Joe Netsfan.com - At The All Star Break Report



		From the Big Top to the Big Time? Game 51: Nets 105, Cavaliers 85 - February 11, 2004 Kerry K.O. New! Ropin', dopin' K. Kittles plays possum in the first half (0 points), then comes out and scores 20 of his game-high 27 points in the third quarter. ...Read on... Game 50: Nets 89, Pistons 78 - February 10, 2004 Pony Pushovers The Nets use aggression, rebounding and defense to whip the Pistons into submission for their ninth straight victory. Joe takes it all in... Game 49: Nets 99, Sixers 87 - February 8, 2004 Toughskins The Nets go out of fashion and put on the old pair of Toughskin jeans in order to kick the crap out of the Sixers...Go figure that Joe out... Game 48: Nets 120, Magic 99 - February 6, 2004 Blitzkreig Bop The Lawrence Frank-led Nets are on some kind of destructive roll after crushing the Tracy McGrady-less Magic for the rookie coach's sixth straight victory .Read on... Game 47: Nets 99, Heat 88 - February 4, 2004 Rogers' Ramjet So why are we celebrating Rodney Rogers' put-back jam in the fourth, when the Nets were already up by 13? Well, you had to have seen it. ...Read on... Game 46: Nets 91, Hornets 70 - February 2, 2004 Horny's Hangover The Nets complete their first 4-game roadtrip sweep in franchise history, and Lawrence Frank, with a 4 - 0 start (all wins on the road, all of them blow-outs), has the best starting record of any Nets head coach...Read on... Game 45: Nets 88, Rockets 77 - January 31, 2004 Martin The Merciless Kenyon Martin comes up big in the second half and the Nets adjust on the fly to come from 12 back and pillage yet another road win for new coach Lawrence Frank. Joe has the review... Game 44: Nets 94, Magic 79 - January 29, 2004 Kidd, Kid And Loosh The Nets ride a renewed commitment to defense and a Jason Kidd offensive explosion (33 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) to their second consecutive road win and third straight overall. Read on... Game 43: Nets 94, Sixers 76 - January 27, 2004 Kill The Wabbit After a week of opera-level drama, the Nets sail into Philly on a Viking Death Ship and slay timid Hip Hop the Sixers Bunny. Lawrence Frank's first night as head coach was a powerful spectacle... Read on... Game 42: Nets 110, Celtics 91 - January 25, 2004 St. Patsies Day Well, the Nets sure got what they needed to break a five game losing streak today: their own personal patsies, in the form of the Boston Celtics. Joe was there, with the pre-game Keep The Nets In New Jersey rally, and more... Game 41: Heat 85, Nets 64 - January 23, 2004 Muck Rakers The Nets rake the muck with a 29% shooting night against the Heat, providing Netsfans with another fourth quarter debacle to forget. ...Read on... Game 40: Spurs 99, Nets 76 - January 21, 2004 Full Frontcourt Failure The Nets' starting frontcourt scored 16 points to the Spurs' 52 in a loss...Read on... Game 39: Mavericks 106, Nets 93 - January 20, 2004 The Big "O" In Big D The Nets were searching for the Big O in Big D tonight, but all they got was a tiring, frustrating ride to loserville. Joe's still looking for love in Dallas...Read on... Game 38: Pacers 90, Nets 84 - January 17, 2004 Meltdown ...The power went out, the bulbs became dim, and in the darkness that was the Nets' fourth quarter offense, Indiana turned on the auxiliary generators and came away with the win. Our man SwampDragon2 climbed the utility pole to see what went wrong at the CAA... Game 37: Bucks 86, Nets 83 - January 15, 2004 Blunderbuss A balky, bad-shooting game finally goes off in the fourth. Martin's fine return from a 2-game suspension goes wasted as the Bucks hold off the Nets' rumbling Martin-led come-from-behind assault ... Read on... Game 36: Nets 115, Wizards 103 - January 14, 2004 Tossing Eddie's Salad Even without Kenyon Martin, the Nets scored more points than they had all year, and by the end of the 3rd, had made the Washington Wizards their prison wives. ...Read on... Game 35: Sixers 97, Nets 81 - January 9, 2004 Flame Out Missing the fire of the suspended Kenyon Martin, the Sixers torched the Nets. Kidd and co. couldn't get the fire started, and Joe's got the damage report...Read on... Game 34: Nets 92, Clipper 75 - January 6, 2004 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Jason Kidd performed a Clint Eastwood-esque shoot-em-up with his second consecutive 30-plus point performance. ...Read on... Game 33: Nets 95, Knicks 85 - January 4, 2004 Calling Doctor Kidd A visit by Doctor Jason Kidd miraculously cured the Nets' ills by