NET NOTES
Well, Christian Laettner should have a real swell time when ref Jack Nies next handles one of his games.
Laettner bitterly complained about a flagrant foul two call – which brings an immediate ejection – that was assessed by Nies, who the Piston forward claims has been “screwing me for the longest.” Nies made the call when Laettner knocked Jayson Williams to the ground with 9:40 left.
“Everyone in the whole arena was surprised. All of a sudden, Jack Nies comes up and makes that call. I was as surprised as anyone but as you could see, I ran straight off the court because you don’t mess around with Jack Nies,” Laettner said. “No one thought it was going to happen. Jack Nies was the only person in the whole arena who felt I needed to be thrown out,” Laettner continued. “He’s been doing that to me for the longest. I don’t know why.”
Laettner said he intends to appeal the call and is confident NBA VP of Operations Rod Thorn will reverse the flagrant two call.
“Laettner threw me to the ground,” Williams said. “I didn’t know what that was all about. Me and Christian Laettner are all right, I don’t know him all that well.”
Williams was going for an offensive rebound when Laettner jumped in and came down on the Net center and knocked him hard to the floor. The flagrant two decision was debatable.
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Keith Van Horn reverted to his turnover ways with four. In his 20 games under John Calipari, Van Horn averaged nearly four a game – 3.9 to be precise – with 78. In the first five games under interim coach Don Casey, Van Horn nearly halved that total.
He was down to two a game – 10 turnovers in the five outings. Van Horn said the improved spacing on offense had been keeping his turnovers down.
“The offense is more simplified. Before, I felt crowded. Now I know where people are going to be,” said Van Horn, who led the Nets with 27 points. “It’s a lot better. Our spacing offensively is so much better, whereas before it was really poor. I never had a problem with turnovers before. Ever. I was never a turnover-prone player and all of a sudden, I had a lot of turnovers.”
Nets were again without Rony Seikaly, who now says he is “out indefinitely.” Seikaly reported his right foot feels “terrible” and that walking is a chore. Seikaly has been in and out and is simply not healing. He said he spoke to GM John Nash and the feeling was to stay out until healthy … Pistons were without Joe Dumars, on the injured list with a strained left calf muscle.
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William Cunningham, the 6-11 center signed to a 10-day contract, became the 21st roster player for the Nets this season. And they’ve only played 25 games.
Two seasons ago, they used a team-record 27 players in 82 games. The 21 in 25 games is the equivalent of 69 players over a full season.
One reason to beat the traffic at the Meadowlands: the Nets are 0-16 in games where they trailed after three quarters … The Nets have had two games of double figure assists, 10 and 12, both by Stephon Marbury … Kendall Gill, despite claims from Casey, insists he is not getting contact lenses to wear while playing. “Case started that rumor,” he said.
