GT: Utah Jazz @ Barclays Center - Monday, 1/2/17. 7:30pm. Joe Jesus returns

[MrDollarBills]

I wasn't referring to last night. I meant him paying for past transgressions. But like I said, I have no idea why he wasn't playing.

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kenny probably wanted spacing.

That's what I first suggested.

I just wish people would calm down with the criticism. He's a rookie too.

We do this with every single coach. At some point, we should probably estimate that coaching isn't that simple and that they're thinking about tons of things at once. They have to actually put together a product to sell to the fanbase, and we have the easy job of nitpicking every little thing.

He's going to screw up. Just like how Whitehead has some aggravating growing pains, Kenny has some too. Let's allow the dude grow before we go to Barclays with pitchforks and demand another coaching change only to do the same stuff over and over again every year.

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Thank you.

I'm giving the guy the benefit of a doubt and some room to grow as a coach. Also, it's really unfair to bury the coach when this roster is not up to snuff yet.

I mean I've seen people call for him to be fired (not here...on a particular blog)...its ridiculous.

[MrDollarBills]

I can't believe some of the things I'm reading here lol

Whitehead has been one of the best rookie guards in the league and finished with 11/6 including an incredible block on Rudy Gobert. Now, he's not apart of the future because makes...rookie mistakes? A kid who is learning a new position in a fast paced offense when most rookies are told to slow down the tempo. He's exceeded my expectations. It doesn't make his turnovers okay but it's to be expected in the same token.

You don't think Phoenix, Minny, Philadelphia, among other teams experience is the same issues? Because none of those teams are any good and they are filled with talent. I don't see Kris Dunn winning Rookie Of the Year or setting the world on fire. It doesn't mean he isn't any less of a centerpiece for Minnesota either.

Calm down, people. You signed up for this as much as they did lol


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Whitehead has far exceeded expectations. I think he's conducting himself as a mature pro already at this stage, mistakes aside. He doesn't let things rattle him nor does he get down on himself. He's also learning the position. Once he gets more seasoning and improves that jumper he's going to be just fine. Physically and athletically he has legit NBA tools...when he makes the rising stars game in another few weeks, it won't be a fluke, its because he deserves to be there.

[Curns13]

kenny probably wanted spacing.

That's what I first suggested.

I just wish people would calm down with the criticism. He's a rookie too.

We do this with every single coach. At some point, we should probably estimate that coaching isn't that simple and that they're thinking about tons of things at once. They have to actually put together a product to sell to the fanbase, and we have the easy job of nitpicking every little thing.

He's going to screw up. Just like how Whitehead has some aggravating growing pains, Kenny has some too. Let's allow the dude grow before we go to Barclays with pitchforks and demand another coaching change only to do the same stuff over and over again every year.

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Thank you.

I'm giving the guy the benefit of a doubt and some room to grow as a coach. Also, it's really unfair to bury the coach when this roster is not up to snuff yet.

I mean I've seen people call for him to be fired (not here...on a particular blog)...its ridiculous.

Kenny's job should be safe for his first 3 seasons at least. He's done an awesome job with Whitehead and Harris and time will tell how RHJ and LeVert develop under his leadership. Anyone calling for his job is a moron.

[Curns13]

I can't believe some of the things I'm reading here lol

Whitehead has been one of the best rookie guards in the league and finished with 11/6 including an incredible block on Rudy Gobert. Now, he's not apart of the future because makes...rookie mistakes? A kid who is learning a new position in a fast paced offense when most rookies are told to slow down the tempo. He's exceeded my expectations. It doesn't make his turnovers okay but it's to be expected in the same token.

You don't think Phoenix, Minny, Philadelphia, among other teams experience is the same issues? Because none of those teams are any good and they are filled with talent. I don't see Kris Dunn winning Rookie Of the Year or setting the world on fire. It doesn't mean he isn't any less of a centerpiece for Minnesota either.

