Game Preview: Nets @ Pacers

[kobimel]

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<font color=""Blue"">New Jersey Nets</font>@<font color=""navy"">Indiana Pacers</font>
Date & Time: Friday, November 11th 2005, 7:00 PM
Away/Home</div>

<div align="center">The Teams: Starting 5</div>

<div align="center">PG:

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Jason Kidd vs Jamaal Tinsley

SG:

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Vince Carter vs Stephen Jackson

SF:

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Richard Jefferson vs Ron Artest

PF:

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Jason Collins vs Austin Croshere

C:

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Nenad Krstic vs Jermaine O'Neal</div>

<div align="center">6th Men</div>

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Jeff McInnis vs Sarunas Jasikevicius</div>


<u><div align="center">Matchup To Watch</div></u>

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<font color=""Blue"">Richard Jefferson</font> vs <font color=""navy"">Ron Artest</font></div>

Jefferson has had a magical start to the season, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds, and nearly 6 rebounds per game. Tonight, though, he has to face one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the league, Ron Artest. Artest, after losing most of last season to a suspension, has been solid this season, playing his usual lockdown defense and adding 19 points per game to his stats. Both guys have proven their ability to get to the foul line, especially Jefferson, with 55 free throw attempts in 5 games. Artest is not too far behind with 38 of his own. But Jefferson(81% ft), unlike Artest(68% ft, has been hitting consistently and using that ability to his advantage, which may be one of his only advantages in this matchup, along with his rebounding, which he has taken to a whole new level this season. Artest is going to have a tough job containing one of the league's hottest players right now, but he's proven time and time again that he can do it. So it'll be up to Kidd and Carter to attact double teams and get RJ some breathing space and open shots, whithout Artest breathing down his shirt. On the other side, Artest doesn't have an easy defender either in Jefferson, but with Jermaine O'Neal attracting a lot of help inside from the guards, he'll be able to get open looks on dishes by O'neal to the perimeter.

The key for these guys is to use there threat of driving and attracting fouls to their advantage, attracting guys inside with their drives and then dishing out to the open man, whether it be Kidd or Carter or Murray or Jackson or Jasikevicius. Also, they need to use that same ability to get the opposing team's bigs into foul trouble.

<u><div align="center">Other Key Players</div> </u>

<font color=""blue""><u>Vince Carter</u></font>- VC is going to be very important tonight because he'll be needed to do two things: 1)Use his shooting and driving skills to put points on the board and/or get Jermaine O'Neal into foul trouble. 2)Attract Artest on a double-team and pass to the open man (probably Jefferson). If he can do those two things, or one of them at least, the game becomes that much easier for New Jersey.
<font color=""navy""><u>Jermaine O'Neal</u></font>- O'Neal is going to be even more important than Artest today for the Pacers: without him, their frontline of Austin Croshere and Scott Pollard even makes the Nets' bigs look good. He'll need to stay out of foul trouble, and take advantage of his size, strength, and skill to overpower Krstic/Collins/Jackson. Also, if he sees that he is double or triple teamed and can't get a shot or a foul, he has to be able to pass out to the open man (Artest, Jackson, etc.) for a good shot.
<u><font color=""Blue"">Nenad Krstic/Jason Collins/Marc Jackson</font> </u>- I'll make this short: they either contain O'Neal, help get him into foul trouble, and get an easy inside matchup, or they don't.

<div align="center"><font color=""blue""><u>Nets' Keys to the Game</u></font></div>

CONTAIN O'NEAL AND GET HIM INTO FOUL TROUBLE This is the most important priority for the Nets. Even if it means leaving somebody open, the Nets need to do whatever it takes to shut O'neal down. They don't have an all-star big man to do it alone, so it'll take a big team effort. Also, it's up to Carter and Jefferson to show their ability to drive and pile up the fouls on O'Neal, forcing him out of the game for streches.

Get Artest Away From Jefferson Artest will be sticking to RJ like glue, and that way, he'll have a really tough time doing his job. It's up to Carter to use his constant shooting and driving threat to get Artest away from RJ and get him better looks.

Artest Not Budging? Use Carter! If Ron does his job well on RJ and shuts him down, the Nets have Vince to go to for help, and he'll probably be there to give it. He will need to use his offensive skills to exploit Jackson, Jones, Jasikevicius's weaknesses on defense and either get easy buckets or get to the line.

<u><font color=""navy""><div align="center">Pacers' Keys to the Game</div></font></u>

Use O'Neal to the Max The Pacers need to use O'neal anytime they can, unless he's in very serious foul trouble, which the team needs to try and keep him out of. That means preventing drives, shutting down the paint already at the perimeter, and using other guys to double team BEFORE the player in blue reaches the basket and Jermaine. On offense, a lot of plays need to be run through him; whether it means getting the ball in the paint, attracting and double/triple team, and passing out to the open man for a shot/drive, or getting the ball in the middle and scoring himself.

