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| Bronx native Kemba Walker returns to the city he grew up in and dominated in Big East Tournaments (at MSG) while on UConn |
When: 7:30 PM; Wednesday, February 2th, 2014
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
Steve Clifford, 1st-year head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats and longtime college and NBA assistant, is doing pretty well–with all things considered–in his rookie season at the helm of the soon-to-be-Hornets. Currently with 23 wins on the year, same as the Nets, Charlotte already is more successful than it has been in the last two seasons (7 and 21 wins respectively) and is right on the cusp of playoff eligibility, 0.5 games ahead of 9th-place Detroit.
With the limited amount of talent at Clifford's disposal, the way the Bobcats have played so far in the 2013-14 campaign is nothing short of amazing. Al Jefferson, signed this summer, has fit into his role as the only consistent interior scorer on Charlotte perfectly, and is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. Also, he has eclipsed 30 points in four of his last seven games. Yep, he could be a problem for the Nets.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn has won three of four, and is coming off a solid rout of the New Orleans. Reggie Evans will miss tonight's and tomorrow's games with personal reasons, and Brook is still out with a broken foot, but other than that, the Nets are healthy and will have basically their full complement of talent tonight.
Probable Lineups
CHA- Kemba Walker (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF), Josh McRoberts (PF), Al Jefferson (C)
BKN- Deron Williams (PG), Shaun Livingston (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Paul Pierce (PF), Kevin Garnett (C)
Final Thoughts
The Bobcats are not nearly the pushovers this year as they've been the past few years, but they are still a team the Nets should beat. Brooklyn has had a lot of trouble with scoring big men (see the Pistons) this season, and Al Jefferson fits that bill. However, the Nets should match up well enough with the rest of the Bobcats in order to lessen Jefferson's impact on this game.
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