Two days after an indescribably disappointing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nets head to Charlotte to take on the Bobcats for the second time this season. Charlotte won the first game in a close matchup, 85-83. Here’s a few things to look out for in tonight’s contest.
- Energy from Nets players: The Nets play their fifth game in seven days tonight, a very unusual frequency of games in an NBA schedule. Not to mention they had to suit up for 63 minutes in the overtime thriller on Wednesday night. One would have to imagine that all this playing could have an impact on the freshness of the players, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the toll manifest itself tonight against the Bobcats. Look for Avery Johnson to use a deeper rotation, getting Troy Murphy some more minutes, for example, to help cope with the problem.
- Jordan Farmar’s Contributions: Jordan Farmar filled up the stat sheet in his first start with the Nets against the Thunder, and as Devin Harris misses his second game, an repeat performance would really help out the Nets. That said, his decision at the end of the third overtime on Wednesday cost the Nets a shot at forcing a fourth, however they wouldn’t have even been in that situation if he hadn’t hit the three-pointer on the previous possession. His decision making will only improve with more time at the helm.
- Brook Lopez’s Opportunity: Brook Lopez logged his first double-double of the season thus far on Wednesday; granted, it took him three overtimes to get his 10th rebound and he only shot 7-of-23 from the floor. Matching up against Nazr Mohammed, Lopez has a chance to duplicate what he did on Wednesday. Whether he can will depend on his aggressiveness and shot selection — he has not shot the ball well from the perimeter, and his jump hook has been essentially automatic of late, so look to see if he takes advantage of that.