Calm down, people. You signed up for this as much as they did lol


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Whitehead has far exceeded expectations. I think he's conducting himself as a mature pro already at this stage, mistakes aside. He doesn't let things rattle him nor does he get down on himself. He's also learning the position. Once he gets more seasoning and improves that jumper he's going to be just fine. Physically and athletically he has legit NBA tools...when he makes the rising stars game in another few weeks, it won't be a fluke, its because he deserves to be there.

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

[Paradise]

Watch on YouTube

I'm liking what I'm seeing from the kids. Rondae is excelling as a backup PF. He's starting to carve a nice niche drawing fouls and staying within the mid-range. He should really stick to that. That's the method of development that blossomed DeMar DeRozan into a throwback scorer.

Whitehead made some bad TOs but he continues to show improvement. His jumper looks better and better. The rebounding is great. He's got a long road ahead of him trying to learn the point guard position.

People here kill him so much for his decision making but the kid is used to zone defense and a bunch of soft kids who are not NBA talent. I trust Kenny to get the best out of him because he's done it before from Lin to Teague to Schroeder.

LeVert didn't have a good game. Seemed to be forcing the action. I'd like to see him get more touches with the bench unit. I'd rather see how he does with the ball in his hands than Dinwiddie who seems more like a SG.

Joe Harris. I like him. He's only 25 and he's putting up 47/37/75. That's about the age most good shooters begin to increase their efficiency. I don't expect much defensively but he competes and isn't afraid of rebounds.

Just Hamilton can go kick rocks. I like his shooting ability and I'm not even concerned about his slump but he's a complete moron on the defensive side of the floor and it's not even that. He doesn't compete on the glass. He doesn't know much except to defend vertically. Time to move on. I'd rather call up McCullough and see him play.

I'm going to officially say...with Lin out with this second injury. It's time to just move on from Brook at deadline and draft a replacement. Move Bojan/Lopez/Bennett.

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[Prokorov]

If he doesnt defend a wing for 2 years, how can that possibly be an elite skill of his anymore. Look, i'm not wetting the bed on this. KA should definitely look to test the kids and see exactly what they are capable of. But RHJ does one thing at an elite level and it worries me that KA might be moving away from him using that skill. Develop his confidence off the dribble, work on his shot (and pray a lot), get him playing the 4 a bit more (I actually called for this in the offseason) but please don't abandon the one elite skill he has.

you dont forget how to play defense. especially since he is doing most of the same things defensively no matter what position he is at. most PF and SF ar einterchangeable now and alot of times even as a PF we have RHJ on a wing or even PG at times on D.

We need to see what RHJ can do at other spots. see if he is a long term solution here. see how to best use him in the future when winning will matter/

Not playing him at PF cause h might forget how to defend a wing seems silly to me

[hood30]

I can't believe some of the things I'm reading here lol

Whitehead has been one of the best rookie guards in the league and finished with 11/6 including an incredible block on Rudy Gobert. Now, he's not apart of the future because makes...rookie mistakes? A kid who is learning a new position in a fast paced offense when most rookies are told to slow down the tempo. He's exceeded my expectations. It doesn't make his turnovers okay but it's to be expected in the same token.

You don't think Phoenix, Minny, Philadelphia, among other teams experience is the same issues? Because none of those teams are any good and they are filled with talent. I don't see Kris Dunn winning Rookie Of the Year or setting the world on fire. It doesn't mean he isn't any less of a centerpiece for Minnesota either.

Calm down, people. You signed up for this as much as they did lol


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Whitehead has far exceeded expectations. I think he's conducting himself as a mature pro already at this stage, mistakes aside. He doesn't let things rattle him nor does he get down on himself. He's also learning the position. Once he gets more seasoning and improves that jumper he's going to be just fine. Physically and athletically he has legit NBA tools...when he makes the rising stars game in another few weeks, it won't be a fluke, its because he deserves to be there.

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on him being lucky that Lin/Vasquez couldn't play based on injuries..If these 2 were both healthy, Whitehead would be where he should be, in the D-League or as a third PG at best.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's been afforded.

