Atlantic Division Previews

Boston Celtics

Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com

Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon

FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place

John Karalis: Red's Army

Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7


New Jersey Nets

Dennis Velasco: About Basketball


New York Knicks

Joey: Straight Bangin'

Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting


Philadelphia 76ers

Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM

Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride


Toronto Raptors

Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com

Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict

Cuzzy: Cuzoogle


Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

Memphis vs New Jersey - 3.5.08

Memphis has been described as giving away the most for the least this season in their trade of Pau Gasol to the Lakers. The Grizzlies will be playing their second game in a row after battling in Chicago on Tuesday night. This is a rare moment in the Grizzlies season when they are playing back to back games against teams they have already beaten once this season. In fact it may be the only time this season. The Grizzlies are a young team which should help them recover quickly and a couple of good performances could turn the team's perception of themselves around pretty quickly.

New Jersey may have improved themselves more than any team unloading a superstar this season. That won't help them this week as the Nets have possibly the worst road trip in modern basketball history. New Jersey plays all 5 of the teams in the Southwest division in a row over a seven day period. The Nets have to be looking at this game as the only realistic shot at a victory but they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back as well having played the Spurs the night before. New Jersey is holding on the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference just a single game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks so this makes the Grizzlies game very important.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Devin Harris
Devin Harris had a nice first game for New Jersey but has to feel somewhat shaken by his trade from Dallas to New Jersey. Going from starting for one of the best teams in the league to a rebuilding one takes some adjustment mentally but Harris is quick and smart. It won't take him long to adjust. Mike Conley is quick and intelligent as well but has far less experience than Harris. Harris is known as one of the better defensive PG's in the league and that will put more pressure on Conley to run the offense. This should be a great battle one day but Conley isn't quite up to the challenge yet.
Advantage: New Jersey

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Vince Carter
Miller is back at practice and should be back in the lineup for this game. His presence gives the Grizzlies a far different look and a far better shooting attack. The last time these teams met Vince Carter went for 32 points and nearly pulled the game out. That was against Juan Carlos Navarro when the rookie was starting for the first time. He won't find it quite so easy against a rested Mike Miller and without the fine passing of Jason Kidd. Carter isn't as young as he used to be and he can't take over the entire game like he used to do but he can dominate in spurts. Miller will be hard pressed to control VC when he wants to score.
Advantage: New Jersey

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Richard Jefferson
Rudy Gay played the four against New Jersey in the first match and was still a bit insecure about his role on the team with Miller and Gasol. That is no longer the problem as Rudy is confident over his ability to play at this level and he knows he is the main man on the team. Richard Jefferson has been on the brink of stardom for a few years now and is obviously the player that the new Nets will be built around. Jefferson is a more complete player than Rudy in that he passes the ball and scores more but he also is a weaker rebounder. Where Jefferson really distinguishes himself is on defense. That ability to guard the other team's best offensive weapon while still scoring himself is a level of performance Rudy hasn't reached yet. Of course Rudy is only 21 and in his 2nd season while Jefferson is 27 and in his 7 NBA season.
Advantage: New Jersey

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Nenad Kristic
An interesting battle of softer bigs. Neither Warrick nor Kristic can be described as physical players. An interesting battle of softer bigs. Neither Warrick nor Kristic can be described as physical players. Kristic was coming into his own last year before a devastating knee injury cost him the season. He has struggled in his return. Warrick has started to earn some respect around the league, frequently getting double teamed on the offensive end. This has caused Warrick's scoring to slip a little. This also puts more pressure on Warrick's poor passing game. Once Hakim starts to realize how to incorporate his teammates more after the ball is in his hand then the flow will return to Memphis' offense. This however is a good matchup for Warrick who is too quick for Kristic.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Josh Boone
Josh Boone played 61 games as a rookie but his season was essentially lost after missing all of training camp and the first quarter of the season with shoulder surgery. A former teammate of Rudy Gay, Boone is the bruiser in the paint for New Jersey who has averaged 8 ppg basically on put backs and dunks. He is hitting 53% of his field goal attempts but shooting only 41.1% from the line and has yet to hit a 3 pt shot. His range is about the circumference of the rim. Darco is back to playing well after a lull following the Gasol trade. At 22, Darko is starting to find some consistency in what is his first season starting in the league. The 21 pt, 7 rebound game against Chicago was very promising.
Advantage: Memphis

