Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 132 – NBA Blog

Nets exercise 3 player options but decline Mo Ager option

The New Jersey Nets have exercised a fourth year contract option on Josh Boone and third year contract options on Sean Williams and Yi Jianlian while declining to pick up the fourth year contract option on Maurice Ager, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. Boone, Williams and Yi are now signed through the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not released.

Boone was selected by New Jersey with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft. The third year center has appeared in 131 games in his first two seasons with the Nets, averaging 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting .557 (337-of-605) from the field in 18.6 minutes.

Sean Williams, drafted 17th overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by New Jersey, appeared in 73 games as a rookie. He tallied 5.6 points on .538 (164-305) shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17.5 minutes. His 106 blocks on the season marked the second highest block total for a Nets rookie in team history, trailing only Kenyon Martin’s 113 blocks during the 2000-01 season. Williams was selected to the 2008 Rookie All-Star team and recorded eight points and 10 rebounds in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

Yi was selected with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by Milwaukee. He was traded to New Jersey, along with Bobby Simmons, for Richard Jefferson on June 26, 2008. In 66 games with Milwaukee, Yi averaged of 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25 minutes. Yi is a member of the Chinese National Team which competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2004 games in Athens.

Ager was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2006 NBA Draft. He was acquired by the Nets along with Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, DeSagana Diop and Keith Van Horn, along with Dallas’ first round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 and cash considerations from the Mavericks in exchange for Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright and Malik Allen on February 19, 2008. In his first two NBA season, Ager played in 58 games with Dallas and New Jersey, averaging 2.1 points and 0.6 rebounds in 6.5 minutes.

Oct 29: Nets 95, Wizards 85

The AP reports: After his New Jersey Nets opened the season by beating the Washington Wizards 95-85 behind Vince Carter’s 21 points, coach Lawrence Frank praised all of his players and talked about how guys who didn’t even get in helped by being “supportive.” … Newcomer Yi Jianlian scored 17 points, and former Wizards player Jarvis Hayes added 14. They went a combined 13-for-20. Three draft picks made NBA debuts: Brook Lopez (eight points, eight rebounds), Ryan Anderson (five points, three rebounds, two assists) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (two assists)… Six Wizards scored in double-figures, but Jordan wasn’t pleased by what he called a lack of energy from his players. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler shot 9-for-29 and totaled 27 points.

Nets team captain is Vince

The New York Post (Fred Kerber) reports: The Nets have a different team captain for the first time since Jason Kidd was elevated to the honor in 2001. And, as expected, it’s Vince Carter. Hardly a shock, but coach Lawrence Frank kept it a guarded secret in the a.m. so he told the results of the voting before the Nets opened their season here against the Wizards.

NBA opening night rosters

The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.

This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.

The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.

Enjoy the season!

Brook Lopez may start for Nets

The New York Post (Mike Puma) reports: The Nets’ opening night starting lineup could include a little rookie flavoring. Though coach Lawrence Frank wasn’t ready yesterday to reveal his plans for Wednesday’s opener at Washington, it’s a safe bet that rookie Brook Lopez will get the nod at center, with Josh Boone and Sean Williams coming off the bench. Boone, who missed the Nets’ final four preseason games after he was diagnosed with a rapid heartbeat, practiced on a limited basis yesterday, sitting out the 5-on-5 drills. He might have to win back his starting job from Lopez, the 7-footer from Stanford who impressed the Nets with a strong preseason. “Coach has said a lot of times this preseason that after Vince [Carter] and Devin [Harris], three through 12 is wide open and everybody has a shot at the starting lineup,” Lopez said. “[The rookies] are all getting a little experience this preseason and we’re all really learning. We just have to be prepared when he calls on us.”