[Pistolpete1947]

Whitehead has far exceeded expectations. I think he's conducting himself as a mature pro already at this stage, mistakes aside. He doesn't let things rattle him nor does he get down on himself. He's also learning the position. Once he gets more seasoning and improves that jumper he's going to be just fine. Physically and athletically he has legit NBA tools...when he makes the rising stars game in another few weeks, it won't be a fluke, its because he deserves to be there.

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on a team that was ravaged by injuries to the PG spot.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's afforded.

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

[Prokorov]

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on a team that was ravaged by injuries to the PG spot.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's afforded.

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

I think it depends on expectation. guy is the 42nd pick who would have went undrafted if we didnt take him. at seton hall he was PG for just 1 year and event that year he was more combo gaurd then point gaurd. i wouldnt ready much into his shooting percentag, he was the only player they had who could score and thus had to force alot of bad shots.

I'm encouraged he can become a solid backup. not some super 6th man, but a keyon dooling type. someone who will give you solid defense and chip in with some drives to the rim. I dont see him as being some kind of Lin/Schroeder type backup who is on the bench but is a really good player

[MrDollarBills]

Whitehead has far exceeded expectations. I think he's conducting himself as a mature pro already at this stage, mistakes aside. He doesn't let things rattle him nor does he get down on himself. He's also learning the position. Once he gets more seasoning and improves that jumper he's going to be just fine. Physically and athletically he has legit NBA tools...when he makes the rising stars game in another few weeks, it won't be a fluke, its because he deserves to be there.

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on him being lucky that Lin/Vasquez couldn't play based on injuries..If these 2 were both healthy, Whitehead would be where he should be, in the D-League or as a third PG at best.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's been afforded.

tons of hate spewing from this post along with some backhanded insults towards this team. wow.

he's a rookie. for someone learning on the fly, he's out performed ALL expectations. For fans who actually CARE ABOUT THIS TEAM, and not just ONE PLAYER, his development is very well received.

Let's keep this pretty blunt since you clearly have a half cocked agenda. If Lin was capable of staying healthy and on the floor, maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion. fact is, Lin has been unable to stay healthy, Vasquez is out of the NBA. So Whitehead is playing, and he's showing that he has some nice upside. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't be vindictive over it. Makes you guys look pathetic honestly the way you continually go after the Nets' young players, as if you give a **** about this team long term.

tired of reading this slick talk every other week

[MrDollarBills]

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on a team that was ravaged by injuries to the PG spot.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's afforded.

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

"old fans" see things differently because we actually care about this team long term. You "new fans" don't. So you have no patience, no regard for anything that doesn't cater to the Lin agenda.

[MrDollarBills]

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on a team that was ravaged by injuries to the PG spot.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's afforded.

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

I think it depends on expectation. guy is the 42nd pick who would have went undrafted if we didnt take him. at seton hall he was PG for just 1 year and event that year he was more combo gaurd then point gaurd. i wouldnt ready much into his shooting percentag, he was the only player they had who could score and thus had to force alot of bad shots.

I'm encouraged he can become a solid backup. not some super 6th man, but a keyon dooling type. someone who will give you solid defense and chip in with some drives to the rim. I dont see him as being some kind of Lin/Schroeder type backup who is on the bench but is a really good player

don't even play nice with them. both of their posts were back handed. any honest observer can see that Whitehead has a long ways to go, but has so far outperformed expectations. hood and pete have an agenda, simple and plain.

[Curns13]

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on a team that was ravaged by injuries to the PG spot.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's afforded.

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

"old fans" see things differently because we actually care about this team long term. You "new fans" don't. So you have no patience, no regard for anything that doesn't cater to the Lin agenda. That post hood just made set me off on you jokers, if you really want to drive a divide on this board, well played, because now i'm looking at you all sideways. FOH.