Benches: Memphis vs New Jersey
For once the bench isn't a severe negative for Memphis. Kyle Lowry, Juan Carlos Navarro and Javaris Crittenton are showing a lot of energy and promise in the backcourt where New Jersey is suffering with Marcus Williams and Darrell Armstrong. The front court should be bolstered by Jason Collins who spent his entire career in New Jersey prior to the trade in late January for Stro. Normally a player returning to his former team is dangerous but Stro has never shown enough motivation to be interested in the game to be concerned about paybacks. Sean Williams however is a frightening potential player. When his game is on he can dominate the paint forcing teams to the perimeter. He is easily excited and can get into foul trouble however.
Advantage: New Jersey

Enemy Blogs:

Dave D'Allessandro
Hooplah.. Nation
In the 'Zzone
Joe Netsfan
NetsDaily
Nothin' but Nets
Nenad Kristic Thinking Too Much

Swift for Collins Almost Done?

A New Jersey Paper is reporting that a Stromile Swift for Jason Collins trade could be finalized as early as today or this weekend.

They (the Nets) are set to acquire athletic 6-foot-10 forward Stromile Swift from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jason Collins, league sources said. The deal was being worked on Thursday night and could be finalized today or sometime over the weekend.

This follows numerous reports yesterday where Ron Tillery, Yahoo, CBSsports, and Chris Vernon all mentioned the possible trade of Swift for Collins.

Collins and Swift have nearly identical contracts, both expire next year, with the big difference being that Stro has a player option for next year. This comes after Stro was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. He may be getting traded for locker room/chemistry reasons.

Also, check out the Chris Vernon post, where he says that some big changes could be coming for the Grizzlies (firesale?!?), and that a less than desirable Pau Gasol trade could be done where expiring contracts (like Kwame Brown) would be coming to Memphis. The purpose of such a firesale could revolve around Heisley looking to sell the team, possibly by the summer.

Kwame and Darko on the same team can't be good for baskeball karma, can it?

Wallace Said No?

You have got to be kidding me?

File this nugget of information away in the file that contains examples which contradict the old adage of "the best trade is sometimes the one you don't make".

From the Great Ron Tillery:

Past interest (in Stro) indicates New Jersey might emerge as one suitor. Earlier this season, the Griz are said to have turned down a deal that would have sent Swift to the Nets for Jamaal Magloire, who is in the final year of a deal that pays $4million. (emphasis mine)

What? Am I reading this right. Am I not thinking rationally since it is late at night? Has the 27 hours of no power (or heat) at the house drove me delusional?

We were offered Magloire's expiring contract for Stro and turned the deal down??!?!?!?!?!?!!?

On what planet does that make sense?

Stro has a player option this summer and everyone is crossing their fingers that he won't pick it up (and a good conspiracy theory out there is that poor treatment, like no playing time followed by a suspension, could entice him not to pick up that player option). But still, trading Stro for an expiring contract guarantees we won't pay that money next year.

First, we turn down a Damon trade because it wasn't in his best interest. And now this.

To be fair, RealGM Trade Checker tells me Stro for Mags straight up doesn't work, so maybe the filler was what Wallace was concerned with and that caused him to turn it down. Maybe Wallace didn't take the deal because he hadn't had 50 games to fully evaluate Stro (if so, he should have asked Barone, or any Griz fan what kind of player Stro is). Stro has been disappointing during his entire career in Memphis. He has been disappointing this year. He has barely played in the last month. Have I mentioned he is currently suspended? And should I remind you that he is a certified bum!!! Turning down a trade of an expiring contract for Stro seems absolutely crazy to me.

I need Chip or Spartacus to make the case to me why not trading Stro for Magloire is a good idea. Please, guys, I'm open minded and ready to learn why Wallace would turn this trade down. There easily could be a perfectly sound reason why flipping Stromile for an expiring contract isn't a great idea. I hope.

ChipC3's Response:
First, Swift for Magliore is not a legal trade according to RealGM.com and ESPN's Trade Machine. A little bit of investigation would reveal that.

Second, I find it curious that someone who predicted that the Grizzlies would be winning more than 40 games and competing for the playoffs 'early in the season' is now questioning why a deal wasn't made that would severely weaken this season's team 'early in the season.'

I also find it rather curious that Ron Tillery would just happen to drop this nugget in the press after the one game suspension of Stromile Swift. Did he know about this previously and just happened to forget to mention it until this moment? If Tillery knew of this offer does he also know what else was included that would make it a eligible deal? And what the heck does 'early in the season' mean anyway? Was it early November or Mid-December? If he knows of the offer he should know of when the offer was made as well shouldn't he?