ordering up a 17 - 2 run to put the Knicks on life support. Kidd scores 35, including 19 in the fourth quarter, as the Nets put a pretty fourth quarter at the end of three ugly ones...Read on... Game 32: Nets 97, Cavaliers 82 - January 2, 2004 The Jimmie Leg Jason Kidd gives the Jimmie Leg to LeBron "King" James and the Cavs with a near-triple-double performance...Joe sets things in motion... Game 31: Nets 88, Warriors 70 - December 31, 2003 New Year's Kidd Jason Kidd put the finishing touches to a wildly uneven 2003 with a celebratory performance in a blowout win over the Warriors. Joe looks back, and ahead, with resolutions... Game 30: Trailblazers 91, Nets 87 - December 29, 2003 March Of The Wooden Soldiers Byron Scott's army, fresh off a scintillating back-to-back road carnage and riding a six game home winning streak, picked a strange time to go wooden in tonight's loss against the Blazers. Joe was there, and filed this report from the front lines... Game 29: Nets 82, Pacers 75 - December 27, 2003 Midwestern Mind-Melter Indiana loses their collective minds, and Netsfans get to keep theirs, after the Nets pull out of brain-lock and stop a 16 - 2 Pacers' run – with less than a minute left, Indy was within 2 points of tying...Read on... Game 28: Nets 82, Pistons 79 - December 26, 2003 'Tis the Threeson The Nets win by 3, get a triple-double from their #1 guy (Jason Kidd), 27 game-high points from their #3 man (Richard Jefferson), and play their worst ball in the 3rd quarter when Kenyon Martin was on the bench. ...Read on... Game 27: Nets 95, Bulls 78 - December 23, 2003 Stocking Stuffers The Nets liven up the holiday season with some 'oops, some jams and some slams, effectively stuffing the Bulls by early in the 4th quarter...Read on... Game 26: Bucks 92, Nets 87 - December 20, 2003 Up On Cripple Creek Drowning against Bucks, the Nets swam out of a 15-point deficit and reached the beach of a one point lead with two minutes to play. Exhaustion dragged them back under, however...victory was not theirs...Read on... Game 25: Nets 97, Wizards 87 - December 19, 2003 Grab Bag The Nets reached into the pre-Christmas grab bag against Eddie Jordan and the Wiz and found a mixed blessing in their fifth consecutive home win ...Read on... Game 24: Nets 87, Jazz 74 - December 17, 2003 When The Whip Comes Down Two teams combine to commit an assault on basketball, before the Nets focus their ferocity primarily on the Jazz. ...Read on... Game 23: Grizzlies 110, Nets 63 - December 13, 2003 Pooping in the Pyramid Come poop with Champagne as he tries to describe the mess that was simultaneously one of the worst losses in the Nets' ancient history of losing, and the greatest victory in franchise history for the young upstart Grizz...Read on... Game 22: Nets 99, Magic 95 - December 12, 2003 Joy in Woe-Town Kerry Kittles helps the Nets hit the .500 mark with his shot-making histrionics: 22 points, 9 - 12 from the field, and three hooky 3-balls in the fourth. ...Read on...		At The All Star Break Report - February 18, 2004 Test Of Strength First Quarter Record: 10 - 11 Record Second Quarter To All Star Break: 21 - 9 Overall Record: 31 - 20 Feeling strong, Netsfan? Well, if you were paying attention to the Nets since the start of the second quarter of the season back on December 12, you'll remember that you've needed every ounce of strength just to get through these last two months. Up and down play that culminated in the Nets' 10 game winning streak (that was preceeded by a five game losing streak) was the least of the issue, or so it seemed. First, the Nets were sold to Bruce Ratner and friends, and the announcement that they would move full speed ahead toward destination: Brooklyn. The Nets then bottomed out on the day of the announcement, losing to a weakened Heat team by 21 points, a loss that sealed the fate of lame duck coach Byron Scott. Ah, the fate of a carny is not pretty... But things brightened up considerably with the breath of fresh air that interim coach Lawrence Frank has brought to the suddenly muscle-bound Nets. Can they continue their torrid pace that led up to the All Star break and continue to ring the bell toward another post-season run? Well, the Nets are 98-pound weaklings no more (despite being led by what looks like one). Make no mistake about it, the Nets are primed to take off the clown paint and reclaim their turf, get the girl and start acting like they belong not in the Big Top but in the Big Time. Up On The High Wire Best Game of the Quarter - You pick pick any of the games