Keep up the passive aggressive crap though. "new fans" "old fans" see things different huh...please. You don't care about this team, that's the **** ing difference.

now go on, play victim after the both of you made snide, passive aggressive comments. I'll call it out every time. you don't fool anyone.

Well I guess you didnt sugar coat your feelings there, MDB. I live in Australia and can feel the rage from here

[hood30]

Kenny and Marks and of course the man himself, have turned a middle second round pick into a genuine rotation guy in less than half a year. I really wanna see how he goes as a backup for an extended period. That's when we'll really see how much he's developed.

I wouldn't call Whitehead a legit rotational player yet...maybe with a team that doesn't care about winning at the moment, but I'm not sure other NBA teams are impressed with what Whitehead has done so far....Whitehead minutes are not based on him earning them but on him being lucky that Lin/Vasquez couldn't play based on injuries..If these 2 were both healthy, Whitehead would be where he should be, in the D-League or as a third PG at best.

I also don't think Whitehead has done enough to lock up the back-up PG spot for next year with Brooklyn...His stats as a starter are pretty much what I would expect from a second rounder...The other rookies drafted ahead of Whitehead aren't really getting the minutes that Whitehead is getting, so it's hard to claim that Whitehead is outperforming them since they aren't as lucky as he is.

I think Whitehead is a third PG in an NBA roster at this point( which is good for a second round draft pick who are usually cut)..Good size for a PG but has a raw game that may be 2-3 years away...maybe he'll improve enough to get a much favorable assessment as the season goes on, but as of right now, he's been well below average considering his minutes and time he's been afforded.

tons of hate spewing from this post along with some backhanded insults towards this team. wow. you **** ing Lin fans don't know when to quit do you? keep pushing on here, you're going to get the response you want so you can all cry victim when the actual fans of this team push back. FOH with this trash.

he's a rookie. for someone learning on the fly, he's out performed ALL expectations. For fans who actually CARE ABOUT THIS TEAM, and not just ONE PLAYER, his development is very well received.

Let's keep this pretty blunt since you clearly have a half cocked agenda. If your boy Lin was capable of staying healthy and on the floor, maybe we wouldn't be having this discussion. fact is, Lin has been unable to stay healthy, Vasquez is out of the NBA. So Whitehead is playing, and he's showing that he has some nice upside. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't be vindictive over it. Makes you guys look pathetic honestly the way you continually go after the Nets' young players, as if you give a **** about this team long term.

tired of reading this slick talk every other week from fake ass "Nets" fans.

Now I see why Prok wished that Lin would be traded or maybe opt out after next year. who needs to keep seeing outsiders who don't care about the team make negative posts like this?

I understand as as die hard Nets fan, your assessment about your own rookie will always be rosier than an outsider looking in from the outside.....I've seen this again and again, so I'm not surprised by your rant..The facts are that Whitehead hasn't done enough to warrant even a back-up NBA PG spot on any NBA team, unless winning is at the bottom of your priority...I couldn't care less about his age or whether he was a second round draft pick when it's time to assess a player that will be competing against next year class of draftees entering the league

Even if you don't care about winning and only wants to develop, there's always a chance you could find someone in next year draft or in the D-league that has better potential than Whitehead...or maybe Dinnwiddie could show much more once we gets a better stretch of minutes to assess.

In the NBA, dozens of young players gets drafted every year, so when you get your big shot, you better make the best out of it since many are waiting on the wing to take your spot...I'm simply telling you that Whitehead could easily be out of the league once the new crop of young guys arrives next year and it really doesn't matter whether he's 21 and just getting started when it's time to decide whether he's worth further development on an NBA roster.

Whitehead stats as a starter are far from average and while he's improved his shooting a bit, that's only because they were so bad that the only way was up....I also own similar opinion about RHJ who is a low-ceiling young player..If my assessment makes you angry, so be it...I'm not stating these to annoy you..I'm just giving you a genuine assessment about Whitehead and RHJ.

