<div align="center">@ <font color="blue">New Jersey Nets(7-9)</font>@<font color=""Orange"">Charlotte Bobcats(5-13)</font> Date & Time: Wednesday, December 7th 2005, 7:30 PM Away/Home The Teams: Starting 5 PG: vs Jason Kidd vs Brevin Knight SG: vs Vince Carter(questionable) vs Kareem Rush SF: vs Richard Jefferson vs Gerald Wallace PF: vs Cliff Robinson vs Emeka Okafor C: vs Nenad Krstic vs Primoz Brezec 6th Men vs Jeff McInnis vs Raymond Felton <u>Matchup To Watch</u> vs <font color=""Blue"">Richard Jefferson</font> vs <font color=""Orange"">Gerald Wallace</font></div> This is a matchup between two of the league's highest flyers. On one side is Richard Jefferson. He had a great start to the season, has cooled down a bit since then, but is still getting near 20-10's with ease. His averages of nearly 19 points and around 9 rebounds and 4 assists a game prove how much he has improved his game since his wrist injury last season. Many think this may be RJ's first all-star season since coming into the league, and he keeps proving them right with his solid play for the Nets. On the other side is Gerald Wallace, who has also improved his game since last season. The main knock on his whole career was his bad shooting, which he has drastically improved. He has added another dimension to his game, and guys can't just guard his drive anymore. They have to guard him well on the perimeter too, or else Wallace, who is shooting a top 15 in the league 52.4 fg%, compared to last season's 44.9%, will punish them. His free throw shooting, though, is as off as ever, and sending him to the line is a good option if he passes you on the drive and gets ready to posterize you. Wallace's defense has greatly improved too, and some, namely John Hollinger, have gone as far as calling him a very possible MIP candidate and a very unlikely, but slimly possible, MVP candidate. I would say Jefferson gets the nod for this matchup, though the par won't be big. Wallace is the stronger defender and better field goal shooter, so he'll be a problem for Jefferson. But RJ won't have any athletic disadvantage, as other defender usually have with Wallace. Plus, RJ can punish Wallace if he gets to the line, while Wallace can't do the same. <div align="center"><u>Other Key Players</u></div> <font color=""blue"">Jason Kidd</font>/<font color=""orange"">Brevin Knight</font>- The 2 players are 2 of the purest point guards in the league. Kidd is definently the better player, but Knight is proving to be one of the best players in the game at finding his teammates, something Kidd is a legend at. Last season, Knight broke through as a Bobcat and finished with an average of 9 assists per game, 2nd in the league. Both are going to be important for their teams today because of their ability to find holes in the defense and open teammates. <font color=""orange"">Emeka Okafor</font>-Okafor is much stronger and much more physical than any of the other big men on the floor. He's going to have a field day against the Nets on the boards and his defense should easily stop Robinson, Jackson, and Krstic. If he plays well, then a Bobcats upset will be much more realistic. <u><font color=""Blue""><div align="center">Nets' Keys to the Game</div></font></u> Defense The Nets have been very dissapointing defensively this season. Jefferson has called the team "lazy wimps". This needs to stop. The Nets cannot underestimate the Bobcats tonight. Kareem Rush and Wallace can both be very dangerous scorers if they're not defended well, and Brevin Knight can get in a shot here and there too. Interior defense is going to be extremely important, especially on Okafor, who isn't very good on offense, but is a dangerous force when he's not guarded well in the paint. Same goes for Melvin Ely. The Nets have a disadvantage against the 'Cats in the paint, so they're going to have to either: a)Drastically improve their defense, play physically, use Marc Jackson if Krstic/Robinson isn't working out b)Get Okafor/Ely into early foul trouble c)None of the Above(not the wisest choice) Use Fouls, But Wisely None of the Bobcats are exceptional free throw shooters. In fact, most are pretty BAD free throw shooters. The Nets will need to take advantage of this fact and foul guys like Okafor or Wallace instead of giving them an easy bucket when they see one coming. But, using the right amount of fouls is going to be key for the Nets. They can't afford losing a starter to foul trouble early on. I can see somebody like Johnson, Wright, or Vaughn coming in just to use some fouls. <div align="center"><u><font color=""Orange"">Bobcats' Keys to the Game</font></u></div> Get Okafor the Ball The Nets have pretty much no way to guard him. He's way too physical to be guarded by any of the Nets' players other than maybe Marc Jackson, but on Jackson he has a huge skill advantage. Big problem for the Nets, big plus for the 'Cats. Get Ely into the Game for 20-25 min. Ely, like Okafor, is pretty much unguardable by the Nets. I would even say he's tougher to guard than Okafor. Not only is he strong and physical, he's very athletic. He's going to cause plenty of matchup problems for the Nets. <u>Prediction</u>: If Carter Plays: Nets +13 If Not...: Nets +7 Why? The 'Cats are on a 4 game losing streak and are unstable. The Nets are hungry to prove their worth after getting embarrased by the worst team in the league. *Just saw the Collins thread by NBABaller. Fixed the preview accordingly.
