When the NBA scheduled the Nets and Raptors to play two regular season games in London, England, they weren’t expecting either team to have a superstar among their ranks. Not anymore, the Nets scooped up Deron Williams, the biggest coup since the Lakers landed Gasol. Even though they are 0-3 in the D-Will era, the Nets are relevant again.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but since the All-Star break, the Raptors are 2-3; well above their season winning percentage. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it made me take another look at things:

• The Raptors have a half place lead over the Nets for more ping-pong balls in the lottery
• With Johnson in lineup, the Raptors are playing a totally better brand of basketball that wont help them get more ping-pong balls
• I’m really liking James Johnson, the kid has a lot of the tools and toughness I look for in guys who would play for my team. I’m very interested to see how he does after a couple weeks of big minutes and reduced excitement of a fresh start
• Still not a fan of Weems, and he’s playing a lot better, but he didn’t do enough with the opportunity he had and it cost him a couple million on his next contract; he can thank Johnson for that

I had a chance to have a chat with Mark Ginocchio of Nets are Scorching about Deron and the Nets:

First of all, I hate you and your team. There couldn’t have been a better result for the Nets than landing a top 3 point guard in the league. Do you have any background on how this deal came about?
Let me start by thanking you for the hatred. It’s been a long time since anyone hated Nets fans for anything other than wearing bags on our heads to games. With that said, the Deron Williams trade came out of left field for everyone, media, bloggers, fans, everyone. I don’t think it was any coincidence that Al Iannazzone, the beat writer for the Bergen Record who was doing a super job during the Carmelo Anthony nonsense, got the leak first and not any of the national guys like Wojnarowski, Broussard, Spears, etc. who have been just beating the Nets to a pulp for the past two months in their attempts to attract a start to the organization. If you believe Nets GM Billy King, he called up Kevin O’Connor, Utah’s GM, first to talk about some peripheral deals, most likely involving Devin Harris and maybe Mikahil Prokhorov favorite Andrei Kirilenko. King mentioned, half-joking about DWill’s availability and a deal was hammered out in 24 hours. It’s funny what can happen when team’s don’t have to deal with a bunch of
juvenile children like ‘Melo and Masai Ujiri, Denver’s GM, who had been holding the Nets hostage knowing ‘Melo only wanted the Knicks, this whole time.

I’ve read that the organization is going to do a great deal to cater to him (who to trade for, what amenities the practice court should feature, etc); do you guys run the same risk that Cleveland ran with catering to LeBron’s every whim, or is Deron a different beast?
In a recent write-up, Woj made a great point about Deron. He’s not ‘Melo, he’s not LeBron – he’s not looking to be the center of some marketing campaign. He just wants to win, period. And I think the only way the Nets will keep him here is if they demonstrate a commitment to put pieces around him. The thing is, Prokhorov has proven very early that money is no object, so I believe that this will happen. Plus, Deron will be owed a sizable amount (more than $17M) on his option year headed into Brooklyn in 2012 and with the new CBA likely lowering the cap, it may not be fiscally prudent for him to opt-out in 18 months as many are reporting he might do.

I was very interested to see how Deron and Avery would mesh together, but so far on the surface they seem to compliment each other. What are your thoughts on this pairing?
I was nervous too, but Avery apparently “threw out half the playbook” when Deron came on board, which is a good thing because the Nets offensive playbook stunk. I know AJ is a micromanager with his point guards, but this his first “star” PG he’s dealt with, someone who tends to focus on all aspects of his game unlike Devin Harris, who was a professional, but seemed to suffer from tunnel vision where he would only look to score some games, pass in others, and defend, every once in a while.

So Dwight is next? …I hate you…
That’s the rumor, but who knows. My guess is it would have to be a sign and trade, and the Nets would have to blow Orlando away with an offer, because otherwise Howard would probably go to the Lakers. The Nets have Brook Lopez and a nice complimentary piece in Anthony Morrow, but they gave away their lottery picks to Utah and given Lopez’s rebounding and defensive issues, I wonder if Orlando would be more interested in Bynum as the centerpiece of a LA deal.

What are you thoughts on the games this weekend in London? How do the Nets match-up with the Raptors? Is Deron going to be playing (injuries and all)?
Oh yeah, this season. Well, the Nets are 0-3 in the Deron Williams era, so there are obviously some kinks, especially on the defensive end, which bodes well for the Raptors. Williams says he’s going to play, and Jordan Farmar is supposedly back to back him up, but I’m hoping for a split here.

