Some Nets news and notes from around the web:
- The Brooklyn Nets were missing fun, and that’s what’s helped them turn around.
- Lots of national media has decried the coaches for snubbing Brook Lopez on their All-Star ballots. Rob Mahoney at SI explains eloquently why: “Lopez’s throwback build makes him more lumbering than many of his center contemporaries, but his poise after catching the ball affords him a wealth of options. For one: He’s a credible mid-range shooter, though admittedly not one who should make a habit of hoisting 20-footers. But that skill widens the Nets’ options out of basic pick-and-roll sets, not to mention creates space for Williams’ ensuing drives or the navigation of various off-ball cutters. Beyond that, Lopez has been more committed than in past seasons when rolling to the rim, and his ability to make a single dribble in traffic (an understated skill among big men) creates new angles and more preferable shot selection. He doesn’t have the athleticism to explode to the rim, but perhaps no player is better at finishing over defenders who step up into good defensive position. It’s tough to defend a 7-footer on the move, and Lopez’s touch on an array of hooks and runners makes it impossible for many opponents to contend with his size, even if they happen to be in the right place at the right time to theoretically affect his shot.”
- Speaking of Brook Lopez, one of the commenters at NetsDaily is putting together a Brook Lopez Appreciation Night at Barclays Center, for January 28th against the Orlando Magic. Pretty cool, and good choice of opponents.
- We’ll see a lot of these in the coming weeks, so just bracing you now: another Dwight Howard proposal.