Great preview kobimel. Although I can't really argue with you assesment that the Nets will win with or without Carter, I kind of want the Nets to lose. If the Nets lose this game, then the players are really going to start questioning themselves, there is going to be a team meeting and stuff like that, which is extremly positive for the long term from a mental point of view. The Nets have been playing rather passive this season. They do not seem to have the fire that they had at the end of the regular season last season. The only way to bring that fire back is to lose of a few entirely winable games.
Thanks. I agree with you, if the Nets lose this game, the players will suddenly understand that they aren't playing to their full potential, and that they aren't trying hard enough out there. After the loss to the Raptors, most of the players probably thought "well, it happens, it was a fluke". If they lose to the 'Cats, too, then they'll start to think "wait, we just lost two straight games to teams we should've easily beaten. something isn't right, we need to up our game". Like Jefferson said, the team is playing like a bunch of defensless wimps. It's like somebody is making them play and they just want to get the game over with and go back home to sit on the sofa. Where's the passion? Where's the fire? Losing this game will give the team a shock that it seriously needs. The management will realize that this team isn't working. Changes need to be made, ASAP. Even if it means breaking up the Big 3. I mean, if you had managed to get together 3 of the best, let's say, technitians in the world and a decent bunch of co-workers for them, but the world-class ones weren't working together well and weren't performing up to their potential and, more importantly, your and your stock holders' expectations, would you keep all three together and let them ruin your company further? Or would you let one or two go, and get either another world-class one who knows what it means to work as a team, or a bunch of experienced and talented guys who aren't necessarily world-class but can contribute a lot more than 2 star-studded guys? That's exactly what's happening to the Nets, the Big 3 thing ain't working, there are big holes we need to fill like a defensive stopper and a good big man. If the team loses this game, maybe the management will finally understand that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting xpehbamxyu:</div><div class="quote_post">Great preview kobimel. Although I can't really argue with you assesment that the Nets will win with or without Carter, I kind of want the Nets to lose. If the Nets lose this game, then the players are really going to start questioning themselves, there is going to be a team meeting and stuff like that, which is extremly positive for the long term from a mental point of view. The Nets have been playing rather passive this season. They do not seem to have the fire that they had at the end of the regular season last season. The only way to bring that fire back is to lose of a few entirely winable games.</div> Im sure the Nets started questioning themselves after the Raptors lose. Edit- The Nets played a pretty good. Their only problem was frre throws but other that it was a good game. Even though they got a W against the Bobcats they gained some confidence ecpecially after losing to the Raptors. We will see how they will play their next game.
Wow, I hit the nail right on the head with my prediction. Anyway, hopefully, the guys will start playing more seriously and with more energy from now on. This game gives them momentum, and hopefully we'll start to see some results soon.
