Game 2 vs. Miami
My DVR failed me again, therefore Brooklyn’s game against Miami did not record. Instead I will give a quick recap of their loss to the Heat, which is probably in everyone’s benefit.
Final Score: 93-86 Miami
- Mason Plumlee had a strong game, scoring 23 points on 8-8 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds. He was 7-11 from the free throw line. Impressive stuff by the rookie being able to convert all of his shooting attempts.
- Tyshawn Taylor had a strong game scoring wise, totaling 25 points and shooting 10-11 from the free throw line. Getting to the hoop is a strong suit of his, so its good to see he was able to connect at the line. He did commit five turnovers however.
- Beyond Plumlee and Taylor there wasn’t a lot of support from anyone else. Damion James, who led the team in scoring in game 1, finished with only six points on 3-10 shooting.
Game 3 vs. Utah
With that out of the way, here are my observations from Brooklyn’s third game against the Utah Jazz. It was a blowout loss for the Nets, losing by 29 points. The sad truth is beyond Plumlee and Taylor there isn’t any legitimate NBA talent on this roster, and when those two don’t play well the score line will reflect it. Anyway, heres the breakdown.
Final Score: 98-69 Jazz
The Positives (sort of)
- Chris Wright was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points on 8-13 shooting. He was 3-5 from the three point line, and was the only Nets player able to consistently hit shots. Wright, who played at Georgetown, played for the Dallas Mavericks last season on a 10 day contract. I doubt he makes the Nets roster, but more games like today’s may attract another team to give him a shot.
- Tornike Shengelia didn’t statistically have a good game, but he showed the energy and aggressiveness that I wanted to see from him in previous games. He likes to crash the glass and force turnovers, and play like that will earn him a roster spot rather than forcing up bad shots.
The Negatives
- Mason Plumlee. He played well at first, hustling up and down the floor, and at one point setting up a Tyshawn Taylor layup with a great backdoor pass from the high block. Then he disappeared. He played 25 minutes but only finished with four points (1-4 shooting) and two rebounds. One of Plumlee’s strengths is how active he plays, but I saw little of that. I wouldn’t read too much into this though. Being the only legitimate post player Utah was able to contain him. Come the regular season, where so much attention will be placed on Garnett and Lopez, Plumlee should have opportunities to excel.
- Tyshawn Taylor turned it over six times, and while summer league play is generally sloppy, I’d still like to see Taylor limit these. Too often he made errant passes or dribbled into the thick of the Utah defense. Players tend to do too much in Summer League to impress coaches, and that is the case with Taylor. He would benefit from simplifying things, making the right pass instead of forcing it, and driving to the hoop only when the defense has broken down.
Lights Out
- With 0.6 left in the game, the lights cut out in the Orlando practice gym. Maybe the power cut off, maybe Jason Kidd was looking to sneak out, or maybe the Nets mascot the Bondage Knight wanted to make an appearance, but it was a fitting way to end a game that should have been called after the first half.
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