Post by Rocky on Aug 2, 2008 14:58:52 GMT -5
Nets Eye Pierce’s Return With Optimism
*These points will go to Blue after I write the other 3 articles for him. I will owe him 2 RCs*
The New Jersey Nets are currently sitting at 15-9 through 40 days, deadlocked with the Philadelphia 76ers atop the Atlantic Division. With a .625 winning percentage that projects out to 51 wins, the Nets are enjoying one of the better starts in team history. Yet, general manager Mark Kelley speaks of the team in a hushed, and even disappointed, tone.
“Am I disappointed? I’m not sure if disappointed is the right word,” Kelley said. “This team hasn’t been at full strength much of the season at all. Part of our optimism coming into the season stemmed from the impending trade with Chicago that would net us Paul Pierce, a guy we considered to be a top-3 scorer in the entire league. We played the first set of games without him, and then after 4 games he went down with a broken arm. So no, disappointment isn’t the right word. In fact, I’d almost consider our start to be encouraging. We’ve gone 15-9 through 24 games, having had our best scorer (Pierce) in the lineup for only 4 of those contests.”
Indeed, the acquisition of Pierce was made with the assumption that he’d be able to suit up for more than just a handful of games. However, while Kelley wishes Pierce an injury-free regular season, he also knows that Paul’s most important games in New Jersey will come in the postseason.
“It’s not exactly a secret that we brought Paul in here for his postseason success,” Kelley said. “He won a title with the Knicks and helped lead the Bulls to another Finals appearance, even at an advanced age. I’m still surprised at how we fared in last season’s playoffs – a round one sweep wasn’t anything that we expected after dealing for (Baron) Davis and (Elton) Brand. But what we did learn from that series is that we didn’t have the type of offensive firepower that the truly elite teams have. Ideally, my team’s will have a pass-first PG who can score when he needs to. Acquiring Pierce allows us to target Paul, Elton, and Michael (Redd), while letting Baron simply worry about distributing and defending.
“I don’t believe that there is a better starting lineup in the league than ours once Paul comes back. If we can remain injury-free throughout the remainder of the season then I really like our chances to do something that makes our fans proud.”
Pierce’s arm injury will have him out for another 16 days, after which the Nets can begin to tinker with various lineups with an eye towards the playoffs. Their ability to play any style of basketball should put them as one of the true contenders for BBS’ ultimate crown.
*These points will go to Blue after I write the other 3 articles for him. I will owe him 2 RCs*
The New Jersey Nets are currently sitting at 15-9 through 40 days, deadlocked with the Philadelphia 76ers atop the Atlantic Division. With a .625 winning percentage that projects out to 51 wins, the Nets are enjoying one of the better starts in team history. Yet, general manager Mark Kelley speaks of the team in a hushed, and even disappointed, tone.
“Am I disappointed? I’m not sure if disappointed is the right word,” Kelley said. “This team hasn’t been at full strength much of the season at all. Part of our optimism coming into the season stemmed from the impending trade with Chicago that would net us Paul Pierce, a guy we considered to be a top-3 scorer in the entire league. We played the first set of games without him, and then after 4 games he went down with a broken arm. So no, disappointment isn’t the right word. In fact, I’d almost consider our start to be encouraging. We’ve gone 15-9 through 24 games, having had our best scorer (Pierce) in the lineup for only 4 of those contests.”
Indeed, the acquisition of Pierce was made with the assumption that he’d be able to suit up for more than just a handful of games. However, while Kelley wishes Pierce an injury-free regular season, he also knows that Paul’s most important games in New Jersey will come in the postseason.
“It’s not exactly a secret that we brought Paul in here for his postseason success,” Kelley said. “He won a title with the Knicks and helped lead the Bulls to another Finals appearance, even at an advanced age. I’m still surprised at how we fared in last season’s playoffs – a round one sweep wasn’t anything that we expected after dealing for (Baron) Davis and (Elton) Brand. But what we did learn from that series is that we didn’t have the type of offensive firepower that the truly elite teams have. Ideally, my team’s will have a pass-first PG who can score when he needs to. Acquiring Pierce allows us to target Paul, Elton, and Michael (Redd), while letting Baron simply worry about distributing and defending.
“I don’t believe that there is a better starting lineup in the league than ours once Paul comes back. If we can remain injury-free throughout the remainder of the season then I really like our chances to do something that makes our fans proud.”
Pierce’s arm injury will have him out for another 16 days, after which the Nets can begin to tinker with various lineups with an eye towards the playoffs. Their ability to play any style of basketball should put them as one of the true contenders for BBS’ ultimate crown.
