Official 2015-16 Brooklyn Nets Season Watch Thread (21-59, 3rd slot as of 4/12)

[GC003332]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/23281/for-floundering-brooklyn-nets-one-has-to-wonder-whats-next

[slightly biased bias fan]

If Lopez goes down for a stretch they are as good as locked in for 3 worst, I can't see Brooklyn catching Lakers or Philly as both seem to be close to putting the ball through their own basket to lose.

Also the further back Brooklyn get, the more disheartened this team will become as if they can't make the playoffs why would vets like Johnson and Jack give a crap about finishing the season off well.

[colincb]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/brooklyn-nets/post/_/id/23281/for-floundering-brooklyn-nets-one-has-to-wonder-whats-next

Tough to see how they come close to making the playoffs. Maybe the Sixers could use a 4th center?

NEW YORK -- Another embarrassing performance. Another blowout loss.

Another chance to revisit just how bad things are in Brooklyn right now.

The Nets are headed backward once again, routed 105-82 by the young-and-emerging Orlando Magic Monday night on their home floor. They shot 38.8 percent from the field, committed 18 turnovers and trailed by as many as 26.

When the final buzzer sounded, those who remained from the crowd of 12,946 booed the Brooklyn players before they made their way to the locker room.

The Nets are 7-17. Their schedule does not let up; six of their final eight games in December come against teams with plus-.500 records.

Embattled coach Lionel Hollins recently said he believed his team was on the uptick.
Brook Lopez struggled in his matchup with Nikola Vucevic, who led all scorers with 18 points on Monday night. Lopez had 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports

But then came those 40 forgettable minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers last Saturday night, followed by this woeful effort.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” Hollins said. “The game, period -- it’s like golf. You think you have it figured out, and then you don’t play with the same purpose that got you to a certain point, you’ll get knocked on your butt.”

Brook Lopez was outplayed by Nikola Vucevic once again and failed to be a force on his own Jedi Star Wars bobblehead night. He shot just 4-for-15 from the field, scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds.

“I definitely take responsibility for this one,” said Lopez, who looked miserable answering questions. “I just felt I was a complete negative for the team. I kinda let us down, held us back. I definitely need to be better, and I know I can be.”

Asked what specifically he needs to be better at, Lopez responded: “There are a number of things. I didn’t enjoy tonight. We could be here a while if I tried to name them.”

Lopez hasn’t had a super dominant performance in a while, though in his defense, his supporting cast certainly leaves much to be desired. Thaddeus Young (10 points, 11 rebounds) has been a double-double machine, and Shane Larkin has played his heart out, but that’s pretty much it.

The Nets clearly miss injured rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s quickness and athleticism. And their underwhelming play on the wings continues to be too big a burden to bear.

Asked if his expectations have dropped for the season, Brooklyn’s elder statesman Joe Johnson (6 points, 2-for-8 shooting) -- his game seemingly on the decline most nights -- replied: “I didn’t really know what the expectations were. I honestly didn’t know. I didn’t know how good we would be, I didn’t know how good we would be as a team. So, I just came in and did what I was asked to do, and I’m just trying to help out.”

Nets GM Billy King, now in the final year of his contract, hasn’t made a trade in six months. If he’s going to do so, now seems to be as good a time as any. But given his lack of assets, what can King do?

With Brooklyn’s unprotected 2016 first-round pick belonging to Boston, there is absolutely no incentive to tank. And given the team’s massive blockbuster deals haven’t worked in the past, there appears to be no reason to go that route again.

If the plan is somehow to try to improve in free agency -- and the fear of perhaps overpaying lesser talent exists within the fan base -- Lopez and Young seem to be pieces worth keeping and building around.

But who knows. King and owner Mikhail Prokhorov have been evasive. Concrete answers are hard to come by. Everything feels so in flux, with the Russians capable of changing their minds at any second.

If the Nets fail to make the playoffs, King’s résumé in the past decade as an executive -- which includes his final four years in Philadelphia (2003-07) and six more in Brooklyn (2010-present) -- will include one playoff series victory.

It’s not pretty. And it’s hard to believe things will get better in the short term.

Brace yourselves. If things continue to trend downward, expect more quotes like this one from guard Jarrett Jack.

“We just didn’t perform with the necessary effort to be competitive in the game,” Jack said. “You do that, you get these embarrassing types of losses.”

[chambers]

God if Lopez or Thadeus Young went down for just 25 games we'd be a guaranteed top 3 pick.
Still on track for one of #3, #4 and #5.

[chambers]

If Lopez goes down for a stretch they are as good as locked in for 3 worst, I can't see Brooklyn catching Lakers or Philly as both seem to be close to putting the ball through their own basket to lose.

Also the further back Brooklyn get, the more disheartened this team will become as if they can't make the playoffs why would vets like Johnson and Jack give a crap about finishing the season off well.