Injury Report

Toronto
Reggie Evans – Out
Linas Kleiza – Out

New Jersey
Deron Williams – Day to day, should play
Jordan Farmar – Day to day, should play
Quinton Ross – Day to day

Player Report

Jose Calderon
If Jose can recreate the game he had against Paul, even a healthy Deron wont be able to do much. As it stands now, Deron is supposed to play, but he’s hurting. This is a great opportunity for Jose to attack the hell out of him since he doesn’t have a great deal of support behind him defensively. I’ve been calling for it for a while now, but when Jose is going off efficiently from the field, he is such a deadly point of attack for the offense. Defenses can’t cheat, and have to consider him. As always, defense is a concern, but if you’re matching output, then it gives DeMar/Bargnani the chance to take matters into their hands.
Box: 13pts 11ast 3rebs

DeMar DeRozan
16 trips to the line over the last five games (four if you consider he didn’t get to the line at all against the Bobcats); sure he’s hit all 16, but it’s not enough. Not enough when you consider he’s contributing 1.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds over the same five-game stretch. If he gets to the line more, it means he’s attacking off he dribble more, which means his defender is back-pedalling more, which means a help defender is rotating, which means the defensive is that much more vulnerable. That said, the British are gonna love this high-flyer, hopefully he gives them a couple things to cheer about. Against Morrow, he will have to deal with an outside-in player, who can stroke the three at a high percentage; 44% on the year. Morrow has been a nice pickup for this team with his efficient scoring, but his defense is brutal, and is exactly where DeRozan can put his mark on the game.
Box: 21pts 3rebs 1ast

James Johnson
Yea…I’m really liking him a lot. I tried tempering any enthusiasm for him the last pre-game, but as long as he remembers the things that make him successful on the court, and doesn’t forget what it’s like to log 30 minutes for the whole season, I think he’ll do fine. We could see a dip in his energy as the excitement of getting a second chance begins to fade, but as long as he’s still hustling, things will work themselves out. Truth be told, his inclusion in the starting lineup has this team playing a better brand of basketball that could really hurt their draft position come July. That’s probably the best compliment I’ve given any Raptor this season: that they make the team better. So I know very little about Damion Jones, who’s been getting the start since the trade went down. The guy is a big, active player who rebounds well and is starting to develop a perimeter game. Seems like the two of Johnson and Jones are somewhat similar in what they bring to the game.
Box: 8pts 9rebs 3ast 2blk

Amir Johnson
I did a double-take after glancing at Amir’s line after the Hornets game: 8pts 10rebs 2ast 7blk

It really should come as no surprise given how involved he was in every aspect of the game, not too mention he had to deal with West and Okafor all night. What has the smile on my face is the six swats he had. Given how close the score was, with the Hornets cutting the lead to 4 with time ticking down, Amir’s defense was huge in maintaining the Raptor lead, and eventually pulling out the win. Recreating that production will be tough, but the Nets front court consists of Humphries and Lopez and..yea, Amir/Ed/Andrea should take this.

Humphries will shoot the ball enough to remind us that even though he’s close to averaging a double-double on the season, his scoring aspirations disrupt the offense too much for him to be a starter. He does hustle, and give it his all, so he can’t be overlooked.
Box: 14pts 9rebs 3blk

Andrea Bargnani
Im just going to put this out there, but I think I’d rather have Bargnani than Lopez. Over the course of this season, both teams have equally stunk, but Andrea has done more with his playing time than Brook. It wasn’t always the case, and Lopez is a nice player,but he’s definitely had a disappointing season. Check the comparison:

Lopez: 34.6m 19.5pts 5.9rebs 1.5ast 1.5blk
Bargnani: 35.9m 21.8pts 5.5rebs 1.7ast 0.6blk

While Bargnani isn’t blowing Lopez away, and Brook has a higher PER (18.43 to 16.41), Bargnani is a better defender in the low post, and his rebounding is about the same. Lopez can step out and hit a jumper, but his range is stretched to the limit at 18 feet, and his post game isn’t as refined.
Box: 26pts 7rebs 1blk

The Line

The gamblers have the Nets as 3 point favourites with an over/under of 202.5. I’m expecting a nice pace to this game, and it should be close. I’m hoping the Nets win both these games weekend (to solidify the Raptors draft position), but I’m guessing the teams will split the games. Raptors pull out a tough win tonight, Nets storm back and win tomorrow.

Today’s game is at 3pm EST; if you’re stuck at the office, then come check out our live blog by Arsenalist.