from the 10 game winning streak that closed the first half and be right on. But for Joe's money, two games stand out: the Nets tight, tough win against the Pistons in Detroit back on December 28 (on national TV) was the first sign that the Nets did indeed remember the past two seasons; and the Nets' pistol whipping of the Pistons at home in Game 50 let everyone know that Lawrence Frank and his Nets were for real. Worst Game of the Quarter - Talk about the dunk tank - two game defined the season for the Nets. The first was the 47 point pounding administered by the Grizzlies back in Game 23. that broke the Jason Kidd - Byron Scott rift wide open (and showed the Nets giving up for the first time during the Jason Kidd era). And of course, the 21 point loss to the Heat in Game 41, when the Nets shot 29% and got Byron thrown in the crapper. Send in the clowns! Best Player - Jason Kidd picked up his game another several notches above All Star once his nemesis, Byron Scott, was removed from the equation. Kenyon Martin has continued to take his play to the next (hopefully for him, max) level and has been the model of consistency and toughness. I'm going to split my vote down the middle and proclaim them to be co-best player thus far. Worst Player - This award has lost some of its meaning since Frank took over, re-instilled confidence in the bench, and let them play. Rodney Rogers had the award locked up until Frank took over, and the rest of the bench, from #6 thru #12 (ok, 10, 11, and 12 rarely play these days) have improved tenfold. So, with Rogers, Planinic, Harris, Williams, and Scalabrine contributing and playing better, that leaves Joe whipping boy Brandon Armstrong to fill out the award. If only because he was a first round pick, he's on the active list now, and still can't get into a game despite being the best shooter on the team. Hey, practice doesn't count, Brandon. Best Individual Performance - Some tough choices to make here, including: Kenyon Martin's efforts in the fourth quarter of Game 25's win against the Wiz or his big play in Game 29's victory against the Pacers; Kerry Kittles' 27 point second half in the Game 51 win against the Cavs; Richard Jefferson's performances against tough Philly "D" in wins in Games 43 and 49; or Jason Kidd's triple double in Game 28's victory over the Pistons. But we'll go with Kidd's single-handed slaying of the Knicks back in Game 33 Worst Individual Performance - Let's just make this easy and award it to the entire squad for their "performance" during Game 23's stinker against the Grizzlies. All Star Break MVP - For this long, extended review period, we're thinking the Nets 10 game winning streak has a lot to do with the weight lifted off of Jason Kidd's, um, chest after Byron Scott was removed from the equation. Notice the MVP similarities in his play lately? Coincidence? The Dunk Tank - Ten Things We've Noticed 1. "Interim" coach Lawrence Frank, he of the nine straight wins to start a career, seems like he might be around for awhile, no? It wil be interesting to see if the Nets can avoid crashing and burning in the second half of the season like last year. Better still, how will Frank handle his troops come playoff time? 2. Brooklyn, Schmooklyn. That's all I have to say about that. Whether this team moves there or not, Bruce Ratner's empire is sounding more and more like a house of cards. 3. Is Kenyon Martin a max. player? Watching his efforts night in and night out, providing toughness, heart and soul (plus plenty of interior scoring and sticky defense), you get the sense that if he isn't a max. player, he's as close as you can get to one. Let's see if anyone is crazy enough to make an offer on him in the off-season. The Nets would be crazy not to match. 4. Jason Kidd got his wish, and he's turned up his level of play. Whether or not Byron Scott's blood is on his hands, Kidd seems to be playing fast and loose (in a good way) again, which is great news for the Nets (and doesn't a 10 game win streak look better than the 5 game losing streak that preceeded it?). Look for a big, big finish from Kidd this year. 5. If Kidd is #1 and Martin is #1A, what does that make Richard Jefferson? Since Frank took over, RJ's tightened up the "D", and started hitting the free throw line with more regularity. The jumpers are nice, RJ, and show the additional skills you've developed, but keep going to the hoop and things will be great in Netsland. 6. Eddie Griffin is a tragedy that should have never been signed. But having said that, best of luck to you, Eddie. Rod Thorn, be thankful he came cheap. 