Eastern Conference All-Star Projections

By: Matthew Stone

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With the All-Star game a little over a month away here are my picks. First up, the East.

Eastern Conference

G- Rajon Rondo (Boston)

While Rondo is not the prototypical point guard, he is deserving of the starting nod. Rondo’s ability to get into the paint and distribute makes him one of the most feared guards in the NBA. He leads the NBA in assists at 11.6 per game, and he’s second among point guards in rebounding with 5.1 per game. Rondo’s streaky shooting is the one fault in his game that his straining him from becoming one of the top five players in the game. Of course, Rondo becomes the starter via Derrick Rose missing the entire first half.

Next in line: Kyrie Irving (Cleveland)

G- Dwyane Wade (Miami)

Wade is having a down-season by his standards, but the Heat guard is deserving of a starting role. Wade is averaging 20.4 points per game, most by any shooting guard in the Eastern Conference. Wade is shooting a career-best 51 percent from the field and has become much more efficient while taking a backseat to Heat forward LeBron James.

Next in line: Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia)

F- Anderson Varejao (Cleveland)

A surprise to many casual fans but carrot top is having a stellar season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Besides his scoring and rebounding Varejao is averaging 3.4 assists per game; top five amongst Eastern Conference centers. Varejao is pouring in 14.1 points a night while grabbing 14.4 rebounds a game. He is an irritant whom you love to have on your team but hate to play against. He certainly is backing up the beefy six-year/48.3 million dollar contract he signed with Cleveland in 2009.

Next in line: Brook Lopez (Brooklyn)

F- Carmelo Anthony (New York)

Carmelo Anthony has played at an MVP-level throughout the season and is an easy selection to be named an Eastern Conference All-Star Starter. Melo has led the Knicks’ resurgence to prominence and is second in the NBA in scoring with 29.2 points per game. Anthony has meshed the likes of Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd while maturing his own game. The night in night out scoring ability makes Carmelo Anthony a candidate for MVP and an All-Star Starter.

Next in line: Paul Pierce (Boston)

F- LeBron James (Miami)

Who else on the planet can do what this guy does? Nobody. LeBron James is a stat machine who is pouring in a cool 26.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. James has improved his consistency from the field as he is shooting 54 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range (both career highs). James has played in every All-Star Game since 2005 and that trend will continue with James leading the East squad.

Next in line: Josh Smith (Atlanta)

Western Conference All-Star picks to follow later this week…

-MS

Lakers make Mike Brown the scapegoat for early-season sheepishness

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

Everything out of Los Angeles through Thursday was an effort to calm the masses. They had won just one game dating as far back as May 18. They dropped games four and five in the second round of the playoffs against the Thunder then lost every preseason game this fall and began the regular season 1-4. But tinseltown was going to be okay if they stuck to the plan and gave their well-respected, veteran head coach, Mike Brown, a chance to work with his team. That is what the players, the owner, EVERYBODY in the Lakers were preaching: “Do not panic.”

At some point on Friday, however, management decided to scrap that idea, at around lunch time on Friday, Brown was out in Los Angeles. The $100 million Lakers’ roster was suddenly coach-less hours before their game against the Golden State Warriors.

Describing the move as an overreaction would say that it was like most overreactions, therefore insulting them. This move was much more than that: the move was about as abrupt as throwing out the leftover Thanksgiving Day turkey on Saturday; the firing was as heavy handed as an actual giant’s hand. Letting Mike Brown go after five games will go down in the books as not a reaction at all, but a pre-determined stance that was really decided upon months before.

A look into the new Brooklyn Nets

By: Matthew Stone

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Brooklyn Nets have come into this NBA season as one of the more intriguing teams to keep an eye on. The Nets moved from the Prudential Center, in New Jersey, to the brand new Barclays Center where “Hello Brooklyn” hats, t-shirts, caps and memorabilia rein the streets.

