New Jersey Nets News

Nets guard Devin Harris out against 76ers
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March 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The Nets are without their point guard again tonight, as Devin Harris won't make the trip to Philadelphia because of his upper respiratory infection. The Sixers, who are also in freefall -- they've lost 10 of 11 to drop to 23-44 -- are probably without Marreese Speights (knee sprain) and Louie Williams (back pain). More importantly, of course, Philly has been engulfed in speculation that Eddie Jordan is about to get fired after only one year, with team prez Ed Stefanski -- who has been there for only 27 months -- also on shaky ground."
Seven wins, 60 Defeats, 1 Wakeup Call
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March 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"This was another one of those nights when the Nets could have found five guys on a prisoner release program that would have played harder, and after getting smacked around for 47 minutes and 46 seconds, one guy decided his team had been embarrassed long enough to take some action. Terrence Williams waited until there was 13.9 seconds left in the game to show that he had had enough. Of course, the Hawks were asking for it: They were up 23 and pressing in the backcourt with 34 seconds left, which is a good way for winners to announce that they don't care much about basketball decorum. That doesn't mean the Nets had to take it, so with Mo Evans on the fly and lining up a jam, Williams ..."
'Get to 10' victories remains Nets' rallying cry as they lose again, this time to Atlanta, 108-84
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March 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"It had reached a point where Jarvis Hayes prepared himself for The Question — from waves and waves of annoying people holding notepads and microphones — because the numbers were mixing and tumbling inside his own head night after night. But the road trip wasn't the hassle he had expected. Maybe, he convinced himself, things are looking up. As much as they can for a 7-60 team, anyway. "Just one time — after the game in Houston," the Nets wing recalled Tuesday night, before his team was blasted by Atlanta, 108-84, at Izod Center. "But other than that, nobody asked about the record. I was a little surprised. Because we've got seven wins, with 16 (now 15) games to go." See, he even knows the ..."
Nets stay on 'worst' track
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March 17
New York Post
 
"The pressure is excruciating. Do you know how hard it is to play .200 basketball? Especially when you're a .104 team? Well, after last night's 108-84 thrashing by the Hawks, that is the task for the 7-60 (.104) Nets. They need to go at least 3-12 (.200) in their last 15 games to avoid the worst record in NBA history -- the dubious mark of 9-73 set by the 1972-73 Sixers. "I want to get three wins, more than anything," Courtney Lee said. "I watch [TV] where they bash us and say, 'They need a couple wins or they're going to be the worst team in history.' Then you think, 'We've got to get three wins.' " Last night wasn't one, even if the Hawks were without Joe Johnson (Achilles tendon). ..."
Nets stay on losing track
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March 17
New York Daily News
 
"There were no long goodbyes for Dale Schlueter following the Philadelphia 76ers' final game of the 1972-73 season, no handshakes and hugs with teammates, no lingering around the locker room. He simply showered, got dressed and left. "My wife and I had packed up our truck and took a U-Haul trailer to the game that night and left right afterwards," Schlueter said. "We didn't want to stick around too long." Schlueter had good reason to head toward his home in Oregon immediately after the 76ers' season-ending 115-96 loss to the Pistons. His team had finished 9-73, setting the all-time mark for fewest wins in one season, and Schlueter did not want to stick around to hear about it from the ..."
Nets Edging Closer to Wrong Side of History
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March 17
New York Times
 
"After 60 losses, there is not much dignity left for the Nets to lose. But Terrence Williams is trying to protect whatever shreds that remain. With 13.9 seconds left in a 24-point defeat Tuesday night, Williams launched himself toward the Atlanta Hawks' Maurice Evans and smacked him to the floor. It prevented a dunk and some added humiliation, but not the loss. The Hawks ran off with a 108-84 victory, and the Nets (7-60) continued hurtling toward infamy."
Terrence Williams finds being 'a grown-up' has helped his game
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March 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Sometime over the last few weeks, he made up his mind that he's going to get everyone's attention by following three easy steps: Straighten up, fly right, and bend the rim every chance you get. This didn't require a very lengthy talk with himself, Terrence Williams explained. The Nets' introspective rookie merely looked back at the first four months of his season and immediately recognized what was missing. "I learned you have to keep your mouth shut," he said. "Honestly, that's it. Because you get further with silence than you do speaking out or acting out. The lesson taught to me was to pay attention to other guys, and learn from them. I really wasn't ready for that.""
Nets rook Williams watching, learning
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March 16
New York Post
 