Now this is a game that I’m feeling good about. Even though the Nets are tied for last in the East, they are only two games behind the Raptors (and could make up half that ground with a win tonight). 5 games is all that separates 7th and 15th in the East, and since it looks like you don’t have to be .500 to grab a playoff spot, making the playoffs has lost a bit of its cache in the East; for me anyways.

Finally spoke to a blogger who didn’t stiff me over the last week or so; Mark Ginocchio from the Nets are Scorching stopped in and answered a few questions I had about the Nets:

Avery Johnson was an interesting choice for such a young team (likes to control the entire game), but I always respected what he did
in Dallas, how is he working out? The whole Avery Johnson situation is very interesting as a Nets fan. The front office and owner clearly loves him (in fact, many believe Avery is the de facto GM of this team, not Billy King). As a coach, he’s got this bunch playing better defense, though they’re prone to lapses. The offense still isn’t clicking, though it doesn’t help when Travis Outlaw is awful and Anthony Morrow is hurt. The thing that worries me about Avery is he essentially handpicked this entire roster and only 4 guys from last year carried over, and I’m already getting a sense that he’s losing patience and drawing lines in the sand between guys who play “his” way, or some other way. That’s, in large part why Terrence Williams was shipped out, and that’s why Troy Murphy is rotting on the bench (more on that). And while I know this is going to make me sound extremely paranoid, there’s something about Avery Johnson’s behavior that reminds of John Calipari’s stay in New Jersey,
and I don’t think I ever want to relive that fiasco again. Again, I’m more than happy to be wrong about that. In fact, I’m hoping I’m wrong.

Why does Johnson hate Troy Murphy so much?
The whisperings around Troy Murphy centered around him arriving in camp out of shape, which led to early-season back injury, which I think irked Avery Johnson off. Factor in that Kris Humphries has actually been a solid starting PF this year, a young Derrick Favors who NEEDS minutes right now, and there’s just no place for Murphy on this team right now, except as an expiring contract to use in a trade.

Looks like the Nets are going to make another run at Carmelo after stockpiling so many picks (5 in the next two drafts); this is a three part question: 1) How likely do you think a Carmelo trade is? 2) Are there enough pieces to put a good enough team around Anthony so he resigns? 3) Will the Nets trade for him if he doesn’t guarantee to resign?
I respect your three parts, but I’m just going to provide you one long rambling answer here to “As the ‘Melo turns.” Yes, I do think the Nets have the pieces to make a ‘Melo trade happen. They have tons of draft picks, a big fat expiring in Troy Murphy and a potential stud in Derrick Favors. If Denver can’t find a match here, then they were never going to trade Denver in the first place. As for whether or not a trade will happen – this is all about whether or not ‘Melo signs on the dotted line for NJ, and I sense a big game of chicken leading to the trade deadline. He’s not going to leave that money on the table with a new CBA coming up but if you trust the media, even the non-Chris Sheridan media, they think he won’t extend in New Jersey. He wants to play for the Knicks, meanwhile, the Nets ownership/FO seems obsessed in besting the Knicks any way they can.

Long story short, if I’m a betting man, I think the Nets are going to overpay handsomely, get Carmelo, and then exist as the 5th-6th seed in the East for the next few years. Don’t really think I’m a fan of it, but that seems to be the MO of those in charge.

How do the Nets match-up with the Raptors? What will be the gameplan heading into tonight?
The Nets are desperate for some offense lately, and even though Toronto is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, I don’t feel good about any match-up lately. I can envision Bargnani getting Lopez out of the post on both ends of the court, which doesn’t behoove anyway. Meanwhile, after starting out the season in great fashion
defensively, Devin Harris has lost a step or two with some injuries piling up. I don’t sense a blow-out, but unless something changes fast, I see the Raptors winning comfortably.

Injuries

Toronto
Reggie Evans – Out
Peja Stojakovic – Out
Jose Calderon – Game time decision
Andrea Bargnani – Game time decision

New Jersey
Anthony Morrow – Out
Devin Harris – Hurting, but will play

Match-ups

Point Guard
I like Devin Harris a lot; shame he’s playing for the Nets, or I’d be a huge advocate for him. As it stands, he’s having a solid, injury-free, season. He’s another perfect storm type point guard against the Raptors with quickness off the dribble and an improving jumper off the bounce. Harris will always look to score first, but has good court awareness and makes good passes. He turns the ball over a bit, but he more than makes up for it by seemingly getting to the line at will (#3 amongst PGs). With Farmar backing him up, the Nets have a solid 1-2 punch at the point. With Calderon questionable for tonight, a lot of pressure will be on Bayless to maintain the solid play he’s displayed over the last couple weeks. Barbosa’s speed and aggressiveness will be huge off the bench, but only to counter what Harris/Farmar bring to the table, and not as an advantage for the Raptors. Wednesday against the Wizards, Harris went to the line 17 times, converting 14. Can’t have him attack Amir and Ed every time he makes up his mind or it will be a long night. Actually, it will be a long night at the point match-up anyways; but it should be fun to watch.
Edge: New Jersey