The Nets did more than change their image visually this offseason; they put together a team that I believe has the capability of challenging the Miami Heat in the playoffs. The Nets have the most balanced starting five in the league, led by All-Star Deron Williams. Williams has averaged 17 points and 6 assists throughout his career, and is a top five PG in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Joe Johnson came over from the Atlanta Hawks to join Williams in the backcourt. This dynamic duo is the best guard combo in the Eastern Conference and quite possibly the NBA. The Nets have not had a 2-guard like Johnson since the days of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Johnson is one of the more underrated scorers in the game, averaging 17.8 points per game over his career. He is a great three-point shooter (37 percent career shooter) and has scored over 20 points per game in five separate seasons when he was in Atlanta.

That leads me into one of the biggest moves Brooklyn made: The acquisition of Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline last season. At the time, the move for Wallace was a curious one considering he had little affect on a putrid Nets squad. Now, Wallace is the versatile swingman who will be relied upon to guard LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce. You might say that the most crucial and indispensable piece on the Nets is Williams, however, Wallace is a close second.

Nobody is expecting the Nets to compete with Miami in a playoff series, and that is precisely the fuel the Nets will need if they want to challenge the defending champs. The Nets have a better point guard and better center than Miami, but the long-term health of Brook Lopez will ultimately determine the Nets fate.

Kris Humphries provides stability and a big, lumbering body that can rebound with the best in the game. He constantly gives the Nets extra possessions, and is one of the most underrated and unappreciated players in the game. His Anderson Varajeo-esque style is what makes Nets fans love him.

All that said, it is fair to expect more than just a new look from an intangible standpoint. The Nets have a new look from a talent standpoint (along with a fan base) and can be a serious contender in the Eastern Conference.

-MS

Six Divisions in Six Weeks: Central Division

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

5. Cleveland Cavilers (’11-’12 record: 21-45)

Best player:

Kyrie Irving did not just silence any doubters heading into his rookie campaign, he eliminated them. Irving might be the best number one overall selection since Derrick Rose in 2008, showing poise and efficiency that John Wall and Blake Griffin, despite their obvious talents, have not consistently brought to the table.

While Wall was the league’s worst three-point shooter last season and incredibly erratic with the basketball, Irving posted polished shooting splits of .469/.399/.872 while besting Wall by nearly a full turnover per game. Yes, Blake Griffin has averaged 21, 11 and 3 in his first two seasons, numbers that first-year Irving simply can not compete with. But Griffin also cannot shoot free throws, does not block shots or collect steals particularly well and turns the ball over far too much for a power forward.

Irving is an ideal guard to build around, both on and off the court. He is probably only a year or two away from all-star contention.

Starting lineup:

The Cavaliers will trot out Anderson Varejao for the ninth season and he will be the opening day starting center for the third consecutive season. Varejao, when healthy, can be highly effective as both a rebounder and a finisher around the basket. The issue with the Brazilian is keeping him on the court, as he has missed over 62 percent of the team’s games since the ’10-’11 season. With rookies Tyler Zeller and Micheal Eric as the only true centers behind Varejao, it is essential the veteran stay healthy all season long.

The only other guaranteed starter for Cleveland is second-year player Tristan Thompson. He averaged 8.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg last season in 23 minutes, but he averaged 9.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg in 27.6 minutes per game during April last season. The Cavs will need him to replace veteran Antwan Jamison in the offense, which means Thompson will have to give the team more field goal attempts and points.

The wing positions will be made up of five players: Alonzo Gee, Omri Casspi, C.J. Miles, Daniel Gibson and Dion Waiters. Gee and Miles appear to be the starters for the Cavs out of the gate, but all five will get plenty of action. Gee is coming off of his best season as a pro, averaging 10.6 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He is not a great shooter or playmaker, but has earned a reputation as a plus-defender. Miles comes from the other end of the spectrum; he is the team’s best shooter but provides little else.