This type of reporting irritates me because it appears as if it was done simply to inflame passions of Grizzlies fans. While I have always believed that Swift would be perfect at New Jersey I don't believe this deal was rejected out of hand by Wallace once the season was lost. I imagine that Swift and Magliore may been pieces in a bigger deal that was not attractive to Memphis. That makes a lot more sense.

But then again I am trying to think logically and not emotionally here.

Update by Zack:

A few interesting tidbits...
--Magloire couldn't be traded until mid December because he signed in the summer, so that gives some sort of timeline.
--Assuming that no one else from Memphis was included and only filler from New Jersey was included to make it work (big assumption). New Jersey has no bad contracts under ~2 million. They have something like 5 expiring contracts and 3 good prospects under ~2 million.

Update II by Zack:

Some stuff from Verno...
--Says that a Stro-Magloire deal was never on the table. In other words, Tillery was not telling the truth. Surprise, surprise.
--Says that IF the deal of Stro for expiring contract(s) were offered, Chris Wallace or any NBA GM would be crazy and a moron for not taking that deal.
--Also says that the Nets would be crazy for offering an expiring contract for the opportunity to pay Stro 6.2 Million next year.

Update III by Zack:

Tillery checks back in with the Stro-Nets stuff. Via MemphisEdge:

The New Jersey Nets continue to make a push for Stromile Swift, and have apparently offered center Jason Collins this time. It is not known if this is a straight-up proposal. But it could be (unlike the one Memphis turned down earlier this season involving Jamaal Magloire and other players) because Collins and Swift’s salaries essentially are equal this season and next.

As of this morning, however, the Grizzlies balked at acquiring Collins. The Griz coaching staff is said to be less enamored with Collins, who is not even as athletic as Darko Milicic.

Swift, meanwhile, returned to practice Thursday ready to put his one-game suspension behind him. The 6-9 forward/center did say, however, that it’s time to move on if the Grizzlies don’t intend to play him.

Stay tuned. (emphasis mine)

No one in the right mind would want Collins over Stro. Collins is a bigger bum than Stro, makes the same amount next year for his last year on his deal, but doesn't have the player option which Stro might exercise.

But Tillery is also sticking with his information that Magloire was offered for Stro. Interesting.

And the last bolded part is interesting and could hint that if we don't play Stro he won't take his player option.

Pregame: Grizzlies @ Nets 11.27.07

Memphis needs one more win this month to outperform last seasons dismal 4-11 opening. The schedule gets a lot easier in December so a positive exit from November should do a lot to change attitudes about the team. All five of the leading minutes players from Saturday night scored in double figures led by Navarro's 28 and Rudy's 27 pts. Gasol nearly had a double double with 21 pts and 9 rebounds. Gasol's streak of 69 consecutive games in double figures is now the 5th longest active streak in the league. Rudy Gay's 18.2 ppg is high on the team is 2nd among sophomore players in scoring and his 8 rebounds were the 2nd highest total for the season. The team is still waiting on Darko Milicic's return from a sprained thumb. He would be a big help in this game if he could return.

New Jersey ended the week with a hard fought win in LA against the Lakers 102-100. That was the 3rd consecutive road victory for the Nets who defeated Seattle and Portland after starting the trip with a loss at Utah. This streak follows a 6 game losing streak after Vince Carter was hurt. New Jersey is 6-2 in games Carter has played and 1-5 in games he missed. Obviously stopping Vince Carter would appear to be vital for any success. The leading scorer for the Nets is Richard Jefferson at 25.1 ppg. Jason Kidd is 3rd on the team in scoring at 11.4 ppg but is shooting a tepid 36.2% from the floor and only 29.6% from the arc. New Jersey needs to avoid being overconfident after that late night West Coast win and flying back to the East Coast. That is tough physically especially if they believe this is an easy win. Earlier this season New Jersey had big wins on the road only to lose to Seattle and Portland at home.

Bad News for the Grizzlies Defense:
Opponents are shooting 47.7% against Memphis (last in the NBA)

Good News for the Grizzlies Defense:
New Jersey is shooting only 41.3% (2nd to last in the NBA)

Who's the #1 Option on Offense?

Both teams head into this game with an apparent transformation occurring on offense. For the Griz, Rudy Gay, not Pau Gasol, is leading the team in points per game and shot attempts per game. For the Nets, Richard Jefferson, not Vince Carter is leading the team in points per game and shot attempts per game.

