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New Jersey Nets News

Nets' Williams gets All-Star nod
February 10
New York Post
 
"If the All-Star weekend in Orlando is going to be a celebration of Dwight Howard by the Magic, the Nets will have an inside man to whisper words like "Brooklyn … Prokhorov … business opportunities" in the superstar center's ear throughout the event. And that would be Deron Williams. Williams, a close friend of Howard, became the sixth Nets point guard in the team's NBA era to be selected to play in an All-Star Game when he was announced among the reserves selected by a ballot of coaches last night. "Definitely, it's an honor to make the All-Star team," said Williams, an All-Star with Utah in 2010 and 2011. "I've made it twice [before], and it's always great to go down there and be a part"
Nets lose newcomer Bogans for season
February 10
New York Post
 
"The Nets' injury situation went from ridiculous to absurd on Thursday as yet another player, Keith Bogans, is lost for the season. Signed by the Nets as a free agent on Feb. 1, Bogans suffered a fractured left ankle and a complete tear of the left deltoid ligament in a freak on-court accident with 2:27 left in Wednesday's 99-92 loss to the Pistons in Newark. Bogans will undergo surgery on Monday. In five games with New Jersey, Bogans has averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 18.8 minutes."
Detroit 99, New Jersey 92: Pistons show confidence in third win in row
February 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Greg Monroe and rookie power forward Vernon Macklin were joking around Wednesday night at the Prudential Center. Macklin (and every one in the Pistons' locker room) was expressing amazement at the emphatic one-handed, left-handed dunk Monroe had just brought down only a few moments earlier on the Nets' Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans in the closing minutes of the Pistons' 99-92 victory. "That was just a flashback to my 6-9, 225-pound AAU days," Monroe said in his deep baritone voice."
Greg Monroe, Pistons hold off Nets for third straight win
February 9
Detroit News
 
"Lawrence Frank routinely calls the most crucial point of games — "The moment of truth." After Wednesday's victory over the Nets, Frank might call it "baby steps" as the Pistons withstood a late charge, winning their season-high third straight game, 99-92 at the Prudential Center. It was capped off by perhaps the most emphatic play of Greg Monroe's career. With the Pistons (7-20) nursing a six-point lead and the shot clock running down, Monroe drove on Kris Humphries, dunking on him and Keith Bogans. It was followed by a flex and a stare from the usually even-keeled Monroe, who scored again on the next possession and finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four assists."
Little big problem for no-Lopez Nets
February 8
New York Post
 
"It's no secret the Nets have had their fair share of injuries this season. One, however, has had the biggest impact, in both a literal and figurative sense. With 7-foot center Brook Lopez out since undergoing surgery in December to repair a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, the Nets (8-18) have lacked a go-to presence in the post. With his replacement, Mehmet Okur, also sitting out recently with back spasms, the Nets have one of the league's smallest starting frontcourts in 6-foot-9 Kris Humphries and 6-foot-9 Shelden Williams."
Deron's not down on Pistons
February 8
New York Post
 
"As the Nets begin a home-and-home set with the 6-20 Pistons tonight at Prudential Center, they have a pair of golden opportunities to begin to create some positive momentum after losing three straight games. Of course, considering the Nets are merely 8-18 this season, there's little doubt the Pistons are thinking the same thing. "I'm never gonna overlook anybody, or belittle anybody," Deron Williams said after yesterday's practice. "They're a good team, an NBA team . . . they have great players on that team, they have a good coach. "Anything can happen, but it's definitely a team we think we can compete with and beat on any night, and we're going to try to do that.""
Ex-Bull Keith Bogans rankled by unkind cut
February 7
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Former Bulls guard Keith ­Bogans, a backup guard with the New Jersey Nets, didn't want to rehash the awkward circumstances that led to him being waived by the Bulls after the lockout ended. But he couldn't help but acknowledge that he felt disrespected with the way the Bulls handled his departure. ''Who wouldn't?'' said Bogans, who started all 97 games for the Bulls last season but was cut when Richard Hamilton was signed. ''We're all men here first. We're men before basketball players. I don't want to say the wrong thing, so I'm going to be quiet and just let it go."
Bogans: Release by Bulls 'a slap in the face'
February 7
Chicago Tribune
 