Bench:

Lottery pick Dion Waiters will play the sixth man role that he thrived in at Syracuse University. Waiters has great quickness and can score in spurts, which could make him deadly as a weapon off the bench for head coach Byron Scott at either guard spot. Waiters will be among the team leaders in points this year and will see plenty of minutes.

Whether or not below average guards Donald Sloan and Jeremy Pargo make the final roster, whatever bench minutes in the backcourt Waiters does not gobble up will be handed to Daniel Gibson. Entering his seventh season with the Cavs, Gibson’s experience, underrated three-point shot and low turnover numbers all point to him being an ideal backup guard behind Irving. The guard trio of Irving/Waiters/Gibson will be amongst the best in the eastern conference.

Casspi will see minutes behind Gee, looking to return to form from behind the arc. He shot .372 in ’10-’11 but just .315 last season. If Casspi can shore up his below average free throw shooting and continue to be an effective rebounder, he will earn the roughly 24 minutes per game he has averaged for his career.

In the frontcourt, Zeller will be the primary backup for Varejao at center. At power forward, Samardo Samuels will make the roster and see the floor night in and night out, if for no other reason other than potential. That leaves young players Jon Leuer and Luke Harongody to battle for a roster spot, with the edge going to Leuer because of his advanced perimeter skills for his size.

Bottom line:

The Cavs will be very young and small. They lack big play potential. Inexperienced players Thompson and Waiters will have to score for this team and take pressure off Irving, who will undoubtedly be on double duty as the team’s leading passer AND scorer. The team will probably have a bottom dwelling defense once again (26th in points allowed, 100.2 ppg) and after losing Antwan Jamison, at best, they will remain scoring in the middle 90s, if not fall off to the low 90s or high 80s.

Beyond Irving, there is nothing guaranteed about this team. They could overachieve and finish 9th in the east or struggle mightily and falter to 15th. It all depends on the coaching job by Byron Scott and the development of their young roster around Irving, who is also, let us not forget, in just his second season.

Preseason expectations, grade:

C-

Irving will probably be the best player in the league left out of the playoffs while the team around him earns another lottery pick, although they should improve upon last season’s .318 winning percentage.

4. Detroit Pistons (’11-’12 record: 25-41)

Six Divisions in Six Weeks: Atlantic Division (Part Two)

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

3. New York Knicks (’11-’12 record: 36-30)

Best Player:

Carmelo Anthony finished two full points below his career ppg mark last season, in large part because of the strike-shortened season, a coaching change and injuries. His field goal percentage (.430) was the lowest since his second season in Denver. Carmelo was taking 18.6 shots a night this past season, the fourth-lowest total of his career, meaning he was not over-shooting, rather just taking less quality shots.

His stats in New York have certainly been a by-product of the failing partnership with he and Amar’e Stoudemire. Both forwards look for the same shots and neither Mike D’Antoni nor head coach Mike Woodson have figured out a scheme for both where they can coexist. It is essential that Carmelo, clearly the superior player between them, demands that the offense run through him this season. It is the Knicks best shot at progressing.

Starting Lineup:

The Knicks will once again have major roster changes to get used too early in the season, as both starting guard spots will be filled by players who were not Knicks last season. Raymond Felton will reclaim the job that he nearly turned into an all-star selection back in ’10-’11 and Ronnie Brewer will provide the Knicks with a lockdown defender on the wing with playoff experience. If Felton can keep his turnovers down and shoot a respectable percentage, he will be more than capable of logging starters minutes and sharing the ball with Carmelo in the biggest moments of the game. Brewer will play a similar role with the Knicks as he did with Chicago. He could play upward of 35 minutes a night as long as his jump shot is falling, but if it is not, then J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert will take away a lot of his second-half action.

Amar’e and Tyson once again create among the league’s most talented frontcourts. Whether or not Amar’e is capable of excelling alongside Carmelo is absolutely debatable, but his talent alone will keep him in the discussion for all-star consideration. Chandler will once again be called upon by Woodson to anchor the defense, a unit that surprisingly finished in the top 11 last season in points allowed and opponents field goal percentage.

