<div align="center"><font color="DarkRed"><font color="Black">@</font></font> </div> <font color="DarkRed"> </font><div align="center"><font color="Blue">The New Jersey Nets</font> (19-12) @ <font color="DimGray">The San Antonio Spurs <font color="Black">(26-8)</font></font> Time: Tuesday, January 10th, 8:30 Location: <font color="DimGray">SBC Center</font> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Blue"><font color="Black">TV: Yes Network</font></font> <font color="Blue"><font color="Black"> Radio: WFAN 660 AM</font></font> </div> <font color="Blue"> </font> [table=0][tr][td] The Nets are on a 10 game winning streak. They have defeated formidible teams during that streak such as Miami and Cleveland. The question now is, can they beat what many consider to be the best team in the league? Do the Nets have what it takes to win against the team that is probably going to be in the finals this year? The Nets are underdogs in this game. Many believe that the Nets' steak will end at ten. One thing is for sure though, the Nets players have confidence. They are not going to give this game up too easily. A major question surronding this game is whether Richard Jefferson will be able to play. In the previous game, a Nets' win over the Raptors, Jefferson went out of the game with back spasms. He is a vital part of the Nets' success, and is a strong offensive weapon. If he is out, then perhaps the Nets will really not be able to win this game. Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="Blue">Jason Kidd</font> Kidd has seemingly been playing better as the season goes along. He might have been playing well in the begining of the season as well, but his team is starting to mesh chemistry-wise. This meshing is boosting Kidd's statistics, and even driving him to play harder. Shooting Guard: <font color="Blue">Vince Carter</font> Carter is hands down the offensive leader for the Nets. He makes Kidd's life easier, while Kidd does the same for him. Carter has been player better as the season has been rolling along. During the 10 game winning streak he has averaged 33.5 point per game. What makes Carter ever more dangerous is that he can pass the ball. He has been averaging career high assists. Small Forward: <font color="Blue">Richard Jefferson</font> Back spasms ussually occur temporarily. Hopefully Jefferson's spasms are of the ussual case. Jefferson is another scoring option, and someone who can relativly easily defend against Ginobili and the enery that he brings. If the Nets go without Jefferson in this game, or if Jefferson is not 100%, the game becomes exponentially tougher for the Nets to win. Power Forward: <font color="Blue">Jason Collins</font> We have to hope that Collins is back from knee injuries, and back for good. The Nets will really need him in this game. Not for offense, but for defense. Collins has the skill and body to play somewhat acceptable defense on Duncan. Whether Duncan can be stopping by anyone is another question, but the fact that Duncan will have to work to score against Collins is something else. Center: <font color="Blue">Nenad Krstic</font> Nenad started the season much hotter than has has been playing of late. He has averaged 11.8 points per game during the Winning streak. He as had a number of games of 15 points or higher, but he has also had games of less than 10 points. He has been inconsistent. Will we see the high scoring Krstic in this game? <font color="Blue">Nets Keys To The Game <font color="Black">1) Make Tim Duncan work without double teaming. You are not going to stop him, but you can get his out of his rythem and force him to miss some shots or even not ask for the ball. Collins will have to be on top of him the entire game. If not Collins, then Robinson will have to accomplish this task. The Nets cannot afford to double team his with all of the other capable players that the Spurs have. 2) Carter needs to make Bowen look like an average defender. Bowen is annoying and pesky, and by many players is denounced as dirty. Carter needs to forget about all of this and just play. Bowen is not young any more and plays on reputation more than on skill. 3) Jefferson needs to be 100%. If Jefferson cannot give it his all, it will be tough for the Nets to put a defender on Ginobili as well as find a guy who can play the offense that Jefferson can play.</font></font>[/td] [td][div=border] The Spurs are considered by many to be the best team in the league. They are lead by Tim Duncan who is surronded by hard working as well as skilled players. The Spurs were attempting to mount a long winning streak lately, but they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns on the 7th of January. The Spurs' longest losing streak was at two games, when they lost to the Hornets followed by the Bucks. The Spurs lost only one home game, which was to Chicago. The question thus becomes: Can the Nets give Spurs another two game losing streak? It can be argued that the games that the Spurs lost were games where the Spurs did not give it thier all. However, do the Nets have a chance is the Spurs are on top of thier game. Thier last loss was not to the Hornets, but to Phoenix, a team that has been playing well this year. Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="DimGray">Tony Parker</font> Parker has been having a career year this season. His field goal percentage is very high. His offensive production is also very high. He's not Jason Kidd in terms of being able to lead a team, but he is definitly a force to be reckoned with. Shooting Guard: <font color="DimGray">Michael Finley</font> Finley is not young any more, but he can still play and contribute. Although he is the starter, he does not play an astounding amount of minutes. He is replaced by Manu Ginobili for most of a game. Ginobili plays the small forward, while Bruce Bowen will player the shooting guard. Small Forward: <font color="DimGray">Bruce Bowen</font> Although on paper Bowen will start at Small Forward, he will probably match up mostly aginst Vince Carter at Shooting Guard, especially when he is on defense. The Spurs are probabally going to go much more with Ginobili off the bench at this position, especially if Jefferson is going to be out. Power Forward: <font color="DimGray">Tim Duncan</font> This is the guy to whom the Spurs goto if they need points. This is the guy who they assign to defend the best low post guy if he needs defending. Arguably better than Shaq, he won't let any Nets score at will in the paint. When ever the Nets will attempt to stop his with a double team, he will simply dish the ball out to a teammate for a three. Center: <font color="DimGray">Rasho Nesterovic</font> He is a very good defender, but does not get too much playing time. If he stays out of foul trouble, he might give the Nets further trouble int he paint because he is an exceptional shot blocker. When he is not on the court, the Spurs come with Horry or Nazr Muhammed. Both not such shabby players. <font color="DimGray"> Spurs Key To The Game</font> 1) Defend Carter with one player. Whether this player be Finley or Bowen, the Spurs have to shut down Carter's point production without risking him elevating his passing production. Bowen got Carter ejected last season, he might have to do something of the sort this season. 2) Take advantage of Ginobili off of the bench. The Spurs have to get Ginobili off of the bench as the instants when Jefferson is at the very least winded. Jefferson is the guy as can best contain Ginobili and if the Spurs force Jefferson to lose that faith, then the Spurs can really take advantage. 3) Make Kidd tierd. Tony Parker has one tremendous advantage over Jason Kidd. That advantage is age. Parker at this point in his career is fast than Kidd and has more endurence than Kidd. Parker has to drive all day against Kidd because eventually Kidd will not be able to keep up on defense. Sure Parker may not have the skill to stop Kidd's offense, but Parker will cause a huge benting in the Nets with he tires out Kidd.[/div][/td][/tr][/table]
<div align="center"><font color="DarkRed"><font color="Black">@</font></font> </div> <font color="DarkRed"> </font><div align="center"><font color="Blue">The New Jersey Nets</font> (19-12) @ <font color="DimGray">The San Antonio Spurs <font color="Black">(26-8)</font></font> Time: Tuesday, January 10th, 8:30 Location: <font color="DimGray">SBC Center</font> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Blue"><font color="Black">TV: Yes Network</font></font> <font color="Blue"><font color="Black"> Radio: WFAN 660 AM</font></font> </div> <font color="Blue"> </font>[div=50%] The Nets are on a 10 game winning streak. They have defeated formidible teams during that streak such as Miami and Cleveland. The question now is, can they beat what many consider to be the best team in the league? Do the Nets have what it takes to win against the team that is probably going to be in the finals this year? The Nets are underdogs in this game. Many believe that the Nets' steak will end at ten. One thing is for sure though, the Nets players have confidence. They are not going to give this game up too easily. A major question surronding this game is whether Richard Jefferson will be able to play. In the previous game, a Nets' win over the Raptors, Jefferson went out of the game with back spasms. He is a vital part of the Nets' success, and is a strong offensive weapon. If he is out, then perhaps the Nets will really not be able to win this game. Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="Blue">Jason Kidd</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_kidd.jpg[/IMGl] Kidd has seemingly been playing better as the season goes along. He might have been playing well in the begining of the season as well, but his team is starting to mesh chemistry-wise. This meshing is boosting Kidd's statistics, and even driving him to play harder. Shooting Guard: <font color="Blue">Vince Carter</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/vince_carter.jpg[/IMGl] Carter is hands down the offensive leader for the Nets. He makes Kidd's life easier, while Kidd does the same for him. Carter has been player better as the season has been rolling along. During the 10 game winning streak he has averaged 33.5 point per game. What makes Carter ever more dangerous is that he can pass the ball. He has been averaging career high assists. Small Forward: <font color="Blue">Richard Jefferson</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/richard_jefferson.jpg[/IMGl] Back spasms ussually occur temporarily. Hopefully Jefferson's spasms are of the ussual case. Jefferson is another scoring option, and someone who can relativly easily defend against Ginobili and the enery that he brings. If the Nets go without Jefferson in this game, or if Jefferson is not 100%, the game becomes exponentially tougher for the Nets to win. Power Forward: <font color="Blue">Jason Collins</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jason_collins.jpg[/IMGl] We have to hope that Collins is back from knee injuries, and back for good. The Nets will really need him in this game. Not for offense, but for defense. Collins has the skill and body to play somewhat acceptable defense on Duncan. Whether Duncan can be stopping by anyone is another question, but the fact that Duncan will have to work to score against Collins is something else. Center: <font color="Blue">Nenad Krstic</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/nenad_krstic.jpg[/IMGl] Nenad started the season much hotter than has has been playing of late. He has averaged 11.8 points per game during the Winning streak. He as had a number of games of 15 points or higher, but he has also had games of less than 10 points. He has been inconsistent. Will we see the high scoring Krstic in this game? <font color="Blue">Nets Keys To The Game</font> <font color="Black">1) Make Tim Duncan work without double teaming. You are not going to stop him, but you can get his out of his rythem and force him to miss some shots or even not ask for the ball. Collins will have to be on top of him the entire game. If not Collins, then Robinson will have to accomplish this task. The Nets cannot afford to double team his with all of the other capable players that the Spurs have. 2) Carter needs to make Bowen look like an average defender. Bowen is annoying and pesky, and by many players is denounced as dirty. Carter needs to forget about all of this and just play. Bowen is not young any more and plays on reputation more than on skill. 3) Jefferson needs to be 100%. If Jefferson cannot give it his all, it will be tough for the Nets to put a defender on Ginobili as well as find a guy who can play the offense that Jefferson can play.</font>[/div] The Spurs are considered by many to be the best team in the league. They are lead by Tim Duncan who is surronded by hard working as well as skilled players. The Spurs were attempting to mount a long winning streak lately, but they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns on the 7th of January. The Spurs' longest losing streak was at two games, when they lost to the Hornets followed by the Bucks. The Spurs lost only one home game, which was to Chicago. The question thus becomes: Can the Nets give Spurs another two game losing streak? It can be argued that the games that the Spurs lost were games where the Spurs did not give it thier all. However, do the Nets have a chance is the Spurs are on top of thier game. Thier last loss was not to the Hornets, but to Phoenix, a team that has been playing well this year. Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="DimGray">Tony Parker</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/tony_parker.jpg[/IMGl] Parker has been having a career year this season. His field goal percentage is very high. His offensive production is also very high. He's not Jason Kidd in terms of being able to lead a team, but he is definitly a force to be reckoned with. Shooting Guard: <font color="DimGray">Michael Finley</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/michael_finley.jpg[/IMGl] Finley is not young any more, but he can still play and contribute. Although he is the starter, he does not play an astounding amount of minutes. He is replaced by Manu Ginobili for most of a game. Ginobili plays the small forward, while Bruce Bowen will player the shooting guard. Small Forward: <font color="DimGray">Bruce Bowen</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/bruce_bowen.jpg[/IMGl] Although on paper Bowen will start at Small Forward, he will probably match up mostly aginst Vince Carter at Shooting Guard, especially when he is on defense. The Spurs are probabally going to go much more with Ginobili off the bench at this position, especially if Jefferson is going to be out. Power Forward: <font color="DimGray">Tim Duncan</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/tim_duncan.jpg[/IMGl] This is the guy to whom the Spurs goto if they need points. This is the guy who they assign to defend the best low post guy if he needs defending. Arguably better than Shaq, he won't let any Nets score at will in the paint. When ever the Nets will attempt to stop his with a double team, he will simply dish the ball out to a teammate for a three. Center: <font color="DimGray">Rasho Nesterovic</font> [IMGl]http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/radoslav_nesterovic.jpg[/IMGl] He is a very good defender, but does not get too much playing time. If he stays out of foul trouble, he might give the Nets further trouble int he paint because he is an exceptional shot blocker. When he is not on the court, the Spurs come with Horry or Nazr Muhammed. Both not such shabby players. <font color="DimGray"> Spurs Key To The Game</font> 1) Defend Carter with one player. Whether this player be Finley or Bowen, the Spurs have to shut down Carter's point production without risking him elevating his passing production. Bowen got Carter ejected last season, he might have to do something of the sort this season. 