Matchups:

Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is having a difficult season shooting the ball but don't let that confuse you with saying he is having a bad season. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kidd is second in the NBA in assists per game (10.4 apg), 12th in the NBA in steals per game (1.86 spg) and an amazing 24th in the league in rebounding (8.4 rpg). Not bad for an old point guard who can't shoot. Damon Stoudamire remains the starting point guard but not the closing point guard. He hasn't sounded upset about this position and he is playing at a surprisingly high level despite his limited minutes ranking 10th in the NBA in Assists per 48 minutes (10.4) but he isn't playing 48 minutes. He isn't even playing 20 mpg right now. Damon is shooting only 35.2% from the field but 39.5% from the arc. The real problem in this match up is that Kidd is 6-4 while the tallest Grizzlies PG is only 6-0.
Advantage: New Jersey

Shooting Guard: Juan Carlos Navarro vs Vince Carter
This appears on paper to be a horrific mismatch but somehow Navarro keeps playing well despite bad mismatches. Perhaps it is the lackadaisical style that Navarro has but as a starter Navarro is averaging 19.3 ppg, hitting 61.8% of his field goal attempts and 44.4% of his 3 pt attempts. Throw in 3 rebounds and 4 assists per game and he is making a strong case to remain a starter even after Darko returns. Vince Carter is no longer considered Superman but he is still an extremely dangerous scorer. The one aspect of his game missing so far is his 3 pt shot (23.1% from the arc). However since returning from his ankle injury Carter is 3 of 7 from outside. Once again size will be a problem in this match up and don't be surprised to see Miller move back to SG and a big man start instead of Navarro despite JCN's strong play as a starter.
Advantage: New Jersey

Small Forwards: Mike Miller vs Richard Jefferson
A classic battle of physical talents. Mike Miller made this summer's USA Basketball team because of his ability to spread defenses with his long range shot (42.1% from the 3 pt line) but has become a solid rebounder (7.5 rpg) and assist man at 3.8 apg. Richard Jefferson played on the USA basketball team in the Olympics in Athens. His combination of speed and leaping ability makes his a difficult stop for most SF's in the league (25.1 ppg) but his long range shooting has improved the most (41.2% this season). What's more RJ hasn't taken a back seat with Carter's return averaging 29 ppg since his return. This is now Jefferson's team offensively replacing Vince Carter but he hasn't been able to produce wins enough without Carter on the court.
Advantage: New Jersey

Power Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Malik Allen
With Nenad Kristic out the Nets have juggled their lineups looking for the right big man combination. It appears that the journey man Malik Allen has played relatively well in the starting role for New Jersey averaging 8 points and nearly 4 rebounds in his two starts. Rudy Gay has been phenomenal all season especially playing the 'Phoenix 4' averaging 18.6 ppg. What Rudy hasn't done well is rebound averaging fewer than 5 rpg but that seems to be changing. Rudy averaged 7 rpg in the last three games. Malik Allen will be very hard pressed to keep up with Rudy on the perimeter as well.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Pau Gasol vs Sean Williams
Among the major surprises among this season's rookies is Sean Williams. Sure his numbers don't look that impressive but don't let the 8.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg fool you. What he does is block shots and make shots. He could develop into the banger in the middle that the Nets sorely need. Pau seems to be recovering from his early season injuries to become the man in the middle the Grizzlies expected from day one. Gasol has not yet hit the boards the way the Grizzlies want but he is shooting around 50%, scoring around 20 ppg, blocking 2 shots per game and dishing out nearly 4 assists per game. If he starts grabbing 10 boards a game then the Grizzlies will be quite content.
Advantage: Memphis

Benches: Memphis vs New Jersey
New Jersey's bench has been decimated by injury but those same injuries may be the beginning of a far deeper team in New Jersey. Antoine Wright stepped up big when Vince Carter was out. Nenad Kristic's injury has allowed Malik Allen and Sean Williams to get off the bench and produce. Josh Boone and Jamaal Magliore provide potential and experience but neither have shown a lot do far. Former Grizzlies player Eddie Gill's signing shows the weakness New Jersey has at point guard. Bostjan Nachbar has range but but hasn't found accuracy yet this season. Kyle Lowry is showing rookie type errors in the uptempo style that Iavaroni favors. However, when he isn't making turnovers he is creating them. Stromile Swift is having a typical up and down Stro year. Casey Jacobsen and Tarence Kinsey are both losing ground in the battle for playing time as Hakim Warrick continues to make strides. When Darko returns Hakim and Stro will start battling for playing time.
Advantage: Memphis

Other Game Previews
Nets Daily
Joe Netsfan

Got a prediction for the final score? Leave it in the comments.