Bench:

The Knicks, who were one of the league’s youngest teams just two seasons ago, are suddenly very old. Considering that Stoudemire and Chandler have played in the league for over a decade and that Carmelo, Brewer and Felton are established veterans, the Knicks added forwards Kurt Thomas (40) and Marcus Camby (38) and point guard Jason Kidd (39). You wonder if the Knicks are confusing playing experience and age with a thorough team concept and identity.

Even still, Thomas and Camby are more than capable of spelling the Knicks high-payed forwards for a few minutes here and there, while Kidd will be a wonderful teacher behind Felton at the point guard position.

The Knicks return their wing depth from a year ago, as J.R. Smith and Steve Novak will see plenty of action. Iman Shumpert will miss a large portion of the season recovering from an ACL tear – his injury and time-table are very similar to what Derrick Rose is dealing with – but should have enough flier miles during the second half of the regular season to be a factor in the post-season.

Bottom Line:

For a team with arguably the league’s best pure scorer, best defensive big man and with an incredible mix of veteran experience and youth, there are an awful lot of question marks. Can they share the ball? Can they stay healthy? Can they continue to improve defensively? It just seems like the question marks will weigh the Knicks down.

The Knicks will be a great home team that wins the games they are supposed too, but unless they take a huge step forward in Woodson’s first full season as head coach, they will not be much better than an average road team that will continue to falter against the Celtics and the Heat.

Preseason expectations, grade:

The Knicks will peak and valley with the best of them, earn a middle playoff seed for the third year in a row and, if they are lucky, see the second round.

B

2. Philadelphia 76ers (’11-’12 record: 35-31)

Six Divisions in Six Weeks: Atlantic Division (Part One)

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

5. Toronto Raptors (’11-’12 record: 23-43)

Best Player:

In some ways, the Raptors best player is former lottery pick DeMar DeRozan, who could be on the cusp of stardom entering his fourth season. In other ways, it is newcomer Kyle Lowry, coming off the heels of his best season as a professional. The most important piece to the puzzle, however, will once again be the Raptors former number one overall Andrea Bargnani.

Bargnani has avoided the bust tag by averaging over 15 ppg each of the last four seasons while adding plus shooting numbers for his career (career splits of .440/.365/.824). But honestly, a seven-footer with his talents should be putting up those numbers anyway and should be doing much more. Granted, Bargnani has not always had much to work with in Toronto, but any seven-footer who averages more three-pointers per game than foul shots makes a lot of their own problems.

If he can get to the line more, add to his woeful rebounding totals and avoid the injury bug (he missed 51 out of 148 games the last two season), Bargnani might make his first push for an all-star spot and help the Raptors take the next step from unwatchable to tolerable.

Starting Lineup:

Adding Lowry at point guard will change the culture in Toronto, as he will provide instant offense and an influx of hustle to the roster. Lowry figures to get a lot of minutes at both guard spots and if he can learn how to play with former starter Jose Calderon, the Raptors will certainly have among the most formidable backcourts in the league.

In fact, the Raptors have depth at the guard positions to boot. Number eight overall selection Terrence Ross could be a sleeper ROY candidate, as he figures to get starters minutes at shooting guard. Ross has superb length and should develop into a quality defender (1.3 steals per game, 5.1 defensive rebounds as a sophomore at Washington University). Throw in the addition of Landry Fields off the bench, and the Raptors will be competitive on both sides of the ball from the guard positions.

At forward, DeRozan and Bargnani will once again be expected to carry the team’s scoring. Both players struggled with shot selection and saw their field goal percentages drop significantly for the second consecutive season, a trend that will have to change in ’12-’13.

The Raptors also add 2011 lottery pick Jonas Valanciunas to the roster, who played overseas last season. Valanciunas will get the bulk of the minutes at center and while his talents are limitless, it is unclear how effective he will be against NBA competition in year one.