"Keith Bogans is a survivor, a big reason he started all 98 regular- and postseason games for last season's Bulls when nobody expected him to and also why he landed with the Nets after two months of unemployment. This toughness manifested itself again Monday morning, when he talked emotionally about the Bulls releasing him and eloquently about the bond he formed with his former teammates. "Those 15 guys I was in the locker room with were all my brothers," Bogans said. "I formed a bond with them that I probably haven't formed with another team that I've played on. That was like my family. All those guys were genuinely hurt when I got released. (Derrick) Rose, Joakim (Noah), Luol (Deng), all"
Rose a non-factor in Bulls' rout of Nets
February 7
Chicago Tribune
 
"Derrick Rose dominates the headlines even when he doesn't play. The Bulls absolutely annihilated the short-handed Nets 108-87 on Monday night at the Prudential Center, but Rose commanded the spotlight after sitting out the second half with lower back spasms. Rose complained of soreness during his electrifying, 35-minute performance on Saturday night in Milwaukee, participated in portions of Sunday's practice and started Monday's game. But he drew two fouls in the first 2 minutes, 56 seconds -- the second, an offensive foul away from the ball, caused Tom Thibodeau to erupt on official Violet Palmer -- and winced when he landed following a second-quarter layup."
Deron-Rose only attraction in Nets loss
February 7
New York Post
 
"The game featured two of the NBA's premier point guards, Deron Williams of the Nets and reigning MVP Derrick Rose of the Bulls. Williams deftly side-stepped and squashed any of the one-on-one angles of the game. "I like playing the best, and he's the best," Williams said while stressing, "It's not about me versus Derrick Rose. It's about the Bulls versus the Nets." Yeah, but him versus Derrick Rose was a heckuva lot more interesting than Bulls versus Nets, even if Rose lasted just one half before sitting with lower back spasms. Bulls versus Nets was a mismatch of Biblical proportions."
New Net Bogans has beef with Bulls
February 7
New York Post
 
"He has looked at it from every conceivable angle, from every rational point of view. Still, newest Net Keith Bogans can't figure out what happened in Chicago. He was waived and shown the door. That much he knows. The why, he's not too sure about. "I never talked to them, they never talked to me. Only time I talked to them was when I found out I got waived," said Bogans who made his first start for the Nets last night — ironically against the Bulls team he started every regular season and playoff game for last season. "They held me all the way to the deadline and then waived me. So that was kind of screwed up but it's a business. [Stuff] happens.""
Undermanned Nets face Bulls tonight
February 6
New York Post
 
"Nothing has come easy for the Nets this season. They started out with one of the NBA's hardest schedules, playing 14 of their first 22 games on the road through the end of January, many of those coming as the second halves of back-to-backs. They also dealt with several debilitating injuries, including losing their only post presence, Brook Lopez, to a broken foot days before the season began. But amid all of their struggles, point guard Deron Williams can see signs of improvement. "We're still making progress," Williams said after the Nets lost to the Knicks, 99-92, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. "We're a young team and we make mistakes here and there and the schedule's caught"
Nets fall to Minnesota Timberwolves, 108-105, despite Anthony Morrow's career night
February 4
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Eight was enough to beat the Detroit Pistons. A career-high scoring game by Anthony Morrow wasn't enough to beat the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves. Morrow scored 42 points and hit a career-best eight 3-pointers for the Nets, but they were all wasted as the Nets were stunned by the Timberwolves, 108-105, tonight at Prudential Center. Kevin Love had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and rookie Ricky Rubio had 10 points and 10 assists plus the interception of a Deron Williams pass in the final seconds that sealed the victory for Minnesota (11-12). Williams had a double-double — 12 points and 14 rebounds — but shot just 5-for-18 from the floor and had six turnovers, including three in the final"
Brook Lopez slowly makes moves toward return
February 4
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Nets center Brook Lopez skipped rope, ran and did some jumping Thursday and said everything was positive as he continues to rehab from his broken foot. "We're going to start working on some lateral movement, like slides, sometime soon," he said. Lopez said he was excited to take the latest step in his rehabbing — he ran for the first time Monday — and figures he'll need to do some lateral movement and pivoting before he could potentially begin to return to practice. Lopez said he didn't know when he might return. "I just took a little pocket schedule to Timmy (Walsh, the Nets' athletic trainer) and told him to point to a game (I could return for)," Lopez said. "He folded it up and put it"
Nets can't handle Timberwolves' Pekovic
February 4
New York Post
 