What would be great is if they decided to get a 2nd round pick for Jarret Jack and whatever pick/expiring they could get for Johnson just to build assets while waiving the white flag.

Depends if Billy King is more concerned about the eternal embarrassment of giving the Celtics a top 3 pick or more concerned about the future of his job.

[Rondo9]

God if Lopez or Thadeus Young went down for just 25 games we'd be a guaranteed top 3 pick.
Still on track for one of #3, #4 and #5.

They're already the 4th worst team with Lopez and Young healthy. No need to wish injury on them.

[chambers]

God if Lopez or Thadeus Young went down for just 25 games we'd be a guaranteed top 3 pick.
Still on track for one of #3, #4 and #5.

They're already the 4th worst team with Lopez and Young healthy. No need to wish injury on them.

Yeah nothing season ending injury wise, but for the sake of our franchise...Ben Simmons really does have Hall of Famer potential. Those kinda guys don't come around very often. Getting the best odds we can is all that matter to me. (even though it's entirely out of our control lol).

[mef730]

If Lopez goes down for a stretch they are as good as locked in for 3 worst, I can't see Brooklyn catching Lakers or Philly as both seem to be close to putting the ball through their own basket to lose.

Also the further back Brooklyn get, the more disheartened this team will become as if they can't make the playoffs why would vets like Johnson and Jack give a crap about finishing the season off well.

What would be great is if they decided to get a 2nd round pick for Jarret Jack and whatever pick/expiring they could get for Johnson just to build assets while waiving the white flag.

Depends if Billy King is more concerned about the eternal embarrassment of giving the Celtics a top 3 pick or more concerned about the future of his job.

I hope Billy King is smart enough to realize that it doesn't matter what he wants. That pick is gone. Poof. Bye bye. He's going to be embarrassed whether it's the 1st or the 5th pick. Might as well start the rebuild now and trade for 2018 picks. You could trade players to a contender, knowing that nobody really knows who will be where in the standings by then.

I've really gotta stop reading this thread on a daily basis. On nights that they are, you know, good, I see them giving us a 6 or a 7 pick. On nights like last night, when they would have lost to the Washington Generals, I get my hopes up. I agree that they are the 3rd or 4th worst team, at best, so Simmons may not be in our future, but there are a couple of other options that look pretty good. Jaylen Brown looks like a good top-5 pick.

Denver has me nervous that they might start the tank this year and Sac is always a wild card, but most other teams look to at least be moving in the right direction.

Mike

[chambers]

Heat up by 8 points in the 3rd vs Nets.

Pacers up by 10 points vs Mavs in the 3rd.

Minny getting stomped by New York down 20 points at half time.

2 outta 3 ain't bad.

[SHAQATTACK]

This a very rare .....almost unheard of

Me cheering the Heat to win ...lol

[chambers]

Miami up by 10 with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter

[Quetzalcoatl]

LOL @ Bogdonavic playing 36:48 minutes so far and Jack playing 32:46.  They can't keep this up

[tazzmaniac]

If Lopez goes down for a stretch they are as good as locked in for 3 worst, I can't see Brooklyn catching Lakers or Philly as both seem to be close to putting the ball through their own basket to lose.

Also the further back Brooklyn get, the more disheartened this team will become as if they can't make the playoffs why would vets like Johnson and Jack give a crap about finishing the season off well.

What would be great is if they decided to get a 2nd round pick for Jarret Jack and whatever pick/expiring they could get for Johnson just to build assets while waiving the white flag.

Depends if Billy King is more concerned about the eternal embarrassment of giving the Celtics a top 3 pick or more concerned about the future of his job.

I hope Billy King is smart enough to realize that it doesn't matter what he wants. That pick is gone. Poof. Bye bye. He's going to be embarrassed whether it's the 1st or the 5th pick. Might as well start the rebuild now and trade for 2018 picks. You could trade players to a contender, knowing that nobody really knows who will be where in the standings by then.

I've really gotta stop reading this thread on a daily basis. On nights that they are, you know, good, I see them giving us a 6 or a 7 pick. On nights like last night, when they would have lost to the Washington Generals, I get my hopes up. I agree that they are the 3rd or 4th worst team, at best, so Simmons may not be in our future, but there are a couple of other options that look pretty good. Jaylen Brown looks like a good top-5 pick.

Denver has me nervous that they might start the tank this year and Sac is always a wild card, but most other teams look to at least be moving in the right direction.

Mike

Billy King is in the last year of his contract.  He needs to make some moves to start winning now.  He won't be around for a 2018 rebuild. 

[Eddie20]

LOL @ Bogdonavic playing 36:48 minutes so far and Jack playing 32:46.  They can't keep this up

How old do you think Bog is?

[GC003332]

Trust the process

It would appear at this stage that the only run the Nets are going to make is to the locker room to change their pants after they have crapped in them.
Good times

Let's go Pelicans