My thoughts from Brooklyn last night

[BlackCeltic]

We really missed Smarts leadership and play making trying to win with the second stringers .  And that group needs KO size and scoring .

I did like the idea of CBS of putting the pressure on the 2 nd stringers to finish the deal.  In some ways they needed that challenge in a real NBA game.  But in their defense they had Smart to lead them in preseason . 

Once KO and Smart can get back , I think we will look better.

I loved CBS playing Brown .....the more of that he gets the better off Celtics will be in the long run.

I think it is best for Brown to come in early and play with the first unit. As the ball moves around and you have him as the 5th option, someone is bound to get murdered. Keep him out there with our elite level talent, like a tiger in the bush.

[mef730]

You get weird results all through the season but especially early and late.  And even if Brooklyn's just as bad as last year they'll still win about 1 game out of every 4. Even bad NBA teams still have a lot of talent, and if they play hard they can beat almost anybody on any given night. Remember last year's Nets were a buzzer 2-footer by Lopez away from beating Golden St on the road.

It's easy to overreact when that happens - plenty of people did every time they won last year - or even when it comes close to happening like last night, but it's better to just wait and see how things shake out over the first 15-20 games before coming to broader conclusions.

TP for that reminder. I know that there are going to be those games during the year when I will shake with anger because they beat a team that they should have lost to, simply because those things happen.

I don't think that the Nets can keep up the shooting that they had last night but, if they keep playing with that kind of heart, they are clearly going to be a better team than I would have thought otherwise.

Mike

[celticsclay]

It is really hard to not feel like people are being pessimistic just for the sake of being pessimistic with the nets. Is anything possible, sure. However, anything was possible last year also and with what would seem like undeniably more talent on their roster they were awful all year. When they were healthy, when they were injured, when other teams were tanking I don't believe they had even a single 10 game stretch where they played .500 ball (don't feel like looking it up but think there longest .500 stretch was a 6 game period when they went 3-3). Other things to be realistic about:

-From 7:15 in the 3rd quarter until 2:16 in the 4th quarter this was at a minimum a double digit lead.
-When the majority of our starters were pulled we were up 16 points to start the 4th
- When the Nets got in the game our lineup was Zeller, Jerekbro, Gerald Green, Brown and Rozier. With a healthy team (KO and Smart) those guys are not even playing together ever and Green and Zeller were not even normally play.
- Horford, Crowder and Johnson all played <30 minutes

If we want to not be "the sky is falling" I think the only huge take away from this game is that Brook Lopez played only 21 minutes and had 7 points. This is against a team he has had dominating performances in the past. It appears Lopez is not as big a part of the gameplan in their new style of play. If this continues, he will surely be traded.
 

[LarBrd33]

Scal and Brad Stevens have warned you guys.  Don't be surprised if the pick isn't top 5.   

[celticsclay]

Scal and Brad Stevens have warned you guys.  Don't be surprised if the pick isn't top 5.

My bad. You are correct

[Smartacus]

My question is that who do you think they will be worse than?

The Lakers looked great last night under Luke Walton.

The 6'ers look sharp and might have an emerging stud in Embiid.

Kris Middleton less Milwaukee? I think even without KM Brooklyn would trade rosters.

Phoenix? I mean maybe, but they might be tired of losing and have a talent rich roster.

I know Brooklyn looks improved and they definitely are but I just don't see who's going to be worse. A lot of the teams at the bottom got a lot better this summer.

[libermaniac]

Not to overreact to 1 game but to expand:

1. They can shoot.
2. They have one of the best "in the paint" Centers in the league (health permitting).
3. Jeremy Lin seems to provide a drive to the basket option they sorely lacked.
4. This kid Justin Hamilton is developing into a nice stretch 4 (out of nowhere).
5. They play feisty defense on the full court (created a lot of turnovers and points off turnovers).
6. Kenny Atkinson seems to be creating a good culture over there.

1. They shot 34.% from 3.  That not impressive enough to say they can shoot.
2. This center also does not fit into the new coach's "pace and space" philosophy.  To me, this is a huge problem for the Nets win total.
5. Tommy pointed out that their press should be easy to beat a week into the season once the C's start working on that.  I admit it looked good, but I blame more of that on the C's making very ill-advised passes.

Let's not forget that last year's Nets team beat the C's twice.  I think it's too early to reach any conclusions that the Nets are going to be better than a bottom 3 team.  There is very little talent on that team, especially in crunch time.  And, I'd venture to say that 12-18 games will come down to crunch time.  That will be the difference between a bottom 3 team and a bottom 10 team.

Vegas has them as the worst team in the NBA and Vegas is usually pretty accurate.

[tankcity!]

I didn't think BKLYN looked great last night. They got blown out and the starters were chilling on the bench. The team clearly stopped playing hard.

However, Yes Brooklyn can fall out of the top 5, but can you name the 5 teams that might leap them? Lakers won last night. Philly looked pretty decent against the Thunder. I mean I just named two teams that are playing hard who are supposed to stink.

There is a chance the Pelicans leapfrog Brooklyn. They have a atrocious roster. Suns seem like a loser. To me Lakers, Philly, and Brooklyn are the same level. Who else is challenging Brooklyn?

[PhoSita]

Their starting lineup appears to be legit, but luckily it doesn't look like their bench guys can defend at all or generate consistent offense.

