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DeShawn Stevenson, SG 18 MIN | 4-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 11 PTS | -10
If DeShawn Stevenson is your teams second leading scorer with eleven points, I think that tells your story. A fine game by DeShawn Stevenson standards and a crazy half-court-shot-that-was-supposed-to-be-a-lob. I’d like to start a new hashtag in honor of Gerald Wallace: #StartAGeraldIDontCareWhichOneJustPleaseNotDeShawnStevenson |
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Kris Humphries, PF 23 MIN | 0-6 FG | 4-4 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS | -20
0-6 from the field and three rebounds is inexcusable. Terrible on offense, terrible on defense and a complete non-factor. C’mon man. |
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Shelden Williams, PF 21 MIN | 2-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS | -12
I mean, you have to like his hustle, especially going up against Dwight and I thought he defended him as good as Shelden Williams can defend Dwight Howard. Clearly overmatched, but was the only Net big to do anything even slightly productive, so there’s that. |
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Sundiata Gaines, G 28 MIN | 2-13 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 6 PTS | -27
At this point, I’m just handing out F’s to show how bad the Nets were as a whole |
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MarShon Brooks, G 26 MIN | 1-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | -21
Couldn’t man the point, couldn’t distribute, couldn’t score, couldn’t defend. Did I miss anything? Seriously? |
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Gerald Green, SG 25 MIN | 6-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 14 PTS | -5
An A+ performance based on how the rest of the Nets did. Unfortunately, we aren’t grading on a curve. The only player on the floor who did anything positive for the Nets offensively and the only person who was deserving of a starting role… except he didn’t start, which is funny because the Nets just traded their draft pick for a starting three. Okay, I’m going to rip the trade one more time in the Five Thoughts and then I’m done ripping the trade (maybe). |
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Johan Petro, C 32 MIN | 4-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 4 AST | 8 PTS | -2
Played the most minutes of any Net tonight. You read that correctly. I’ll take his seven boards and eight points, but he should have left his defensive effort at home. Shockingly, he had a difficult time defending Dwight. |
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Five Things We Saw
- As expected, the Orlando fans were psyched to have their center and his extra year of loyalty back with the Magic. The building erupted when he was first introduced and D12 followed it up with a little dance in the huddle to “Run This Town.” As far as the game goes, Dwight dominated the paint defensively all night. He made Kris Humphries and Johan Petro look silly. I thought that Shelden Williams did a fine job defending Dwight — considering it’s Dwight Howard and Shelden Williams. I do have to mention this as a biased Nets fan though: for someone who was “excited” to be back in Orlando and ready to move on from the “stresses” of the deadline, he certainly didn’t play like it. Maybe he was just nervous. Okay, I don’t want to talk about Dwight Howard any more.
- Without Deron Williams or Jordan Farmar in the lineup, the Nets had sixteen assists on the night, including five from Anthony Morrow, who led the team and didn’t play any point guard. Avery had no choice but to give Jerry Smith twenty minutes tonight, especially with how bad Sudianta Gaines played, and the way MarShon Brooks manned the point. MarShon did make an effort to distribute and create — but he is a shoot first shooting guard and I’m not sure why he was put in that position, it simply isn’t his strength.
- Pretty much a terrible night shooting across the board, except for Gerald Green, who lit up the small forward spot, and a strange DeShawn Stevenson performance. proving yet again that the Nets gave up way too much for Gerald Wallace. I’m fine with Crash on the team, I think he is a very good basketball player on both ends of the floor and he will contribute to this roster. But for what they gave up, it was a stupid trade and one they didn’t need to make. Gerald Green was lights out from the mid-range game and as explosive as ever. Yeah and 4-26 as a team in the fourth is definitely not a joke.
- More on Wallace: It will be interesting to see what Avery Johnson will do when they get him in the lineup. I think that Crash would be better served at the four, as we have less depth than at the three. Humphries and Shelden Williams are really all there is, and coach could play Stevenson, Brooks, Morrow and Green at the three if needed.
- This game was over after the third quarter and the problem with that is that they need to make the playoffs this season. The Nets had no answers for the Magic whatsoever. Now, most of this can be attributed to the injuries, but it’s particularly worrisome, especially because Orlando didn’t necessarily play a good game either. I will say this: for what I was expecting to be a game full of awesome sports hatred we all love, it was pretty disappointing.
