-best guard behind Deron Williams (calling Brooks a small forward). He’s providing the Nets with not only perimeter shooting, but his energy and defense was a factor tonight. At worst, he gives the Nets a secondary creator.
- Air beats Ground. Nets utilized a relatively grounded front-court of Humphries, Okur, Shelden Williams and Petro, and it was exposed vs. the aerial attack of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Not coincidentally, the Nets were outrebounded 46-35.
- Lineup Harmony. It’s a constant juggle for Avery to find the right mix of defense and offense with our lineups. The unit of Deron Williams, Jordan Farmar, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and Shelden Williams seemed to have a good mix of both tonight.
- Blake Griffin. It can’t be said enough, the guy is absolute beast. He flies all over the court and attacks the rim and glass relentlessly. Incredible player.
- Worth Noting: After the first quarter, the Nets outscored the Clippers 74-69. Doesn’t change the final, and these bad starts are a big problem that Avery needs to address, but the Nets showed some fight in this game.