Shooting Guard
With Morrow out, Farmar has moved into the shooting guard role, and he should suffer against DeRozan’s size and athleticism, but that depends on what kind of mood DeRozan is in. While he has some hops of his own, he’s giving up 4″ and 40lbs to DeMar…you see where I’m going right? If DeMar is in the game, he should be able to do whatever he wants; I have nothing else to add here.
Edge: Toronto

Small Forward
Ross gets the nod at the small forward, and I know little about the guy. Hollinger has this to say about him:

1. Quick, pesky defender with wiry build. Moves feet and rarely gambles.
2. Can hit midrange jumper but otherwise useless offensively. Awful rebounder.

The Nets are pretty deep with under-performing small forwards (Travis Outlaw and Stephen Graham; always trips me out to see Stephen), but they match-up well with the Raptors under achieving 3s of Weems and Kleiza.
Edge: Even

Power Forward
I always liked Kris Humphries the guy, never the player who took far too many liberties offensively and shot the ball more than I would have liked. I also had a thing for his sister …something about big girls…I dunno…

So while he’s not a skilled offensive player, Kris works works hard and does a lot of things fans/teams appreciate: crashes the boards, hustles on defense (not a great defender but at least he tries his best *cough*), makes garbage plays around the rim. If there’s one way to exploit him, is to let him shoot the ball from the elbow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him pass the ball when he gets it in the paint, and he’s not a great finisher; you can do the math. However, he’s having a career season averaging 8pts 9rebs 1blk a game; highlighted with a 17 rebound performance against the Wizards on Wednesday. I like Amir in this match-up with his size and athleticism. Kris isn’t a crafty offensive player, so he will have some trouble drawing fouls on the young one.
Edge: Even

Something to consider would be Triano doing some work, and putting Davis on Humphries, and matching Amir up with Lopez. That would be a better match-up for the Raptors overall IMHO.

Center
With Bargnani out, Ed Davis is in for a long night. This is going to be a serious trial by fire for the rookie, where he will have to deal with Humphries’ hustle, and Lopez’s…Lopez; I got nothing witty to say about him. Frankly, Amir has the best shot at covering Lopez, and should get the call for most of the time Brook sees the floor. Fortunately for Johnson, Lopez has tree-trunk legs and wont be able to keep up with him, or Ed frankly, on the break in an up-tempo game. Amir will have a big advantage on the glass, and should be able to get free enough on offense to counter whatever Lopez does offensively.
Edge: Even

With the Lakers in town on Sunday, and that ugly loss to Chicago on Wednesday, the Raptors need this one. The gamblers haven’t decided the line for this one due to the injuries, which in other words means they’re not trusting the Raptors to win this game without Bargnani.

Some administrative notes. It has been brought to RR that we’ve become one of those sites that employers block at their work due to employees spending inordinate amounts of time on it. If you happen to be a victim of this crime, we suggest you quit your job immediately and work for someone more decent. If you can’t do that, try subscribing to our email feed where you get RR goodness delivered to your inbox.

You might have also noticed that we’ve switching our commenting system so the replies actually go the right person and you get to use Facebook etc. more easily. One of the features that is currently missing is the highlighting of unread comments. Fear not, Arse has been heads-down on this and will get it up soon.

Tonight is also Raptor Fan Fridays at the SCC.

Third quarters have been the Raptors’ nemesis of late, but not last night, not with the big man rolling the way he was.

“I didn’t think he was very good in the first half and I don’t think he feels very good about his game in the second half, but we kept riding him and we knew he would come around,” coach Jay Triano said of Bosh. “He makes a couple and they have to step out on him. And then he started to do what we need him to do and that’s take the ball to the basket.”

To hear Bosh tell it, he might have had the big night on the scoresheet, but it was the encouragement and razzing from his teammates before, and throughout the game that helped make it happen.

“I just had opportunities,” Bosh said of his 36-point night. “That’s how I play basketball. If I feel I can provide a spark for my team, then I’m going to come out and do that. It worked out today.

“I give credit to my teammates. They stayed on me today. They encouraged me to shoot the basketball and just play hard.”