"If rookie Terrence Williams knew then what he knows now, he'd be a better basketball player, a wiser basketball player. And a wealthier basketball player. Williams' admittedly "rocky" first season contained virtually every pitfall possible. There was the "Twitter" incident (he was fined) where he wondered -- or tweeted -- publicly what life would have been like if he were drafted elsewhere. There was the missed bus (he was fined). There were late arrivals (he was fined, fined, fined). There was the temptation by management to send him to the D-League (at least he wasn't fined for that). But know what? "Definitely, it has been worth it because I learned a lot in my first year," said ..."
Devin Harris suffering from respiratory infection, may miss Atlanta Hawks
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March 16
New York Daily News
 
"If the Nets are to beat the Hawks Tuesday for their eighth victory of the season, they'll likely have to do it without Devin Harris, who missed practice Monday with an upper respiratory infection and is doubtful to play at the Meadowlands. "He was pretty sick (Sunday) and was pretty sick today," interim head coach/GM Kiki Vandeweghe said following yesterday's practice in East Rutherford. Coming off a five-game road swing in which they went 1-4, beating the Knicks before heading south, the Nets (7-59) must get three more victories over their final 16 games to avoid the worst record in NBA history. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers hold that distinction, having gone 9-73."
Devin Harris sits out Nets practice
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March 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Hello again. We came here today with the idea of talking to Devin Harris, but he was a no-show. They're just saying he's under the weather, status for Tuesday against the Bibbys undetermined. Devin Harris? Out? Does this happen often? Sorry, we wouldn't know. There's been an enforced trial separation, followed by a profound disconnect, which is bound to happen when you've been away from these fine young gentlemen for 35 days. In fact, it's been so long, we haven't a clue what has been happening with this team, so before we kick off the Drink To Forget Tour for '09-10, someone had better fill us in. Just one question: What have we missed exactly in these past 35 days? Anything significant? ..."
Nets center Brook Lopez's cheap fouls becoming a distraction
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March 15
New York Daily News
 
"Just like the losses, the fouls keep adding up for a frustrated Brook Lopez. The Nets center has developed a bad habit of starting out strong and then disappearing, sometimes exiling himself on the bench after picking up unnecessary fouls. Consider Saturday night's 116-108 loss to the Houston Rockets, in which Lopez put up decent numbers (22 points, 10 rebounds) but had a huge letdown after scoring the Nets' first eight points over the game's first two minutes. He finished the first quarter with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting, but also picked up two fouls and added a third in the second. Over the final three quarters, he scored just 12 more points on 4-for-8 shooting and finished with five ..."
Nets outworked in loss in Houston
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March 14
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets worked hard to stay in games on this four-game trip, and Saturday they ran into one that just outworked them. The Rockets destroyed the Nets inside, led by Luis Scola's career-best 44-point performance. Scola and the Rockets sent the Nets home with a humbling 116-108 loss at Toyota Center in the finale of the winless trip. The Nets (7-59) had been in the previous three games down the stretch, but they didn't afford themselves that opportunity against the Rockets. Houston grabbed 12 more rebounds, held a 27-4 advantage on second-chance points and 23-9 in fast-break points. That was embarrassing enough, then add the Scola factor. The Argentine power forward humiliated the Nets' big ..."
New Jersey Nets can't hold off Houston Rockets as Luis Scola scores 44 points in latest debacle
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March 14
New York Daily News
 
