I don’t put too much Nets stuff on here mainly because they suck, but also because anything Xs and Os related I do about the Nets usually goes up on my Nets’ blog NetsAreScorching (shameless plug I know). I was hoping to get some sort of post up today, but with my schedule that isn’t going to happen.  So I thought the best thing to do was instead of just not having anything go up, I’d post some of the Nets’ related stuff I have done recently that you may not have seen if you don’t check out my Nets site (you probably should though):

Derrick Favors and How He Fits with the Nets:

Before the news that the Nets are leaning towards Wesley Johnson hit today, it seemed like the Nets were deciding between DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors.  I like Derrick Favors, because he fits better with the Nets:

If you were to think of one word that has been associated with Derrick Favors so far, that word would be “raw.”  That is all you hear from some scouts and draft experts.  While he might be raw when it comes to basketball skills (his shooting ability for example), there are two things that catch your eye when you watch Favors play.

The first is his work ethic on the basketball court.  Georgia Tech’s offense was very helter skelter during this past season, and that is putting it nicely.  There would be series of five to ten straight possessions where Derrick Favors wouldn’t even get a touch.  Despite all of that, every time down the court, Favors would get to his spot on the court and post up, just as hard and strong as the last time (even though he didn’t get the basketball).

The second thing you notice is Favors’ basketball IQ.  Despite being “raw,” Favors seems to know what he is doing with the basketball.  In the four or five games I was able to see, Derrick Favors never looked flustered.  He was comfortable with the basketball and always knew where he wanted to go with it.  He also does the little things.  We already talked about Favors putting his hands up when retreating to his man, but he also runs the floor very well, knows how to properly space out the court, and instinctively chins the basketball when grabbing a rebound, getting those elbows out and preventing defenders from reaching in and stealing it.

What The Nets Defense Will Look Like:  Against The Pick & Roll

Avery Johnson, the new Nets coach, mentioned that he is going to bring the same defensive philosophy he used in Dallas to New Jersey.  I took a look at what that might look like:

The Pick And Roll

From what I watched, it seemed that the Mavs had two ways to defend the screen and roll.  They play it one way when the ball handler is a shooting threat and another way when the ball handler isn’t a threat shooting the basketball.
Non-shooter

So Leandro Barbosa is handling the ball and gets a screen from Shawn Marion.  Here, the Mavs don’t consider Barbosa a shooting threat, so they are going to go under the screen.  It isn’t as simple as that though.  To make it easier to get under the screen and to the other side, preventing the penetration, Dirk needs to do some work here.  Dirk takes a few steps back, creating a lane for Devin Harris to bust through.

This frees up the lane for Devin, and he is able to cut off Barbosa’s penetration to the basket.

So check that stuff out, and look for a new post coming tomorrow.