"As the Nets continue to try and land Dwight Howard, they saw first-hand what size can do in last night's 108-105 loss to the Timberwolves. Timberwolves backup center Nikola Pekovic destroyed the Nets in the paint, finishing the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 11-for-14 shooting from the field. Most of the 6-foot-11 Pekovic's damage came off the offensive glass, as he finished the game with seven offensive rebounds that turned into easy putbacks over the Nets' smaller frontline of Shelden Williams and Kris Humphries. "He had been playing pretty good, and you've got to remember, most of our guys on our front line are pretty much 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9, and we just don't have a lot of"
Morrow's 42 points wasted as Nets fall to Timberwolves
February 4
New York Post
 
"Ricky Rubio is known for his brilliant passing skills, but it was his defense that beat the Nets last night. Rubio came up with a pair of steals off of Deron Williams turnovers in the last two minutes — including one in the dying seconds of the game — to help the Timberwolves escape with a 108-105 win over the Nets at Prudential Center. "It happens," said Williams, who finished with 12 points, 14 assists and five rebounds, but also had six turnovers. "You can't be great in every pressure situation. There's times you turn the ball over, there's times you miss shots ... it happens.""
Nets have Dwight stuff to deal for Howard
February 3
New York Post
 
"Raise your hand if you've heard this before: The Nets view their chances to eventually land Dwight Howard as anywhere from "favorable" to "confident" to plain old "good." All those who remember the Knicks' pursuit of Carmelo Anthony last season, put your hands down. But the Nets like where they are. The Magic have tried everything to keep Howard, 26, but little suggests the franchise center is amenable to remaining in central Florida. The Orlando Sentinel reported that, despite Howard's recent endorsements of the Bulls and Celtics, his preferred landing spots remain the Nets, Lakers and Mavericks. There will be talk, but the Nets do not expect Howard to be dealt before All-Star weekend,"
Pistons' losing streak reaches seven with loss to Nets
February 2
Detroit News
 
"Pistons coach Lawrence Frank asked rhetorically what kind of team he had after their blowout loss to the Knicks on Tuesday. Wednesday's 99-96 loss to the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center probably didn't provide much clarity, but the fact is undeniable: The Pistons (4-20) are a team that has one win for every five losses. Pistons rookie Brandon Knight had a chance to send the game into overtime, but his contested three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the back rim, sealing the Pistons' seventh straight loss and continuing their inevitable march to the draft lottery."
Nets stave off Pistons despite a small bench
February 2
New York Post
 
"With a roster ravaged by injury and illness, the Nets walked from the locker room before tipoff last night. Shelden Williams, for one, stared at those in uniform. "When we stepped on the court for the first time, we looked around and said, 'Is this all?' " Williams said incredulously. Yup, eight. But who's counting. "The 'Great Eight,' " coach Avery Johnson said. With just eight available players, the Nets (8-15) found oxygen, sports drinks and whatever or whoever worked whenever as their chief allies in holding off the struggling but determined Pistons, 99-96, at the Prudential Center."
Rough reunionfor Frank
February 2
New York Post
 
"Lawrence Frank faced the Nets for the first time as an opposing head coach last night. But after all of the changes the franchise has gone through the past two seasons, including moving from the Meadowlands to Newark and the massive turnover of the roster, there was little left for him to recognize on the court. "I love New Jersey," said Frank before his Pistons' 99-96 loss to the Nets last night at the Prudential Center. "New Jersey is always home to me. I'm obviously very happy in Detroit, but my family still lives here, so there's a lot of great memories."
Newly signed Bogans gives boost to short-handed Nets
February 2
New York Post
 
"Your team is up three, but 1.8 seconds remain on the clock and the other team has possession. Who do you want on the floor defending? Some guy who has been with the team for less than half a day, right? Well, that was exactly the case with Keith Bogans and the Nets last night. Bogans, signed earlier in the day, was re-inserted into the game for the final 19.3 seconds to bolster the Nets defense, which stood firm and preserved a 99-96 victory over Detroit last night at the Prudential Center. "Yeah, I definitely was surprised to be on the floor," said Bogans, who got a guaranteed pro-rated veteran's minimum (about $600,000). "That shows coach has some confidence in me. It was defense,"
Nets fail in bid at comeback
February 1
New York Post
 
