<div align="center"><font color="blue">New Jersey Nets (19-13)</font> vs <font color="royalblue">Memphis Grizzlies (22-11)</font> Place: FedEx Forum Date & Time: Friday, January 13th 2006, 8:00 PM EST TV: YES NETWORK, NBA LEAGUE PASS Radio: WFAN 660 AM Away/Home</div> [div=50%]<font size="2"> Even after getting their winning streak snapped by the mighty Spurs in a 5 point away loss, the Nets are still one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 11 out of their last 15 games and 10 out of their last 11. Led by Vince Carter's ridiculiously high scoring, the Nets have gone from 10th to 2nd in the east. But the Nets still have a ways to go before solidifying their place among the league's elite again. Though their previously lackluster defense have greatly improved over the last 10 games, they still lack an inside presence who can bang with the big boys. Even with that gaping hole that needs to be filled with a strong and solid big man, the Nets have been beating big teams, like Miami, Cleveland, and LAC, and snapping 5 and 6 games winning streaks, with excellent team play. But can they keep it up for the rest of the season, or even tonight against the Grizzlies?</font> Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="blue">Jason Kidd</font> Stats: PPG 14.5 RPG 7.10 APG 8.1 Kidd is the guy who makes the Nets' wheels (Jefferson and Carter) spin. Lately, he's been doing an excellent job. As the season goes on, and the team gets to know each other more and more, expect Kidd to elevate his performance even higher. Shooting Guard: <font color="blue">Vince Carter</font> Stats: PPG 25.8 RPG 6.00 APG 4.1 Carter has been the Nets savior over and over during the run they've put together. From his game winner in Toronto, to his 51 point performance in Miami, Carter has been playing some of the best ball of his career. The fact that the rest of the team has been playing well has taken some of the load off of Carter, and he's excelled. Small Forward: <font color="blue">Richard Jefferson</font> Stats: PPG 18.5 RPG 7.30 APG 4.1 Richard has been one of the most interesting players in the league this season. He had the amazing ability to score a lot of points while taking a very low number of shots. Though his field goal percentage throughout the the last 11 games has been off the charts, a lot of his success comes from his ability to get to and score at the free throw line. He has been incredible in his new, 2nd option role, on offense AND defense. Questionalbe tonight. Power Foward: <font color="blue">Jason Collins</font> Stats: PPG 3.7 RPG 4.20 APG 0.8 Collins' biggest plus throughout his career has been his consistency and ability to stay healthy. This season, he doesn't even have that. The Nets need Collins to stay healthy, because they need Collins' defense. Sure, Grandpa Cliff has been giving great defense off the bench and in the starting role, but at 39, he can't contribute the whole game consistently anymore. Collins is a key part in the Nets' plays because of his ability to do the little things, like setting good picks and getting a hand up in the shooters face, and that's why the Nets need him tonight on vs Pau Gasol. Center: <font color="blue">Nenad Krstic</font> Stats: PPG 12.5 RPG 5.70 APG 1.1 A lot of questions still surround Nenad Krstic in his sophmore season. Will he ever learn to stay out of foul trouble is one. Another is if he'll be able to contribute consistently (one night he's at 20/10, the next he's at 9/3) to the team throughout the season. But one thing is for sure: when he plays well, the Nets usually win. It shows that he's a major part of the Nets, even if it doesn't seem that way. <font color="blue">Nets Keys to the Game</font> <font color="black">1) Drive to the post. If Gasol/Wright/both get in foul trouble, then the Nets'll have a game agaisnt Hakim Warrick and Brian Cardinal, who won't be able to stop the much taller and stronger Collins and Krstic. </font> 2) Don't put all of the offensive load on Carter. Eddie Jones will be on him for the whole game, and he's a very good defender. If Carter's shots aren't falling, the Nets musn't run too much plays for him and Carter musn't force shots. Other guys will need to step up. 3) Don't double Gasol. The Nets need to try a variety of different defenders (Krstic, Collins, Robinson, Jackson) on Gasol until they find the right one. Doubling him may stop him, but the Grizzlies have dangerous outside shooters waiting to make the Nets pay. [/div] <font size="2">The Grizzlies are also one of the hottest teams in the league, winning 8 of their 10 last games. The team has been depending on Pau Gasol to lead it, and in response, Pau has had a career season. Plus, the team has become a defensive powerhouse, holding it's opponents to just 87 ppg. The Grizz have swept the Nets 2-0 in their season series vs them in the last two years. Can they do half the job again tonight?