Net's 19/20 Mid Season Report Cards

[Stone]

I know we are on a four game losing streak but let's do our best to be fair to our guys when giving our thoughts and assessments.

Jarrett Allen - Grade B ... His rebounding is up from last year, his free throw shooting is lower. He is a hair under averaging a double double. I have Big Jay as our most improved player of the season so far. I would like to see him shoot a little more when he is wide open.

Wilson Chandler - C... I was not expecting much out of him. He has only played in 14 games so the jury is still out. So far he has not hurt us but has not really helped either. He is definitely one of the guys we need to step up.

Nic Claxton- B... For a guy has so far played 156 minutes he sure has made an impression. Love the energy, the ball handling, the spirit. He hit his first three after 6 misses. That shows me he is not a quitter. I think it was Spencer that called him "The second most talented guy on the team" during preseason. This kid is a keeper.

Spencer- A... I shutter to think where we would be right now without Spencer stepping it up when Kyrie and Caris went down. He is a border line all-star, and was honored with a well deserved Player of the week.

Kevin Durant- Incomplete- I had to include him because I still cannot believe he is a Net.

Joe Harris- C...I think that Joe playing over the summer is effecting him. His numbers are down from last season and other teams defenses play him tight. When KD comes back next season it's going to open things up for Joe. He's been called "Swiss army knife" and those are always good to have.

Kyrie Irving- A+++++++++++++ ( A red ryder BB gun...... ). I dont care what anybody says this guy is an amazing talent and leader. He wants to be a Net. He is still a young guy with plenty in the tank. My only concern is that I hope his shoulder issue gets resolved.

DeAndre Jordan-B....He does a lot that does not show up in the stat column. I believe he has helped Big Jay improve and will also help Nic A lot. To quote RJ "What a luxury" to have a guy like DJ coming off the bench.

Rodions Kurucs- D...It dissapoints me to give Rodi a D but he has regressed from last season. I hope he can turn it around.

Caris Levert- C minus....The elephant in the room....62% from the stripe. He has only played in 17 games so I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think with all the injuries his stock has dropped. But he is one of those guys that is capable of taking a big step forward improvement wise.

TLC- C plus.....The guy is shooting almost 40% from 3. Another good energy guy who plays hard on defense. For a 13TH guy I have no complaints about TLC.

Dzanan Musa- D......Not developing as I hoped. I know he is only 20 and has potential. But I see him as an overseas player.

David Nwaba - B....I know he is not with us any longer, but he brought a lot of hustle and hard work. I thought he deserves recognition and I wish him the best.

Theo Pinson- D....Too many turnovers, too many wild shots...

Taurean Prince- C plus.....Decent 3 point shooter. But streaky and sometimes doesn't know when to stop throwing up bricks. Hopefully with Kyrie back he won't feel the need to do so much.

Garrett Temple-C.....The talent is there, I just he would be more consistent. I sometimes feel he doesn't hurt us but at the same time doesn't' help us.

Kenny Atkinson-B....Kenny needs to fix our 4TH quarter problem. Were like -10. We have seen too many close heartbreakers that could have went our way. He has a difficult job and no matter how it goes this season I want to see him return next season.

The Nets Team- C Minus.......I'm not going to lie, I thought we would be a least a 500 team at this point. But I'm not concerned, I know if this team is healthy we can compete on the highest level.

[MrDollarBills]

I need to think about this for awhile. My grades will not be as generous for some folks on this roster.

[Papi_swav]

Jarret Allen - B ... he's had some stretches where he hasn't showed up, but he's still very young and still a little raw. I would like him to add muscle, a hook shot , and jumpshot

Chandler- B- ... I didn't expect anything out of him honestly but he's been ok. Should be a 12-15th man though.

Claxton - A- ... A 2nd round pick I didn't even expect to see him play this early but he's ahead of the curve and we all know his potential is high. Great production out of the limited minutes he's played, he's making the most out of it.