"With their record what it is and some of the top-tier free agents seemingly more likely to stay with their current teams anyway, the Nets might have to pick off the scrap heap once they start rebuilding over the summer. If so, Luis Scola wouldn't be a bad option, at least based on what he did Saturday night. Though nothing compared to expected free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Scola put on a superstar performance against the Nets, pouring in a career-high 44 points in the Rockets' 116-108 win over the NBA's worst team. Scola hit 20 of 25 shots and also grabbed 12 rebounds, helping Houston win a lopsided battle of the boards 43-31. The Rockets had twice as many offensive ..."
NBA's all-time worst team saw it coming disaster coming early
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March 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"This was the Philadelphia 76ers' preseason, 1972. Other than aging guard Hal Greer, who eventually would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, there were no other signs of the 1966-67 76ers, one of the greatest teams in the history of the NBA. The players, and certainly not the first-year coach, had no idea they would someday be sadly known as the all-time worst. • • • • "Kevin Loughery and I were in the backcourt, and all through camp we kept hearing that one of us would be traded," Dave Wohl recalled. "Every day, Kevin would look at me and say, 'I'm getting traded.' I'd say, 'No, it's me.' " They knew that things were not right, that Roy Rubin, a success at Long Island University, was ..."
Nets fall to Thunder, 104-102, as Kevin Durant has record-setting night for Oklahoma City
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March 13
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Kevin Durant pulled up just inside the 3-point line, crossed over and scored his 30th point. Just as he has so many times this season - and now most in franchise history. Durant scored 32 points, surpassing 30 for a franchise-best 36th time this season, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Friday night. Durant passed Spencer Haywood's mark from the 1972-1973 season with Seattle. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks joked before the game that he might try to keep Durant from hitting the mark because of his admiration for Haywood. But as the NBA-worst Nets (7-58) climbed back in the game in the fourth quarter, Durant had to do the extra lifting. ..."
Nets are swept down the plains in Oklahoma City
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March 13
Bergen Record
 
"As shovels finally went into the Brooklyn ground Thursday, the Nets' franchise had its second major celebration in a week. But the players have had very few reasons to rejoice except for a handful of hard-fought wins. And one of them didn't come Friday night. The Nets fought hard, battled back from 15 down in the fourth and had their chances late. But they didn't have enough to get by Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder and fell 104-102 at the Ford Center. "We've had seven or eight games in a row where we've played playoff-type teams," interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. "Three now on the road and we're right there. We're right there with the teams." The Nets (7-58) tried to focus ..."
Jeff Green leads OKC past New Jersey
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March 13
The Oklahoman
 
"Jeff Green's best offensive performance of the season was sparked by a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the opening quarter. And when they splashed through the net, without so much as grazing the rim, you knew it would be Green's night. And it couldn't have come at a better time for the Thunder.Playing its first game without injured leading bench scorer James Harden, Oklahoma City used a season-high 27 points from Green to continue New Jersey's misery with a 104-102 win over the worst team in basketball.Green scored 20 points in the first half and made 11 of 16 shots on an array of 3-pointers, mid-range shots and driving layups in 41 minutes. His third 3-pointer, a high-arching ..."
Kyle Weaver will get opportunity with James Harden out
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March 13
The Oklahoman
 
""Wins are wins," said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks. "It's not easy to win in this league... But we're going to watch the film and definitely address it because we can't afford to make those careless mistakes at the end. That's unacceptable."We will get better, but we still have to address those issues. We can't throw them under the rug and say, 'OK, we'll figure it out.' We have to figure it out quickly."Nets All-Star guard Devin Harris had a chance to cut it to two with 25 seconds left, but his runner in the lane rolled off the rim. Kevin Durant hit two free throws to finally seal the win. But even with a 104-98 lead with six seconds left, the Thunder was sloppy."I think we got a ..."
Despite fighting back, New Jersey Nets earn another defeat in 104-102 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder
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March 13
New York Daily News
 
"If the Nets were an ordinary down-and-out team with nothing to play for over the final month of the season, then losing woultdn't be such a big deal if they put forth the kind of effort they did Friday night. But to avoid a record for futility, they still need to do better than try hard over their final 17 games. They need wins - at least three of them. Despite battling back from a 16-point deficit in the second half and putting a scare into the Thunder, the Nets lost Friday night, 104-102, to fall to 7-58. They are still on pace to tie the all-time record for fewest wins in a season, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 9-73. The Nets trailed 80-64 with less than two ..."
Groundbreaking marks start of Nets' Brooklyn arena
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March 12
Bergen Record
 