Don't Let Carter Get Looks With the best defender guarding Jefferson, the Pacers will need to find a guy who can guard VC15. If the defense doesn't do a good job on him, the team will find themselves looking at a 30 or even 40 point game by Carter.

<u>Prediction</u>- Nets 86 Pacers 80

 

[Henacy]

I think the most concerning thing about a matchup like this is the fact that our frontline has already been exposed this year, only 5 or 6 games into the season. And we havent even faced a big close to the level of Oneal. I really have concerns on whether Krstic and Collins can stay out of foul trouble trying to deal with someone the level of J.Oneal, I think alot of pressure is going to fall on Marc Jackson and Cliff Robinson to give the team some quality minutes in this game.

Anyway, I love the spotlight matchup.....Jefferson in my opinion is the most complete small forward in the league (at the level he is playing now)but for the last 2 season that title, in my opinon, has belong to Artest.

Other then that, I would like to see some bench production....Nice job on the preview Kobimel

 

[XSV]

I wouldn't say our frontline is being exposed.No bigmen have really gone off on us. Milwaukee's backcourt killed us not their front. Anyway, Croshere can't play down-low so we'll really only be guarding JO there, and I think Collins and MJ will manage.

For the record, everybody thought we'd get killed on the boards this year, but we have yet to be outrebounded. IMO, that will be key for us this game.

 

[Henacy]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting virve119:</div><div class="quote_post">I wouldn't say our frontline is being exposed.No bigmen have really gone off on us. Milwaukee's backcourt killed us not their front. Anyway, Croshere can't play down-low so we'll really only be guarding JO there, and I think Collins and MJ will manage.

For the record, everybody thought we'd get killed on the boards this year, but we have yet to be outrebounded. IMO, that will be key for us this game.</div>

Exposed in the sense they cant stay out of foul trouble against size..why do you think Krstic is averaging over 5 fouls a game in 30 mpg and Collins is averaging 4 fouls in less then 30 mmpg. They have been exposed in the fact that they cant defend without fouling. And like you said we havent even had a bigman to really test them....Thats why Iam concerned with the presence Oneal brings to the table.

And we are out rebounding because of our perimeter guys...not the bigs. Jefferson is probably the best rebounding small forward outside of Shawn Marion...Kidd is the best rebounding pg and Carter is also helping out team rebounding.

 

[og15]

You guys need a major upgrade in your frontline. Right now aren't RJ, Carter and Kidd 1-2-3 in RPG on the team?

 

[kobimel]

^^^

Yup. They are, and we DO need a frontline upgrade. the question is, WHO can we bring in?

 

[Ma3oxuct]

I think that we could use an upgrade at power forward to bring in a guy who can block shots and rebound. Ofcourse such an upgrade will be costly since these type of players are seldom availible.

I think that the Nets need to figure out how to get the Job done with what they have. What have they have now I think is sufficent to win many games.

I think that the Pacers will win this game because as you said so well in your preview, Artest will shut down on of the big three. The Pacers will only need to have one guy guarding Jefferson while being able to double team Carter. The only option left is Kidd with is three point shot. And we very well know that the his three point shot does not go in as often as may be desired.

 

[NJNetz]

IMO this was a pretty horrible game. I expected the Nets to win or lose in a close game but not get blown out. Apperently even with the big three, the Nets can't beat the better teams like Miami and Indiana. Im hoping this will change soon.

 

[Henacy]

All three members of the big three have to play spectacular inorder for us to be competive against elite teams...and that imo opinion isnt a good thing because elite teams always find away to take away one or two of your strenghts..and that is when someone else who isnt projected to give your team a lift steps up. Now tonight RJ was taken out of the scope of the game. They didnt allow him to penetrate and when he did get in the lane every shot was contested...so the Nets needed someone else to step up and help provide a lift and it never came.

Right now, the production from the bench is so limited that the Nets are really hurt when they miss a guy like Robinson...he could have made a couple jumpers to loosen up that Pacers D. And he is probably the best option of guarding Oneal. But right now, guys have to look within themselves and determine what they came to New Jersey for...Murray, Padgett etc. They all said they came to be one a championship contender. Well this team isnt a contender without a bench.


Also now you guys see what I meant about the frontline being exposed. Krstic as good as he is cant defend...you can either score on him or get to the line almost everytime. And also against a team like the pacers you cant rebound against them if your bigs cant do work on the boards...no matter how good your perimeter guys are on the boards...because Artest can match your wings on the boards and as the pshyical strenght to box Carter and Jefferson out

 

[XSV]

I'm not too concerned. We were missing our two best defensive bigs in Collins and Robinson. Padgett was killing us, we sorely missed JC especially. He's kind of our defensive leader out there.