by Andrew "Schaddy" Schad [IMGl]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v252/mosdefjeff/njmia.jpg[/IMGl] The Nets have stormed down the stretch, only to meet the top-seeded Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Andrew Schad takes a look at the Nets' chances for making a series out of this matchup.
<div align="center">Nets Sneak Into Playoffs, Draw Top-Seeded Heat </div> With regards to the way their season began, the Nets have been a feel good story in the second half, thundering down the stretch with the return of Jason Kidd and the rebirth of Vince Carter. By sneaking into the Eastern Conference?s eighth seed, they?ve given meaning to a year in which all seemed lost early on. The reward for their hard work? They get to play the Heat, owners of the second best record in the NBA. Led by Shaquille O?Neal, who has regained his status as the most dominant force in the NBA, and Dwyane Wade, who is making a case that he, not LeBron James, is their Air apparent, the Heat have dominated the entire Eastern Conference all season. They have a solid supporting cast in shooters Eddie and Damon Jones and emerging power forward Udonis Haslem. They have good role players, including Alonzo Mourning and Steve Smith, who are savvy and have playoff experience, and youngsters such as Keyon Dooling and Rasual Butler, scorers who can take pressure off of the rest of the crew. They play excellent team defense, ranking 7th in the league by only allowing 95.0 points per game. They can play any style, from an up-and-down running game to a knock down, drag ?em out slugfest. [quoteright]"Vince has carried us since he's been here...Vince, time after time, delivers" -NJ coach Lawrence Frank[/quoteright]The Nets, on the other hand, are most comfortable getting out and running. With a guy like Kidd leading the attack, why not? They still know the importance of defense, however, allowing just 92.9 points per game, good for 6th in the league. Kidd, who began the season on the disabled list, has come on strong down the stretch, putting up characteristically outstanding numbers. The modern-day Oscar Robertson averaged 14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 8.3 apg, plus 1.9 steals per contest. Vinsanity, after crossing the border from up north, has exploded with the Nets, averaging 27.7 points per contest, while also filling the box score with averages of 5.9 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.4 spg and 0.6 bpg. The impact that Carter has made, considering that the Nets lost All-Star small forward Richard Jefferson to injury, cannot be overstated. Beyond Carter and Kidd, the Nets are a team populated by role players who have combined to give the stars just enough support. Rodney Buford, Cliff Robinson, and Nenad Kristic have given the Nets just enough, playing solid defense and knocking down open shots that present themselves when teams double Carter and Kidd. Jason Collins has been solid in the post, but the real surprise this year has been Kristic, a seven foot rookie who played in Europe last season. He?s given New Jersey the closest thing to a reliable presence in the paint since Kenyon Martin last patrolled the paint, averaging 10 points and 5.3 boards a contest. Robinson, on the other hand, has provided tough defense and veteran leadership. The Nets as a team play well on the other end of the court, as Kidd has had a big influence on getting Carter to play a complete game. Robinson, too, has had a positive impact, tutoring the younger frontcourt players and helping them to play tough defense. [quoteright]"My reason for leaving New Jersey was to come here and be part of a championship contender...to this day I'm very confident about that and I'm excited" -Alonzo Mourning[/quoteright]Bench play will be a big advantage for the Heat. Mourning has been revitalized in his return trip to Miami, where he played the last time he was an All-Star, before suffering a rare kidney disease and playing sparingly the previous three seasons. Upon his return to the court this year, coincidentally with the Nets, he wasn?t happy with the teams? direction or their chances for seeing the postseason. After getting traded to and released by Toronto, ?Zo landed on his feet in Miami, where he has teamed with Shaq to form the East?s best pair of centers. Smith, too, began this season toiling with a team that figured to be going nowhere fast. He, too, has added veteran leadership to the Heat, and still has a reliable jump shot. Butler has improved on defense this year, but it?s still not his calling card. He?s a slasher capable of scoring spurts in relief of Eddie Jones. Dooling backs up Damon Jones, but has found himself on the floor in some key situations, and has shown the ability to drive to the hoop, giving the team a different look at the point, as Damon Jones prefers to hang near the three-point arc. The Net?s bench is not deep, but is capable of spurts that really ease the pressure on Carter and Kidd. Best was invaluable while Kidd regained his form after returning from injury, averaging 6.8 points and playing sticky defense. Robinson is a key defensive sub, and Brian Scalabrine continues to earn minutes with his smart, hardworking play. The Nets? biggest deficiency is that they have no one who can match up with Shaq, and it will be imperative that they find some way to slow him down. If not, it could be a very short series. The Nets have some hope, however, as Shaq suffered a deep thigh bruise that may keep him out of the first game of the series, and will hinder him even if he plays. Speaking of injuries, the Nets? Jefferson has been cleared to practice with the team recently. He?s missed four months with a torn ligament in his wrist, but says he plans to play in this series. Anything he can give the Nets will be appreciated, as he will add another scoring option next to Carter. He was averaging a career-best 22.