Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 114 – NBA Blog

Rocky rookie season for Terrence Williams

Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Rocky first season for Terrence Williams

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.”

InsideHoops.com Says:

It’s tough to judge Williams just yet. He’s athletic and shows occasional flashes but for the most part has done what the majority of Nets players did this season — fairly little. In 19.4 minutes per game, Williams is averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds with 37.8% shooting from the field. But, again, it’s probably best to study his game more closely next year when the team is presumably better.

Free state tax returns for Nets fans Friday

The New Jersey Nets come up with some seriously cool promotions for fans. Here’s their latest:

Roni Deutch Tax Center, one of the nation’s fastest growing tax preparation franchise companies, will provide all New Jersey residents 18 years and older who attend the NETS-Orlando Magic game at the IZOD CENTER on Friday, March 5 with a coupon for preparation of a free state tax return.

Through a new partnership with NETS Basketball, Roni Deutch Tax Center will have representatives on site at NETS Tax Night on March 5 to answer tax-related questions before and during the game.

In addition, NETS fans who attend any upcoming home game at the IZOD CENTER this season, other than March 5, can receive a coupon in the NETS Game Program good for up to $50 off of tax preparation services at a Roni Deutch Tax Center in Hackensack, Bergenfield, and Fair Lawn. Upon completion of their returns, Roni Deutch customers will also receive NETS tickets for this season, while supplies last.

“My life’s mission is to empower every American to take charge of their tax lives,” said Roni Deutch, president and founder of Roni Deutch Tax Center. “Partnering with NETS Basketball is our opportunity to get involved in the community, ensuring that local taxpayers and basketball fans have the information they need to be prepared this tax season and save big bucks on their taxes.”

Andray Blatche scores 36 on Nets

The AP reports:

Andray Blatche is starting to give Washington Wizards’ fans something to be excited about in a season of turmoil highlighted by the gun-related suspension of Gilbert Arenas and a couple of high-profile trades.

The 23-year Blatche continued to thrive being the new leader of the Wizards, scoring a career-high 36 points and adding 15 rebounds in an 89-85 comeback victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night.

Newark native Randy Foye provided the winning margin with two jumpers in the final 44 seconds but Blatche, who has averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds over his last seven games, almost single-handedly carried Washington in this one.

Jayson Williams sentenced to five years

Former NBA big-man Jayson Williams has had major ongoing legal issues for what feels like about 90 years in a row now, but it appears there’s finally some resolution.

The AP reports:

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday for fatally shooting a hired limo driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey.

Williams, who tearfully apologized to the victim’s family, will be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Williams, avoiding a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count that deadlocked the jury at his 2004 trial, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi on Feb. 14, 2002. At the same 2004 trial, he was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting.

I hope this is the last of it. Williams and others associated with this case probably would be happy to move on, as well — for different reasons, of course.

New Jersey Nets will temporarily move to Prudential Center in Newark

The New Jersey Nets have needed a new home, whether in Newark or Brooklyn or your backyard, and good news that’s been expected for a while is finally materializing: The team will, temporarily at least, play in what InsideHoops.com considers a terrific basketball arena in Newark, New Jersey.

The Newark Star-Ledger reports:

The Nets are making a fast break to Newark.

After months of speculation over whether the struggling NBA team would leave Izod Center in the Meadowlands for a two-year stay at the new Prudential Center in Newark, a deal was struck today to allow the Nets to break their lease for $4 million and move to Newark, according to officials involved in the negotiations.

The early termination fees could be offset in part by advertising, suite revenue and other credits.

The agreement came after the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority voted in secret to approve the deal at a special meeting this morning. A formal announcement is expected later today by Gov. Chris Christie.

The plan will have the Nets and Devils playing together in the state’s largest city. The move is temporary, with the Nets still planning to move to a new arena in Brooklyn by the start of the 2012 basketball season.

We consider this fantastic news, for the Nets and all basketball fans around the area. Both New Yorkers and New Jersey residents will find it easier to get to the arena. InsideHoops.com attended a Nets preseason game in the Prudential Center, and we loved the building. It’s clean, a great basketball arena, and very easy to get to by public transportation.

UPDATE: NETS CONFIRM TEAM WILL MOVE TO NEWARK

Brett Yormark, the Nets President and CEO, released the following statement regarding the Nets’ upcoming interim relocation to Newark’s Prudential Center, which will begin with the upcoming 2010-11 NBA season. This precedes the team’s permanent move to Brooklyn, planned for 2012.

“Our planned interim relocation to the Prudential Center in Newark represents one of the many positive steps to take place for Nets Basketball during the next few months. This temporary move not only gives our fans a state-of-the-art arena with the first-class amenities common in most NBA buildings, but also provides our players with a great atmosphere in which to play.