"Atlantic Yards construction formally kicked off in grand fashion near downtown Brooklyn on Thursday, with a crowd of about 700 gathering for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the planned site for the Barclays Center basketball arena. "I can't believe I'm standing here today," said a beaming Bruce Ratner, the overall project developer and the principal owner of the New Jersey Nets. Ratner's relief stems from six years worth of struggles to get this far, thanks in part to numerous legal battles and the economic downturn of the last two years. But Ratner - joined by New York Gov. David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Nets part-owner Jay-Z and many others - finally got to put on a white ..."
Terrence Williams growing up
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March 12
Bergen Record
 
"Terrence Williams had just completed a double-double impressive for any rookie, not to mention one who is 6-foot-6, when he was asked if he feels like he's playing the way he did in college. The Louisville product's answer was surprising. "I think [I'm playing] a lot better here than in college," Williams said after an 18-point, 13-rebound game in the Nets' 96-87 loss at Dallas on Wednesday. "Definitely because of the competition but in college more so, everything was on me for us to win the game. Now I get to move at my pace and just try what I can do to try to help us win." Last week, Williams used the word "rocky" to describe his rookie season with the Nets, who play the Thunder ..."
Taking Nets seriously
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March 12
The Oklahoman
 
"Coach Scott Brooks is confident the Thunder won't have a letdown tonight against the 7-57 Nets. "Their record is not where they want it to be, but they can win games," Brooks said. "We have to focus on what we do and do it well and do it with great effort. Our guys have done a great job of that all year." Harden Update Rookie guard James Harden suffered a strained right hamstring when he landed awkwardly in the second quarter of Wednesday night's win. Harden ran beyond half court after play stopped to try and stretch out the hamstring. Harden played the rest of the game but did not practice Thursday. "It just tightened up on him," Brooks said. "We don't know (if he'll play tonight). We'll ..."
Bruce Ratner defends decision to move New Jersey Nets deep into New York Knicks territory
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March 12
New York Daily News
 
"Hours before breaking ground on a new arena in Brooklyn Thursday, outgoing Nets owner Bruce Ratner defended his decision to move his team deep into Knicks territory by comparing the teams' future rivalry to the one the Yankees and Dodgers shared a half century ago. "When the Dodgers were here they were right up there with the Yankees. That's what we're going to have," Ratner said in an interview on WFAN radio. "We can afford two teams. It's going to be a great rivalry and I think it's just going to create more excitement for basketball. Just like the Dodgers, we'll get a lot of fans, and just like the Yankees, (the Knicks will get) a lot of fans." Ratner also said he thinks minority owner ..."
Nets start fast, finish slow against Dallas in 96-87 loss
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March 11
Bergen Record
 
"The Mavericks weren't going to let themselves be the Nets' first victim of the season and Jason Kidd wouldn't let his current team's long winning streak end against his old one Wednesday. The Nets had a major hand in it, of course. They struggled on offense over the last three quarters and fell, 96-87, Wednesday night at American Airlines Center. Looking nothing like a player who will turn 37 in two weeks, Kidd was huge in leading the Mavericks back from 18 points down in the first half. He played tenacious defense, dove out of bounds to save a loose ball, leading to a fast-break layup, and hit three big three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help lead Dallas to its 13th straight win. ..."
Nets hope Mikhail Prokhorov acts like Mark Cuban
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March 11
Bergen Record
 
"The NBA didn't know what hit it when Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks in 2000. A free spirit who does and says what he wants, Cuban's willingness to sign checks has helped make Dallas one of the best teams and desirable places for players. The Nets can only hope it's true when people call incoming owner Mikhail Prokhorov a Russian Cuban. "I don't know if it's flattering, but its far better than when I got in the league and everyone told me I was doing everything wrong," Cuban said via e-mail before Dallas went for its 13th straight win Wednesday night against the Nets. "Its always fun for me to hear fans and media say how they want a 'Mark Cuban-type owner.' " Prokhorov, who is expected to ..."
Nets tend to stagger without Courtney Lee
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March 9
Bergen Record
 