Bosh said he never goes looking for that type of thing from his teammates, but when it comes, he’s happy about it.

“Marcus (Banks), Jarrett (Jack) and Antoine (Wright), they were the main guys,” Bosh said of his rooting party.

“Before the game even started, they were on me about playing basketball. They made it fun. They were telling me what they wanted to see from me and what they wanted to do. Any time that happens, I look at it as a challenge. You don’t feel like you’re out there by yourself.”

Toronto Star

The Nets, led by Devin Harris’ 22 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, offered some scrappy resistance. In some sequences – when, say, Harris made a memorable second-quarter basket, spinning past Jack before worming the ball beneath Bosh’s outstretched arm for a beautiful scooped bank shot – the home team looked as though it might have enough competitive fire to give the Raptors a run down the stretch. The lane often parted as the Nets drove it. And the Nets managed to haul down 16 offensive rebounds to Toronto’s 11, this despite the visitors’ insistence that they’re concentrating on keeping opponents off the glass.

And there were moments in the game, especially early, when Toronto’s on-court body language spoke of an ongoing struggle. Bosh tossed a ball out of bounds, one of his game-high six turnovers, and Hedo Turkoglu, in the midst of a 4-for-13 shooting night, shook his head in disgust.

"We can’t let these kinds of games slide away," said Turkoglu after it was over.

Added Reggie Evans: "Sometimes we play down to the level of our competition. This was a good win for us not to play to their level. It feels good to get a win, period."

Globe and Mail

After Toronto fell behind 55-48, Bosh hit seven of 10 shots the rest of the period to key a 32-15 run that gave Toronto an 80-70 lead entering the final quarter.

“I just had opportunities … that’s how I play basketball,” Bosh said. “If I feel I can provide a spark for my team I am going to come out and do that. It worked out today.”

Bosh was particularly good at getting away from Nets centre Brook Lopez (18 points, 13 rebounds) for open jumpers or driving by the defence when they got too close.

Raptors forward Reggie Evans just smiled when asked about Bosh’s game.

“That’s why you hear him with the talk about Dwyane Wade and LeBron James,” Evans said. “That’s nothing new for him. That was a good game for him and all of us. When he gets it going it opens doors for everyone.”

NY Post

The Raptors, booed off their home court Friday in a 26-point loss to the Thunder, got in at 2:30 a.m., stayed in Manhattan and got waylaid by tunnel traffic.

And they still beat the Nets, who were back at full strength through the returns of Devin Harris (22 points, after a two-game upper-respiratory infection absence) and Yi Jianlian (nine points after missing six games with a high ankle sprain — the Nets would have been better off if he missed seven).

Yi shot 3 of 10 and was invisible defensively. The Nets shot 39.8 percent (33.3 percent in the second half) against the league’s 28th-rated defense.

The Nets blew it in the final 8:07 of the third quarter when they bricked 12 of 15 shots, committed three turnovers and went from a four-point lead to a 10-point deficit.

"It’s frustrating," Harris said. "Obviously there are key plays we’re not making down the stretch."

The Nets, who botched a key fast break with 4:26 left to miss a chance to pull within five, are now 7-62, losers of seven straight, trying to avoid breaking the mark of the 1972-73 Sixers, who were an all-time worst 9-73. Chins up — those Sixers lost their final 13 games.

NBA.com

The Nets tried to defend Bosh by either denying the ball, staying with his first move, or double-teaming on the catch to force a pass. Boone admitted that if Bosh gets that first step, he’s among the best in the league at finishing the play. And even when Bosh struggles, he remains capable of reeling off a stretch that reveals the reasons he’s one of the top three potential free agents this offseason.
The game pivoted midway through the third quarter, when Toronto went on a 24-10 run that flipped a seven-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Bosh scored 11 of the first 18 points, and dished an assist to push his contribution up by two more. When a player that skilled ignites, the defense does not have easy access to extinguishers.
“You’ve just got to do your best to contest the shot, take away his first move and then just hope he misses it, definitely,” Boone said.

NJ.com

here’s the Nets team output in the second half – 39 points, .333.

Highlighted by that robust 8:07 stretch (3-for-15, three-turnover) to end the third period.

But here’s the thing that bugs you most:

Toronto, who had been booed out of Air Canada Centre Friday night after being blasted by 26 against the Thunder, didn’t exactly start this game like a team seeking redemption.
The Nets had a 51-48 lead at the break, by which time Harris had ripped the Raps for 16 points, which he compiled by hitting seven of his last nine shots – many of them while driving into the chest of a curiously docile Bosh.