I think they'll be in a lot of close games this year, but ultimately lose many, many games.  That said, the way these things seem to work is some team is going to completely fall apart and tank hard.  The Nets have too many real NBA players and no incentive to tank, so I don't expect them to end up with the very worst record.  Probably not even the second worst.

But we'll get a solid pick out of them, of that I have little doubt.

[2short]

If brooklyn can hit threes they will be at the bottom of the respectable pile.  Their defense is horrible but they are playing much harder so they are taking a step in the right direction.  I feel they will be one of the five worst teams in nba without a problem.  Please remember we were missing possibly our best wing defender in marcus and kelly

[celticsclay]

Their starting lineup appears to be legit, but luckily it doesn't look like their bench guys can defend at all or generate consistent offense.

I think they'll be in a lot of close games this year, but ultimately lose many, many games.  That said, the way these things seem to work is some team is going to completely fall apart and tank hard.  The Nets have too many real NBA players and no incentive to tank, so I don't expect them to end up with the very worst record.  Probably not even the second worst.

But we'll get a solid pick out of them, of that I have little doubt.

I've this question quite a few times and have not really seen an answer to it. I would really love to have one. The Nets had no incentive to tank last year, yet they actually still sat their best 2 players for the last 7 games (thad and brook). They lost their last 10 games of the season and won 3 games after March 3  They actually dropped in the standings over the last two months of  the season as 2 teams with incentive to tank (Timberwolves, Suns) blew by them with 10 and 8 wins over that period respectively. In fact the Twolves won 4 of their last 5 games and Suns won last 3 of their last 4. Even the Lakers won more games over the last 2 months of last season.

I am not really getting where this myth comes from that the Nets play better because they dont have their draft pick but it is perpetually repeated as fact despite the fact we saw the exact opposite just happen. 

[Neurotic Guy]

When their shots are falling, their energy guys -- Lin, Booker, Scola, Hollis-Jefferson -- will keep them in games and keep the karma positive.  When shots aren't falling and if/when injuries start to impact their top 5, they'll lose any semblance of confidence and will struggle. 

[Boris Badenov]

Their starting lineup appears to be legit, but luckily it doesn't look like their bench guys can defend at all or generate consistent offense.

I think they'll be in a lot of close games this year, but ultimately lose many, many games.  That said, the way these things seem to work is some team is going to completely fall apart and tank hard.  The Nets have too many real NBA players and no incentive to tank, so I don't expect them to end up with the very worst record.  Probably not even the second worst.

But we'll get a solid pick out of them, of that I have little doubt.

I've this question quite a few times and have not really seen an answer to it. I would really love to have one. The Nets had no incentive to tank last year, yet they actually still sat their best 2 players for the last 7 games (thad and brook). They lost their last 10 games of the season and won 3 games after March 3  They actually dropped in the standings over the last two months of  the season as 2 teams with incentive to tank (Timberwolves, Suns) blew by them with 10 and 8 wins over that period respectively. In fact the Twolves won 4 of their last 5 games and Suns won last 3 of their last 4. Even the Lakers won more games over the last 2 months of last season.

I am not really getting where this myth comes from that the Nets play better because they dont have their draft pick but it is perpetually repeated as fact despite the fact we saw the exact opposite just happen.

Well who knows. If they had been tanking with their own pick in hand, maybe they would have lost their last 20. The fact that they were bad tells you almost nothing except that they are a bad team regardless.

And they had incentives to rest their best players at season's end so they would be healthy trade candidates (as evidenced by their actual trade of Young). That's got nothing to do with the 2016 BKN draft pick, but it makes perfect sense, and they could very well do the same thing this year.

[celticsclay]

Their starting lineup appears to be legit, but luckily it doesn't look like their bench guys can defend at all or generate consistent offense.

I think they'll be in a lot of close games this year, but ultimately lose many, many games.  That said, the way these things seem to work is some team is going to completely fall apart and tank hard.  The Nets have too many real NBA players and no incentive to tank, so I don't expect them to end up with the very worst record.  Probably not even the second worst.

But we'll get a solid pick out of them, of that I have little doubt.

I've this question quite a few times and have not really seen an answer to it. I would really love to have one. The Nets had no incentive to tank last year, yet they actually still sat their best 2 players for the last 7 games (thad and brook). They lost their last 10 games of the season and won 3 games after March 3  They actually dropped in the standings over the last two months of  the season as 2 teams with incentive to tank (Timberwolves, Suns) blew by them with 10 and 8 wins over that period respectively. In fact the Twolves won 4 of their last 5 games and Suns won last 3 of their last 4. Even the Lakers won more games over the last 2 months of last season.

I am not really getting where this myth comes from that the Nets play better because they dont have their draft pick but it is perpetually repeated as fact despite the fact we saw the exact opposite just happen.

Well who knows. If they had been tanking with their own pick in hand, maybe they would have lost their last 20. The fact that they were bad tells you almost nothing except that they are a bad team regardless.

And they had incentives to rest their best players at season's end so they would be healthy trade candidates (as evidenced by their actual trade of Young). That's got nothing to do with the 2016 BKN draft pick, but it makes perfect sense, and they could very well do the same thing this year.

No team in the league did that...I don't even think the 76ers did that in their hinkiest of seasons.

[wayupnorth]

Scal and Brad Stevens have warned you guys.  Don't be surprised if the pick isn't top 5.

Found money baby...Top 10 works for me.