“Additionally, before we make our permanent move to Brooklyn, this interim relocation to Newark enables us to continue our goal to further regionalize the team, not only in Essex and Union Counties, but also in New York City due to the direct mass transit access available between Manhattan and the Prudential Center. We are confident that the NBA family will see this as a positive move, as we do. We look forward to being part of the community in Newark and will continue our extensive community outreach in the area.

“I would like to sincerely thank Governor Christie for his support and leadership in making our interim relocation to the Prudential Center a reality. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mayor Booker and Jeff Vanderbeek for their steadfast efforts throughout this process.”

Rafer Alston happy Nets let him go

Howard Kussoy of the New York Post reports:

A member of the Heat since being signed on Jan. 7, after clearing waivers, Alston suffered with the Nets as they opened the season with an NBA-record 18 straight losses. Less than a year removed from playing in the NBA Finals for the Orlando Magic, Alston remained with the Nets as their record hit 3-30.

The indignity would soon end, as Alston escaped NBA’s Shawshank, crawling through a river of losses and coming out clean on the other side, finding serenity on the beach.

“The one common question I always get [from other players] is ‘How tough was it? or ‘It must’ve been tough.’ It was,” Alston said. “I don’t think any player in this league wants to go through setting the record for the most consecutive losses and then being where they’re at now. You played as hard as you can and you did everything to stay in the game and then you’d still lose the game. That was the hard part.”

Nets beat Bobcats for 5th win of season

Tuesday night in Charlotte, the New Jersey Nets stepped up on the league’s first night of games since the weekend’s NBA All-Star events and beat the Bobcats 103-94.

The Nets were led by Courtney Lee (7-of-11) with 21 points and five rebounds. Devin Harris (7-of-16) had 17 points, six rebounds and nine assists. And Brook Lopez (8-of-11) contributed 16 points and three blocks, though he grabbed just three boards.

New Jersey received solid big-man help off the bench, with Kris Humphries (6-of-11) adding 13 points and eight rebounds. Josh Boone made the most of his 16 minutes with seven points and eight rebounds.

For the Bobcats, who as a team shot just 42.0% from the field and 5-of-19 (26.3% from three-point range), 2010 All-Star Gerald Wallace (7-of-14) had 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Boris Diaw (6-of-18) scored 19 with 10 rebounds. Raymond Felton (7-of-9) scored 18. Stephen Jackson (just 7-of-20) had 15 with five assists.

Trying to make his way back from injury, Bobcats center Tyson Chandler came off the bench to contribute two points, five rebounds and two blocks (though also four turnovers) in 18 minutes.

Rod Thorn meeting with future Nets owner

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Rod Thorn’s demise has been greatly exaggerated — if not invented entirely, by some NBA executives with vivid imaginations and agendas that remain hard to discern.

That much was made clear by the Nets president’s meeting in Dallas on Sunday with two Onexim executives, who represented the only obstacle between Thorn heading north to Vancouver to meet with Mikhail Prokhorov for a series of appointments Monday and Tuesday.

And the Russian businessman, whose purchase of the Nets is pending league approval, “is not bringing the guy all the way to British Columbia just to fire him,” according to one person familiar with content and tone of the meeting, who required anonymity to speak candidly. “They love Rod.”

The meeting was held by Onexim CEO Dmitry Razumov and deputy CEO Christophe Charlier, who spoke enthusiastically with Thorn and Nets CEO Brett Yormark at length about the team’s future.

Only 1,016 fans attend Bucks at Nets game during big snowstorm

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

Even by Nets standards, the Meadowlands was e-m-p-t-y on Wednesday night.

You could find bigger crowds in ghost towns.

OK, that’s a stretch, right along with the official attendance listed as 12,873 in the Bucks’ 97-77 rout of the Nets. That number referred to tickets sold.

In terms of actual bodies filling actual seats, the Nets announced that 1,016 hearty souls braved the mega-snowstorm in North Jersey and congregated at the 18,974-seat Izod Center, giving it the feel of a high school game between Clifton and Passaic.

The Nets are famous for having some of the worst crowds in the NBA, but nothing comes close to this one. On this night, with entire lower tiers of the arena empty and not a single person sitting in the upper deck, fans were able to easily hear Bucks coach Scott Skiles yell at the officials. Conversely, when the Nets’ Courtney Lee misfired on a jumper, he clearly heard a fan say in not much louder than a conversational voice, “Hey, follow your shot.”

Del Harris leaving Nets

Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger reports:

Take a long look at the silver-haired gent sitting next to Kiki Vandeweghe on the Nets’ bench when the game against the Pistons gets underway: You may never see him on an NBA sideline again.

Del Harris, one of the game’s seminal thinkers, has decided to leave the team before the road trip that opens Wednesday in Toronto, according to a friend of the coach.

Harris, who was brought in to be Vandeweghe’s gray eminence on Dec. 4 after the latter moved into the head coaching position, has several reasons for making his exit now – all of them professional issues – but these should not be disclosed by anyone but Harris himself, his friend said.