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Picked by various media outlets
to be among the top three teams in the Eastern Conference,
the New Jersey Nets, despite solid
overall play from Vince Carter and Nenad Krstic, haven't been
the team that many have expected to see and have failed to
get over .500 through the first quarter of the 2006-07 season.
Fortunately for the Nets, they play in the lackluster Atlantic
Division and despite consistently having more losses to their
credit than wins, the team still finds themselves residing
in first place in the division and fourth in the conference.
However, if the Nets wish to maintain their lead in the division
and make the playoffs, their going to have to pick up their
game on defense and improve their shooting.
No one would ever conceive the possibility that a team that
has Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Carter would ever have
problems scoring, but earlier in the season, the team's shooting
has been bad and have just recently started to show signs
of life. Powered by Carter, whose 27.7 PPG leads the team,
the Nets have gotten enough scoring to get by, but haven't
been nearly as dominant offensively as the rest of the league
expected them to be.
One reason for the Nets inconsistency on offense has been
their ineffective shooting, primarily from beyond the arc.
Currently 25th in the league in three-point shooting as a
team, the Nets have failed to take advantage of opportunities
and haven't been getting the bounces they've gotten in years
past. Nets rookie Marcus Williams has been one of the Nets
that has been experiencing some bad luck this season, shooting
a meager 17% from beyond the arc.
To make matters worse, Jason Kidd hasn't gotten off to the
start he would have liked. It was only a matter of time then
until rumors began to stir about the 33-year-old's reconstructed
knee being the reason why he hasn't been scoring as frequently.
Still playing over 35 minutes a game, Kidd hasn't been nearly
as effective on offense and has seen his offensive production
slip significantly over the past three years, making many
think that it's only a matter of time until Williams gets
more minutes on the floor. For the Nets to make the playoffs
and make a run at the championship, Kidd needs to shake up
his game and start hitting the key shots he's been missing.
Kidd's production is even more important considering that
veteran forward Clifford Robinson is out indefinitely due
to a severe knee injury that required surgery.
"I'm disappointed. Nobody wants to be out, especially
when the team can use you," Robinson told the Associated
Press after the injury occurred. "It's better to get
it done now than to be limping around all year."
Now with Robinson, arguably the Nets best option off the
bench out of the lineup, Jason Collins, who hasn't been the
same player since his rookie reason, will be forced to produce.
This may put the Nets in a situation where they too will be
forced to rely on a bench that has been erratic at best this
season.
Despite the recent emergence of Hassan Jones and the return
of Eddie House and Josh Boone from preseason injuries, without
a healthy Robinson, the Nets lack a supporting cast that can
give players like Carter, Kidd and Jefferson a rest for a
few minutes a game and provide a lift. With an unstable bench,
the starting five of New Jersey may find themselves trying
to do too much, to the point where the clangs and clanks of
missed shots will continue all season long. It's scary that
a first-place team in any league could have this many problems,
but then again, it's the Atlantic Division.
In order for both the Nets to regain their respectability,
they'll have to make either a few player moves that will fortify
their bench or start changing the style of basketball they
play in order to make up for their lack of perimeter shooting.
Either way, the Nets have a load of problems that not even
being in first place can solve.
By Patrick Hickey Jr.
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