I thought that this team was ready to take that next step. I loved the Magloire signing, and thought this one-time all-star would help be that post-scorer we needed for so long. I thought Krstic could return to form right off the bat and be our Fantastic Four. I thought Sean Williams would be a good role player for us. I was excited that Frank was coming up with an offense, and not just handing the ball off to Vince. I thought we were ready to be an elite team in the East.</p> Re-Evaluation:</p> Last year our season came to a fork-in-the-road: lottery or playoffs. We had to fight to get to .500 and go on a tear to be in the lower half of the East. I thought all there was to this were injuries. Now, I don't know.</p> Magloire is nothing close to what he used to be. Thank god Antoine is proving my bust-label to be false, for now. Thank god Sean Williams is more than I thought he would. Krstic may have gotten himself back from injury, but he's not close to getting his game back. Where has Boki gone?</p> I can't say this team is good on paper anymore. We don't have the mentality of an elite team. We fail to live up to expectation, and we rely too much on marginal players. We don't have the consistency of an elite team; who knows who steps onto the court when we suit up.</p> I think the problems that plague our team are general ones. The whole team plays sloppy. The whole team plays unfocused. The whole team goes on shooting lulls. The whole team's perimeter D sucks. Is that raising a red flag with anyone else? When you've got such widespread problems you've got to turn to the coach. I'm afraid Frank's "new" offense is non existent.</p> Reasons for optimism:</p> I can't remember the last time where we started strong out of the gate. This is frustrating to watch, but not that unusual. I hope that the overall team plays better basketball as Krstic gets better.</p> Sean is really something to watch right now. You've got to be excited by watching him play.</p> Where I stand now:</p> I'd rather hold on to Wright, than Boki. I'd rather "lose" Boki and get something back, rather than lose him to free agency.</p> I want us to try and get Jermaine O'Neal, but I still dont' want to give up Carter or Jefferson, so its tough. I don't think our players are playing well enough that we can offer a package that doesn't include them. Should we include Marcus? Who knows. No one wants to trade away Kidd's successor, but whooooo knows, man.</p> ...but the way this team is playing right now, I feel that something big is coming. While its true that we usually start off slow, the team is playing like crap and I wouldn't be surprised if Lawrence Frank is fired and Brian Hill is promoted, or if Thorn cleans house a little and gets us a player.</p> I think our identity is a .500 team. I think we can surely change our identity, but it'll be tough. We really need to get rid of Malik and Gill. Horrible.</p> Lawrence Frank needs to go. It's not just his offense, its the culture he (fails to) develop around Nets basketball. He leads a sloppy, unfocused, turnover prone, poor shooting team. A culture of winning isn't something thats just done with x's and o's (although I'd like to see better O and D), and I don't think Lawrence has what it takes to motivate men in this league.</p> Think about it; poor offensive sets and poor d makes some people want to hate Frank's offense and his position as our coach. Can't you attribute other characteristics like that as well?</p> I'm usually one for optimism, and I hate to make judgements outside a reasonable scope of information (I know better than to say that Krstic is a bad player, he's just having a tough time right now from various factors), but I'm losing faith in this team and am becoming disillusioned by who we were supposed to be. Because we're not.</p> </p> -GMJ</p>
I said in another thread that Boki is basically nothing. Just another bench guy that you can always get from other teams. Sometimes he might get hot but most of the time he sucks.</p> (and then I was attacked for saying that) lol</p>
I don't think you can say Boki sucks (going back to my comment on 'scope')</p> He was GREAT last year. So far he's playing poorly over just 8 games. Thats why I'm disappointed in him, but am more clueless than anything.</p>
the magloire signing is proving to be a waste. At this stage I don't mind trading jamal and malik for stormire swift. Boki isnt worth more than a 2nd pick at t. To be honest I really don't know how to fix this mess.
I don't think Swift will do it. I'd rather take Sean honestly. More rookie mistakes but better D.</p> I think we need to try and pull a VC-type trade. Where we clean house and trade a bunch of guys for one. Krstic, Magloire, Boki for JO? Not good enough? Hell maybe we could get Emeka for that, since Charlotte likes taking our trash (jk theres no way thats happening).</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I don't think Swift will do it. I'd rather take Sean honestly. More rookie mistakes but better D.</p> I think we need to try and pull a VC-type trade. Where we clean house and trade a bunch of guys for one. Krstic, Magloire, Boki for JO? Not good enough? Hell maybe we could get Emeka for that, since Charlotte likes taking our trash (jk theres no way thats happening).</p> </div></p> The problem is that Krstic, Magloire, and allen are currently not very good trade bait...</p> </p>
let's see how things are about 20 games from now. then I'll be able to see. not a good start, but still too early to tell, especially with the injuries.
Yeah I feel that around that time would be good as well, because by then we'll see if my "reasons for hope" will have proven themselves valid or not. See also: the same month we got Carter, December.</p>
It really hurts me seeing them play like this, but they have their slumps. They'll get out of it, hopefully. How cool would it be to see something like Nets/Hornets in the Finals!!?? Imagine that!? ok, so it's not happening, but still. something fresh, something different.
Totally agree on the account of complimentary players. Why in the hell we need that many? Even if you multiply Allen/Booone/Magloire x10 times we're still getting x10 times more bu***it. We need to clean up the house.</p>
though I'm dying to see this team healthy with Carter and what's also very important with Marcus. I'm willing to close eyes for his ocassional defensive lapses as long as he reenergizes our offence. It's been the worst in the league so far...</p>
I was just at that game and GMJigga, you used to same exact word I used: disillusioned.</p> I don't know what the hell happened out there. Trading for JO is a waste at this point I think. We need Frank out of there. Magloire isn't bad, Frank is just not giving him a chance. Collins is still starting, this is ridiculous. If you look at our schedule, I would imagine we can beat Miami, Portland, Seattle, LA, Memphis and Philly without VC. Utah is the only team I think we'll lose to. So we're looking at 10-6. But who knows, they've been known to disapoint. The only good thing about these losses is that it is coming to top tier teams right now. 2 to Boston, 1 to Orlando (I didn't check but I think 2nd in east? Plus they demolished us all the time last season WITHOUT Lewis) and 1 to New Orleans (Collins' fault, but still top of the West right now). So schedule basically screwed us. But I just don't know anymore. If we make trades, it's imperative to keep Jefferson, Marcus & Sean.</p>
See, I can see us losing to all of those teams except the 6ers.</p> I don't think we should blow it up. If we do we're putting off title winning for a looooong time, and we're not that far away now. It's still anyone's game once you get to the playoffs, and I do think we're a playoff team.</p>
Nice article. This team is filled with mess. Coach's decision, and the rotation, and bad luck( injuries ).</p> Frank should not be our coach again anymore. We just need to find someone who could utilize our players in the full strength.</p>
I'm not giving up. I make it very clear that this team is customary to slow starts and that important pieces to our team are in a slump (noting that they are nothing permanent). Rather, my perception and opinions have changed. Well, I guess I'm getting close to giving up on Frank.</p> It also hasn't even been 10 games. It's been 9 games and we're on a four game losing streak. That in itself isn't that bad, but we've been down by 20 in 5 games (YES mentioned 4, and tonight's makes 5). 5 out of 9 is nothing to celebrate about.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Reasons for optimism:</p> I can't remember the last time where we started strong out of the gate. This is frustrating to watch, but not that unusual. I hope that the overall team plays better basketball as Krstic gets better.</div> </p> </p> Yes, he's giving up.</p>
Uptown, I've been putting up with this for over ten years. From Cassell and Gill to Marbury to the golden age (02,03) and now this elite team that disappears over night.</p>