Din- A ... Without him we're definitely rock bottom worst team in the league. Even though he's cost us some games and made some really bad plays , nobody is perfect. He's produced at an all star level and has improved every season.

Joe Harris - B ... one of Marks diamonds in the rough. Never thought he was ever going to be a real NBA player. He's still one of the top shooters in the league and he puts in the effort. He's doing more than he should which is why his numbers are down but he is important for our team.

Kyrie - C ... Several reasons. He was suppose to be leading us into playoff contention, and he still has time to but, we have not stepped it up with him here. 5-10 with him in the lineup. Then you add the off the court distractions with the media. And we have to take into account that he missed 20 plus games.

DJ - B+ ... perfect backup center and has stepped it up.

Kurucs- C... I don't think his playing woes are on him. Kenny hasn't given him playing time for him to get into rhythm. He is still the same player but Kenny needs to give him some burn . Last season, we took off when we entered him into the starting lineup. I don't see why the same can't happen now. Need to swap him for Prince.

Levert- C... He got injured AGAIN. Now that he's back he hasn't elevated to what we extended him for and hoped for. Still has time and we know he starts off slow so I wait on him but he needs to at least make his shots.

TLC- A ... He's on a 2 way contract I believe and I didn't expect much from him. But he can shoot, take it to the hole and he plays hard on defense. He makes the most out of his minutes and he's been a spark off the bench a few times. Hoping this is one of Marks diamonds in the rough again, he needs to be resigned.

Musa- D+ ... He's shown he doesn't even belong in the league. I don't know what he does good.

Nwaba- A ... this was our defensive stopper. Man I miss this dude sooo much and he only played like 20 games for us. This team definitely needs his energy and defense now more than ever.

Pinson- D ... he's a great cheerleader

Prince- C- ... if his shot isn't falling, he's useless. Plays ok man d but gets lost on team defense. Turnovers, missed layups, can't dribble . Worst IQ on the team.

Temple- C+... he's had a few games early in the year where his 3 pt shooting helped us win but he's been on a bad slump for like a month or 2. Does a little bit of everything but he shouldn't be playing more than 20 minutes. He's a bench player.

Kenny- C ... 4th quarter melt downs will always fall on the coach. We've had soooooo many heart breaking losses. He gets out coached. His rotations are not so great and he's stubborn. He sticks to the same rotations even when it hasn't worked for the 100th time. He repeatedly benches the hot hands for stoopid rotations. Mehhh . He's has pros and cons.

Nets team- C- ... record is horrible. We don't want to make it to the playoffs it look like and we don't deserve it. But we already know this is about next year and going forward so whatev.

[MrDollarBills]

Jarrett Allen - C+. He's been up and down but for the most part he's been a lot better at being aggressive around the rim and he doesn't get pushed around as much. He still has a ways to go and needs to add something offensively.

Wilson Chandler - F. He's been pretty bad and he sucks as a floor spacer. I would rather have Shumphert back to be honest

Nic Claxton- INCOMPLETE: He needs to play more. Period.

Spencer- B+. Spencer has carried this team through much of the season, but I have to be critical of his FT shooting, abysmal shooting from 3, and the critical errors he has made in 4th quarters. He's good enough to clean up these areas.

Joe Harris- B-. Joe just hasn't been much of a factor as of late because teams are taking him away and daring others to fire up bricks. He is still highly efficient and has come up with some huge plays in the games we have won.

Kyrie Irving- B+. He's been great when he's available, but that's the problem...the lack of availability has not done on our court chemistry any favors. Individually however, he is a flat out stud at his position.

DeAndre Jordan- C-. DJ has his good nights and his nights where he has low energy. However, when he's really good, he gives this team a massive boost. His positive attitude and tutelage of Allen and Claxton have been invaluable.

Rodions Kurucs- D. Rodi would have gotten an F, but he's really starting to turn things around. He frankly should start at PF.

Caris Levert- F. He has been flat out abysmal on both ends of the floor. I know he's coming back from injury but he is not a kid anymore, he needs to hold himself accountable and play better. a PER of 9 is embarrassing.

