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| Jason Kidd played for the Knicks last year, and is coaching against them this year. What a league, this NBA is. |
When: 7:00 PM; Thursday, December 5th, 2013
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: TNT
The Knicks have lost nine games in a row; the Nets have lost three of four. The Knicks are 3-13; the Nets are 5-13. The Knicks have the 2nd-worst record in the East. The Nets have the 3rd-worst record in the East. Summary: Both of New York's NBA teams are doing flat-out horrible this year, and signs of improvement have yet to present themselves.
Still without Deron Williams and a host of other key contributors, the Nets are playing at around 50-75 percent healthy right now, which isn't great, but is certainly enough talent to beat the Knicks, who are the only other team in the NBA to have been nearly as disappointing this season as the Nets have been. It's fair to say this game is needed for Brooklyn, and it will be had if they exploit the clear advantages they have over the other New York squad.
Things the Nets must do in order to win this evening:
1. Feed Brook Lopez the ball early and often. Tyson Chandler is hurt so the Knicks' top interior "defenders" (term used loosely) are former Raptor Andrea Bargnani, former Net Kenyon Martin, and former halfway-decent player Amar'e Stoudamire. Those three guys are terrible on defense, by the way.
2. Win the rebounding battle. They got annihilated by the Nuggets in this category on Tuesday, can't happen again.
3. Hit a three once in awhile. Shouldn't be too hard.
Probable Lineups
NYK- Raymond Felton (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Andrea Bargnani (PF), Kenyon Martin (C)
BKN- Tyshawn Taylor (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Alan Anderson (SF), Kevin Garnett (PF), Brook Lopez (C)
Final Thoughts
I say this a lot, but a loss today would be truly devastating for Kidd and the Nets. Falling to 5-14 would be bad enough, but losing to the cross-town Knicks–who have been dreadful–would be such an embarrassment to the Brooklyn veterans and young players alike. Meanwhile, a win would give the team some hope of reaching .500 in the near future.
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