[hood30]

I'm not hating on Whitehead and he has improved greatly since the beginning of the year but I have to agree mostly with your post. IW's defense seems adequate but his offensive game needs a lot of improvement. I'm not saying that's not going to happen but his shooting pct. in college was below 40% so I'm not sure how much he'll improve in that category. He's also not much of a passer at this point but that could also improve over time. I like IW and I'd like to see him succeed but IMO the jury is still out on him.

Funny how "old fans" and "new fans" see some things very differently. This should not however be a bad thing but it should be good to have new ideas and differences to discuss. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case on this forum.

I think it depends on expectation. guy is the 42nd pick who would have went undrafted if we didnt take him. at seton hall he was PG for just 1 year and event that year he was more combo gaurd then point gaurd. i wouldnt ready much into his shooting percentag, he was the only player they had who could score and thus had to force alot of bad shots.

I'm encouraged he can become a solid backup. not some super 6th man, but a keyon dooling type. someone who will give you solid defense and chip in with some drives to the rim. I dont see him as being some kind of Lin/Schroeder type backup who is on the bench but is a really good player

don't even play nice with them. both of their posts were back handed. any honest observer can see that Whitehead has a long ways to go, but has so far outperformed expectations. hood and pete have an agenda, simple and plain.

I want to say this, specially about you, if you don't like my post, ignore them..This idea that I can only post things that you agree with is childish...Facts are I'm not breaking any rules..I'm just giving an assessment and instead of debating it, you throw insults and AGAIN brings Lin's name into it when it has nothing to do with Lin.

Just like you, I have watched EVERY SINGLE NETS game and I also bought NBA league pass for $200 just to watch them play, so I'm entitled to my own assessment about the team and its players...If you don't like it, just ignore me..I'm not breaking any rules..In fact, it is you who instead of debating my point, only whine about it and throws insults.
'

[Pistolpete1947]

The only "agenda" I've seen on this forum is the "agenda" against "new fans". The only "hate being spewed" is when a "new fan" has a different opinion than an "old fan". I love basketball and joined this forum to have discussions about it but it's clear "new fans" are just not welcome. When someone voices their opinion about a player and they're attacked by calling them names and guessing their motivation then you don't have a forum that is worth belonging to.

[MrDollarBills]

Let me just say, i edited my post last night right after i entered it, because rereading it, some of those comments that I made were uncalled for on my end and i spoke out of anger because yes, i am very defensive about these guys and this team. so i apologize.

that being said, no one has to agree with me on here, i disagree with folks all the time, doesn't make my opinion superior or 100% right, nor should anyone feel that they have to agree with me, hell thats boring i love arguments/debates/differing opinions ask anyone on here. Its just certain stuff which can be taken as veiled shots at the team that draws my ire. The very idea that the Nets coach and players don't go out there every night trying to win is not only a slap in the face, but is also dishonest.

Prok says the emphasis isn't on winning, but it is being taken 100% out of context as if the franchise's management coach and players don't care about winning and that is furthest from the truth, and to read fans who aren't as invested as myself and other long timers say this stuff gets a bit aggravating. Do you think the Nets are happy with this record? The way they cussed each other out the night before, the way Atkinson cussed Kilpatrick out for his defense in the Utah game, best believe that these players, while either inexperienced or not very talented, are trying their damndest to win these games. We are just completely out matched.

Regarding Whitehead...the dismissive attitude towards him and what he is doing so far I feel, in my opinion, is unwarranted. Some folks act like this guy is supposed to be playing like some 4th year pro and since he's not, he's garbage which is just not true. He's doing the best that he can and is improving as a player on both ends of the floor as the weeks go on. Yeah, if Lin and Vasquez weren't hurt, he wouldn't have gotten his chance...guess what? That's how it goes in sports. Next man up, and make the best out of your opportunity and Whitehead has done just that, playing well enough to be recognized league wide as one of this year's best rookies thus far.

Not to bring it back to Lin...but if Lin didn't get his chance due to players in front of him going down, he might not even be in the league right now. So to bash Whitehead for getting an opportunity to play and actually prove that he's got the chops to be in the NBA despite the odds is the epitome of hypocrisy. and that's pretty much what set me off. so again...my bad about the uncalled for comments.

