The D.A.Y. of Jason Kidd and the sharpshooting Nets
and LeBron is starting to play hard again
You can summarize this NBA season so far with these two sentence fragments: dominance from Dallas and Phoenix. Injuries. Yesterday we found out two players with teams on the playoff bubble are done for the season. Jamal Crawford’s injury is unfortunate cause the Knicks feel like a team that’s on the verge of putting it all together and locking down a playoff spot (in the worst conference ever). The Clippers have been an uninspired bunch with fresh ink on their contracts for most of the season, but they would be in the playoffs as the 8th seed if the season were to end today. The death of Shaun Livingston’s knee could push them out of the playoffs but more significantly could end the career of “the next Magic” just when he was starting to figure it out. He’s on the Culpepper timetable. Don’t rush back Shaun. Heal. Rehab.
NEW JERSEY 113 WASHINGTON 101
The Wizards dared the Nets to beat them from the outside with three point shooting and Jersey obliged. A franchise record 16 threes on 32 attempts. Jason Kidd hit 6 of 9 threes, so you know the Nets were wide open. 26, 9, and 8 for Kidd with Nachbar contributing 23 off the bench. Gilbert could only hit 3 of his 12 three point attempts, and when he has a night like that with Butler and Jamison both missing the game with their injuries, the Wizards lose. More impressive than the Nets 16 threes is that they set their season high in blocks. SEVEN blocks is a season high. The Nets aren’t the most intimidating defensive team out there. I also find the NBA player’s fragile psyche to be a fascinating thing. The Nets were playing like garbage, until the trade deadline came and went and the team stayed pat. Now, the players can relax with their job security and just play ball. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jersey bottomed out against New Orleans right before the deadline, and have been on fire ever since. Pro athletes are notorious for having massive egos, and yet they still need to be coddled and told that they are wanted. Are they humans?
CLEVELAND 97 NEW ORLEANS 89
Yes LeBron. Yes. This is the kind of effort we’ve been begging for. 35-5-8, putting your team on your back and even hitting two late deeeeeep threes to win it. David West had 25, 10, and 6 for New Orleans in the loss. LeBron after the game said “I’ve been playing great basketball since the All-Star break individually. I feel the best I’ve felt all year.” In other words he’s telling us all “I told you so” about saving his energy for the second half. In light of Dwyane Wade’s season ending inury (or is it???), LeBron has a leg to stand on with the whole conservation movement - though in fairness Wade wasn’t injured because of his kamikaze style, much like how he hurt himself in the playoffs two years ago just bringing the ball up the court. Wear and tear makes the body weak, and LeBron has avoided that for the most part. Sure, he didn’t give hundreds of thousands of paying customers what they came to see for most of the season, but it looks like he’s ready to do that now and he’s scoring 30+ ppg since the break. Detroit has won 9 of 10, but the Cavs are stil just 4 games behind them for the #1 spot in the #2 conference.
PHOENIX AND DALLAS 2 VICTIMS 0
Alright, is there a need to summarize a Dallas or Phoenix win? The Mavs never lose and you’d think that a team on a 12 game winning streak would have a slip up one night. Minnesota ended the Suns 17 game winning streak earlier this season. Dallas put an old school smackdown on them, holding the Twolves to 65 points. With Steve Nash back from his injury, the Suns have a modest 5 game winning streak. Phoenix was down by EIGHTEEN to Indy, then they started playing defense of all things and ended up winning by 11. Amare had 11 offensive rebounds. Jermaine O’Neal went off with 28-13-7 and 6 blocks, but the lesson here is that Phoenix and Dallas do not lose.
MILWAUKEE 122 GOLDEN STATE 101
As half the league’s superstars go down with injuries, the other half come back to play. Michael Redd’s time on the shelf buried Milwaukee’s playoff chances, but he’s back and the Bucks are now an NBAish team. 31 points with 6 of 11 threes. Mo Williams had 16 and 13. The Warriors, well Jason Richardson keeps talking about how they need to play better and grab that playoff spot that’s out there. Whenever you’re ready J-Rich. Do or do not do.
20 Responses to “The D.A.Y. of Jason Kidd and the sharpshooting Nets”
Feb.28 at 10:08 am
Matthew says:
Kidd’s oop pass to VC when he flushed it backwards was nice. Good to see that Vince is still in the L. And so much for cracked ribs for Jason Kidd. If Joumanna can’t stop him, trade rumors can’t stop him, and cracked ribs can’t stop him, I guess that means only one thing can… his Jumper, which apparently didn’t stop him last night either. And in a lackluster night, player of the d.a.y. should go to LeBreezy. Thanks John Mason. And by the way, Ghetto Revival (specifically John Brown) should be next years halftime performance at the All-Star game.
Feb.28 at 10:41 am
Benedict says:
Mavs
Feb.28 at 10:46 am
Rod Strickland says:
That was pretty much the worst defense ever played. Nice job Wiz, you will be the death of me. Dribble penetration or simple ball movement leading to open threes, Cliff Robinson beating the Wizards down the floor for lay-ups, the Nets running the same play where someone on the left wing fires a pass to someone flashing thru the paint from the right wing and drawing a foul or scoring, offensive rebounds. Ugh. And all three of the big three are banged up. So the offense is stagnant too!
Feb.28 at 11:15 am
Boyd says:
11 offensive boards, damn. Amare is soon gonna overtake marion as the Suns leading rebounder. He’s at 9.8 and marion at 10.2, but he continues to have monster nights. What’s marion gonna do when he can’t say ’some of us do more than score’ any more? Its crazy how STAT has suddenly picked it up. He’s playing BETTER than in ‘05. Take away about the first ten games of the season when he didn’t start and was occassionaly held scoreless, and I bet his numbers would be better too. This is one helluva test for marion’s ego, by the end of this year he will be clearly established as the 3rd wheel.
Feb.28 at 11:37 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
the NBA would never allow John Brown to perform at All-Star weekend. Especially not after they’re too scared to have the game in New Orleans.
“Red beam redrum on the red carpet/ Put a bullet in your head, we call that red carpet”
It must be the lyrics of John Brown that lead to the black KKK taking over All-Star host cities.
Feb.28 at 11:58 am
mutoni says:
man, whitlock is such a douche..
Feb.28 at 12:11 pm
Drer says:
I think one of those Black KKK guys smashed Whitlocks’ girl. Man, want a clueless prick he is!
Feb.28 at 12:17 pm
Keith says:
I just bought my mum a birthday present of two tickets to go see the exhibition game between the Timberwolves and the Celtics. These cost me £191 (I live in the U.K). What have I done?! Also, guys…please start writing more about the Bucks!
Feb.28 at 12:27 pm
Noyd says:
Mo Williams is going to get P-A-I-D this offseason. Is there a more under the radar, unassuming player in the L this year?
Feb.28 at 12:27 pm
Max Airington says:
You guys should be so mean to Rosa 2K. He’s sacrificed alot of, um, snacks?
Feb.28 at 12:30 pm
Keith says:
I don’t think there is Noyd. The dude simply plays hard. At least he is consistent - Bogut..you reading this? Meh, course he isn’t.
Feb.28 at 1:04 pm
Tommy Patron says:
Livingston is toast. Remember, this guy was hurt BEFORE he was even in the NBA, then has been hurt multiple times since. I guess we’ll find out how bad he wants it. So much talent.
Feb.28 at 2:19 pm
Logan Light says:
I just had ACL replacement surgery 3 months ago and I just started to jog… no way that Livingston makes it back to what everyone thought he should be. Looks like a full time backup is all that’s in his future… sorry to say it.
Feb.28 at 2:40 pm
Matthew says:
All we gotta do is tell Sternbot that John Brown in a white rapper from the ‘burbs and he’s in. Now that’s the demographic Stern wants to see. White suburbanites involved in “Car Wars”. Well, maybe not. I still think it should happen. At least let him get the D-League halftime show.
Feb.28 at 2:52 pm
jake appleman says:
wait, mutoni, don’t you write for aol? you’re allowed to say that? that’s awesome.
Feb.28 at 4:41 pm
Zig says:
If the Suns win tonight in Philly, they will be the 1st team ever to go undefeated on the road vs. the opposite conference: 15 & 0…
Feb.28 at 4:52 pm
Ang says:
heal. rehab. and gain some damn weight! livingston’s gonna get injured every season.
Feb.28 at 4:56 pm
francis says:
I never see Vince go off in a game except on yutube…where the hell are all the highlights comming from?
Feb.28 at 5:10 pm
francis says:
I blame Sterns for livingston’s injury. Allowing high school players into the nba of his size and calibur is stupid! There are special case’s for such a move but not every high schooler is a Kobe, Labron, T-Mac, KG, or Amare. Players with obvious physical ability as well as talent. Livingston had nba skills no doubt! but his body couldn’t hold up to the daily grind that the league puts on it’s players. It takes at least 4-5 years before most of these guy’s even fill out. And it takes 4-5 years before they get any run, so why not go to college…or at best the development league.
Feb.28 at 5:54 pm
mutoni says:
jake, i wrote a post at aol criticizing (i was gentle) him, too. i’ll prolly be fired in the next little while, but it HAD to be done.