"The Giants and Nets both arrived here Monday, but on entirely different missions. The Giants, of course, are hoping to cap their remarkable turnaround from a 7-7 team with its playoff hopes hanging in the balance with the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title Sunday against the Patriots. The Nets, on the other hand, still are trying to lay the foundation for what they hope will eventually be a team capable of competing for a championship. "I think it's a great story," Nets coach Avery Johnson said of the Giants' turnaround before his team's 106-99 loss last night to the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "It's a great story, and I think we're gonna be a great story one day."
Nets' Brooks gets bad break.. in pinky toe
January 31
New York Post
 
"The injury-ravaged Nets received more bad news yesterday when they learned rookie guard MarShon Brooks will be out for an undetermined amount of time with a fracture in his right pinky toe. Brooks arrived at yesterday's practice with "some pretty significant swelling," according to coach Avery Johnson before an X-ray revealed the injury. Brooks visited a foot specialist later in the day. Brooks, the team's second-leading scorer, returned to play 22 minutes in Sunday night's loss to the Raptors after missing three games with a sore left Achilles tendon, but Johnson said the injury was unrelated to Brooks' previous affliction."
Complacent Nets routed in Newark
January 30
New York Post
 
"A truly frightening, bone-chilling development seeped last night through the Prudential Center, where 14,319 utterly unsuspecting souls watched the Nets get dismantled, 94-73, by the Raptors who were going without two of their top three scorers. It was suggested the Nets were cocky, took the Raptors lightly and might have looked past this game. And so ended the Nets' two-game winning streak. "I don't think we put as much emphasis on this game as we should have," admitted point guard Deron Williams (24 points, six assists), who saw two personal streaks snuffed — the Nets had been 5-0 when he scored at least 24 this season and he had never lost to the Raptors (he's now 14-1 against them)."
Nets' Lopez sure of 'feet' of strength
January 30
New York Post
 
"There are two words Nets center Brook Lopez does not want to hear. No, not "Dwight Howard." But you're close. Try "Yao Ming." Lopez, the Nets 7-foot center who is rehabbing a broken foot suffered in the second and last preseason game, knows about all the whispers regarding big guys who suffer broken feet. Lopez had played three seasons without missing a game. Then he broke his foot. He would be very happy not being reminded Yao missed just two games in his first two seasons and then missed 168 over his final five. So Lopez has heard it, but he insists he is not thinking — or concerned — about suffering a similar fate."
Nets' Stevenson out in Indy
January 30
New York Post
 
"The Nets will be down a man when they face the Pacers in Indianapolis tomorrow. After re-injuring his right knee in a fall early in the third quarter of last night's 94-73 loss to the Raptors at Prudential Center, DeShawn Stevenson told The Post he won't be making the trip. "Somebody tripped me up, and I fell on my knee," said Stevenson, who went scoreless in just over 12 minutes. When Stevenson left the game, the Nets said he was likely to return with a bruised right knee, and he played for less than two minutes in the fourth quarter before returning to the bench again."
Nets guard Brooks 'not worried' about time off from Achilles
January 30
New York Post
 
"Rookie guard MarShon Brooks, who has missed three games with a sore left Achilles tendon and is a game time decision for the Nets against the Raptors tonight, says he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. "I don't worry about it. It's only been four days, five days. It just seems like a long time because I missed a few games," Brooks said of the ruckus over his injury. "It seems like everybody is a little more worried than me. I feel fine. I'm running now, making progress. It's only been five days." Just seems like forever. So Brooks, who received an injection and underwent an ultrasound test Saturday, is hoping for a positive answer about playing tonight."
New-look Raptors beat Nets
January 30
Toronto Sun
 
"On a road trip that saw futility streaks broken left and right, the Raptors saved one more for the finale. First it was a win in Phoenix that ended the Raptors' 14-game losing skid in the desert. Then it was another against Utah on their home court, something the Raps had not done for 12 consecutive games. Sunday in New Jersey, the Raptors got their first victory against a team that included Deron Williams. The Jersey point guard had played the Raptors 14 times previously as a member of first the Jazz and then the New Jersey Nets. In all 14 games, Williams went home a winner — until Sunday."
Shelden gets call when going's tough
January 29
New York Post
 