TLC- B-. A pleasant surprise. Dude is a scrappy defender and on offense he's one of the few guys on the wing that can drive off the dribble and score, and his 3point shooting has been solid. A keeper imo.

Dzanan Musa- D. Musa tries hard and competes defensively but he just can't seem to put together anything consistent. He's also very young, so patience is needed.

Theo Pinson- F. Theo is great as a towel waver, but he should not play meaningful minutes.

Taurean Prince- D. I love his three point shooting but the guy needs to be more efficient. He's currently a negative for us offensively despite being a 35% 3 point shooter. He needs to play better and be consistent.

Garrett Temple- C-. GT does what he can, but he's not a guy who should have had the usage that he's had this season.

Kenny Atkinson- D. Kenny needs to get these guys to stop letting go of the rope in the 4th quarters. We've given away too many games this season.

The team overall gets a D. I'm not amused right now with this crap.

[ecuhus1981]

I think that perspective is important here. I will do my best not to allow recency bias to affect my grades. However, as professionals I still expect them to produce in whatever role they occupy, whether they came into the season planning for it or not. Here goes:

ALLEN: B - he's made strides despite frustrating limitations, and is having a ridiculously efficient season in a low-usage role
PRINCE: D - he can shoot 3's sometimes, his team D makes him nigh unplayable, he rebounds well, his dribble-drive and finishing in the paint are atrocious
HARRIS: C - he has proven unable thus far to adapt to a true sniper's defensive attention, too deferential, too timid, too prone to panic dribbling, has improved his finishing and made some gutsy hustle plays at ends of games
DINWIDDIE: B - 80% A+, 20% F this season, there is almost no in-between. I shudder to think of this team's record and psyche without him, though he may be a wonky fit next to the team's 2 stars, whenever they take the court.
IRVING: B - if not for his mouth and his shoulder, A all the way. Yes, his mouth is part of the equation; it wouldn't be a problem, but his quotes have MADE it a problem. I'm not a shut-up-and-dribble guy, but he needs to acknowledge the damage he does to the team chemistry, and keep his comments to a minimum. He has never had to take the defensive responsibility that he'll need to shoulder (pun intended), in order for us to win consistently. That's not fun for him, and you know what? Doing the not-fun necessary thing is part of leadership, more than hot takes. When he's on and playing, we're a much higher caliber team, and we need a steady run of his presence to adjust to and maximize his effect.

Jordan: C - On-court, sometimes he's a ridiculous luxury, other times he's cancerous carcass. Off-court, he's a saint and a great motivator for our young bigs. I really think he needs to be load managed, he either needs to play with fresh legs or not at all.
Kurucs: C - It's not his fault, but it is his responsibility. Legal troubles have affected his chicken, but he's pushed past it of late to put in some electric performances.
Chandler: D - Bloated and out of sync despite practicing with the team, he may not ever be the seamless fit we need.
Cabarrot: A - a gem of a reclamation project, TLC is the 3&D roleplayer we need.
Temple: B - horrid shooting for a month, and STILL merits an above average grade. His presence correlates strong with us not sucking on defense, and he's at least a functional tertiary playmaker.

Claxton: A - beyond a steal, he sometimes looks like the only Net whose heart hasn't been ripped out. His physical gifts and skill set are truly rare. Slow-playing his responsibility may be the right move on paper, but similar to Rodi last year, we simply need him too much to delay his ascension.
Musa: F - he truly has juiced all that I feel he can extract from his talent, and it just isn't enough. He puts in extra work, he lacks nothing for confidence, he just is not an NBA player. Shot form is awkward and pushed, cannot elevate or create space in the lane. He can create, but rarely capitalizes on it since defenders don't have to respect his J or his drive.
Pinson: F - the worst 3rd-string PG I've seen in a long time. Can't shoot a lick at this level, yet he can't stop himself from calling his own number in half-court sets. Coughs up the ball like crazy, applies no defensive pressure. Illiterate at reading the pro game. The S list is long.
Chiozza: I - I've liked the little I've seen.