"Courtney Lee never thought that playing the way he did in college would be such an adjustment. But the Nets' shooting guard has had to recondition his body as well as his mind. His role as a rookie last season with the Orlando Magic was to move the ball, play defense and take open shots. He had plenty of shots with all the attention paid to Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. As a Net, Lee is looked upon to create shots and score more. He's on a roll and fulfilling his role. Lee, who scored 30 points in Monday night's loss to the Grizzlies at FedExForum, lately has been playing his best as a pro. He had scored at least 20 points in his previous three games and five times in his ..."
Former Sixers GM DeJardin feels Nets' pain
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March 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 
""The Nets," Don DeJardin was saying, "are going through basketball hell." He would know. DeJardin was the general manager of the 76ers in 1972-73 when they went 9-73, the worst record in NBA history. The current New Jersey Nets seem to be threatening that mark. They are 7-56 after last night's loss at Memphis. "We had a tremendous struggle, to put it mildly," said DeJardin, now retired. "But our approach, once we recognized the struggle it would be, was to work toward the draft. I believe we had the best draft in Sixers history." In 1973, the Sixers made Doug Collins the No. 1 overall pick in a draft that went 20 rounds. They chose Allan Bristow, George McGinnis and Caldwell Jones in the ..."
Nets threatening infamous 9-73 Sixers of 1972-73
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March 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THIS WAS THE 76ers' preseason, 1972. Other than aging guard Hal Greer, who eventually would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, there were no other signs of the 1966-67 Sixers, one of the greatest teams in the history of the NBA. The players, and certainly not the first-year coach, had no idea they would someday be sadly known as the all-time worst. "Kevin Loughery and I were in the backcourt, and all through camp we kept hearing that one of us would be traded," Dave Wohl recalled. "Every day, Kevin would look at me and say, 'I'm getting traded.' I'd say, 'No, it's me.' " They knew that things were not right, that Roy Rubin, a success at Long Island University, was terribly overmatched. ..."
Brook Lopez struggles as New Jersey Nets fall to Grizzlies,to 7-56
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March 9
New York Daily News
 
"If the Nets are going to win three more games this season and avoid making the worst kind of history, they are going to need their best player to be on his game, even when his supporting cast has a big night. So even though Devin Harris and Courtney Lee combined for 58 points, the Nets had very little chance against the Grizzlies last night because Brook Lopez was anything but his usual self. After getting called for two early fouls, Lopez had one of his worst games of the season and the Nets paid for it by losing to the Grizzlies, 107-101, toto 7-56. The Nets failed again in their season-long effort to win two straight games, and still need three victories to avoid tying the all-time ..."
Sprained ankle causes Yi Jianlian to miss NJ Nets' four-game road trip
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March 8
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The Nets followed their Saturday night win over the Knicks by taking off on a four-game trip that begins Monday in Memphis and continues Wednesday in Dallas, Friday in Oklahoma City and Saturday in Houston. They will be without Yi Jianlian on the trip, as the 7-foot power forward is out with a sprained left ankle, suffered in the first quarter Saturday night. Yi was injured with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter, when he stepped on the foot of the Knicks' Wilson Chandler as he backed up to try and get defensive positioning. Yi has already missed 24 games this season because of various injuries. He is averaging 11.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game."
Sprained ankle forces Yi Jianlian to miss Nets' four-game road trip
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March 8
New York Daily News
 
"The Nets will be playing meaningful games on a four-game road trip that begins in Memphis Monday, but they won't have their starting power forward to help them. Yi Jianlian did not join the Nets on their flight to Tennessee Sunday and he will miss games against the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Thunder and Rockets this week because of the left ankle he sprained during Saturday night's win over the Knicks. Yi had three points on 1-for-4 shooting before the injury occurred, and he has already missed 24 games this season due to injury. Kris Humphries, who scored 10 points in Saturday's win, will likely take Yi's place in the lineup. After the game, Yi said he did not feel "too bad" but that he did ..."
Big East memories are hard to forget
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March 8
New York Post
 