For the Raptors to take the next step with the Lowry/Calderon pairing at point guard, the scorers will have to be more efficient. If they can get 40 ppg from Bargnani/DeRozan, another 10 ppg from the rookie starters and Lowry can expand on his success as a starter in Houston, the Raptors will have one of the best starting lineups in the eastern conference.

Bench:

The depth at the guard positions speaks for itself, although an injury to either Lowry or Calderon would change that overnight. At the forward positions, Amir Johnson, Ed Davis and Linas Kleiza are all talented reserves with size and rebounding ability. Kleiza should provide about 10 ppg off the bench if he can stay at around 25 minutes per contest.

The bench needs to help the Raptors improve from their embarrassing 90.7 ppg last season. Opponents will put a lot of pressure on the Bargnani/Valanciunas pairing and there might be plenty of times this season that foul trouble forces head coach Dwayne Casey to call on Johnson or Davis to play big minutes down low. In games against elite big men, scoring from inside the arc will be a nightmare without Bargnani on the floor, unless the reserves can fit the bill offensively.

Bottom Line:

The Raptors are the type of franchise that has been down for so long, it is almost impossible to imagine this roster exceeding or even improving gradually. With that said, the young talent they possess is unmistakable. If given time and groomed correctly by the coaching staff, the Raptors should continue to form their identity as a defensive stickler (9th in points against, 7th in opponents field goal percentage a year ago) with developing weapons on the offensive end. The Raptors could make a jump up in ’12-’13, maybe finishing around 35 wins.

Preseason expectations, grade:

Improvements on both sides of the ball will better the Toronto franchise, but will not get them out of the division’s basement.

C

4. Brooklyn Nets (’11-’12 record: 22-44)

Six Divisions in Six Weeks: Southeast

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com: http://www.pickinsplinters.com/2012/09/26/six-divisions-in-six-weeks-southeast-division/

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

1. Miami Heat (’11-’12 record: 46-20)

Best player:

LeBron James is the best player in the world. His performance on a national stage during the playoffs and on the international stage during the Olympics speak for themselves. As long as James is on the floor, the Heat have a player who controls every aspect of the game. It might not be possible to stop James from furthering his legacy in ’12-’13 if he continues on the tear he has been on over the last year.

Starting Lineup:

But of course, what separates Miami from just about every other team is their full starting lineup.  Combining James with Wade and Bosh has changed the league; seldom has a roster carried a trio with as much athleticism, length and determination. Honestly, mentioning Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers as members of the starting lineup is not important, because Miami’s 4-12 pieces are very much rotational and malleable. It is the constant presence of James, Wade and Bosh that set the Heat apart and make them the team to beat in the NBA.

Bench:

This is where team president Pat Riley really thrived last season, as he surrounded his star players with valuable bench pieces who were more than willing to do the team’s dirty work. Battier and Chalmers are perfect for the Heat, as they both can hit wide-open jump shots, play defense and get out of the way once it is time for James or Wade to take over.

Chalmers knows his job is to forfeit the floor general duties to James whenever the three-time MVP says so; instead of fighting that, Chalmers hands the ball over and gets ready to catch-and-shoot off the ball.

Battier was as essential to the NBA title as anybody on the Heat last season, considering that he was the most notable addition to last season’s team following the loss in the 2011 finals, and that Battier shot out of his mind in the 2012 finals. Not to mention that Battier’s defense and length really helps the Heat against bigger teams, as it frees up Bosh to take on easier assignments and save energy for offense.

The Heat added a future hall-of-famer to their bench for this season, one that has many Celtic’s fans (and players) livid. The effect of Ray Allen on the Heat is immeasurable, considering that it is a huge blow emotionally to the team’s biggest competition, and it gives a Miami team that hit 42 three-pointers in five NBA finals games the league’s greatest shooter. Anytime Allen/Wade/James are on the floor together, the defense will be asking themselves how they can possibly double team James, check Wade and cover Allen all at the same time.

