CityGuy

The Nets were on a 14 game winning streak the longest of the season. They met up with the Cleveland Cavs tonite and Lebron James took over in the fourth giving the Nets the first loss since March 7th. But for all you Nets fans out there I wouldnt worry they look very prepared for the playoffs. I think the x factors are going to be Nenad Kristic, Cliff Robinson, and they desperatly need a bench player to step up and make a presence.

PaullyInNYC

Well the Nets bounced back from the loss to Clevland and beat the Milwauke Bucks. It was refreshing to see them get back on track. It shows they have veteran leadership and wont allow a loss to get them down and out. The Nets will be ok, they have to just stay focused and see if they can catch up to Miami for the 2nd overall seed.

PaullyInNYC

NJ Net have lossed two in a row, Chicago and Philly on back to back nights. They did rest all the starters in the Philly game, not sure ifs its due to the fact that they were blown out or just simply resting the starters before the playoffs begin. You def dont want a key player being injured for the season, when you have already made it this far!!

CityGuy

How far does everyone think the Nets will get in the playoffs?

My opinion is I dont really see them getting past the second round. Once they get into a 7 game series with either a team like Detroit or Miami, I feel they wont be able to be as physical with a guy like Shaq or Ben Wallace.

PaullyInNYC

I agree CityGuy! The Nets are down 3 games to 1. There is no way they will win 3 in a row against Shaq and D wade. They just gotta take it one game and one quarter at a time and see if they can win in miami which will be very hard to do. Personally I dont see it happening but its not over till its over. The Nets arent mentally tough enough to compete with Miami. To beat Miami you really need to play a very smart game. Skill will only get you so far, the mental toughness will win the series. The Nets make huge mistakes, by attempting long 3 pointers instead of attacking the rim. When you have Vince Carter you need to get him to the rim so he can use his finesse to draw fouls and score points. The NJ Nets still have not learned even after last years sweep. Maybe next year will be better.

PaullyInNYC

Time to stop the Vinsanity


Vince Carter has no answers as the Nets fall into a 3-1 series hole. The Nets lost another tough one yesterday at home to the Heat, 102-92, and that pretty much does it. They will travel down to Miami now, likely drop their fourth straight game, say goodbye to the playoffs again.But there is another game going on out here this spring for the Nets, the one they will never admit exists. It is the contest between Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter to decide who goes, who gets to stay in the Meadowlands when the Big Trade is made. The Big Trade must be made. That is more obvious now even than it was two weeks ago.
Somebody goes, finally putting an end to the stylistic chafing between Jefferson and Carter. The defeat in Game 4 yesterday was another lucid argument to retain Jefferson, to deal the flashier option. Carter, we all know, is a breathtaking player, a valuable gate draw. But the Nets have come to rely on him far too much, too often, and he is only too happy to enable that dependence.
Once again yesterday, the wrong Carter showed up in the building. This wasn't the Carter who beat the Pacers. This was the Carter who gets tangled in bodies or bottled up by the remarkably quick Dwyane Wade, then forces jumpers off Lawrence Frank's unimaginative isolations. It is the Carter who doesn't quite make the right decisions when the opponent constructs a wall of defenders to cut off his lanes.
"You have to take what they give you, be unselfish," said Carter, who fired 28 shots and made 12 of them. "I just wanted to be aggressive. If it's there, it's there. Get to the paint, to the free throw line. Make them pay for putting a line up there of three, four guys."
He didn't do what he said. And really, this playoff lesson from the Heat is all for the best. The Nets, as constituted, are not a team that can win a title. They require one major transaction this offseason, a package deal sending two draft picks and Carter to get a different, taller star. You've all heard one name by now, Kevin Garnett. There are others out there, too.
A cosmetic series victory over the Heat might have disguised that need, confused the issue. Already, after the Nets knocked off the Pacers, Net management was talking as if Jefferson-Carter was a viable combo.
Now, though, it is much tougher to make that case. Jefferson, the more unselfish player, is written out of the script too often. He was 7-for-13 yesterday from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range. He deserved to see the ball more often, have a few more plays run for him.
"Unfortunately, I just work here," said Jefferson, who has been frustrated at times this season with the shot distribution. "As long as I have been here, I have never been about offense and this and that. Defense, that has been more the story."
The Nets now are well on their way to a third straight playoff exit under Lawrence Frank, without reaching a conference final. They aren't playing the kind of motion basketball that got them to the NBA Finals twice under Byron Scott, who took a lot of grief from Jason Kidd and never received enough credit. They stand around and watch Carter too often.
The coach deserves some blame. He's been outmaneuvered by Pat Riley. When Carter plays out of his mind, the Nets still can beat anyone, even out of a halfcourt set. When Carter is 0-for-7 from beyond the three-point line, like yesterday, the Nets lose.
"Nothing different than we have seen the last three games," Frank insisted about the Heat triple-teams. "Shaq comes to the strong-side box. Vince sometimes made passes and we didn't execute. I don't think anything caught him off guard."
Frank has two years left on his contract, and maybe he deserves one last autumn with a Carter-less roster to prove he remembers how to coach a real offense. Kidd no longer can be allowed to call the shot on this, though. It must be Rod Thorn's decision.
Time to reclaim the team concept, find another way, because only one team ever won titles this way and there was only one Michael Jordan.
"Go back to the drawing board," Carter said. He meant for Game 5, but it's more than that now.

PaullyInNYC

What happened to Clifford Robinson?

Cliff hanger

Unless the Nets advance, Cliff Robinson, who was suspended five games Friday for violating the NBA's drug policy, could have played his final game with New Jersey.
The Nets have a $2.5 million option on Robinson for next season. Multiple sources said the Nets could decline to pick up the option. Before this happened, it was a near certainty they would have brought Robinson back.

CityGuy

The Nets' search for a backup point guard could come to a guy born in nj, jay Williams, the former No. 2 overall pick by Chicago out of Duke who will work out for the team Saturday, June 17.

The Nets, who have acknowledged their intrigue in the Plainfield, N.J.-born Williams, yesterday finalized the workout date.

Williams, 24, hopes to make a comeback to the NBA from a devastating motorcycle accident in June 2003 when he suffered a fractured pelvis, torn knee ligaments and damaged nerves in his left leg. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 assists in 2002-03 for the Bulls, who bought out the remaining two years of his contract for about $3 million and waived him.

PaullyInNYC

During a Thursday ESPN Radio interview with host Dan Patrick, Cavs superstar LeBron James declared
a. He's been exchanging text messages with Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade during the Heat's NBA Finals series with Dallas
b. He feels no undue pressure to be the savior of Cleveland
and c. He wouldn't mind playing someday for his friend Jay-Z, a rapper and New Jersey Nets part-owner.

So will the Cleveland all start guard one day play for the New Jersey Nets??

TheMan

Im not so sure Lebron will come to the NJ Nets but we'll have to wait and see what the future holds I guess.

Today was draft day and the NJ Nets had two first round draft picks at the 22 and 23rd picks in the NBA draft. The Nets picked 2 Uconn players. The first of the two (22 overall) was the point guard Marcus Williams. He is said to of been the best all around pure point guard in the draft which is a steel for the Nets. The very next pick in the draft was Josh Boone, Uconn's center man. He does run the floor very well for a big man which is why the Nets looked highly upon his play making abilities. He will most certainly fit into the fast paced run and gun offense.

What does everyone else think about the New Jersey Nets picks??