"Terrence Williams figured no championship ever would be as easy. Last March he and the rest of the Louisville Cardinals thought they would have an exhausted Syracuse team to kick around. The Orange had played the epic six-overtime game with Connecticut, then went into OT with West Virginia to advance into the final against Louisville. This was going to be easier than reciting the ABC's. With the Big East tourney starting tomorrow, Williams, now with the Nets, has one memory of the 2009 Big East title game. "How hard Syracuse played. They played that six-overtime game -- I watched that game. It finished like 2:30 in the morning. Then I was actually talking to Johnny [Flynn] throughout the ..."
Knicks' David Lee likes appeal of Nets
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March 8
New York Post
 
"Nets center Brook Lopez really likes the idea of someday playing alongside current Knick David Lee. And unlike some impending free agents who view the Nets as less desirable than waterboarding, Lee likes the Nets' potential more than their 7-55 record. "The Nets are an interesting team," said Lee, sounding more like Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire and Memphis' Rudy Gay who claimed they would not be scared off by the Nets' hideous record. "They're a clear example of a team whose talent level doesn't reflect the record. "If statistics work out, they get the No. 1 pick," Lee said, "They have a great center in Lopez, an All-Star point guard, Devin Harris, great athleticism with wings Chris ..."
Hurty Yi left behind, out indefinitely
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March 8
New York Daily News
 
"The Nets left for a four-game road trip today and they left Yi Jianlian behind. The 7-footer sprained his left ankle in Saturday night's 113-93 win over the Knicks and is out indefinitely. He did not accompany the team on its flight to Memphis and will not be at any of the games this week, according to an e-mail the Nets sent out earlier."
Courtney Lee returns to NJ Nets lineup after missing three games with ankle injury
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March 7
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Courtney Lee had worked hard to get his sprained ankle in good enough shape to allow him to play for the Nets on Friday, when his old team, the Orlando Magic, visited New Jersey. Ultimately, the Nets decided to hold him out of the lineup one more day. But after missing three games, Lee was finally given the green light to return to action Saturday night, when the Nets visited the Knicks in Madison Square Garden in the opening game of a five-game road trip that heads West Monday, when they visit Memphis. "Timmy (Walsh, the Nets' athletic trainer) said, 'When you have a situation like this, a back-to-back, it's always best to play that second game,' '' Lee explained. "He didn't want me to ..."
Guard sparks Nets in return
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March 7
New York Post
 
"Courtney Lee wanted to play Friday. He said he could. He said he was ready. But he sat for a third straight game because of his sprained left ankle. So naturally, the question was put to Lee before last night's game. You playing? "Look at the board. Who's guarding Tracy?" Lee asked, nodding toward the greaseboard in the Nets locker room where "CL" was assigned to Tracy McGrady. And no, Lee didn't just pencil himself in: "My hand writing's not that good." Neither was the Knicks' defense on him. Lee was a huge difference maker, scoring 25 points -- while backcourtmate Devin Harris added a season-high 31. And Lee drilled five of the Nets' season-high 14 3-pointers that transformed a 16-point ..."
Harris & Co. drop Knicks to new low
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March 7
New York Post
 
"Forget the records. The Knicks stand alone now as the NBA's worst team. In a despicable outing that's sure to place coach Mike D'Antoni under a more intense microscope, the Knicks were humiliated by the Nets for the second time this season, routed by 20 points, 113-93, in their season's worst loss. The Knicks (21-41) set an NBA record for futility by going 0-for-18 from 3-point range as the Garden booed loudly and frequently across the final three quarters, with owner James Dolan seated on the baseline with his sons. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was the Knicks -- not the Nets -- trying to avoid the worst season ever. The Nets (7-55) now are just three wins away -- with 20 ..."
New York's 20-point thrashing by New Jersey Nets will push free agents away from Mike D'Antoni
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March 7
New York Daily News
 