The answer is that it probably cannot be done, which is scary to think about.

Six games that will mean a whole lot (no promises) come playoff time: Part One

As seen at Pickinsplinters.com

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

The NBA released next season’s schedule last week, and the world’s many different NBA fans all chose to celebrate in different ways.

We all have friends who memorize their favorite team’s schedule, then coordinate their own work schedule around when their team appears on television or when they will have to watch the game from their laptop; the kind of friend who uses the pronoun “we” in regard to elongated road trips (“Seriously man, it sucks for us. We got to catch a red-eye flight out to Toronto and play that next night. Then we stay out on the East coast for about a week. We are going to be exhausted. I’m just hoping we split the road trip and come back home with our heads in check); the type of friend who purchases plane tickets for road games the same day the schedule is announced.

We also know many people who are far more casual NBA fans. The de facto “C and E’s” of the NBA fan universe. They watch on Christmas, catch an occasional quarter or two when ESPN or TNT plays their big game of the week and otherwise keep themselves tuned into the day-to-day action with televised highlight packages, internet searches and social media.

Then there are about a million other NBA fans, that just fall somewhere in between. This may or may not include characters like the “I prefer college ball but NBA athletes are amazing” dude or the “I know everything about my team, but nothing about the other 29 teams… Are there 29 other teams?” guy.

No matter how different we all are, we are in total agreement on one thing: the long, grueling regular season is necessary because of how incredible the playoffs are at culminating the sport. Honestly, I would feel guilty if the regular season eluded the dry, restless spots of mid-January or the risk of long-term injury every team faces in late-February and early-March. The 66-game regular season in ’11-’12 was so fast paced, consequential and absorbing, I actually felt kind of bad that I enjoyed it so much. The fact that we then followed up the most intoxicating and interesting regular season in decades with the much coveted playoffs was similar to eating a thick, warm, gooey brownie; in the moment it tastes unbelievable, but the longer it sits in your stomach, the more sinful you and your expanding gut feel.

Next season’s 82-game season should be a return to normal for NBA fans, as old habits will resurface. Planning weekly “must-see” games while routinely scoping the internet for stats, standings and scoop to fill in any cracks. If the ’11-’12  season was a long sprint for the NBA, then next season will be the much appreciated marathon that NBA fans have grown accustom to running over the years.

As we welcome in a brand new slate of 1230 games (simple math: {(30 x 82)/2}) I present to you the six games that will most directly impact our heralded playoffs: one game per month. What do I mean by impact? I’m talking about six games that are guaranteed to be the difference between life and death for each respective team…

Oh, who am I kidding? These are simply the six games that I find the most interesting and that I am hoping, for both your sake and mine, mean something when the first round of the playoffs begin in mid-April. Starting with November’s big game…

November 26: Charlotte Bobcats at Oklahoma City Thunder

It may seem like a huge mistake to include the Bobcat franchise in a piece like this, as even Bobcat fans did not enjoy watching their games last season. That is exactly why I am so interested in the November 26 game, because the Bobcats are unprecedentedly bad.

Last year’s Bobcats were arguably the least talented NBA team of all-time. Their leading scorer was shooting guard Gerald Henderson, at just 15.1 ppg. There were 12 teams in ’11-’12 with a pair of 15.1 ppg scorers, and another four teams had a trio of 15.1 ppg scorers. They had the only offense in the league that scored less than 90 ppg (87.0) and were the only team that’s point differential was worse than -7.2 (-13.9). They had the second worst rebounding differential (-6.0) and were an incredibly average team in both passing (19th in assists) and discipline (21st in turnover differential).

