NBA Crackdown on Violence Favors NETS

I really have no idea what you're talking about- the Nets are not an offensively skilled, athletic, run-and -gun team. The reason they win is due to their very strong defense. Percentage wise, the Nets hold their opponents to an average of about 44%- good for 6th in the league. They don't play a fast paced, "entertaining" style of small ball either- they only allow their opponents around 76 shot attempts a game, the third lowest total (whereas athletic teams like the Suns and Clippers average closer to 82). They take even less field goals than the Spurs and the Heat, so I really don't know if your characterization of the Nets as entertaining or athletic is accurate at all.

Why would you call them athletic and entertaining then? Well, that presumably means that they drive the paint (jump shots only get so athletic) more than average, but that's not the case either- the Nets spend around 66% of their shot attempts outside of the paint compared to 60% from your "boring," "grind it out" Miami Heat. That reminds me- overly physical? The Heat rank 7th in fga allowed- remember, the Nets are 28th.

The Nets are not an offensive club by any measuring stick. They win games because they play solid man to man defense and have big men like Collins and Krstic who are willing to take charges and commit to blocks. Almost as importantly, they're a slower paced, well coached team that is anything but a "running team with athletic play."

Edit: I nearly forgot- for a bruising, "sumo wrestler" team that sits in the paint like the Riley coached Ewing teams, the Heat allow a total of 32% of their shots enter the paint or the area around it. Your athletic, presumably non "sumo wrestling," presumably non paint oriented Nets? 33%. The Nets play tough defense. They're not a flashy, end to end team.

Look, ninjarr, I digress from your views.

The NETS are anything but a defensive team. While they've been holding teams to fewer points of late, it's the tail end of the regular season. Elite teams have already won their seeding and bottom tier are playing for better draft position (i.e., to lose). It's very hard to guage or charactertize a team's play from this stage of the season.

That said, Krstic is in no way a defensive monster. Jason Collins is nothing more than a 6-10 and 1/2 flopper and positional defender. He gets a lot of help from others. He's not in TD's league. So when you say the NETS are a great defensive team, you're wrong. Sure, they play good team defense of late, but they're not a great defensive team per se.

Where the NETS excel is in their offensive capabilities in the clutch and at crunchtime. RJ's reverse stiletto jam is unstoppable and unblockable. VC's thunder & lightning jams freeze the best defenders in crunchtime. Kidd's decision making at the end helps.

Your stats are misleading. It's not the quantity of fast break points or anything of the sort that make the team exciting, entertaining and athletic. It's what they do ... and how they do it ... when they do it.

Nothing is prettier that Jason Kidd quarterbacking the break to the likes of RJ and VC. Nothing! The open court vision of Jason Kidd makes Steve Nash look like a grade schooler.

The Suns, Heat and Clippers don't have a game to compare. Sure, they're entertaining but with the exception of the Heat, the other two don't play as consistent or as good team defense as the NETS. Didn't the NETS posterize PHX and LAC at some point this season?

As to MIA, Shaq-Wade-Walker ball is not as entertaining. They've had no answer for VC. VC is Jordanesque against MIA. If that's not more entertaining, what is?

SAS* is the only wild-card. They play a tough and entertaining style of ball. They have an extreme advantage over other teams at the 4. I wish the NETS had an answer for TD. Maybe it'll be another team knocking them off so they won't have to face 'em in the finals.

Have I refuted your points sufficient?

*As for SAS, Chris Wilcox would've solved that problem. Maybe the NETS'll find a way to win there, too! TD is too tough and you've got to slow him. Only Chris Wilcox'd helped there.