And believe me, I am defensive about many of these guys because I feel like they care, they are working hard, they want to be here, and are trying their best win or lose, mistake or no mistake. If you were here to see some of the awful teams that we've had where guys didn't give a ****, you'd understand why I appreciate guys like Booker, RHJ, Whitehead, hell even Lopez despite him really being on my **** list right now for what he did the other night versus Gobert. If someone were to trash Lin, I'd be just as defensive because i know he cares, tries hard, plays with max effort. When you go through years of seeing guys like Deron Williams not give a rat's ass about what happens, you come to appreciate players like the ones we have because at least you know that they care and want to work on becoming better.

[Roy Tarpley]

LOL, the Nets locker room bickering has seeped into the online forums. The pain from having the worst record in the NBA is real!

I give the old-timers a lot of slack because of (1) the traumatic Nets history, and (2) they've been welcoming of new fans, at least initially.

This being said, I agree with hood30 and pistolpete, us "newtimers" don't have an agenda, except to root for the Nets and Jeremy Lin. We give the old-timers the benefit of the doubt that they'll assess Jeremy Lin and his fans based on their objective experience rather than the second-hand comments of posters from other team forums. So we hope the old-timers will give us the benefit of the doubt that we are rooting for the Nets, and making comments on Nets players, objectively, rather than with a hidden agenda or motive. Just because we like Lin doesn't mean that we can't be objective about assessing other players and the team.

Whitehead should be proud of the season that he's had because he's made a lot of progress but it shouldn't discount what he's done in college (his track record) and his current rookie stats (for projection purposes). Even if Lin were not a Net, I would still rate Whitehead's ceiling as a marginal rotation player for a good team. Again, his ceiling - to me -- is Patrick Beverley, a 3 and D player. Bws94 said that Whitehead is not exactly like Beverley, which I admit, but I'm not sure what other direction Whitehead can go. If you're not a PG, then you're a combo/SG and you have to be able to shoot the 3 and FT with a high percentage. You also need to be able to play good D. Going forward, Whitehead will not have sustainable value unless he can improve his shot -- really, that's all he needs, get his 3PT% to be above 37% and his FT% to low 80%, and he always have a role in this league. His sub-40% FG% number in college is a bad sign, though. Can anyone find an example of a player who shot sub 40% FG for two years in college that is doing well in the NBA today?

[Roy Tarpley]

I did some research for current players who have the lowest career FG%. Randy Foye and Steve Blake are two of them. They both had two sub-40% FG seasons in college. They've both created productive careers by being able to hit 3s and FT at a high rate. In fact, I think Foye is a good model for Whitehead.

[Prokorov]

The only "agenda" I've seen on this forum is the "agenda" against "new fans". The only "hate being spewed" is when a "new fan" has a different opinion than an "old fan". I love basketball and joined this forum to have discussions about it but it's clear "new fans" are just not welcome. When someone voices their opinion about a player and they're attacked by calling them names and guessing their motivation then you don't have a forum that is worth belonging to.

When did i call you names or attack you?

Its just never going to go over well when fans new to the forum, who came here for Lin and not the nets, trash and throw everything nets under the bus because of a likely unrealistic expectation of the players and a dislike for the direction the franchise is choosing.

It also get real old having to continue to rehash nonsense like why James Harden has a much bigger impact then Jeremy Lin, or that the Nets are valuing development over winning year 1 into a long rebuild. Having to constantly listen to criticism of the coach for not employing "win-now" strategies and constantly having to defend players for mistakes and poor play when they are rookies and dleaguers and bench guys gets old really. It doesnt help that the moderators on the rockets, lakers, and hornets boards all warned us this was likely.

It sucks all Lin fans get generalized here alot (i try not to do that) and it sucks Lin fan motives are questioned in every post. but thats just how it goes when people here are a fan of 1 player and not of the team.