 |
| The Nets had trouble stopping LeBron, or any other Heat players for that matter, when these teams played each other on November 7th. Now, Gerald Wallace will be in the lineup for Brooklyn tonight but Brook Lopez won't be. |
When: 7:30 pm; Saturday, December 1st, 2012
Where: American Airlines Arena; Miami, FL
TV: YES Network/NBATV
When the Heat and Nets played earlier this season, on November 7th to be exact, Miami showed Brooklyn who the was better team as the team from South Beach the team from Brighton Beach. Sure, the Nets didn't have the services of Gerald Wallace (ankle injury) available to guard LeBron, but the outcome likely wouldn't have been much different if Gerald had played. Simply put, the Heat were the much, much better team that night and demonstrated why they are probably the best team in the NBA.
However, that was then and this is now. Tonight is a brand-new test to see if the Nets can even hold a candle to an undoubtedly elite team. The Nets have meshed significantly since that early November game and are starting to play like the well-built team Billy King threw together this offseason. The only problem is that Brook Lopez won't be in the lineup due to his sprained foot so the Nets won't be at full strength, Who knows, maybe Bill Simmons' Ewing Theory (idea that teams play better without their superstars) will be in effect in South Florida this evening?
More than anything, tonight's tilt is a barometer for the Nets to see if they are at, or near, the level of the top tier teams in the NBA like the Heat. Do I expect the Nets, a team rapidly assembled over the course of a few months in the summer, to already be at the same level as the defending champion Heat? No, not really, but I feel like they could be really close. Recent wins over the Celtics, Knicks, and Clippers, to name a few, have shown the entire league that the Nets aren't to be messed with or overlooked. I'm not saying they're for real yet, I'm just saying that there's a chance they could be.
Probable Lineups
BKN- Williams (PG), Johnson (SG), Wallace (SF), Humphries (PF), Blatche(C)
MIA- Chalmers (PG), Wade (SG), James (SF), Lewis (PF), Bosh (C)
Final Thoughts
Yet another game against an Eastern Conference contender that the Nets should be able to compete, and maybe win, in. Not having Brook Lopez to clog up the paint is going to be a bit of an obstacle, but maybe Blatche can fill in well enough that Lopez' absence isn't noticed. Honestly, who knows anything at this point with the Nets?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
