Nets Intend to Ride Their Rookies

[NJNetz]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Free agent signing season began yesterday with Jacque Vaughn departing and Cliff Robinson a fax away from returning. And while other teams went about their business acquiring new players or tendering offer sheets, the Nets seemed content focusing on their rookie class, signing Marcus Williams and Josh Boone. Hassan Adams should sign soon as well and Serbian newspapers say talks have begun with Mile Ilic. Can the four provide the bench strength missing last season? The Nets say yes.</div>

Source

 

[Next Level Game]

It'll be tough for four rookies to immediately break in and play well. They might show spurts, but for a over 90 game season? I'm not sure.... Playoffs will be the biggest test and both Boone and Williams have underperformed in the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. Hasaan Adams was reason why Illinois pulled off that miracle come back two seasons ago. He held the ball for too long then jacked up a three wayyy too late and it costed them the Final Four. Ilic will have the same problems foreigners have too...

 

[Invinceable]

I wouldn't rely so much on the rookies. We really don't know if they can perform once the regular season begins. If they actually do well, then you can say the Nets got lucky but if they bust, then the Nets screw themselves up. I hope they can actually find someone that is not a rookie and can contribute to help the team out.

 

[XSV]

^^Yep Williams sure did suck. 20 and 8 in the NCAA tournament really blows

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[Next Level Game]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Yep Williams sure did suck. 20 and 8 in the NCAA tournament really blows</div>

Where did UConn go? Did they not lose to GEORGE MASON this year? When they were a #1 ranked team? When they were #1 in the nation for a good portion of the season? George Mason didn't even have a player taller than 6-7 in Jai Lewis. And Jai Lewis completely MAN HANDLED Josh Boone for a game high of 20 points.

Before that:

Did not UConn not lose to Syracuse in the Big East championships? SYRACUSE. Not even a ranked team. Not even close to being ranked. SYRACUSE. Great teams don't lose to Syracuse, even if they caught fire.

Lets go back to last year.

Who lost to Bucknell in the second round. I'll be surprised if you can even name the starters for Bucknell without looking it up.

Yes, they sucked in the Tournament. It's more than stats. THats what the regular season is about. This is about WINNING the tournament. Not averaging 20 points 8 assists. If you're content with averaging 20 and 8 and losing instead of averaging 10 and 4 and winning, then I have no point in arguing with you.

 

[NJNetz]

It looks like Nets will depend on a lot on the rookies now. Pretty much all of the players we wante in the free agency are gone. We pretty much see a similiar roster to last year with the rookies. They will have a lot on their hands, so they better step up to the challenge.

 

[XSV]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting nextlevelgame:</div><div class="quote_post">Where did UConn go? Did they not lose to GEORGE MASON this year? When they were a #1 ranked team? When they were #1 in the nation for a good portion of the season? George Mason didn't even have a player taller than 6-7 in Jai Lewis. And Jai Lewis completely MAN HANDLED Josh Boone for a game high of 20 points.

Before that:

Did not UConn not lose to Syracuse in the Big East championships? SYRACUSE. Not even a ranked team. Not even close to being ranked. SYRACUSE. Great teams don't lose to Syracuse, even if they caught fire.

Lets go back to last year.

Who lost to Bucknell in the second round. I'll be surprised if you can even name the starters for Bucknell without looking it up.

Yes, they sucked in the Tournament. It's more than stats. THats what the regular season is about. This is about WINNING the tournament. Not averaging 20 points 8 assists. If you're content with averaging 20 and 8 and losing instead of averaging 10 and 4 and winning, then I have no point in arguing with you.</div>

Actually, last year they lost to NC St., not Bucknell. Kansas lost to Bucknell. Two years ago, which was Boone's rookie year, they won it all. So get your facts straight before you start acting like a smart-ass. The only team GMU lost to was the team that killed UCLA in the finals.

 

[NTC]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting nextlevelgame:</div><div class="quote_post">Where did UConn go? Did they not lose to GEORGE MASON this year? When they were a #1 ranked team? When they were #1 in the nation for a good portion of the season? George Mason didn't even have a player taller than 6-7 in Jai Lewis. And Jai Lewis completely MAN HANDLED Josh Boone for a game high of 20 points.

Before that:

Did not UConn not lose to Syracuse in the Big East championships? SYRACUSE. Not even a ranked team. Not even close to being ranked. SYRACUSE. Great teams don't lose to Syracuse, even if they caught fire.

Lets go back to last year.

Who lost to Bucknell in the second round. I'll be surprised if you can even name the starters for Bucknell without looking it up.

Yes, they sucked in the Tournament. It's more than stats. THats what the regular season is about. This is about WINNING the tournament. Not averaging 20 points 8 assists. If you're content with averaging 20 and 8 and losing instead of averaging 10 and 4 and winning, then I have no point in arguing with you.</div>

virve119 was talking about Marcus Williams in specific, who also put on a very impressive showing during the summer league, so I dont understand why you found it necessary to bark on about UConn's past failiures.

 

[Next Level Game]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting virve119:</div><div class="quote_post">Actually, last year they lost to NC St., not Bucknell. Kansas lost to Bucknell. Two years ago, which was Boone's rookie year, they won it all. So get your facts straight before you start acting like a smart-ass. The only team GMU lost to was the team that killed UCLA in the finals.</div>

My mistake, but nonetheless I'm 90% right. My facts are right if you watch the game. Florida is the worst NCAA team to win a championship in the last decade. It's a shame Illinois had to take 2nd place when they easily would've destroyed Florida. Don't try to cover up UConn's loss to GMU either. They shouldn't have beaten UConn. In the tourney game, it was Marcus Williams who costed them the win. That and Boone's deficiency to play defense on a much shorter Jai Lewis. Marcus in the waning minutes of the game refused to give the ball to Rudy Gay who was 8-6, and their leading scorer with 20 points. In stead it was Marcus going 1 on four, putting up tough floaters and pull up jumpshots trying to be hero. He did so in the Syracuse game too.

Boone winning the finals is completely irrelevant. He played big minutes but Emeka and Ben Gordon were running the show. With those two stars, Boone only had to rebound which he does well. He was touted big coming out that year, potentially even being borderline lottery pick cause he was young athletic, and seemed to have work ethic. I'm not questioning is ethic, but problem is that he didn't gain anymore skills. He still has no post moves. He fades in games and never really made his presence known and soon Hilton Armstrong became better though he didn't get the opportunities Boone did.

virve119 was talking about Marcus Williams in specific, who also put on a very impressive showing during the summer league, so I dont understand why you found it necessary to bark on about UConn's past failiures.[/quote

virve replied to my statement so he's talking about what I am. Read the thread again, chronologically. I was talking about the post season for UConn in which Marcus and Boone played. Furthermore, I bring up UConn's failures cause teams lose games not individual players. They had 6 potential draft players and they blew it. This isn't about the summer league, which doesn't really mean much cause Skita has averaged 20/10/5 last season and now can't find a team.