The New York Post (Fred Kerber) reports (via blog): Lawrence Frank won’t announce his starting five for Wednesday but if you were to flip a coin for the center spot it would likely go, “Heads, Boone; tails, probably Boone.” Figure an edge defensively and a little experience gives Boone the edge over Brook Lopez at this point. Josh Boone, who went out Oct. 17 when he experienced a rapid heartbeat – a condition that doctors were unable to duplicate or pinpoint and have since issued a clearance to continue – went through practice today. He said it went well and he felt far better than he expected.

Oct 24: Nets 111, Knicks 110

The AP reports: Vince Carter scored 20 points for the Nets, who avenged a loss in New Jersey earlier this week. Devin Harris and Bobby Simmons each added 16… Jamal Crawford had his best game of a poor preseason with 30 points for the Knicks, who may have been distracted after having to answer questions about Thomas from an unusually large media contingent for a preseason game… Down by 18 points with 10 1/2 minutes left, the Knicks cut it to 111-110 on Crawford’s layup with 28 seconds left. New York got the ball back with 4 seconds left, but Crawford’s jumper from the corner was short.

Nets waive four players

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on Eddie Gill, Brian Hamilton, Julius Hodge and Keith Van Horn, Nets President Rod Thorn announced Thursday. Gill, Hamilton and Hodge each signed as free agents with the Nets on September 27, 2008, while Van Horn was obtained on February 19, 2008 in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

Gill appeared in six games for the Nets during the preseason, averaging 4.5 points and 1.0 assists in 13.7 minutes per game. The five-year NBA veteran has averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 assists in 181 career games with New Jersey, Memphis, Portland and Indiana.

Hamilton played in three preseason contests, totaling one point and five rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Hodge posted averages of 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in four preseason games with the Nets. In two NBA seasons with Denver and Milwaukee, Hodge has appeared in 23 games, averaging 1.2 points and 0.7 rebounds in 4.2 minutes per game.

Van Horn, who was acquired by New Jersey as part of an eight player trade with the Dallas Mavericks on February 19, 2008, has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2005-06 season.

The Nets roster now stands at 15 players.

Oct 22: Sixers 118, Nets 100

The AP reports: Lou Williams scored 18 points and hit five of the 76ers’ 14 3-pointers in a 118-100 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night… The Nets were no match for the 76ers, who also got 18 points from rookie Marreese Speights and 16 from Thaddeus Young… Yi Jianlian and rookie Brook Lopez had 16 points apiece for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight after opening the exhibition season with two wins over Miami in Europe… Devin Harris had 13 points and Vince Carter and Maurice Ager added 12 apiece for New Jersey, which trailed by double digits almost the entire second half. Bobby Simmons and rookie Ryan Anderson had 11 points apiece.

Oct 20: Knicks 114, Nets 106

The AP reports: Wilson Chandler scored 22 points in his first start of the preseason, and New York got strong play from its reserve guards in a 114-106 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Monday night. Nate Robinson led the Knicks with 26 points, including a floater with 1:46 remaining after the Nets had trimmed New York’s huge lead to four. Stephon Marbury had nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and six assists in just 16 minutes… Devin Harris scored 21 points for New Jersey, still winless this preseason in North America… Top draft pick Brook Lopez, playing extra minutes with fellow center Josh Boone out, had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Vince Carter scored 13 points… Chris Duhon had 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Yi Jianlian glance

The New York Daily News (Julian Garcia) reports on Nets forward Yi Jianlian’s preseason play so far: Yi has been pretty good offensively (14 ppg) but has struggled to grab rebounds (five in three games) and on the defensive end. Yi admitted he had a hard time with defending the pick-and-roll in his first two preseason games, but Frank said “it’ll happen” as long as Yi continues to work at it and learn how to play aggressively on that end “without committing needless fouls.” Frank added this, too: “I think the thing you can’t discount too is there’s a little bit – not much – but a little bit of a language barrier. So he’s got to do a little bit more thinking initially until he gets comfortable with voice recognition. He’ll get it. It’s just going to take some time.” As for rebounding, Frank said, “In the Olympics he was one of the leading rebounders, so I think he has it in him.”