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 4.0 apg before injuring the wrist in a collision with the Pistons? Lindsey Hunter. If Jefferson can add some scoring, either off the bench or in the starting lineup, it will create some matchup problems for the Heat, as only Jones is considered an above-average wing defender. While it remains to be seen what kind of life Jefferson will be able to provide the Nets, his return is an exciting storyline for the Nets, who would welcome Jefferson?s ability to relieve the scoring strain on Carter. Said Nets coach Lawrence Frank on Thursday, ?It would be unfair to place expectations on him?but Richard can certainly help us?. Each team features a second-year head coach. Miami?s Stan Van Gundy has proven the equal of his brother, Jeff (who coaches the Rockets). In his two seasons on Miami?s bench, he?s gone 101-63 and seen Wade emerge as a superstar. Van Gundy believes in playing defense, taking smart shots, and not turning the ball over. His team reflects his coaching style very nicely [quoteright]"We've got a big challenge right there...they're a great defensive team with a great defensive coach. I think the two best teams in the East over the last month and a half have been Detroit and New Jersey." -Heat coach Stan Van Gundy[/quoteright] Lawrence Frank isn?t mentioned as an elite head coach in the NBA, but each of the past two years he?s gotten the most out of his team when it?s mattered the most-down the stretch. He?s 89-75 for his career, but a combined 34-21 in the months of March and April in his career. He, like Van Gundy, preached defense and smart basketball, but is willing to allow Kidd to take over games when necessary. This is a series that most aren?t expecting to last very long. The Heat have dominated the rest of the league all year long, and are favored by many to represent the East in the NBA Finals. The Nets, however, are peaking at just the right time, going 15-5 in their last 20 games, and there hasn?t been a better time for them all year to face the Heat. Miami, however, will not allow themselves to stumble after working so hard all year. The Nets have made a valiant run, and deserve credit for playing with a purpose when most believed they had none. They?ve set themselves up to be a strong team again next season. But this is the Heat?s year, and they will take the series in no more than five games. The Heat were the first team on the Nets? schedule this year, way back on November 3rd. It looks like they will also be the last. [imgl]http://i.esmas.com/image/0/000/004/108/onealNT_.jpg[/imgl] KEY MATCHUPS Shaq vs. Jason Collins Shaq is the most dominant force in the NBA, but he?s dinged up right now. Collins shows flashes of brilliance, but too often his inconsistency overshadows his good games. If New Jersey is to have any chance to make this series competitive, Collins will need to step his game up in a big way. If he doesn?t, and Shaq is able to play at a high level despite his injury, the Heat will be blazing into the second round very quickly. Edge: Shaq Eddie Jones vs. Vince Carter Carter has been almost as unstoppable as Shaq down the stretch, displaying the talent that had people calling him the next Jordan early on in his career. Jones isn?t in Carter?s class, but with Shaq and Wade, the Heat doesn?t need him to be. They do, however, need him to keep Carter from exploding. If Carter is allowed to dominate for the Nets, it will improve greatly their chances of keeping this series competitive. Edge: Carter Dwyane Wade vs. Jason Kidd Wade has emerged as a superstar this year, but Kidd remains the benchmark by which NBA point guards are measured. It will be up to Kidd to keep Wade in check, and Wade will need to step up his game in the even that Shaq sits or is ineffective due to his thigh injury. This figures to be on of the best individual matchups in the playoffs, pitting a rising star against the cagey vet that he one day hopes to be the equal of. Edge: Even
Thread Stickied, Thanks Schaddy for making this.And 44thrilla for posting in Nets forum. I planned on making one but Iam extremely busy, I will make a preview for game 2 tho...until then this is the thread to talk about the series. I think that a few things we need to go right in this series is one, we have to find ways to get points in the paint, we many have to do this off our fastbreak game, getting stops and then let Kidd & Carter, and hopefully RJ out in the open court. But also we have to find away to get points in the paint from Nenad, he is our best big man around the basket offensively. If he can find away to get us double digits in points, off put backs & getting to the line I think it might be a hidden away to offset some of what Shaq will do. I know its a tall task to ask a rookie to score down low with Shaq in the paint, but Nenad is really growing rapidly, and maybe this series and be a coming out party for him. If he can get the Nets 10-15 points per down low man would that put Jersey in a great position. Also when I look at a point that we can attack the Heat, it would be in my opinion exposing Damon Jones' weak defense. He can guard Kidd, nor can he guard Vince in the backcourt, so I dont know how Maimi plans on hiding his defense on the perimeter. But who ever he guard we need to make it a point to expose him
Good point about Damon Jones, Henacy. Not only that, but the Nets could have one of the best defensive backcourts if they want, if you add RJ in there. Athletically, all 3 of them can cover ground laterally very quickly, and I'm sure RJ can pester both Wade and Jones into bad shots on the perimeter. I think that's one of the best things about RJ coming back, the Nets get his good defense again. I don't know how Cliff has done against Shaq in the past, but I think his acquisition is also key. The fact that he's big and strong enough to (at least) handle Shaq in the post is good. Also, because Cliff likes to hang around the perimeter on offense, Shaq will either have to follow him out there, or risk Cliffy shooting open 3's. Either way, the Nets benefit.