"Once he saw the score from the Garden Saturday night, LeBron James must have said to himself, "That's it. There's no way I'm leaving Cleveland for that disaster." Once he saw that the Knicks were thrashed by 20 at home by the 7-55 Nets, Dwyane Wade must have come to one conclusion: "The Knicks need to lose my number." Once he saw that the Knicks had allowed 113 points to a Nets team that's dead last in scoring in the NBA, Chris Bosh must have thought, "How am I going to turn that team around at the defensive end?" That's only an educated guess as to some of the reaction from around the league to what happened when the Knicks were embarrassed by the Nets, 113-93. It was that kind of night ..."
The Knicks Make the Nets Look Like a .500 Team
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March 7
New York Times
 
"Every once in a while, the basketball gods show scheduling mercy. The clouds on otherwise dreadful seasons parted a fourth and final time this season for the Knicks and the Nets when they met Saturday night, guaranteeing one team a victory. To either relief or laughs, the teams were mercifully set to finish their season rivalry with little at stake beyond avoiding further humiliation. Instead, the Knicks joined the Bobcats as the only teams to fall to the Nets twice, losing, 113-93, and establishing another low point in a season littered with them. Mike D'Antoni's free-wheeling offense allows his players to shoot freely. That power, though, is often not used judiciously. The Knicks ..."
Yi Jianlian sprains ankle, out indefinitely
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March 7
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets probably will be without starting power forward Yi Jianlian for some time. Yi left the building in a walking boot after suffering a high left-ankle sprain in the first quarter when he stepped on Wilson Chandler's foot. Yi is out indefinitely. "I've got to see how it feels," Yi said. "It's hard to tell right now. I don't know how many days." X-rays were negative, but it looked bad from the start."
As Vince Carter comes to town, NJ Nets reminded his leadership is missed
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March 6
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Want to know how much the Nets miss Vince Carter? The math is pretty simple. Through 61 games this season, following Friday night's 97-87 loss at Izod Center to Carter and the Orlando Magic, the Nets are 6-55 and remain on track to finish with the worst record in NBA history. Through 61 games last season, with Carter on their team, the Nets were 27-34 and in the hunt for a playoff spot. "Vince was a huge piece last year,'' said Magic forward Ryan Anderson, who was traded with Carter last summer in the deal that brought back Courtney Lee to the Nets. "A lot of guys were playing well because of Vince, getting open because of Vince, getting open looks.'' Carter was the Nets' second-leading ..."
Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy upset despite win over Nets, players happy with victory
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March 6
Orlando Sentinel
 
"In the hallway outside the Orlando Magic's locker room after the Magic beat the six-win New Jersey Nets, 97-87, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy voiced his displeasure at the way his team won. "All year losing the lead is how we play," Stan Van Gundy said. "Give us a lead and we will play poorly at both ends of the floor. I have absolutely no idea how to fix it." But it was a win, so Magic players laughed and joked with each other inside the locker room. "He's always upset," Rashard Lewis said. "No matter if we win by 50 or if we win by one. He's going to stand on the sideline, he's going to be mad, he's going to be upset. You make one turnover he's going to be mad. They make a basket he's going ..."
New Nets owner to take over next month
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March 6
New York Post
 
"Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is expected to take formal control of the Nets next month, an NBA official said Friday. Prokhorov, who purchased the team in September, awaits approval by the NBA Board of Governors, which is seen as a mere formality at this point. NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Adam Silver said yesterday the approval is expected "probably sometime in early-to- mid-April.""
Nets Laud Future Newark Home as a Bridge to Brooklyn
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March 6
New York Times
 
"For a team that has won 6 of its 61 games this season, the future is all the Nets have. On Friday, they celebrated their anticipated two-year layover at the Prudential Center with a news conference followed by a one-on-one matchup between Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark and Darryl Dawkins, the former Nets center, on a halfcourt set up inside one of the arena's cylindrical glass towers. Booker scored on a layup. And on Thursday, the team will break ground on its ultimate, if long-delayed, destination: the Barclays Center, near downtown Brooklyn, which is part of the 22-acre Atlantic Yards project. They cannot move fast enough to flee the Izod Center in East Rutherford, where they will play ..."
Nets may be leaving, but Newark Mayor Cory Booker will try to bring NBA basketball back to city
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March 6
New York Daily News
 