2) Take advantage of Ginobili off of the bench. The Spurs have to get Ginobili off of the bench as the instants when Jefferson is at the very least winded. Jefferson is the guy as can best contain Ginobili and if the Spurs force Jefferson to lose that faith, then the Spurs can really take advantage. 3) Make Kidd tierd. Tony Parker has one tremendous advantage over Jason Kidd. That advantage is age. Parker at this point in his career is fast than Kidd and has more endurence than Kidd. Parker has to drive all day against Kidd because eventually Kidd will not be able to keep up on defense. Sure Parker may not have the skill to stop Kidd's offense, but Parker will cause a huge benting in the Nets with he tires out Kidd.[div]
The Nets will definately need RJ in this matchup, against the Spurs you need that consistent 2nd scoring option. The pressence of Jefferson at least makes Pop think about taking Bowen off Carter at times, especially if Jefferson really gets flowing offensively. Also I think a key to this matchup is Jason Kidd's defense against Parker's penetration....early in the year Jason really strugled against quick guards getting into the lane...that is why we seen guys like TJ. Ford and Brevin Knight cut up the Nets defense, Tony Parker is exactly cut from the same cloth as those guys..a bit bigger but still just as quick and explosive going to the hoop, so I think this will be a test for not only Jason Kidd..but the entire Nets defense, in the way they help out Jason, especially the bigs. I think having JV in the rotation as oppose to McInnis is definately where you see the plus. He wont be able to stop Parker. But JV gives you a legit option, so you can take Kidd off Parker at times. And Jason wont have to chase Parker for a full 48 minutes. Tim Duncan as usual is always a concern...but if you ask me two months ago, I would be compeletly confused on what to do with TD with the frontline we have. But now, I think we have some options and bodies to where we can at least have a decent chance. JC seems to be at his healthy point all season, so that gives us an option and Cliff Robinson continues to be steady. And even though Krstic cant guard Duncan, when and if he is on the floor matched up against Duncan, I am confident in the fact that he will at the very least make Duncan have to work trying to guard him...especially when Krstic uses his faceup & shooting ablities away from the basket. So I think this is a very nice measuring stick to see exactly where we are right now. BTW...nice Preview
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AirJordan:</div><div class="quote_post">the streak is ovaaaaaaaa</div> Yea pretty close game, but hey there's always time to make a new streak.
Yeah the Nets are good and will bounce back and go on another streak maybe not 10 games but around 3-6.
It will be a though next two games for the Nets. First at Memphis and then Dallas the night after. Hopefully the next two days off for the Nets will give Jefferson the time to recover.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting vcwannabe15:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah the Nets are good and will bounce back and go on another streak maybe not 10 games but around 3-6.</div> You must mean 6-3........... Anyway, I think we need a really strong performance from our bench in this one...and we just didnt get it. I think Cliff and Lammond need to provide us with an offsensive spark shooting the basketball, but unfortunately they werent able too. Overall, I think we did a nice job defensively, Vaughn got broken down out front a bit especially early, but I definately think he did a a solid job on Parker. And that allowed Kidd to rome and be a help defender..and that sparked several Spurs turnovers...but JV couldnt hit that 15 footer all night. And another problem was Krstic had a very quite 14 points.....we needed a 20 point game to make that frontline have to work defensively...that would have created more driving opportunites for Vince. Anyway, we will now test ourselves on how we bounce back.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">You must mean 6-3........... .</div> i think he ment 3 to 6 games anyways i think its funny how they like doubled vince like every time
Yeah I meant 3 to 6. Anyways if the nets had Richard Jeffersin they would have won, they only lost by 4 points on the road.
