Joe Netsfan Game x Game 47 - Hawks 104, Nets 92

Off to Memphis

Hawks 104, Nets 92
Game 47 File
Once again a defensive mess, the Nets let the Hawks run with abandon, and the result is a sloppy, uncoordinated loss that breaks the brief winning streak. In what was likely Jason Collins' last game as a Net, and Nenad Krstic's first game back from his long rehab, the Nets were not nearly good enough once again.
• Box Score

Nets Record: 20 - 27
Home Record: 10 - 14
Away Record: 10 - 13
Division Record: 2 - 7
Conf. Record: 15 - 14
Other Game Reviews

Nets High Men:
• Points: Richard Jefferson, 23.
• Assists: Vince Carter, 10.
• Rebounds: Jason Kidd, 10.
• Steals: Carter and Nachbar each had 1.
• Turnovers: Richard Jefferson, 4.
• Blocks: Kidd and Wright each had 1.
• FG Percentage: Josh Boone, 85.7% (6 - 7).

Nets Team Stats:
• FG Percentage: 51.4%
• FT Percentage: 84.2%
• Rebounds: 32
• Rebound Differential: -6
• Turnovers: 16
• Opposing Team's Turnovers: 12
• Bench points: 34
• Bench points Differential:+7
• Steals: 2
• Blocks: 2
• Points in the Paint: 46
• Double-Doubles: 1 (Vince Carter: 14 points, 10 assists)
• Triple-Doubles: 0

The Kidd Effect:
• Nets Players in Double Digit Scoring: 4
• Nets Fast Break Points: 9
• Kidd's FG Percentage: 22.2% (2 - 9)
• Scoring Differential Kidd in the game: -2
• Scoring Differential Kidd out: -10 (M. Williams)
• Double-Doubles this Season: 25
• Triple Doubles this Season: 11
• Career Triple Doubles:98

Nets Media
Bergen Record | Nets
Newark Star-Ledger | Nets
Newsday | Nets
NY Daily News | NBA
NY Post | Nets
NY Times | Pro Basketball
YES Network | Nets

Nets Team Pages
CNNSI.com | Nets
ESPN.com | Nets
FoxSports | Nets
NBA.com | Nets
Sportsline.com | Nets

Hawks Media:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Hawks

Game 47: Hawks 104, Nets 92 – February 2 , 2008
Two Left Feet
Dancing through the season as if coordination was a serious problem, the Nets showed up in Atlanta on Jason Collins' last game as a Net as if they were in possession of two left feet. A quick burst from the Hawks, lighter than air on their feet, and this one was arguably over before hafltime, as the Hawks run down the Nets' throats with disco fever. So, after a brief burst of a two game win streak, the Nets are tango-ing right back to where they were during the nine game losing streak.

If it starts with defense, well, then the Nets were dancing with themselves, because the Hawks were gunning down the floor, creating 23 fast break points and 58 points in the paint, all of which the Nets were powerless to stop. Early foul trouble for Vince Carter, combined with another complete defensive breakdown, and the Nets went from down by 4 early in the second to down by 17 at the break. A brief, and I mean brief, two-step got the Nets to within nine early in the fourth, but the Hawks just kept coming, and the Nets couldn't hold any sort of rhythm whatsoever.

Even the return of Nenad Krstic from his long rehab couldn't help pick up the Nets' slow-footedness (he played less than 3 minutes, and was done for the night), and the Nets' find themselves outplayed by a young team with serious athleticism, more signs that changes are on the way, like it or not. Because for all the dancing the Nets have been doing this season, somehow they're still going backwards.

Dancing With Wolves (Or Hawks, Anyway)
1-2-3 Kick, 1-2-3 Kick - So, what exactly did we see tonight? A tired Nets team that got run out of the building, especially on the defensive end, or simply the team the Nets are destined to be night in and night out? This is no longer a team built for defense, and if Jason Collins has indeed played his last game for the Nets, well, the defense isn't going to improve. The Nets now-over two game win streak was built against the injured Bucks and the more injured Heat, so I guess we shouldn't read anything into it. But the Nets were more than a step slow against the younger Hawks, they couldn't stop anything no matter what they tried, they gave up a ton of points in the paint, and perhaps worst of all, the Nets aren't creating turnovers, getting only 2 steals and 2 blocks. It's bad, maybe not as bad as it was during the West Coast trip, but it's not getting better with Stromile Swift coming to town.
Cha-Cha-Cha - There really wasn't much good to say about the offense, either, as too often too many Nets were just standing around, looking for a clue. Richard Jefferson was the high man with 23 points on 9 - 18 shooting, but by no means was this a stellar performance. The Nets were hurt badly by Vince Carter's early foul trouble, but make no mistake, there was no help coming from anyone but Boki Nachbar tonight. Boki was the only other aggressive Net besides RJ. The bench was again subpar (where has Marcus Williams' game gone?), and nothing the Nets attempt really looks like it's going somewhere. Combine the first two points in red here, and you don't have a very good (or very interesting) team to watch.
Save The Last Dance - Feel better, Netsfans, knowing the Jason Collins era is over? Well, he is a class act, he never complained, he did all the crap work that the three superstars couldn't (or wouldn't) do, and he's the only Net that understood defense from day 1. Yes, it was frustrating watching him against Shaq and Tim Duncan in those Finals, but imagine where the Nets would have been otherwise. He leaves as he started, with absolutely no expectations, and well, the Nets will probably not be better off without him. Let's see what Stromile Swift, a noted head-case, brings to this chaotic Nets squad.
First Dance - Nice to see Nenad Krstic back on the court, even if he was barely noticeable. He's got a long way to go, Netsfans, so don't look for instant salvation. In fact, depending on if and how the Nets change out parts, he's really playing for next season at this point. So go easy on him.
Dancing With The Stars - And Tuesday brings the Lakers and Kobe, Pau, Lamar and the rest to town. Think the Lakers still need Kidd? Could the Nets get Lamar Odom for him at this point? Or are the Lakers fine with Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar? Where else could Kidd be moved so as not to see the Nets completely ripped off? If Kidd's still around after the trading deadline, does he become a complete distraction, and further sully his reputation? So many things to look out for in the next three weeks.

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
ESo we likely say goodbye to the Nets' chief whipping post, Jason Collins, who played tall despite all the criticism thrown at him over the years, never saying a word in his own defense. Tonight, the Hawks, led by Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Josh Childress and Joe Johnson, were able to dancing their way all over the Nets' efforts, and this isn't nearly the team that many others in the NBA are. For all the talk, all the discussions over the trading of Jason Kidd, this may very well be how the Nets play out the string. Clearly, they aren't good enough defensively, they're too slow for today's NBA, filled with vets who can't quite keep up, they rely too much on an offense that stands around, the bench often isn't competitive with the other team's bench, and well, I could go on and on. Change is coming, at least with Stromile Swift on his way in, Collins on his way out, and Nenad Krstic likely to start working himself into the lineup, but beyond that, don't look for that late season run to the playoffs that we've seen in years past, because it's not coming...
- Joe