@ <font color=""Green"">Seattle Sonics</font> (2-4) @<font color=""Navy""> New Jersey Nets</font> (3-4) <font color=""Navy""><u>Nets Starting Lineup</u></font> PG-<font color=""Navy"">Jason Kidd</font> SG-<font color=""Navy"">Vince Carter</font> SF-<font color=""Navy"">Richard Jefferson</font> PF-<font color=""Navy"">Jason Collins</font> C- <font color=""Navy"">Nenad Krstic</font> <font color=""Green""><u>Sonics Starting Lineup</u></font> PG-<font color=""Green"">Luke Ridnour</font> SG-<font color=""Green"">Ray Allen</font> SF-<font color=""Green"">Rashard Lewis</font> PF-<font color=""Green"">Nick Collison</font> C-<font color=""Green"">Johan Petro</font> <font color=""Red""><u>Spotlight Matchup </u></font> vs Both are great players. They can each go inside for points or pull up for a J . Ray is a deadly outside shooter with a quick release. With him on fire, the Nets will have another hard game. Carter a great overall offense player. He can create his own shots and is also dangerous when on fire. If the Sonics can contain him, then Sonics have a bigger chance of winning. These are two great players and it is going to be exciting to see them play against eachother. <font color=""Navy""><u>Nets Keys to the Game</u></font> -Don't fall behind, the Nets can't fall behind in the 1st half. The Nets either have to lead the game or keep the game close. I doubt they want another Pacers or Rockets. If they fall behind by a lot, they might lose again. -More Jackson, he played a good game against the Rockets but they want and expect more from him. He is a big factor and a great big men that provides some points, defense and toughness. They need that from him when he is on the floor. -The big three, need to play well. They need to play together and if one of them struggles, the other two needed to step up. People are starting to question them and they need to play great and prove the critcs wrong again. <font color=""Green""><u>Sonics Keys to the Game</u></font> -Nets will be focusing a lot of on Ray Allen and if he struggles, the player that will need to play well is Rashard Lewis. He is a great weapon, both outside and inside. If Allen and Lewis both play well this will be a hard Sonics team to beat. -Pass the ball around, the Nets haven't being play the best defense, and with the Sonics passing the ball, they might get easy or open shots. They need to make the Nets really hustle, and if the Nets don't then, the Sonics will have an easy game on offense. -Contain Vinsanity, this is a key for any team. With Vince playing a good game it's always hard to beat the team he is on. With Vince out of the picture, the Nets are left with Jefferson. Jefferson is a great player but the Nets need to Vince to play a good game. If the Sonics succeed in containing Carter, then a W is easier to get. <u> <font size=""5"">Predication</font></u>- I really don't know. The game could go either way. The team that starts playing well from the start and play good until the end will most likely. Normally I would say the Nets will beat the Sonics but after the Pacers and Rockets game, the Nets have me doubting them a little. They also need this win to gain more confidence in their game. <u>P.S</u> 1. I know the keys to the game weren't great but I tried.
Nice preview NbaBaller, I think that the Nets need to win this game. It is not a good sign for a team to go opposite the way of the .500 mark. Expectations certainly call on the Nets to be .550 minimum, and if the Nets are not able to win the games that they want to win at home, then they might struggle to reach that point.
The good thing about Seattle is they have struggled similar to us this year...also they take alot of long jumpers..so if we defend the perimeter and rebound the basketball ,those long jumpers they miss can create opportunites for us to run. We havent had alot of opencourt opportunites the last two games...mainly because Indy played inside- out going thru Oneal to create easier looks for their perimeter guys...and against Houston Tracy made everything from the perimeter in the 2nd half..so those opponents long jumpers that we us to start breaks havent been avaiable to us. Hopefully, with Seattle not having a post presence...and their quick perimeter luanching those opportunties we present themselves. This is another test for Carter and Jefferson's defensive ablities as well...Redd killed them in the Bucks game, Artes was to strong for them in the Pacers matchup...and Tracy shot the ball like Mike Redd against them in the Houston game..now Ray comes to town..its team defenses that stop star players..but Vince and RJ specifically have to step up to the changelle and try to shut someone down.
This was a way better game for the Nets. For the most part they played great defense and they practically kept Allen cold all night. Lewis had a great game but that wasn't enough. Carter had a tough night but still had 19 points 3 assists and 4 rebs. Padgett can a big lift off the bench. He had 13 pts and 9 rebs. Overall the bench played better than usual. I really want to see am improvement as the season goes on. Im hoping the Nets have gained a lot of confidence and will play even better against the Washington Wizards. There main key right now is defense.
I think the bench surport was key...usually with Carter playing average we would not have pulled out this game. But we got an unexpected lift we have been needing all season. My only concern is can the bench build some consistency from here. Scott Padgett had a nice game but it was against a team without any real weapons at their bigman frontcourt spots...Evans is only useful on the boards..Fortson hardly played but other then rebounding he isnt much. I still have my concerns on how Padgett and that 2nd unit frontcourt would do against some of the better 4/5's....but any way looking at the present....nothing helps the healing better then a W.And we got that tonight. We did a better job of contesting shots tonight..Rashard still was able to shoot over the top with a hand in his face but us contesting shot effected Ray Allen. And I think Allen out of the 2 between him and Lewis is the guy you really want to contain because he is the better scorer and playmaker. Contain Allen keeps the Sonic roll players from really getting off because of the presence of Allen. Krstic was strong as well..Jermaine Oneal and even Ming really got the best of him the last two games so he needed a good bounce back performance. But Colins being in & out of the lineup still concerns me...the Nets are going to need him especially when they go out West next and matchup with Shareef and Camby...good thing we dont face any of the truely elite West bigs on that road trip. But he does have a chance to get healthy since we dont play again until Sat.
Carter stepped up big on Defense tonight...he played Allen well...in fact Allen didnt make a FG till the start of the 4th Kidd imo...takes to many shots...he's not that great of a shooter.. he should just give Krstic the ball more, which is the best shooter on our team. Speaking of Krstic, he stood out of foul trouble!! which has been my only concern on him. RJ is playing like a PF, he's getting alot of boards this year. But our squad isnt the same without Collins healthy...he really does make a difference. And our bench is slowly improving..but still average at best...i would like to see LJlll and Murray to get more minutes...without cutting much into Z's minutes..
Kidd does take some quick shots from time to time but overall is decision making is at a point where I dont think you can question his shot selection, most of the time. He knows that ofensively he has to take the jumper when it presents itself...that is the only way he is going to keep the opponents off balance and put pressure on the D. If Kidd was only looking to be a playmaker everytime he touched the ball then that makes him easier to contain and actually creates less opportunites in the long run for guys like Krstic...Kidd shoots to keep the D off balance make or miss.
This is off-topic but this is what i heard from Mark Jackson <u>What he meant to say</u> The Seattle bench needs to step up <u>What it sounded like</u> The Seattle's b**ch needs to step up LMAO! I swear he said b**ch instead of bench.
