Here we go. The New Jersey Nets kick off their 2010-11 campaign against the Detroit Pistons at the Prudential Center in Newark. Here are a couple of things I know I’ll be watching for tonight:
- Get the ball to Brook – We’ve heard all off-season that Brook Lopez was essentially the “man” on this team. Throughout the preseason, there seemed to be a very definitive focus on getting him the ball in the post so he could do damage. Now that the regular season is starting, the Nets can’t move away from this strategy. Lopez is far and away the most talented offensive player on this roster. The Nets need to ride him until the opposing defense can stop him.
- Pass the ball, take care of the ball – This shouldn’t be a surprise given that there are only four returning players on this roster from last season, but the Nets need to do a much better job of taking care of the ball and distributing it. In their last preseason game against the Celtics, they racked up 12 assists on 18 turnovers. They were only slightly better against the Knicks, collecting 21 assists on 22 turnovers. This just won’t cut it.
- Get off to a good start – We learned last season how important it is to take care of winnable games early on your schedule. The Nets let a victory slip out of their hands in their season opener last year against the Timberwolves and never really recovered. The Pistons present another opportunity for the Nets to start the year 1-0. If they’re able to build a lead early on Detroit, they have to keep their foot on the gas and take care of business tonight, or risk drawing early comparisons to last year’s 0-18 debacle.
Enjoy the game everyone. Feel free to leave your comments here or to join our Cover it Live session. And of course, let’s go Nets.