Basically, the Nets learned what has become obvious to everyone else in the league: The Raps are probably the softest defensive team in the league, with an average yield (106 per game, ranked 28th) to prove it.

Second half? Your team was outscored 26-12 in the paint.

The Zan Tabak Herald

If the team plays well. Similar to how they were playing before the all-star break. They should be able to get the number 6 or 7 seed. Doing that will land Toronto either Boston or Orlando in the playoffs. Two teams the Raptors have a chance at defeating.

If they play poorly and continue to slide down the standings. They’ll either sneak into eighth and have to face the Cleveland Cavaliers or they’ll finish ninth and miss the playoffs all together.

Both would be disastrous.

Without stepping forward. And by that I mean advancing into the second round. Chris Bosh will almost certainly leave the team. That would leave Bryan Colangelo up the creek without a paddle, forced to salvage what he can, by utilizing a sign and trade.

Fan590

Thumbs Up:
- Bosh put the team on his shoulders for the first time in a long time.

Thumbs Down:
- Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani.  Turk was 1 for 9 (FG) in the 2nd half (though he did finish with a fairly solid 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and only 1 turnover).  Meanwhile, Bargnani was 2 for 5 (FG) overall … ending the game with 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 turnovers.  In the first half he had 0 points, 1 rebound, and 3 fouls.

Smith Says:
- “It’s not exactly like beating the 1995-96 Bulls but this was still a good win for Toronto anyway – a must-win considering Chicago’s victory in Philly tonight.”

Jones Says:
- “Finally a decisive 3rd quarter win for Toronto.  That was the difference in pushing the Raptors to the victory.”

RaptorsHQ

Although I was happy to see the Raps get the win, in particular with the Bulls getting a W, there were times during the broadcast when I started wondering whether it’s not too late for the Raps this season. What is the best case scenario for this team now?

On the one hand they could make the playoffs as the 7th or 8th team. Now making the playoffs is generally a good thing but I have little doubt that if the Raps do slide into the second season they will simply play the role of sacrificial lamb to either Cleveland or Orlando. There is little evidence that the Raps could win a first round series and I have a hard time believing that another token appearance in the playoffs is what will convince Bosh to stay. From where I am sitting it was going to take a second round appearance for Bosh to be convinced that this team was heading in the right direction.

On the flip side, the Raps could not make the playoffs. That on it’s face would be a worse scenario but maybe, just maybe, it would be better for the franchise. The way I see it, making the playoffs and losing in 4 or 5 games is essentially no better than just watching the playoffs from home. In either case this team disappointed and changes are required. The biggest difference however, is that should the Bulls managed to climb ahead of the Raps in the standings then this team will suddenly have a first round pick in what is shaping up to be a decent draft class.

I checked in with Mark Ginocchio from NetsAreScorching.com to talk about his team:

What, if anything, can the Raptors expect from the Nets?
The Nets have actually been playing a bit better the past week or so and I really believe they hit rock bottom during their West Coast trip in mid-January. Their defense has been crisper, and they’re starting o get more consistent contributions from guys like Jarvis Hayes and Terrence Williams. They’re still absolutely terrible offensively, and if the Raptors get into any kind of groove offensively, there is no way the Nets can outscore them. But I do expect the Nets to at least be more competitive than they were the first time these two teams matched up in December.

Are there any legs to the Amare trade rumours? Who are untouchable on the Nets?
I think the Nets front office is definitely looking to make a trade because there’s a legitimate concern that the team’s awful record is going to scare away a number of the big free agents this summer. If they could find a way to acquire one of those guys now and sign them to an extension, it could go a long way to helping them secure another FA this summer. Is Amare that guy? The Nets FO seems to be really backing away from those rumors, so I’m going to say no. I don’t think they believe he’s worth a max contract, and I can’t blame them for that. With that said, the only untouchable on this roster is Brook Lopez. Period.

What is Yi’s upside? How good has he been for you guys?
Yi is a mixed bag. Offensively he’s light years ahead of where he was a year ago. He’s more aggressive in taking the ball to the rim, but he’s also shooting from the outside with more confidence. However, he’s still a liability defensively and a poor rebounder for a guy his size. He could evolve into a nice rotation player on a winning team, but I can’t see him ever evolving into the “next Dirk” or anything like that.

Anything else you want add?
Hey, thanks for the opportunity. I’m sure most NBA fans think the Nets are a laughing stock, but with a top four pick guaranteed this summer, and the cap space to sign a FA or two, I think it’s going to be a quick turnaround. There are a lot worse situations to be in in this league.

