My new Mason Plumlee t-shirt design:
Dunks&
Dunks&
Dunks&
Dunks.
Looked more like the crafty Pierce that the Nets thought they traded for after his mid-month offensive slump.
Even discounting his late-game struggles, including two flat-out lazy turnovers and a third that led to a shot-clock violation, he’d struggled to drive into the paint and create offense for himself and others. But not discounting those struggles, he was the primary facilitator in a near-collapse that saw a 14-point lead shrink to 2 in the final three minutes.
Thought he looked more spry than he’s looked yet this season, defending the paint well and shooting well. Grabbed his fair share of rebounds and created a couple of easy baskets for his teammates by passing out of the high post, most notably an easy reverse dunk for Mason Plumlee when the Raptors switched to a zone in the first half.
Struggled against his former team, though he did open the fourth quarter with a nice dribble-drive and fake to get an open shot in the paint.
Had a moment with the bench in where he hit two quick shots on back-to-back possessions and looked like the offense might get run through him, but was quiet otherwise in the first half. The Nets do look good when they run the offense through him with spot-up shooters and at least one post presence on the floor.
One of his best games in a Nets uniform. Played inside first and used his inside threat to create opportunities for himself in the midrange. Battled down low and even threw down a few moves that only Andray Blatche can do. Hit the floor on a loose ball and didn’t stink on pick-and-roll coverage. This isn’t the most impactful Blatche can be on a game, but it may be the most positive impact Blatche can have. But if he continues to play like this, it brings up an important question: should he play more at power forward when Brook Lopez returns?
Had some really impressive moves in the second half, dunking twice and finding Garnett in the paint for an easy layup. Did struggle in the first, particularly near the end of the first quarter, committing a dumb foul on a three-pointer after bricking an off-balance shot. He’s not the team’s primary backup point guard, but in a pinch, he’ll do.
Got extended minutes in the first half just a day after he told me he doesn’t know if he has a role on the Nets, and he’s struggled with inconsistent playing time. COINCIDENCE!? (Maybe. Probably.)
Didn’t do much with his minutes, but didn’t take over the offense in a negative way. He’ll have to do more if he wants to keep his minutes, though.