7. All hail the return of Rodney Rogers - sort of. While he's still not the player he was just two years ago with the Celtics, his improvement since Scott took over is one of the big developments that could go a long way come playoff time. If Rod can make a few from outside, get himself inside on occasion, and grab some boards, what a great pickup that would be. 8. Still have to wonder if Jason Collins has hit his career plateau, and this is the best it's gonna get. While he knows his role well, imagine if the Nets had a more agile center MacCulloch in the middle...still the weak link, especially against the West. 9. Are there any bullets left in Rod Thorn's role player gun that he can fire? You get the sense the Nets need one additional role player pickup to roll through the playoffs. Concerns about Lucious Harris' back, Aaron Williams lack of height, and rookie Zoran Planinic backing up Kidd are all legit, I fear. 10. The Nets at the moment have the largest lead of any of the four divisional leaders - 7.5 games over the Knicks. Did you think that was possible just 20 games ago? Ring The Bell - Grading The Players Grab the wooden mallet, swing as hard as you can and try to ring the bell. Three chances to ding it, but not every player's a he-man. Jason Kidd: Still the scrawniest looking strong man in the game. No one is better with the ball in his hands, as he's proven over the ten game win streak. Now focused, where does the run end this season? (T)He-Man. Kenyon Martin: The Nets' strong man, go-to scorer, top defender, from 'oops to blocks, he's the Nets' soul. Seems to be gearing up for a ferocious second half. He-Man. Richard Jefferson: Coming along, with more firepower and more defense as the number three option. Close To The Top. Kerry Kittles: Can he pick up the mallet? Some days yes, some days no. Keep working on it, Kerry. Rising And Falling. Jason Collins: Can't jump or grab many rebounds, but still useful in spurts. Rising And Falling. Aaron Williams: Still rock-steady, rings the bell when you ask him to. Climbing. Lucious Harris: Not his best season by a long shot. Back hurts, making it hard to pick up the mallet at times. Swing Harder. Rodney Rogers: Suddenly, swinging the hammer is easier. Would have dropped it on his foot before Frank took over. Put Down The Twinkee and Pick Up The Wheaties. Robert Pack: Hey, strength isn't everything. Unfortunately, playing and getting results is. Washout. Brian Scalabrine: Each attempt varies widely, but always eager and willing. Swing Harder. Zoran Planinic: Doesn't understand the game, but makes a game attempt anyway. Swing Harder. Tamar Slay: Still waiting in line. Weakling. Brandon Armstrong: It's always about him, somehow. Give the man a cigar if he can even find his way to the game. Weakling. Eddie Griffin: Don't let him in the game. Washout. Hubert Davis: Patiently waiting his turn, his shooting could help win a game late. Weakling. Fire Eaters - Grading Management Rod Thorn: So, what's next for Rod Thorn? The Robert Pack signing didn't work out, the Eddie Griffin thing was asking for trouble. The Nets could use another carny to set up the show for the starters, be it another point guard or a center. Byron Scott: The man won two Eastern Conference Championships, but he lost the team. Completely. That makes him a washout. Lawrence Frank: This guy is the ultimate coaching lifer, not unlike a carnival worker. From town to town, trying to coax the best out of his performers. So far, so good. No cracks about looking at times like the angry little clown, either... Big Top Or Big Time - The Wrapup The Nets have spectacularly recovered from their early missteps on the franchise high wire since Byron Scott was shot out of the cannon and replaced by Lawrence Frank. Is it a house of mirrors, or a smooth ride on the ferris wheel for the season's last 31 games and beyond? With Kidd and Martin leading the charge, this should prove to be an interesting second half for the Nets. Can Frank deliver the goods in the playoffs? That's the biggest mystery at the moment, and the biggest risk facing the Nets as they try to get out of the circus environment of the Big Top they've lived in all season and move over to the Big Time of playoff success. - Joe Archive \| Backlash \| Bio \| Calendar \| Champagne's Blog \| Diatribe \| Game x Game \| History \| Home \| Joe Netsfan's Blog \| Media \| Opponents \| Players \| Playoffs \| Search \| Specials © 2003 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski