Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Artest ( B ) -- three point shot was on in the early going, and carried us offensively in the first half with 17 pts on efficient shooting. Did not have to contend with Vinsanity much in the early going with Carter in constant foul trouble. As we collapsed in the third, Ron started really forcing one on one again and was actually on the bench as we climbed back into the game. When he returned he generally stayed out of the way offensively, except for what could have well be a nail in the coffin sequence for us when he decided to go one on one and force not one, but two selfish in traffic forces up at the 2:00 mark for what was effectively a turnover. Fortunately New Jersey was having none of that stuff tonight and was not going to let us lose the game under any circumstances. Made several good defensive plays, including a huge key one with 3 minutes to go where he stripped a nobody on the baseline and then outhustled another nobody for the loose ball to set up Bibby for a three to draw us within 4. Like most grades tonight, this one is hard. But he kept us afloat early, and then made a mixture of crap plays and important ones down the stretch. So...B?
Thomas ( C+ ) -- back in as a starter with Reef ailing apparently, and tried to force his offense early, to predictable results. But then Bibby starting finding him again and again, and Kenny had three quick layups. Not much on the glass before half, but started off the third with a nice little burst, grabbing one board and backtapping several others (one of which we did not get). That was about it though, and he got silent as the Nets began the blowout that wasn't. Watched our comeback from the bench and never returned.
Miller ( B- ) -- only guy doing anything in the first few minutes, but then a rash of turnovers helped ease him to the bench. Came back and was solid on the glass against the Nets random bodies. In the early third made a nice pass to set Kevin up for a layup, but was being badly outplayed by Mikki Moore now. That's what it has come to. But made some key plays in our comeback including hitting a desperation three at the end of the third, and then keeping the ball alive on our game winning possession after we intially missed the shot. Brad kept it alive, the Nets backtapped it right to Mike, and Mike won the game. In many ways a mirror image of the crap game in Detroit, but this time with some timely plays that have to elevate the grade.
Martin ( D ) -- struggled with his shot in the early going once again, and just never got anything going for us at all. Was back to start the third, but was a significant part of a tired, uninspired group that tried their damndest to get themselves strung up by the Arco "faithful" who had pitchforks and torces alight by the mid third. Went to the bench and we accomplshed the entire comeback without him. Somebody in the last couple of days said something about a report of him hitting the wall. Well, whatever it is, he's been a complete nonfactor the last couple.
Bibby (
) -- One of the most bizarre games or grades you could ever be asked to delvier. Understand this -- Mike completely sucked. Not a little sucked. But sucked in "I am earning $12mil a year to play like Mateen Cleaves" sucked. Could not hit the broad sigde of a barn, and wasn't even remotely challenging Kidd. Did have a burst of playmaking, almost all headed Kenny's way, in the first quarter, but that was just about IT. No points at all in the first half. And he wasn't even involved in the beginning of the comeback. He was earning an F, an F-, a slap you in the face with a 3 day old smelly unwashed trout F. We were awful, and he was at the heart of it Finally got his first point on a FT to close the third, and did not hit his first shot until a three in the mid 4th to pull us within 7. But then...well then what can you say? It was sometimes Bibby the hero, sometimes Bibby the idiot, but all Mike Bibby down the stretch as he not only completely carried our team, but simply took over the game with New Jersey sltting their own wrists at every opportunity. So Mike scored the final 14 points of the game for us to reassert his clutch rep after having 0 at halftime and 1 at the end of three. Forced some garbage, continues to insist on flopping around like a dead fish trying to draw fouls instead of just shooting on many occasions, but just kept on scoring while the Nets did not, and it was Mike who was the unquestioned engine of this comeback. Finished it off by hitting the game winning shot, although only got that opportunity after missing his first attempt with Brad keeping the ball alive, and the Nets channeling their inner Game 4 (you know, THE Game 4) with Mike wearing the "Horry" across his back. So...
Reef ( B- ) -- had an early hoop, looked like he had another, but got blocked by the fossilized remains of Cliff Robinson. Got most of his rebounding numbers on one of those miss, rebound, miss, rebound, score sequences. Followed with a hit over Boone. And was part of our run to get back into it at the end of the third as the Nets had nobody much to guard him. We tried feeding him for a stretch there and caused problmes doing so, but he seemed to tire and the Nets were doubling and his effectiveness evaporated. Brad replaced him for the stretch run, and a good thing too given the big play to help win it.
Corliss ( C ) -- caused problems for the Nets inside in the first half with their fearsome Josh Boone, Mikki Moore, Boston Nachbar frontline not having the apprpriate matchup. But struggled therafter to finish and could not hit his FTs. Was nonetheles on the court for the early stages of our comeback, but there was just too big a gap between his performance and our making a run to attribute much of it to him, unless his mere presence jsut scared the Nets into submission.
Salmons ( B ) -- had a quiet first half aside from a couple of assists. But near the end of the third hit two open threes that the Nets dared him to take that broke a huge NJ run and were the majort catalysts for our comeback. Unfortunately then kept on shooting them and missed both his 4th quarter attempts, the first one via airball. Nonetheess the timing is critical to this grade. Without those shots, we lose. literally. That simple. Nor are they shots he's even any good at. Just hit some big shots to give an otherwise dead body a shot of adrenaline. I just hope that the powers that be realize its still a corpse and as soon as the adrenaline wearns off, its going to collapse back over in a flatline heap once again.
Garcia ( A- ) -- some hustle in an ok first half stint, and helped give us a little spark to close the third as he came in along with Salmons to give us some energy. Hit a couple of shots in those minutes, and then bopmbed a deep (and dumb) three to pull us wihtin 8. Missed his next, but his hustle and length on the boards were a decisive factor as evertbody on New Jersey decided simultaneously that as long as they were at Arco they might as well suck like a King. The "cleanest" of the good grades both because Cisco has been endangering his career wiht his play thuis far this season, and because he was given far less chance to stink up the joint before playing hero, and so there isn't an overwhelming negative vibe to his heroics.
Douby ( INC ) -- was inserted and removed so quickly in the second quarter I'm not sure why we bothered. Did nothing tonight, but then again had little time to do more than tie his sneakers.
Muss ( ) --
Thomas ( C+ ) -- back in as a starter with Reef ailing apparently, and tried to force his offense early, to predictable results. But then Bibby starting finding him again and again, and Kenny had three quick layups. Not much on the glass before half, but started off the third with a nice little burst, grabbing one board and backtapping several others (one of which we did not get). That was about it though, and he got silent as the Nets began the blowout that wasn't. Watched our comeback from the bench and never returned.
Miller ( B- ) -- only guy doing anything in the first few minutes, but then a rash of turnovers helped ease him to the bench. Came back and was solid on the glass against the Nets random bodies. In the early third made a nice pass to set Kevin up for a layup, but was being badly outplayed by Mikki Moore now. That's what it has come to. But made some key plays in our comeback including hitting a desperation three at the end of the third, and then keeping the ball alive on our game winning possession after we intially missed the shot. Brad kept it alive, the Nets backtapped it right to Mike, and Mike won the game. In many ways a mirror image of the crap game in Detroit, but this time with some timely plays that have to elevate the grade.
Martin ( D ) -- struggled with his shot in the early going once again, and just never got anything going for us at all. Was back to start the third, but was a significant part of a tired, uninspired group that tried their damndest to get themselves strung up by the Arco "faithful" who had pitchforks and torces alight by the mid third. Went to the bench and we accomplshed the entire comeback without him. Somebody in the last couple of days said something about a report of him hitting the wall. Well, whatever it is, he's been a complete nonfactor the last couple.
Bibby (
) -- One of the most bizarre games or grades you could ever be asked to delvier. Understand this -- Mike completely sucked. Not a little sucked. But sucked in "I am earning $12mil a year to play like Mateen Cleaves" sucked. Could not hit the broad sigde of a barn, and wasn't even remotely challenging Kidd. Did have a burst of playmaking, almost all headed Kenny's way, in the first quarter, but that was just about IT. No points at all in the first half. And he wasn't even involved in the beginning of the comeback. He was earning an F, an F-, a slap you in the face with a 3 day old smelly unwashed trout F. We were awful, and he was at the heart of it Finally got his first point on a FT to close the third, and did not hit his first shot until a three in the mid 4th to pull us within 7. But then...well then what can you say? It was sometimes Bibby the hero, sometimes Bibby the idiot, but all Mike Bibby down the stretch as he not only completely carried our team, but simply took over the game with New Jersey sltting their own wrists at every opportunity. So Mike scored the final 14 points of the game for us to reassert his clutch rep after having 0 at halftime and 1 at the end of three. Forced some garbage, continues to insist on flopping around like a dead fish trying to draw fouls instead of just shooting on many occasions, but just kept on scoring while the Nets did not, and it was Mike who was the unquestioned engine of this comeback. Finished it off by hitting the game winning shot, although only got that opportunity after missing his first attempt with Brad keeping the ball alive, and the Nets channeling their inner Game 4 (you know, THE Game 4) with Mike wearing the "Horry" across his back. So... Reef ( B- ) -- had an early hoop, looked like he had another, but got blocked by the fossilized remains of Cliff Robinson. Got most of his rebounding numbers on one of those miss, rebound, miss, rebound, score sequences. Followed with a hit over Boone. And was part of our run to get back into it at the end of the third as the Nets had nobody much to guard him. We tried feeding him for a stretch there and caused problmes doing so, but he seemed to tire and the Nets were doubling and his effectiveness evaporated. Brad replaced him for the stretch run, and a good thing too given the big play to help win it.
Corliss ( C ) -- caused problems for the Nets inside in the first half with their fearsome Josh Boone, Mikki Moore, Boston Nachbar frontline not having the apprpriate matchup. But struggled therafter to finish and could not hit his FTs. Was nonetheles on the court for the early stages of our comeback, but there was just too big a gap between his performance and our making a run to attribute much of it to him, unless his mere presence jsut scared the Nets into submission.
Salmons ( B ) -- had a quiet first half aside from a couple of assists. But near the end of the third hit two open threes that the Nets dared him to take that broke a huge NJ run and were the majort catalysts for our comeback. Unfortunately then kept on shooting them and missed both his 4th quarter attempts, the first one via airball. Nonetheess the timing is critical to this grade. Without those shots, we lose. literally. That simple. Nor are they shots he's even any good at. Just hit some big shots to give an otherwise dead body a shot of adrenaline. I just hope that the powers that be realize its still a corpse and as soon as the adrenaline wearns off, its going to collapse back over in a flatline heap once again.
Garcia ( A- ) -- some hustle in an ok first half stint, and helped give us a little spark to close the third as he came in along with Salmons to give us some energy. Hit a couple of shots in those minutes, and then bopmbed a deep (and dumb) three to pull us wihtin 8. Missed his next, but his hustle and length on the boards were a decisive factor as evertbody on New Jersey decided simultaneously that as long as they were at Arco they might as well suck like a King. The "cleanest" of the good grades both because Cisco has been endangering his career wiht his play thuis far this season, and because he was given far less chance to stink up the joint before playing hero, and so there isn't an overwhelming negative vibe to his heroics.
Douby ( INC ) -- was inserted and removed so quickly in the second quarter I'm not sure why we bothered. Did nothing tonight, but then again had little time to do more than tie his sneakers.
Muss ( ) --
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