[NetsJets]

Spencer Dinwiddie- A
Kyrie Irving- B
Caris Levert- D
Joe Harris- C (he’s not shooting the 3 that well)
Taurean Prince- D
Jarrett Allen- C
DeAndre Jordan- C
Rodians Kurucs- D (he’s come on strong lately though)
Garrett Temple- C
Cabarrot- C
Musa- F
Theo Pinson- F
Wilson Chandler- F
Nic Claxton- Incomplete
Kenny Atkinson- D

[Claud]

Allen = B
Prince = C+
Harris = B-
Dinwiddie = B+
Kyrie = B-
DJ = B-
Kurucs = C
Chandler = C-
Claxton = B
LeVert = C
TLC = C+
Musa = D+
Temple = C+
Pinson = D+
Kenny = C+

[MrDollarBills]

Interesting how diverse some of our grades are. do you guys think i'm being too harsh by giving Prince and LeVert's F grades? I think posting 9 PER ratings is inexcusable. They are flat out playing poorly and I think the fact that they both got extended also contributes to that. Where is the sense of urgency? Or are they cool with it because they are now set for life? It's really frustrating to see two guys who I KNOW can do better continue to play inconsistent basketball, especially LeVert.

[Shark]

Dinwiddie: B -For a while it looked like he might just be able to carry this team. And he did, but it all came crashing down during the 7 game losing streak before Kyrie's return. Started looking for calls way too much. He's not nearly as consistent a facilitator for the rest of the team either. When he's at his best he's worried about getting calls and getting his teammates involved. With Kyrie and LeVert's return there's been some shift back towards his better self, but one glaring issue that isn't going away is his FT shooting (really a team wide problem)

Harris: C -Tough grade to give him all things considered, but I think its fair. He's been asked to do more and isn't quite at the level to be able to do so. He's had to put the ball on the floor way more this season with teams trying to keep him off the 3pt line and Kyrie and LeVert missing extended time.

Prince: D -Much like Harris he's been asked to do more than he's really able to do, but has handled it worse. Extremely streaky shooter and has had some killer low BBIQ plays. And that's the most worrisome part. I'd like to think that he could be an exceptional bench piece, but there's only so many weaknesses a move to the bench can cover up. I think the most shocking part of his game is just how bad he can be on defense. Gets lost often.

Kyrie: B -Before the injury he was doing everything you would expect of a star. Really did his best to carry the team when we had multiple guys struggling. After the injury he's been alright. Could attribute some of his play to getting back in game rhythm. Want to see him get do a better job of getting teammates involved when he's struggling (the Philly game being a prime example). Still easily our best player so far this season though.

Allen: C -Allen's had some serious ups and downs and he's show lots of flashes of just how good he could be despite having a rather limited offensive skillset. Still disappointed that he hasn't been able to maintain some sort of consistency in his 3rd year and that is the next hurdle he needs to clear.

Temple: C -Another guy who has been asked to do more than you'd want (its a theme this season), and he's done a good job. Can shoot himself into a hole at times, but did a ok job as primary ballhandler for the bench unit while we had all the injury issues.

Jordan: C -Things looked bad early on. Poor effort, low BBIQ plays. Then something switched on and he was a great asset off the bench. Still has some bad games though. He's also been asked to be more of a facilitator for the bench unit at time with less than stellar result more often than not. He's a good passer for a big, but really don't want to see him in a facilitator's role and with LeVert back that shouldn't be as big of an issue.

LeVert: D -As a big supporter it kills me to give him this grade, but he really hasn't done much to deserve more. Still isn't great from 3, and his finishing from mid/close range has been wildly inconsistent as well. On top of that he's become quite inefficient and a turnover machine. Could give him the excuse that injuries may have derailed him a bit, but its really tough to excuse the low BBIQ plays that he makes more often than not. Defense has also see a big drop off.

