Near-flawless first half — 14-8 with 0 turnovers, dunking (on the break), fancy passing (on the break), drawing a four-point play on Nate Robinson. Oddly quiet for most of the second half in a way you don’t expect your healthy franchise point guard to be.
Joe Decoy may have been a decoy in and of itself. Pounded early and often in isolation, which worked early, but not often after the first quarter. Played “well enough” as a decoy outside of those moments, but not phenomenally — though he did snare the game-deciding jump ball.
Airballed free throw and layup aside, he mostly looked like the Gerald Wallace most expected — not great, not terrible, but “average Gerald Wallace.” Hit some corner & wing threes, looked as confident as ever shooting the ball, and popped up after getting hit by a Carlos Boozer shoulder that would knock a lesser man unconscious.
As per usual, came out strong, quieted in the middle quarters, but finished strong with some nice dunks inside. Did get blocked on one shot that he basically lofted into Joakim Noah’s outstretched paw. Got easily outworked by Noah and Boozer on the glass.
Played a few minutes with Lopez to success in the first half, then was the focal point of Brooklyn’s late-game offense for a stretch as the final option in their offensive sets: hitting one shot off the glass, missing another, then hitting one of two free throws to put the Nets up 3 with 32 seconds left, THEN hitting two free throws off an intentional foul to put the Nets up 3 again with 19 ticks.
In short, the Nets’ season hung in Andray Blatche’s balance — and he didn’t fall over. This is America in 2013. Anything is possible.
Was the first Brooklyn Mobber off the bench, and that was pretty much it. Seriously though, it doesn’t seem like there’s so much of a bench rotation as a bench revolving door with no opening on either side.
Most notable moment came in the first half when he tried to walk through Chicago’s huddle. Which, in all fairness, was hilarious. But that’s not the most memorable moment you want from a starting power forward.
His hilariously undersized feud with Nate Robinson carries strong. Watson smartly pulled back for a layup instead of botching another dunk in an identical moment hit a daggerlicious three in the fourth quarter to put the Nets up 81-73.