The Nets are coming off a loss that came down to a last second shot against the Pistons last night; for some reason, Harris opted to sho0t a three from 27ft with 7 seconds to go (we can only hope he plays with the same judgement tonight). Otherwise, he had his best game of the year with 24pts 14ast 5rebs in 39min. The last time we played Jersey, Jack/Banks owned Harris, who had a miserable 8pts on 4-12 shooting to go with 5rebs 4ast.

Banks should get some burn tonight with Jose unlikely (at time of publishing); the last time they played, Marcus dropped 14pts on 6-7 shooting with 6rebs 1ast. He teamed with Jack (6pts 1reb 9ast) to really take it to Harris the whole game.

Brook Lopez came up big against the Pistons too, with 27pts 7rebs 2ast, but don’t expect the same when lined up against Bosh and Bargnani. My guess is that the two will take turns abusing Lopez and Yi. When Humphries (who also had a good night last night with 9pts 12rebs) checks in…we counter with Amir. While the Nets have nice players in the front court, they don’t scare me at all, and wont match Toronto’s production.

With Weems and Belinelli moved to the starting lineup, the Raptors bench wasn’t its normal self last night. I thought it a mistake to have both offensive spark-plugs from the bench start, and it looks like my feelings were validated with Weems posting a donut, and the bench only chipping in 21pts (they did contribute a solid 15rebs 15ast). With DeRozan and Turkoglu potentially out with injury, the most optimal rotation, that doesn’t rape the bench, would be the start Wright at small forward, keeps Weems at shooting guard, and bring Belinelli in the game as the first man off the bench. This maintains scoring off the bench, as well as improving defense on the starting lineup.

Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Nets are on the road, and have a thinner bench. Even worse, they are missing Del Harris, who is no longer a member of the coaching staff; which has Yi feeling sad. The gamblers have the Raptors as 11 point favourites, and I can’t agree more. I can’t think of a better way to forget a 15 point loss, than with a 15 point win.

We can all be happy that the Nets have won a couple before facing the Raptors, otherwise we would have helped them end that streak of futility; bet on it. Sadly, this is one of those games that I wont be happy with whatever result we get: if they win, it was because the Nets are a terrible team; if they lose, I’ll hit delete on the server and end the good run we had here at Raptors Republic.

I’m interested to see how the crowd reacts to this lot, since there is no one left from those rival years except Josh Boone. The hate for Jersey goes deep, but it was never embodied in Boone. Tonight should literally be a walk in the park. I don’t care how bad the Raptors have been playing, their fundamental problems aside, just looking at this Nets roster, it is clear they are devoid of any real talent. Sure they have a couple nice pieces (Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee), but that’s all this team is, a couple nice pieces with Bobby Simmons who makes $10.5 million this year.

This will be the first of 4 meetings (wins) against the Nets, and it gives the Raptors some opportunity to work on their problem areas in a real-game situation. Not that the Nets should be taken lightly since they are still an NBA team with NBA’ish talent, but this is as close as you can get to a practice that has standing implications as you can get, 2-24 FFS.

DeRozan needs some plays called for him tonight. He needs to be rolled into the offense, STAT! Send him backdoor along the baseline and lob him some alley-oops; give him the ball at the elbow and let him attack the paint; hit him with a pass as he slashes towards the rim, anything really. I’m not saying Courtney Lee is a slouch, because he isn’t, but if our rook starts attacking the rim, then the New Jersey defense will have to rotate to help, which will open up the rest of the guys for kick outs and offensive rebounding situations. Just a thought Jay.

How about we let Bargnani guard a center. The last couple games, he has been on the opponents power forward, and that hasn’t gone too well (Beasley 28pts 11rebs, Lewis 21pts 5-8 3pt). Boone and Lopez will have their hands full on defense, but if Bargnani is our center of the future, and apparently is a good post-defender, then why not defend a center who strictly will occupy the post? I feel like I’m missing something here becuase it isn’t like Bargnani gets sent over to help defend in the post, right? Anyone?

14…that’s the TOTAL number of rebounds Bosh has grabbed in the last THREE games. Unacceptable. This needs to truly stop tonight. If Bosh doesn’t grab at least 11 tonight, I don’t even know what to say… Lopez is a big boy, and is damn active on the boards, but without another solid rebounder on the Nets roster to battle in the paint, this should be easy pickings.