"Newark will have to let go of the Nets in two or three years, but that doesn't mean New Jersey's biggest city will be giving up on the NBA. At a press conference to officially announce the Nets' temporary move to the Prudential Center after this season, Newark Mayor Cory Booker said Friday he intends to at least try to bring NBA basketball back to the city once the Nets take up full-time residence in Brooklyn. "I have an audacious and impossible dream . . . that we will show that NBA basketball is so exciting, is so explosive and is so successful in the city of Newark, that even as the Nets make their way across a couple of rivers to play in Brooklyn, that the NBA can (thrive here)," ..."
New Jersey Nets back on the record track for fewest wins with 97-87 loss to Orlando Magic
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March 6
New York Daily News
 
"Hosting one of the greatest players to ever call the Meadowlands home hours after they officially announced plans to move out, the Nets virtually ensured that this season will be their worst in the building. A 97-87 loss to Vince Carter and the Magic Friday night dropped the Nets' home record to 3-28, meaning they will have to win their remaining 10 home games to avoid setting a record for fewest wins there in one season. The Nets went 13-28 at the Meadowlands in 1989-90 to set the current mark. They also still have shot at the all-time franchise record for fewest home wins at any venue - 10, set in 1976-77 at the Nassau Coliseum. At 6-55, the Nets are also back on pace to set a new league ..."
Nets miss Vince Carter's leadership
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March 5
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets have missed 2,735 shots this season, 174 player games due to illness or injury and countless chances to throw the ball inside to Brook Lopez. But none of that equates to how much they've missed Vince Carter - in the locker room perhaps as much as on the court. "Where don't we miss him, that's the bigger question," Jarvis Hayes said. "Where don't we miss him? Just his presence on the floor, in the locker room, everywhere." Carter returns to Izod Center tonight for the second time since the Nets traded him to the Orlando Magic last June. The move helped shed salary to help facilitate an ownership change as well as create salary-cap space for this summer. The Nets (6-54) knew they ..."
Terrence Williams describes first season with NJ Nets as 'rocky'
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March 5
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Coming off his career-high, 21-point scoring output in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland, Nets rookie Terrence Williams was asked Thursday how he would sum up his first professional season so far. "Rocky,'' was the term he chose. "I really didn't know what to expect," he said Thursday. "I tried to come here and use the same game that I used in college, but my shot wasn't falling. I had to re-evaluate myself as a player and change my game to more so going to the hole, but still do the other little things that I do and love to do, as far as, like, passing, playing 'D' and rebounding." Williams appears to have figured things out. The 11th pick overall out of Louisville, he has played off guard ..."
Nets' house divided about Newark stopover
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March 5
New York Post
 
"The Nets seem split. Keyon Dooling thinks it makes a difference. Brook Lopez feels a winning team could play in a barn and attract the same fans. Team president Rod Thorn feels the bottom line always will be the bottom line: money. So representatives of the Nets and Devils, plus Newark city officials, today in Newark will gather to discuss the Nets' temporary two-year (at least) move to the Prudential Center while the Barclays Center is built in Brooklyn. Whether Newark is a palace or not, two years here before a move there is no way to entice free agents. But members of the Nets' hierarchy insist exiting the Izod (nee Meadowlands) Center for a modern, spacious building will appeal to fans ..."
Despite new home, New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn knows money still attracts talent
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March 5
New York Daily News
 
"Nets president Rod Thorn has probably negotiated with hundreds of players during his career as an NBA executive, so he knows that regardless of how nice a team's arena is, the decision to sign with an organization usually comes down to something else. "For a lot of people, it will be, 'Show me the money,'" Thorn said. Thorn's team will have plenty of cash to offer once free agency begins after July 1. But the Nets will also have something else that could attract players as well - a new home. The team has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to discuss its temporary move to Newark for at least the next two seasons while a permanent home is being built in Brooklyn. A ..."