Next year’s installment will not be worse, but it does not appear like it will much better. The team “upgraded” at point guard, signing 26-year-old Ramon Sessions (’11-’12 regular season: 11.3 ppg, 5.5 apg with .479/.486/.713 shooting splits) to replace 24-year-old D.J. Augustin (’11-’12 regular season: 11.1 ppg, 6.4 apg with .376/.341/.875 shooting splits). The Bobcats added veterans Ben Gordon and Brendan Haywood, as well as ultra-talented rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on the wing. With a not-half-bad starting lineup and bench players like Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson, the Bobcats should certainly double their winning percentage from ’11-’12. (For the record, they would only have to win 20 games to do that.)

This is all well and good, but I’m not sure even a pack of wild Bobcats could handle the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma, as this figures to be a game that is over long before it starts. Which is exactly the stage that Kevin Durant needs to utilize, as moments like this are few and far between: the opportunity to completely dominate a basketball game. Durant needs to rid himself of last season’s demons before the Thunder can make another deep run at a title. Durant needs to post an elite scoring performance; not just a career-high, but one for the record books. Think Kobe against Toronto (81 points) or LeBron against the the New York Knicks (35 points in one half).

I want to see Durant make the Bobcats regret joining the league in 2004.

“The Brooklyn Nets new advertisements are merely distractions designed to keep their fans hopeful – hopeful for successes that the Nets franchise has evaded since their inception.”

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

The New Jersey Nets franchise joined the NBA in the 1976-77 season, after winning two championships in the ABA led by the Doctor, Julius Erving. Since joining the NBA, they have had just 13 winning records in 35 years, with an 89-96 record in post-season play and no NBA championships.

To put that in perspective, the San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA the same season but have 27 winning records over the same span. The Spurs also have 170 post-season wins and four NBA championships. Yes, getting blessed with franchise defining players like David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker helps. At a certain point, however, the losing is what defines a franchise, not the players.

Some lowly franchises change their fates by compiling draft picks and rebuilding with young talent, like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some team’s just get lucky, and land a star with the number one overall pick, such as the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers. Other franchises whose struggles can be measured in decades not seasons save money and make large pushes for big talents. This is the route the now Brooklyn Nets have taken under new age owner, Mikhail Prokhorov.

After failing to land LeBron James or Dwyane Wade in the summer of 2010, Prokhorov worked a trade with the Utah Jazz to land star point guard and current Team USA member, Deron Williams. With a young roster lacking discipline or playoff experience, the Nets failed to make the playoffs in their first two seasons with Williams, and with Williams’ contract set to expire, the Nets organization entered full scramble mode over the past few months in order to convince their best player to stay in a Nets uniform.

The Nets went to such lengths as to trade their 2012 first-round pick, which became the number six overall selection, to acquire forward Gerard Wallace, in order to appeal to Williams before entering his free agent negotiations. The Nets also trudged themselves neck-deep in the Dwight Howard circus, as it became no secret the Nets were willing to trade anyone on the roster not named Deron Williams to help land the league’s best center in Brooklyn.

Once it became evident that A) Dwight Howard was not getting dealt ANYTIME soon and B) the Nets needed to add another star player or else they would lose Williams to Dallas, Brooklyn traded five expiring contacts and a future first-round draft pick to Atlanta to pry away six-time all-star Joe Johnson.

Deron Williams signed with Brooklyn the very same day.

And with that decision by Williams, the rest of the Brooklyn off-season came together very nicely. With the exception of the occasional “Dwight Howard to Brooklyn trade rumor – this time Brooklyn is offering Prokhorov’s house AND yacht,” the Nets have simply gone about their business.

The Nets have “reinvested” in their relationship with their 7-foot-2 center Brook Lopez. They re-signed their double-double machine, Kris Humphries, to a respectable two-year deal. They also added veterans like Jerry Stakehouse, Reggie Evans, C.J. Watson and kept promising young guards MarShon Brooks and Tyshawn Taylor.