"If you want someone to give you 30 points, complete with off-the-dribble jumpers, look elsewhere. But, as Nets coach Avery Johnson said, if you're headed for a bar fight — or need some rough interior play — Shelden Williams should be on speed dial. "The rougher the game is, the more we can count on him," Johnson said of Candace Parker's husband, who brings a lunch pail mentality to every game. "That's been my game since Day 1," said the 6-foot-9 Williams, the No. 5 overall pick in 2006 who was an emergency fill-in starting center for Mehmet Okur (back) Friday at Cleveland and likely will do so again against the Raptors in Newark tonight."
Deron's play leading to Nets' gain
January 29
New York Post
 
"For three games, Deron Williams was an assist machine: First 10, then 14, then 13, or 12.3 per. And he also averaged 13.7 points in those games earlier this month. The Nets lost all three. So the Nets went to Phoenix and it was suggested (implored, pleaded, begged, threatened to have loved ones taken hostage) Williams should look to score more. That was nine games ago. Nine games and 199 Williams points — or 22.1 points per game — ago. The Nets have gone 5-4 in those games and have added words like "playoffs" to their vocabulary. "My teammates are really encouraging me that I need to be aggressive and pretty much told me I need to score for us to be successful," said Williams, who will"
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov's net worth down by $5 billion, according to report
January 28
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The poor performance of the Russian stock market have cost Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov dearly, as an article in Forbes Magazine says Prokhorov's net worth has taken a stunning $5 billion loss in the last year. The magazine says Prokhorov's net worth is now between $12 billion and $13 billion, compared to last year, when Forbes estimated his net worth to be $18 billion. The magazine said most of the losses come from his stocks in the Russian market. Shares in the world's largest aluminum manufacturer United Co. Rusal have lost nearly 50 percent of their value over the last year and Prokhorov's shares in that company have lost more than $2 billion. His stock in Polyus Gold International,"
MarShon Brooks will undergo tests Saturday
January 28
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Asked his level of concern about MarShon Brooks, who has missed three games with a problem with his Achilles' tendon, Nets coach Avery Johnson said he will wait to see what tests Saturday reveal on Brooks before panicking. "We're going to get him checked out again tomorrow, and then we'll see where he is Sunday," Johnson said. "If he's not playing Sunday, then I'm going to start to get a little bit more concerned." Before the shootaround, Brooks had been optimistic he might be able to play, and told reporters his Achilles felt "great." "It feels great right now," he'd said. "Obviously, I haven't ran or warmed up yet." But once the shootaround started, Johnson said Brooks couldn't make it"
Nets down Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-96, putting them in a playoff hunt
January 28
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Someone asked Deron Williams at shootaround this morning how different it is to be playing in the Eastern Conference, where sub-.500 teams can actually make the playoffs, as opposed to the Western Conference, where that kind of thing never happens. "It's a lot different," Williams said. "You've got to be above .500 in the West to be in the playoffs, sniff the playoffs. So it's a lot different. But it's good for our team right now, because of the way we started, because we put ourselves in a little hole. But we're not out of it. "We go on a little win streak, and we can climb spots pretty easily." Twenty games into the season, consider the Nets officially in the hunt for a playoff spot,"
Nets conquer Cavaliers, feel playoffs in reach
January 28
New York Post
 
"Today, a winning streak. Tomorrow, the world. And come April, the playoffs? Even before the Nets won consecutive games for the first time last night, dropping the Cavaliers, 99-96, they were quietly hinting about the playoffs despite their record, which now stands at 7-13. And now they're not really hinting. "We definitely look at the standings. We knew we were only a game and a half back of New York," said Deron Williams, who had another monster game with 27 points and 10 assists. "So we just have to worry about winning each game and not jumping too far ahead, but we definitely want to pay attention to who's ahead of us and who we can catch." So watch it, Knicks. And Cavs and Bucks. What"
Brooks slow Achilles 'heal'
January 28
New York Post
 
