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| Yup, that kind of night for the Nets. |
Here is a condensed list of statements that encapsulate the Nets' latest futile attempt to achieve the mythical "win" of basketball legend. In this most recent try, yet another Brooklyn loss in which the fans at the Barclays Center viciously booed their shadow of a team, the Manhattan Knicks throttled the Brooklyn Nets by 30, and it wasn't even that close:
1. The Nets never led the game, and managed to fall down by as much as 15 points in the first quarter, a rare and difficult achievement even for a highly defensively-challenged teams such as Jason Kidd's sorry bunch. Kidd's squad, still missing four important players due to injury, managed to cut their deficit to six by the end of the first, and to three in the second quarter, but allowed it to bloom into something much bigger towards the end of the first half and into the second. They were more-than-doubled up in the third quarter (34-16) in the middle of which much of the Nets seemed to give up all comeback efforts.
2. When a team loses all four quarters of a basketball game, it's statistically impossible for them to win. That fate was felt by the Nets on Thursday night, on national television nonetheless!
3. The Knicks shot 57 percent from the field, 59 percent from three-point range (16 threes!), and 82 percent from the free-throw line. The Nets shot 40 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-point range, and 68 percent from the free-throw line. Nothing like allowing an opponent to nearly match your free-throw shooting percentage with their three-point shooting percentage!
Only two Knicks (benchwarmers Cole Aldrich and Toure' Murry) made less than 50 percent of their shots. How many Nets did the same? Six.
4. On ESPN's box score for the game, Reggie Evans is listed as having a "clavicle injury" that wasn't reported pregame by anyone. Reggie, who would have been great in a physical game like this one, got yet another DNP. Reggie probably wasn't actually injured or it would have previously been known, so why does Jason Kidd feel it's so important to have Reggie sit out when he could be of use? I don't have the answers.
5. You know how I said the Knicks hit 16 threes, four times as many as the Nets did? Well, basically all of those (and the 11 attempts they missed) were completely uncontested, so Thursday's exercise was nothing more than a game-speed shootaround or scrimmage for Mike Woodson's team. The Nets, who are notably horrific on perimeter defense, were at it again in Brooklyn, and the Knicks benefitted.
6. Assorted statistical comparisons between the Nets and Knicks:
Assists–BKN- 11. NYK- 24.
Steals–BKN- 3. NYK- 11.
Blocks–BKN- 3. NYK- 7.
7. The end, to this inept effort and prolific losing by the Nets, doesn't look like it's near, folks. I know I wrote on Wednesday on how the team's upcoming schedule is pretty easy. However, if this team can't beat the Knicks–who haven't ANYONE this season–then there's no way they'll be able to take advantage of their softer slate of games ahead.
Some other observations I had from the game: Brook Lopez was by far the only Net who played an all-around good game on both offense and defense. Mirza hit a few threes and was decent on defense at times, but lost his man too much on the perimeter. Everyone else, most notably Toko Shengalia (who has right to play significant minutes for the Nets), Tyshawn Taylor–who can't lead an offense efficiently at the point–and Kevin Garnett–who can't play defense at all anymore…..Ok, rant over. Seriously, though, the Nets have major problems to deal with right now and it starts on the bench, with Jason Kidd who made absolutely no halftime adjustments to help his team come back in this game. That's unacceptable for a head coach, especially when they aren't made repeatedly, game-after-game.
Looking Ahead
Brooklyn, unfortunately, returns to action on Saturday in Milwaukee versus the Bucks, who hold the NBA's worst record. That probably won't deter the Nets from putting forth another dreadful effort, though!
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