Sorry for the short preview, but I have a big test to study for, so here goes: <div align="center"><font color=""blue"">New Jersey Nets(5-5)</font> @ <font color=""purple"">Sacramento Kings(4-7)</font> Date and Time: Wednesday, November 23rd 2005, 10:00 PM Away/Home</div> <u>Starting Lineups</u>: PG: Jason Kidd vs Mike Bibby SG: Zoran Planinic vs Bonzi Wells SF: Richard Jefferson vs Peja Stojakovic PF: Cliff Robinson vs Shareef Abdur-Rahim C: Nenad Krstic vs Brad Miller <u>6th Man</u>: Marc Jackson vs Kenny Thomas <u>Key Injuries</u>: KINGS- None NETS- Vince Carter(back) Jason Collins(right leg) <div align="center">Matchup to Watch Richard Jefferson vs Peja Stojakovic</div> When a solid defender faces a great shooter, it's always a good matchup. Peja is currently 1st in the league in three pointers made, so he's as dangerous as ever from behind the arc. It'll be up to Jefferson to shut him down, while trying not to foul him on the shot (Peja has been shooting 95.7% from the free throw line...). Of course, Jefferson should not be forgotten on offense either: with Carter out, he's the main man for the Nets, and will have the ball in his hands a lot of the time. But him being the main man also means lots of double/triple teams from the Kings. Peja isn't a great defender (actually, he's a TERRIBLE defender), so Richard will see a lot of help defense from the Kings, leaving his teammates open when he gets the ball. It's in a matchup like this when the true greatness of a player is measured: take 2 or 3 defenders alone and either get points or miss terribly, or pass out to the open but less talented teammate? Nets' Keys to the Game: -Don't let the Kings get hot from the field. The Nets haven't proven that they can come back from a big deficit to win a game so far this season, so it'll be important not to dig themselves a hole. -Shareef will be determined to give it all out there in order to prove that the Nets made a mistake by not signing him. With Collins out, it'll be tough to contain him, but Robinson and Jackson must do it in order to keep him from scoring 30 points. -Get rebounds. The Kings' bigs aren't amazing rebounders, but Miller, Shareef, Skinner, and Kenny Thomas can all grab 10+ boards if the Nets don't crash the boards. Kings' Keys to the Game- -If you see that double and triple teaming Jefferson isn't working and his teammates are hitting open shots, stop doing it for a while and see if leaving Jefferson to Peja/Wells works better. If it doesn't, go back to double teaming. In other words, don't let Planinic, Murray, Padgett or Kidd get hot, but don't leave Jefferson to one player if he's scoring on one-on-ones either. It'll be up to Coach Adelman to think of the right defensive tactics for this one. -Try to attract fouls. They Nets' bench isn't the best in the league, and with Collins and Carter out, it's even more depleted. Also, the Kings are an overall very good team from the line, so they'll hit two birds with one stone by getting the Nets into foul trouble. Enjoy the game everyone!
I think Cliff will be able to do a good job on SAR defensivly, while Marc Jackson will not SAR much comfort. Seriously, I think that I am glad that we did not sign SAR. He is having a heck of a season, but if you look at the games where he faces up against the Garnetts and Duncans, he disappears off of the stat sheet. I sure hope that the Nets will be able to contain him defensively. This should give Kidd some confidence in the fact that the team did not make a huge mistake this offseason.
The game was fun to watch...in the begining. The Nets really need to work on playing well for entire games, not just the first half.
The Nets were playing great in the first half. It was hard to believe but what happened in the third quarter. It's like they suddenly stopped playing well and lost all energy. On the bright Kidd played really well with 11pts ,11 asts and 7 rebs. He seemed to penetrate more find open players. He got more involved in the game. Im hoping he will continue playing like that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting NbaBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">The Nets were playing great in the first half. It was hard to believe but what happened in the third quarter. It's like they suddenly stopped playing well and lost all energy. On the bright Kidd played really well with 11pts ,11 asts and 7 rebs. He seemed to penetrate more find open players. He got more involved in the game. Im hoping he will continue playing like that.</div> Most of Kidd's # were put up before half time in the 2nd half...he was kind of quite...and he and McInnis really didnt get the job done out on the perimeter defensively. The perimeter guys jobs are mainly to stop the ball on the fastbreak, defensively neither Kidd nor McInnis did so, Kings guards were able to dribble from end to end continuously without deter. Bill Cartwright said it best at the half, the only way the Nets were going to win that game in the 2nd half is if they got stronger defensively because all though offensively they but up 58 points, they gave up 59...and you cant get into a scoring contest with the Kings in Arco, even if they arent the same Kings from years past. Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Brad Miller, Shareef etc they still have quality scoring options...So the Nets never played quality defense in that game and expected to out score Sac on the road, you just cant do that especially without you best scoring option in Vince Carter.