Kurucs: D -Generally a positive of late, but its hard to overlook his absolutely horrendous start. Had no idea what to do with the ball. Low energy and low BBIQ play. But as Kenny has reintroduced him into the rotation the old Rodi has come back. Still need to play under a bit more control, but I like the energy that he's brining. If he keeps it up this rating will look a lot better at the end of the season.

Chandler: D -Hasn't really brought much to the team. And while its not entirely his fault, he's been worse than Shumpert, who he replaced on the roster. Thankfully just on a one year deal.

Musa: D -Love the effort, but he's still not quite up to level. Has shown some small flashes of being a capable passer. Still feels just a tad too slow for the NBA though. And needs time to improve his craftiness.

Pinson: F -Fun guy to watch cheerleading on the bench, seems to keep the mood light. But absolutely awful when playing. Terrible shot selection. I know he's the end of the bench guy, but would hope he'd play a lot smarter than he has when his number has been called.

TLC: B -A minor miracle being able to get the most out of him. Has played with plenty of energy and generally makes the right play. Shooting from 3 has been good and it'd be nice if guys found him more often when he has it going. A nice piece to have on this bench which has under performed for most of the season.

Claxton: NA- In limited action he's show a lot of potential. Really high motor, aggressive finisher, and a workable jump shot. Would be great if Kenny could still find him some minutes after Jordan comes back, but probably better off getting more playing time in the G League to refine his game.

Kenny- D -I really like Kenny as a player development guy, but as the coach of a win-now team its a bit tougher to love him. Struggles to make changes on the defensive end. So much so that it was shocking to see him go to a box and one against the Rockets. Also struggles with the rotation a bit. This teams 4th quarter execution has been atrocious and the opposite of what we had last year. Yes, part of that can be blamed on the fact that we have guys in roles they typically aren't in due to injuries. But the amount of low BBIQ plays down the stretch of game is disturbing. Its one thing for guys to struggle in expanded roles, its another for them to make absolutely perplexing decisions.

Team overall- D -Too much low quality play at the end of games. Its really difficult to watch. Hope that when this roster gets an extended amount of time with good health, but that's not looking to good and this team isn't built for that kind of adversity. It's probably going to be a lost season and depending on where we are in the playoff hunt I wouldn't mind seeing KD just sit out this entire season.

[Prokorov]

Any Grade below A+ for kenny is absurd. You should stop watching basketball and all of pro sports if you think he has done anything but a great job. he should be in the running for coach of the year.

-8 new players to intigrate into his 9-11 man rotation
-His starting PF had legal trouble in preseason, making him limited/unavailable
-His new star PG got hurt a week in and missed 25 games
-His arguably 2nd or 3rd best player got hurt a couple weeks in and missed 20+ games
-He was forced to play D-leagues huge minutes as primary ball handlers (pinson/Musa)
-He had several wins in hand in the final seconds the team threw away with FTs (we have had 4 games where we were tied in 4th or OT and missed 1 or 2 free throws with less than 5 seconds to play)
-Tons of media distractions as people hate on kyrie or try and get headlines from him
-Jordan now out, kyrie day to day

Despite all of that we are an 8 seed and just 6 games under .500. if our guys hit free throws we would be 22-20 right now. like not oh "there are other factors". under 5 seconds, we have 1 or 2 free throws and its tied. make it and we win. we miss and go on to lose.

The hate on Kenny is the most unfathomable thing i've seen on this board... and we have seen alot of riddiculous praise and hating (Remember when Toko Shenglia was the next dirk?)

Like what do people want him to do? play spencer 48 minutes and get him to be efficent with 0 help, not play pinson but somehow have temple or musa be suitable kyrie replacements?

people want him to bench prince so that like what chandler can play more?

given his situation, no coach is doing much better

[Prokorov]

Interesting how diverse some of our grades are. do you guys think i'm being too harsh by giving Prince and LeVert's F grades? I think posting 9 PER ratings is inexcusable. They are flat out playing poorly and I think the fact that they both got extended also contributes to that. Where is the sense of urgency? Or are they cool with it because they are now set for life? It's really frustrating to see two guys who I KNOW can do better continue to play inconsistent basketball, especially LeVert.

