Defense Rests a Little Too Much
Unless you were at the game, many of you didn’t get a chance to watch last night. Two words: not good.
I’m never one to get too up in arms about the preseason either way, although if the Nets were 6-0 at this point I’m sure we all would be surprised and making a big deal out it. But this was bad.
The Sixers started three guys who probably will be in their rotation, but likely won’t be in the starting unit, got only three points in 17 minutes from Elton Brand, were without Andre Miller and Sam Dalembert and led this game by 24 points.
iThe problem? The same one as in all three home preseason games. You think the Nets should petition the league to play all games in Europe or against the Heat?
The Nets are putting up points – at least 100 in each - despite an average of 22 turnovers in those three games. Those turns have led to easy baskets – 26.7 points per - which have added to poor defensive showings.
They’re giving up 114.3 points in the three games at Izod and an average of 36 coming on threes. The opponents are 36-of-70 from downtown.
All of this is problematic. They’re bad signs. You don’t want to get too crazy either way but we’ve seen this before as in all of last season so don’t blame it on all the young guys.
“Youth is no excuse,” Lawrence Frank said. “We have more than enough. We have a lot talented players. It’s about making a true commitment to doing it.
“It’s very easy to lose in this league. It really is. The hard thing is to win. So we’re just going to keep on working our tails off to figure it out, in terms of guys who are going to commit and do it. You’ve got to play both ends. We’ve just got to keep working.”
The Nets used to be a no-layup team and would give up an occasional or dozen threes, but Frank said they’ve adjusted their defensive philosophy because of how many threes they gave up last year.
The Nets have to control the dribble better and not have so many defensive breakdowns. Keyon Dooling and Eduardo Najera should help in both areas when they can play, but you can’t put it all on them because the Nets have gone over this over and over in practice.
“We have very little talk out there and that's something that's an every day deal,” Frank said. “The thing is finally you get so fed up with having your butts kicked you realize that without it you've got no shot. And it's not just drilling it. It's doing it and being committed to it. And finally you say enough's enough let's go.
“We had too many defensive breakdowns. Things we don't ever, ever drill. We never rotate from the basket to the perimeter and we did it around six times. So we just have to become a disciplined team on the defensive end and offensive end and obviously we're not there yet.”
They have one more preseason game and now that today is over three more practices - today was very defensive oriented. But something tells me this is going to be a process since they don’t have many defense-minded guys.
***
Great. More injuries
Yi Jianlian sat out of practice due to a sore right foot and won't play tomorrow at the Knicks to give him a couple of extra days off. The Nets won't practice Saturday so he'll have three days to rest.
Devin Harris has a mildly strained right ankle.
Jarvis Hayes went through his first full practice in about three weeks, give or take. He said his hammy feels fine and expects to play tomorrow. Frank called him a game-time decision.
Keyon Dooling returned to practice, but left after getting sick.
Eduardo Najera tried to jump into practice but trainer Tim Walsh stopped him. Najera is out tonight.
So much for having the regular rotation for the preseason finale.
***
This is your team - at least for now - as the Keith Van Horn era came to an end again. He served the Nets well this time. Without his contract, they couldn’t have traded Jason Kidd.
On Final Cut Day, the Nets were still trying to do some things, but wound up waiving Van Horn, Eddie Gill, Julius Hodge and Brian Hamilton. Gill, Hodge and Hamilton all practiced today.
They were hoping to have a third point guard, especially with Dooling barely here in preseason, but they couldn’t make a move for one or to clear a roster spot and they weren’t going to waive Maurice Ager and eat his $1.042 million salary for this season.
In this economic climate and with the Nets bleeding money you can’t justify giving away that money to sign a guy who probably wouldn’t play either. So Frank has to go with Devin Harris, Dooling, Carter and Chris Douglas-Roberts in a pinch bringing up the ball.
The Nets still will look to make a move or moves to clear money or to have a roster spot in case something becomes available.
***
The next orders of business, contractually, is picking up the 2009-10 options on some guys on their contracts, which has to be done by next Thursday.
The Nets will pick up Yi Jianlian's $3.194 million and Josh Boone's $2.057 million options for next season. They'll also exorcise Sean Williams' $1.629 million option, but it's unlikely that Ager's $1.88 million option will be picked up.
Its gonna be a very very long season indeed....HOWEVER!
If Kiki works some of his Denver day magic and offload's Vinces contract (dont get me wrong Im a huge fan of Vince but really now him being here serves neither the team nor him), and lead us to a Miami like tank job we should end up with an excellent Portland like rebuilding team.
Harris
CDR
Top 3 2009 pick (Derozan?)
Yi/Ryan Anderson
Lopez/Josh Boone
If that+2010 cap space isnt an elite team in the making nothing is.
Posted by: Adam.y | October 23, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Options huh? Too bad the Nets refuse to utilize the option of firing Lawrence Frank
Posted by: Mr. Dollar Bills | October 23, 2008 at 04:40 PM
LOL, Dollar.
Adam, I totally agree with you.
Hey Al maybe you can tell Frank to consider having the offense go through Brook more then just the fourth quarter, The dribble drive should only be used a few times, Simmons shouldnt be dribbling the ball, Open up the offense and get back to more of the Prinsceton. Then maybe we would have few turnovers.
One more thing tell frank stop pressuring Harris about being the second option, maybe he will pass the ball more.
Posted by: JR | October 23, 2008 at 05:38 PM
AI...im tired of watching us give up wide open threes every game. Tell Frank ...jeff van Gundy is sitting out there waiting for a job. We might be boring as sh#t on offense but will be in every game because of the defense he teaches. Get Frank out and take is "We just got to keep working" quote I see everyday and then I watch them play and give up 120 pts to the sixers and celtics back-up squads.
Posted by: Pete | October 23, 2008 at 11:42 PM