</font> [/div] Projected Starters Point Guard: <font color="royalblue">Bobby Jackson</font> Stats: PPG 10.9 RPG 3.10 APG 2.5 Jackson has been known throughout the last 5 years as a dependable 6th man who can start when needed, and that's exactly the role he's in for the Grizzlies right now, filling in as a starter until the injured Damon Stoudamire returns next season. He has been barely decent so far as a starter this season, though, and he'll need to elevate his game, especially his defense, against Jason Kidd tonight. Shooting Guard: <font color="royalblue">Eddie Jones</font> Stats: PPG 13.1 RPG 3.40 APG 1.9 Though Eddie's offense has taken a nosedive over the years, his defense is still a valuable asset to any team. Tonight, he'll have to stop a red hot Vince Carter, which is always a very hard thing to do. But his team will be very dependant on the his defense tonight, and it'll be up to him to do his best. On offense, Jones still has a dangerous three point shot and he'll need to use that to his advangtage, scoring open threes if Carter goes to help on Gasol and leaves him alone at the perimeter. Small Forward: <font color="royalblue">Shane Battier</font> Stats: PPG 12.6 RPG 5.00 APG 1.9 This hard-nosed product of Duke has always been there when the Grizz have needed him. This season is no exception, with Shane playing some time in at the power forward spot when Lorenzen Wright isn't in the game. His good defense will be tested tonight if Richard Jefferson plays. Power Forward: <font color="royalblue">Pau Gasol</font> Stats: PPG 19.9 RPG 9.50 APG 4.3 This former ROY is having a career season. He has been near unstoppable this season in the post; his wide array of post moves are hard to stop. Is it the beard? He should easily dominate tonight if Robinson or Collins don't play good enough defense on him. Also, if the Nets decide to double up on him in the paint, he needs to show his unselfishness and pass the ball to the open shooter. Center: <font color="royalblue">Lorenzen Wright</font> Stats: PPG 5.6 RPG 5.80 APG 0.9 Wright has seen his minutes drop this season, but he's still contributing. His stats may not jump out at anyone, but hey, the Grizzlies are a team-first organization; Lorenzen is the perfect, unselfish fit. The Grizzlies will probably play him a little more tonight against the weaker Nenad Krstic. <font color="royalblue">Grizzlies Keys to the Game </font> 1) Get the ball in the paint to Gasol. Pau needs to use his size, strength, and skill to his advantage against a weak NJ frontcourt. If the Nets double him and he has nothing to do, he needs to pass out to the open shooter (Miller, Battier, Jones). The Grizzlies could earn a lot of points this way if the Nets make the mistake of frequently doubling Pau. 2) Shut down either Jefferson or Carter (or both if possible, of course). A lot of the Nets' offense depends on the fact that Jefferson and Carter have become a very good one-two punch. If they take out one, the other will have a much harder time. 3) Take care of the ball. The Nets have been unstoppable once on the fast break this season. The Grizzlies need to take away one of the main triggers for a fast break: turnovers.
New Jersey is getting killed on the boards. The Grizzlies are up 46-33 in the rebounding department. Ironically, most of the damage is coming from the perimeter where Mike Miller off the bench in 24 minutes, has 15 rebounds. Bobby Jackson isn't doing too bad himself and has 7 rebounds. The Grizzlies, just like the Nets are struggling from the field, but it's their advantage in the rebounding department which is keeping them with a big lead.
From a Memphis perspective it was a good, hard, if unspectacular W, the type of win you need if you want to win 50 games. Hope Jefferson is back for you guys soon and best of luck for the rest of the season. BTW Excellent preview kobimel, would love to have similar stuff on the Grizzlies Board.
The game was really awful. After they went down by 18, I only watched the bits of the game. I just hope they bounce back tomorrow. Anybody know if Jefferson is playing tomorrow?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting NbaBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">The game was really awful. </div> I love winning ugly. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting NbaBaller:</div><div class="quote_post"> Anybody know if Jefferson is playing tomorrow? </div> Given Jefferson promised to play both of the last two games, i don't think anyone really knows. Back spasms suck, bigtime.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">From a Memphis perspective it was a good, hard, if unspectacular W, the type of win you need if you want to win 50 games. Hope Jefferson is back for you guys soon and best of luck for the rest of the season. BTW Excellent preview kobimel, would love to have similar stuff on the Grizzlies Board.</div> Yeah, its a win that everybody likes to have. And hopefully, RJ is back for the next game...we seriously need him, CARTER needs him, like I posted in the preview. Thanks for the compliment, if only I would know how to make columns, then I could make the preview even better....nobody knows?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobimel:</div><div class="quote_post">Thanks for the compliment, if only I would know how to make columns, then I could make the preview even better....nobody knows?</div> Ask one of the guys who write the 76ers game previews... they know how to do it.
Honestly the biggest offensive area where Jefferson is missed on the break, nobody on this team comes close to filling the lanes like RJ on the break, so you got guards pushing the ball...but nobody is back running with them to fill the lanes, so you get a bunch of forced moves to the hoop by Jason and JV, and that leds to missed layups and turnovers...I hope RJ does play against Dallas later tonight, but guys have to prepare to go without him. It seems like guys arent really excepting the changelle to step up and fill in. I know guys wont be able to do exactly what Jefferson does or provide what he does, but guys like Lammond Murray, Scott Padgett, and Cliff Robinson have to be willing to step up on the offesive end, not saying create plays or anything, but except the changelle of making shots of the plays that Kidd and Carter create. If they dont step up, I can see another flopper coming against Dallas. BTW, Kobimel, I made the columns for you :