Prince is a C- for me. I cant knock a guy for being asked to do more than he is capable of because of injuries.

Levert F i think is warranted a bit more, he missed a ton of time and when he has played has been mostly awful outside of a couple good 4th quarters but id probably give him closer to a D+

Kyrie should get a B-. A+ play but missed too many games

Spencer should get an A+, play not always great and tailed off but was asked to shoulder this team and did so to a 13-13 record

Harris should get a B. shooting is down but again with everyone hurt he is now focused on. he provided alot of offense in other ways

Allen should get an A- he has been outstanding, especially on D where he is altering tons of shots and guarding guys on the perimeter and even simmons/giannis for big stretches.

Jordan should get a B+, despite some lapses in effort overall he has been great and an enormous upgrade to ed davis

There isnt a letter grade low enough for pinson and musa. you couldnt possible play worse. id expect any of us to step on the court and do as well. awful.

Kurucs gets a D+. coming on nicely the last week or so but missed a ton of time and struggled prior to this week

Claxton gets a C+ a couple games isnt enough to get higher. not enough minutes. room for improvement with mor ePT though

Chandler gets an D. he is terrible in every aspect but hits a 3 now and then so he avoids an F

Temple gets a B. solid D, some big games when everyone was hurt to help get some wins. leader, high iq.

Kenny A+++++ elite coaching

[DarkXaero]

Interesting how diverse some of our grades are. do you guys think i'm being too harsh by giving Prince and LeVert's F grades? I think posting 9 PER ratings is inexcusable. They are flat out playing poorly and I think the fact that they both got extended also contributes to that. Where is the sense of urgency? Or are they cool with it because they are now set for life? It's really frustrating to see two guys who I KNOW can do better continue to play inconsistent basketball, especially LeVert.

Not at all, both players have been garbage this season when they've played. We expected them to be positive contributors and they've been complete negatives after getting extensions.

[therealbig3]

Kyrie Irving gets nothing more than a D, maybe even an F. At best it's an I. Are you guys freaking serious? A guy that's barely played gets a B or A? He's contributed next to nothing with regards to winning games simply based on availability, and you have to the biggest homer in the world to act like he himself has been perfect and had absolutely nothing to do with us being what, 5-11 in games that he's played? Even if it's not specifically his fault, the fact that we WERE playing more winning basketball without him than with him means that for whatever reason, we play losing basketball with Kyrie on the court. Whether it's other players start playing worse, or maybe we all of a sudden become an all-offense, no-defense team, it's a damning thing. Easily the strongest argument against Kyrie being anything more than a D.

Dinwiddie is a B. He's putting up a lot more volume compared to last year, but you kind of knew he was always capable of playing well and being the lead guard of a team. But he's tailed off quite a bit, and his basketball IQ is disappointing. Could be a lot better if he just played smarter basketball.

Allen is a B. Was a beast for the first half of the season, but like Dinwiddie, he's tailed off big time.

Everyone else is a C or worse. Especially Levert, who's been injured for most of the year and has been god awful when he has played. He gets an F. Nobody other than Spencer and Allen have played up to or beyond expectations, with some players falling WAY short.

[Prokorov]

Kyrie Irving gets nothing more than a D, maybe even an F. At best it's an I. Are you guys freaking serious? A guy that's barely played gets a B or A? He's contributed next to nothing with regards to winning games simply based on availability, and you have to the biggest homer in the world to act like he himself has been perfect and had absolutely nothing to do with us being what, 5-11 in games that he's played? Even if it's not specifically his fault, the fact that we WERE playing more winning basketball without him than with him means that for whatever reason, we play losing basketball with Kyrie on the court. Whether it's other players start playing worse, or maybe we all of a sudden become an all-offense, no-defense team, it's a damning thing. Easily the strongest argument against Kyrie being anything more than a D.