"Nets coach Avery Johnson is not very worried about MarShon Brooks. Yet. Check with him tomorrow, though. "The reason he's not playing is because he's not better. He's going to have a little bit more of a detailed examination [today], not an MRI [exam], and we'll see how things change for him [tomorrow]," Johnson said of Brooks, who missed the Nets' 99-96 victory over the Cavaliers last night. It was the third straight game he has missed due to a sore left Achilles tendon. "Do some more tests on him when we get back home. And then we'll see where he is [tomorrow]. If he's not playing [tomorrow in Newark against the Raptors], then I'm going to start to get a little bit more concerned.""
Sixers mull adjustments after loss to Nets
January 27
CSN Philly
 
"Injured Sixers Spencer Hawes and Nik Vucevic were working with assistant coach Jeff Capel at the end of what Doug Collins called a meeting, not a practice. There is improvement, but it is unlikely either will play Friday when the 3-16 Bobcats come to town. Meanwhile, the next time the Sixers practice where they actually get on the court and work on basketball plays will be March 11. The NBA's lockout-shortened schedule is just that grueling. "We put a couple things in at shoot around that we tried to run in games, but because we haven't practiced our guys don't have any timing yet," Collins said."
Nets' task: Build on mojo
January 27
New York Post
 
"Two nights ago, after the Nets did something they rarely have done this season, win a close game, Deron Williams was shouting the new motto he has proposed for the team — "I love it" — about virtually everything. It was, he claimed, an effort to drive away negativity from the team. So after Wednesday's 97-90 overtime road upset of the 76ers, Williams proclaimed that he loved everything. A close victory, mistakes that were overcome, four wins in eight games, creamed liver on raisin toast, Williams loved it. OK, maybe not the creamed liver, but you get the idea. The Nets are trying to stay upbeat, embracing all the positives they can find in what has been an undeniably tough first month of"
Depleted Sixers downed in overtime by Nets
January 26
CSN Philly
 
"Discarded swaths of adhesive tape, gauze and bandages littered the floor in front of the lockers in the 76ers' dimly-lit dressing room after another overtime loss at the Center on Wednesday night. Players took turns running in and out of training room where athletic trainer Kevin Johnson could have had the Sixers take a number as if he were running a deli counter."
Sixers come out flat in loss
January 26
Courier-Post
 
"Everything finally caught up to the 76ers. They were playing for the second straight game without their top two centers. They were undersized and undermanned against the Nets. That was exacerbated when Elton Brand fouled out and Thaddeus Young played most of the game through a lower back contusion. The Sixers simply ran out of steam — and bodies — in overtime and lost 97-90 to New Jersey on Wednesday. "We definitely need our bigs," Brand said. "They've been great for us all year. We're looking forward to getting them back. We just couldn't get stops, and Thad hurt his back.""
Williams' clutch 3 in overtime fuels Nets
January 26
New York Post
 
"For more than 48 minutes, the underdog, undermanned Nets battled the 76ers on their own court and gave everything they had. Then with 1:21 left in overtime, it looked as if the Nets gave something else — the game — to the Sixers when an errant inbounds pass turned into a breakaway score. But Deron Williams simply would not accept defeat. "At the end of the game, we basically put the ball in Deron's hands and said, 'Take us home' and that's what he did," coach Avery Johnson said approvingly. And — marketing people take note — Williams and all the Nets had one response: "I love it." That's the new team motto, Williams inspired. Don't think too hard, just accept."
Nets' Lopez disappointed contract not extended
January 26
New York Post
 
"Brook Lopez would have preferred to be involved in any discussions that led to the Nets' decision not to extend him. "It does include me," Lopez said with a shrug after the Nets made official yesterday what they had indicated for some time — they did not extend the fourth-season center while also not picking up the third year option on Damion James, moves intended to keep as much cap space as possible for a free agent run at Dwight Howard. "I understand it I suppose from a business standpoint," Lopez said before the Nets' 97-90 overtime victory over the 76ers last night. "But yeah, I think it's disappointing because I'd like to be here.""
Nets lose Damion James for rest of season
January 25
New York Post
 