The number 1 reason the Raptors win tonight is that Lawrence Frank no longer coaches the Nets. He has really owned the Raptors over the last few years. The guy got a bum deal this year, but don’t get fooled, he is a top level NBA coach.

The Raptors are 8 point favourites tonight with the over/under at 206. I’m thinking it will be a rout: 106-84. Don’t forget to join us tonight at SCC for Raptor Fan Fridays. Tom Liston said something about a free round for every point the Raptors scored or something along those lines.

Boston Celtics

My Prediction: 0-4
Nov – Fri 27 @ Boston L
Jan – Sat 02 @ Boston L
Jan – Sun 10 vs Boston L
Apr – Wed 07 vs Boston L

Easily the cream of the crop of the Atlantic, and quite possibly the East (I still contend that if they were healthy last year, they would have won it all). The Raptors were 0-4 against them last season, and I expect the same this year. The Raps will struggle with Boston’s size up front, it’s not as though foul-prone Johnson is rounding out an elite Raptors front court. If they can counter that front court somehow (which they will have a very hard time with considering the Celtics just replaced Leon Powe with Rasheed Wallace), they still have to figure out what to do with Pierce and Allen. Excuse me if I don’t like our chances.

New Jersey Nets

My Prediction: 4-0
Dec – Fri 18 vs New Jersey W
Feb – Wed 03 vs New Jersey W
Feb – Fri 19 @ New Jersey W
Mar – Sat 20 @ New Jersey W

I have a feeling the Nets are going to be an interesting team. Thy don’t have a whole lot surrounding Harris, Lopez and Lee, but looking at this roster, they seem like a tough lot who is sure to be a well coached one. The Raptors were 2-2 against them last season, but in those two losses, VC had 39 and 27 points respectively. That first loss of the year was the gut wrenching one where VC sent the game into OT with a clutch trey then won it with that reverse alley-oop…we wont have to worry about him doing to that to us with the Nets, the Magic get that honour now. Anyways, they have no one that will give us any trouble, and we sure as hell can’t afford to lose even one game against them if we have post-season designs.

New York Knicks

My Prediction: 4-0
Jan – Fri 15 @ New York W
Jan – Thu 28 @ New York W
Mar – Fri 05 vs New York W
Apr – Wed 14 vs New York W

They will score in bunches and be exciting to watch, but wont be very much better then the 32 wins they got last season. The David Lee situation has not been resolved as of today (to my knowledge), which is a disaster as he has been one of their best/most consistent players over the last few years. Jordan Hill brings much needed size/toughness, but the only way the Knicks beat the Raptors this season is if they score loads and it comes down to a coaching battle. In any event, they can’t be slept on, they have the type of team that can get hot and run you off the court, but that will be few and far between. The Raptors went 2-2 against them last season, but have improved athletically and and bulked up. I have a feeling the Knicks will be worst team in the Atlantic.

Philadelphia 76ers

My Prediction: 3-1
Jan – Fri 08 @ Philadelphia W
Feb – Wed 10 vs Philadelphia W
Mar – Sun 07 vs Philadelphia W
Apr – Sat 03 @ Philadelphia L

They lost Andre Miller, signed a gangster and replaced Cheeks with Jordan. Forgive me if I don’t get too excited for them. I don’t follow the Sixers too closely, but for a team that went .500 last season, got the 6th seed in the playoffs, and took Orlando to 6 games, they sure as hell regressed (IMHO) this past summer. It’s not all bad for them. They went to the playoffs last year, have a slew of talented young wings that can get hot and give folks fits on the perimeter and a healthy Brand. Philly will be nipping at the Raptors heels, and be one of the middle-tier teams in the East fighting for the 5-8 playoff spots (the Hawks have 4 locked up, especially with the addition of Joe Smith up front). Each game against these guys will be a very important one, as the Raptors and Sixers will be neck-in-neck in that playoff hunt. They split the season series last season.

Boston aside, I have the Raptors going 11-1 against the Knicks, Nets and Sixers. Seems very ambitious, but if the Raptors want the 4th seed (which they wont get), they have beat these type of teams each and every time they play them. Even going 7-4 against them – and they steal one against the Celtics, drops them to 42 wins in my scenario, which will probably get them into the playoffs kicking/scratching/clawing and screaming, but with a 7th or 8th seeding.

Boston Celtics – 60+ wins
Toronto Raptors – 45 wins
Philadelphia 76ers – 40 or so wins
New York Knicks – 32 or so wins
New Jersey Nets – 30 or so wins
* please note, I had accidentally switched the Knicks and the Nets predictions, apologies.

That’s how I see the Atlantic shaping up this year.