Dinwiddie is a B. He's putting up a lot more volume compared to last year, but you kind of knew he was always capable of playing well and being the lead guard of a team. But he's tailed off quite a bit, and his basketball IQ is disappointing. Could be a lot better if he just played smarter basketball.

Allen is a B. Was a beast for the first half of the season, but like Dinwiddie, he's tailed off big time.

Everyone else is a C or worse. Especially Levert, who's been injured for most of the year and has been god awful when he has played. He gets an F. Nobody other than Spencer and Allen have played up to or beyond expectations, with some players falling WAY short.

kyrie has been great, evertything we could have hoped for. at worst a B-

[GTR11]

I agree with Chuck, Shaq and Kenny all the way. However they don't point out the reasons why? This league became so soft because the way officiating been trending. You can't even breath on certain players and touch fouls are killers. I've said it ten years ago this league will become trash if trend will go this direction. Soon enough NBA will merge with WNBA because it's b**** ass league.
PS. All them bums that were rooting for high scoring games be crying now too.

[GTR11]

Dinwiddie- B
Role players- C trending twords D
Kyrie and Caris- F. No one changed the main rule. Best ability is availability.

[gigantes]

(blue raspberry, cherry, grape, orange, pink lemonade & lemonade, in that order)

IMO the grades above aren't wrong, but I do find the level of entitlement here rather eye-opening.

To think that Prokhy, King and Razumov had almost totally stripped this team of assets & future assets as recently as three years ago, only for Marks and Co. to take over the joint, then perform an endless series of minor miracles given pretty much discarded scrap & detritus to work with, ONLY to get to the point where we fans are now feeling unhappy or even 'ripped off' because our 3rd-rate collection of talent is merely performing around one level above their natural levels, and not at the absolute top-tier?

Bonus pts-- ever hear of "choosing beggar" syndrome, with bonus pts for the entitled variety...?

Up until this Summer it seems like we've been a team & fanbase that enjoys putting our noses to the grindstone, who appreciates all our guys and all their efforts, and who stays sanely & cautiously optimistic... directly setting ourselves up for pleasant surprise after pleasant surprise.

Up til now, so to speak.

IMO this summer Sean Marks made the same move any sane GM would make by signing Kyrie and KD, and that's fine, but it also seems like we fans sort of completely lost our minds and our common sense right around that time. Not saying your critiques and praises are wrong about Kenny & co., just seems like we're kinda forgetting something pretty important here. *shrug*

[3pt_chucker]

Expectations have definitely tainted how we view this team. I mean we had the off-season of dreams, so it makes sense that most of us were expecting better things. However, even disregarding expectations this season has been a D so far.

The Nets(Brooklyn era) went from a team where expectations were never a championship.
1) Nets move to Brooklyn: Knew the team was a playoff team but were definitely missing pieces to be a contender
2) PP/KG trade: Super risky trade but if all goes perfect, they could guide us to maybe making at least the conference finals
3) Post Billy King: Super bleak, not expecting wins just finding young talent, from somewhere....anywhere
4) DLo 2 years: Maybe he can be franchise player? Just happy to see him grow around the young core and vets as guidance
5) Kyrie + KD: Championship contender when KD is healthy.

Even if we knew KD was going to be out a year, the expectations were to be Raptors-lite(w/o Kawhi). Not really a contender but a solid playoff team in the East. So far, the Nets do not look anything like a playoff team. Injuries have hurt but there have been few bright spots. My grades:
Grade rubric: A = outstanding B = Good C = Fine D = Disappointing F = Yikes

