MVN - Most Valuable Network

The Nets Remain Hard to Read

Just about every year the Nets struggle early in the season, making everyone question whether or not they should give up on the big three and shake the roster up. Then seemingly out of nowhere, they start winning and climb up the standings in the lowly Eastern Conference. Since they aren’t surrounded by strong teams, the hope that they can contend for an Eastern Conference Championship is renewed and no major changes are made. This year has been no different, as the Nets sit at 17-17, smack in the middle of the medicore teams are battling for the East’s 4th spot.

There is no reason not to believe the Nets can’t secure the 4 seed in the East. They have the experience and talent that many of the other .500 Eastern Conference teams lack. Yet, how the Nets compare to the big three in the East is another question.

We have already seen the Nets win in the Orlando and it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think the Nets could get the best of them in a playoff series. However to accomplish anything this year the Nets are going to have to go through Detroit or Boston. They are currently 0-4 against the Pistons and Celtics, and haven’t been very competitive in any of the games. An upcoming game this Friday against Boston is a good oppurtunity to gain confidence that they can compete with one of these powerhouses in a 7 game series.

Nets Get Big Win in Orlando

The Nets inched one game closer to .500 with a big upset over the Magic in Orlando Wednesday night. New Jersey finally notched a win over one of the East’s big three, as they work to secure themselves as the fourth best team in the conference. Tonight featured an unlikely hero, as former Magic guard Darrell Armstrong knocked down a pair of huge jumpers which capped a 15 point 4th quarter comeback. He finished the night with 13 points.

The Magic had a chance to win the game late but Jason Kidd disrupted Hedo Turkolou’s drive to the basket. Kidd played a complete game with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Armstrong and a surprise 10 points from Jason Collins helped the Nets overcome a quiet night from Richard Jefferson, who only scored 14 points.

New Jersey has now won 5 of their last 6 and has a chance to really get rolling before they face Boston on Friday, January 11th. Their next 4 games include two matchups against the Bobcats, one against Seattle, and one against the Hawks. The Eastern Conference’s fourth spot is up for grabs, keep an eye on the Nets to begin running away with it. If the Nets can play with the balance they displayed tonight, they will be a very difficult team to beat.

The Nets next game is Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Izod Center.

Nets in the New Year

The Nets enter the new year with a record of 14-16, firmly entrenched in a battle for second place behind the Celtics with the Raptors and 76ers. They receive a good test right out of the gate, when they travel to Orlando to face a solid Magic team that should present the Nets with major problems inside the paint. The mood around the team has been good recently due to better play over the last couple of weeks in 2007.

This team seems destined for a .500 record and a 4-8 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The East remains a very weak conference overall beyond the Pistons ,Celtics, and Magic, making it very possible for the Nets to win a first round series if they could avoid meeting any of those teams in the first round. This makes the battle for the 4 and 5 seed very intriguing and fortunately for the Nets, they could very well be the best of the teams battling for those 2 spots. It is crucial that the Nets take care of business in their own division and find a way to pass up a very average Toronto team and help bury an overachieving 76ers team. Beyond that, Atlanta and Indiana could very well fold down the stretch and Cavs have shown no signs of catching fire, giving the Nets a great chance to become the #4 team in the East.

It all starts tonight against the Magic.

Locking Down the Nets Rotation

With a few line-up switches in place already and everybody but Nenad Kristic returning healthy from injuries, coach Lawrence Frank has a chance to move forward with a set rotation that can give New Jersey the best opportunity to remain competitive in the East. After watching the Nets for 25 uninspiring games, here’s who should be taking the floor night in and night out for them:

Starters:

PG - Jason Kidd - Kidd has been very consistent grabbing rebounds and dishing out assists. The problem is that he has become an unwilling scorer, barely reaching double digits most nights. New Jersey will need him to step up the point production if they are going to make a run.

SG - Vince Carter - Carter has been playing better as of late. If he can stay hot, his offensive production coupled with Richard Jefferson’s will make the Nets a very dangerous team.

SF - Richard Jefferson - RJ is enjoying a career year and should be an Eastern Conference all-star. The Nets need all they can get offensively from him, so he can’t afford to hit a slump.

PF - Josh Boone - Despite horrid free throwing shooting, Boone has played much better since being moved into the starting lineup. He has shown good energy on the boards and scored in double digits on a handful of nights.

C - Sean Williams - Williams has been the shot-blocker the Nets imagined he would be so far this year. He has also been a solid rebounder and productive at finishing close to the basket. Despite some inconsistencies he is a much better option than Jason Collins.

Bench:

PG - Marcus Williams - Now that he is healthy, he should receive his usual limited minutes backing up Jason Kidd.

SG/SF - Antoine Wright - Wright is a good option off the bench for his energy and his new found offensive production. He has been their 6th man of the year so far.

PF/C - Malik Allen - Despite being recently pulled from the starting line-up, Allen has showed flashes of offensive production and is a decent big body to bring in off the bench.

SG - Bostjan Nachbar - He has been disappointing so far this year, after his breakout season. The Nets need more from him.

C - Jason Collins - He should be playing as little as possible and is only valuable against a team with a dominant center, when you need some fouls to give up.