"Yes, it can get worse for the Nets. It got worse yesterday when the Nets announced forward Damion James is lost for the remainder of the season. James underwent surgery on his right foot at Indiana University Health Hospital in Indianapolis to repair aggravation to a previous fracture in his fifth metatarsal. Dr. David Porter performed the procedure, which included replacing a screw originally inserted after James broke his foot in December last season."
Nets defeated by Bulls, 110-95
January 24
New York Post
 
"The task was formidable, to put it mildly. But Nets coach Avery Johnson was excited about facing the Bulls, they of the NBA's best record, as the finale to a back-to-back-to-back assignment. Johnson hoped to see the Nets roll out the same starting lineup for a fifth straight game, something unheard of in a stretch where injuries were as plentiful as Dwight Howard trade rumors. And he'd get to see rookie MarShon Brooks take on the veteran pro, Rip Hamilton. He might as well have wished for a winning PowerBall ticket, too. One bought for him by someone else."We found out right before the game that MarShon (sore Achilles) wasn't going to be able to go and we had to make some adjustments to"
Farmar's role grows with Nets
January 24
New York Post
 
"For the first four seasons of his career, Jordan Farmar was with the Lakers doing something entirely different than he does now with the Nets. And it's not just winning, although there was that as he earned title rings in 2009 and 2010. "I think he'd been in the triangle system for a long time and it's taken him a year to really get comfortable," proposed coach Avery Johnson who led his Nets against the Bulls and the NBA's best record here last night in the finale of a grueling back-to-back-to-back set. No arguments from Farmar who admits it took a while to latch on to a totally different system than the triangle offense run so effectively for so long by Phil Jackson."
Nets' MarShon Brooks takes a seat with sore tendon
January 24
New York Post
 
"MarShon Brooks looked more concerned than he sounded. This sore left Achilles tendon that knocked him out last night just before game time was the same injury he had in college. He overcame it then, he figures he'll overcome it now. No biggie. "I was just trying to run and it just felt real tight in my Achilles and I couldn't really get going," said Brooks, who will undergo additional tests today. "My only guess would be because of fatigue. It's happened once before, the same feeling. ... But I had no clue how it was going to react, I just went out there, tried to push off of it and it wasn't cooperating."
Rose back and Bulls rout Nets
January 24
Chicago Tribune
 
"For many teams, losing an All-Star-caliber small forward whom the coach has called "the glue" would cast a somber pall. Not these Bulls. With Luol Deng seeking outside medical opinions in the hopes of avoiding surgery on his left wrist, the Bulls welcomed back Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah from injury and steamrolled the Nets 110-95 Monday night to improve to 8-0 at home."
Gritty Williams, Nets find a way
January 23
New York Post
 
"With injuries, late signings and all the scheduling goodies the NBA has dumped upon them, the Nets looked at their current plight and saw that delightful little scenario known as the back-to-back-to-back death march, three games in three nights. Last night they were in the middle of that horror. They had already completed the first segment, a loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Looking ahead, they saw the best team on the planet, the Bulls, in Chicago tonight. It's not being overly negative to say no one feels all warm and fuzzy about the Nets' prospects there. So they needed the middle segment last night against the struggling Bobcats. Needed it real bad. So they went after it early,"
Bobcats' Kemba can do
January 23
New York Post
 
"One of the bright spots for the Nets so far this season has been the play of rookie MarShon Brooks. In a 97-87 loss to the Nets last night at Prudential Center, Kemba Walker showed why he's arguably the lone bright spot for the Bobcats. Playing without starters Corey Maggette and D.J. Augustin, who sat after playing a few minutes in the first quarter, Walker led the Bobcats with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in 32-plus minutes. "I hope Kemba can continue to play well," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said. "He's got to get his rest, eat properly ... all of those things."
Charlotte Bobcats lose D.J. Augustin in another loss
January 23
Charlotte Observer
 
"Charlotte Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin will have an injection soon intended to treat a slight crack between two bones in his right big toe, Augustin told the Observer on Sunday. Augustin, the Bobcats' assist leader and second-leading scorer, had to leave in the first quarter of a 97-87 loss to the New Jersey Nets. Augustin has suffered from chronic pain for about 10 days, and it became so severe about six and a half minutes into the game that he sat down for the night. "It's two bones in my big toe, and it's kind of cracked," Augustin told the Observer. "The shot would fill in the crack, and give it time to heal -- take some of the pain away.""