Kyrie: B-
This is a harsh grade but it’s mostly because of injury. He just hasn’t played enough games. When he has though, he’s looked great for the most part. I still will remember the way he started the season. He was majestic to watch regardless of results.
J. Allen: B
Allen has had stretches where he looks like the Nets Center of the future and then times when he looks like he won’t even get an extension. His defense has been good, he still great at blocking shots and can hold his own against guards and wings. His problem is still physicality. He looks 3-4 yrs away from being strong enough. His offense is still too limited.
Dinwiddie: A-
Spencer carried the team when the injury woes hit. We then saw his limit as team adjusted to his play style. Won’t pick holes into his game as he’s really a 6th man and kept the Nets afloat.
Joe Harris: B
Harris shooting hasn’t been the same but he’s a victim of the injuries. His role expanded and he’s had to do too much at times. He needs to get back into his role of knock down shooter, floor spacer who can drive to the rim occasionally and play pesky/smart D.
Prince: D+
There is sooo much not to like about Prince. I feel like he conned the Nets in the pre-season. He looked excellent then but as soon as the season started(post extension) he has been putrid. His 3pt shooting has been terrible, except November(only time he’s looked good) Defensively, he is decent 1v1 against guys his size or smaller but he’s a horrible team defender. Terrible BBIQ in general. #1 trade candidate.
LeVert: C+
Caris is on the border of fine and disappointing IMO. Got hurt again, which hurt his rhythm. He hasn’t looked like he has improved at anything except maybe 3pt shooting. He needs mins and a defined role to end the season. If he doesn’t start trending up/gain consistency, he might be traded in the offseason.
Temple: A-
Played a lot better than I was expecting. Got thrusted in the starting lineup and for a stretch played well. Looks like a solid bench contributor for next season.
Rodi: C-
Horrid start to the season but had showed flashes of getting better but Kenny clearly doesn’t trust him. Might flourish on another team(similar to Nets last yr) where he can get mins and grow. Hope Kenny shows more faith in him. Won’t hold my breath.
D. Jordan: B
Probably the laziest player on the roster but has been a steadying force for the 2nd unit most games. Better matchup against bigger Cs. His defense hasn’t been bad either especially at the rim. Best rebounder on the team
Claxton: TBD but provisional A
Has looked super promising every time he has played. The Bosh comparisons seem spit on. One of the few reasons to be excited about this season
Pinson: F
Just doesn’t look like an NBA player. Probably won’t be here next season. Nice guy, maybe he’ll go to Europe and have a solid career there.
Musa: D
Still young and D might be hard but while he’s been decent defensively his offense is not pretty to look at. His number are bottom of the league bad.
TLC: B
Looks like someone who can be a 12-13th man on the roster. Good length and decent shooting
Chandler: C+
Has missed way too many games. Has looked decent at times and poor others.
Kenny: C
Ok, this post is already too long, so I won’t make it too much longer. All I’ll say is before the season started, I was ok, with Kenny being the HC for when the Nets really try to win the chip(next 2 yrs) but now I won’t be angry if Marks make a coaching change. All the flaws he had when he started are pretty much still there with no signs of going away.

[Prokorov]

Expectations have definitely tainted how we view this team. I mean we had the off-season of dreams, so it makes sense that most of us were expecting better things. However, even disregarding expectations this season has been a D so far.

We have had Durant for 0 games and Kyrie has missed like 75% of them. So we basically havent added anything this year but prince and jordan(while losing Dlo). yet people act like Kyrie and durant played all 43 games the way the talk about disappointment

[ecuhus1981]

Expectations have definitely tainted how we view this team. I mean we had the off-season of dreams, so it makes sense that most of us were expecting better things. However, even disregarding expectations this season has been a D so far.

We have had Durant for 0 games and Kyrie has missed like 75% of them. So we basically havent added anything this year but prince and jordan(while losing Dlo). yet people act like Kyrie and durant played all 43 games the way the talk about disappointment

I feel you, Prok, extenuating circumstances demand consideration. At what point do we say, no matter what role you expected versus the role you are occupying, does this season become inexcusable? You mentioned that the next 7 games are against sub-.500 teams, and you believe we will make a clean sweep of them (already knowing that Nic and DJ are out).

What if we go 3-4 instead of 7-0, as you've predicted? Would it then be time to say that we have under-achieved, in your opinion?