Prokhorov has been so pleased with himself and his new look Nets, he has launched an advertising campaign as cocky as the Russian owner himself. He is introducing a “Hello Brooklyn” marketing campaign, which features the teams “Core Four” as Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez. The advertisements give the players a platform to “build a connection between Brooklynites and the players” and “to share something about themselves in advance of their debut at Barclays Center,” said CEO Brett Yormack.

Examples of some of the “Hello Brooklyn” ads were leaked to ESPN on Monday, and they look something like this:

“Hello Brooklyn. I’m #8, Deron Williams, three-time NBA All-Star and father of four.”

“Hello Brooklyn, I’m #7, Joe Johnson, six-time NBA All-Star and lifelong Razorback.”

“Hello Brooklyn, I’m #11, Brook Lopez, 20-point scorer and Batman’s biggest fan.”

“Hello Brooklyn, I’m #45, Gerald Wallace, All-NBA Defender and offseason fisherman.”

In an attempt to further inform the Nets fan base on what their ’12-’13 team will look like, I decided to make up a few advertisements of my own. I find these advertisements to be a bit more honest and “to the point” with a fan base that, quite frankly, has been misled in the past. While the move to Brooklyn may be long over due and the addition of new talent is always welcomed, the fans should be informed of exactly what they have before they consider themselves the favorite in the East.

The Spurs played about as bad as they could on Sunday, which is bad news for the young Thunder

By: Joe Manganiello

STAFF WRITER

The San Antonio Spurs have not lost a game in weeks, entering tonight’s game two with Oklahoma City on a nineteen-game winning streak.

Since acquiring Steven Jackson in a mid-season trade, the Spurs have gone 32-3, including a loss in Jackson’s first game played with the Spurs on the road in Dallas, effectively an impossible game to win when trying to acclimate a new player to the rotation.

The Spurs have lost on just two other occasions over their last 35 games, and they have won every game since April 12.

Both the Spurs and Thunder made quick work of their opponents in the early rounds of the playoffs, with only one collective loss between the top seeds in the Western Conference (Oklahoma City lost in Los Angeles to the Lakers, winning that series 4-1).

In Sunday’s game one, the Thunder came out firing, taking a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter against the Spurs.

After huge efforts by Oklahoma City defensively in the second and third quarter, holding the Spurs to 38 points combined, it appeared that the favored home team were venerable to the high-octane play of the Thunder.

If the Thunder stole game one from the Spurs, it would tilt the entire series towards Kevin Durant’s ball club. So without warning, the Spurs flipped a switch and played the best fourth quarter of the NBA season (rivaled by, but ultimately not nearly as important as, the Clippers 27-point comeback against the Grizzles in the first round).

The Spurs scored 39 points in the fourth quarter, more than their output in the second and third quarter’s combined. Outscoring the Thunder by 12, the Spurs shot 12 of 16 from the field (75 percent) and took back the lead on a Tony Parker jump shot with 6:54 left.

In a game where the Spurs played so sloppily (16 turnovers, well above their season average of 13.6) and scored just 62 points in the first three quarters, how did the Thunder drop that game? There is no good excuse.

On paper, a three-point loss on the road against San Antonio does not look that demoralizing, but the Thunder blew game one, a game that they needed to snatch away from the Spurs while they were so willing to give it away.

Assuming Oklahoma City wins their three games at home this series (which is not for certain, as the Spurs are the Western Conference’s best road team), the Thunder need to steal at least one game in San Antonio to win the series.

Do you think Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are going to combine for 12 of 30 shooting (40 percent) at home the rest of this series? Or that the Spurs will even come close to committing 16 turnovers at home again? Are you counting on the Spurs to shoot 68 percent from the free throw line in any other game this series?

No, I do not think that the Thunder will get that lucky again this series, which is bad news for the league’s best scorer, Durant, who had a poor shooting night move to horrid in the fourth quarter (0-2 fg) when being guarded by the Spurs veteran bench piece, Jackson.

This series could go seven games, but there is no way the Thunder are experienced enough or have enough chemistry to beat the red hot Spurs at home this series.

-JM