Here are three thoughts on the Nets’ 94-92 victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City Friday night:
1. Not only did Wednesday’s triple overtime defeat to the Bucks give the Nets one loss, it nearly gave them a second Friday in Oklahoma City.
The three players who spent the most time on the floor Wednesday – Deron Williams, Joe Johnson (52 minutes each) and Bojan Bogdanovic (46) – all struggled for most of Friday’s game, going a combined 6-for-21 and committing 10 turnovers. Because of that, Nets coach Lionel Hollins went to his bench for longer stretches than he normally would, playing Jarrett Jack 31 minutes, Mirza Teletovic 28 and Alan Anderson 25, and all of them gave him quality minutes.
Hollins would have benefitted from doing more of that in Wednesday’s loss during the three overtime sessions, but by trusting his bench Friday, the Nets were able to escape from Oklahoma City with the win they needed and, given the injuries that have hit the Thunder this season, one they couldn’t afford to leave without.
2. Mason Plumlee played just three minutes in Friday’s win, with Jerome Jordan getting the minutes that normally would have gone to him in the second half. Plumlee had a nice tip-dunk in his brief time on the court, but quickly picked up a couple of fouls, went back to the bench and never returned.
Plumlee is shooting just 39.6 percent this season, after shooting almost 66 percent last year. Some of that is just luck, but some of it is also him trying – and being asked to – do a lot more this year than last. Instead of just dunking the ball or getting rid of it, which is what he was tasked with last season, Hollins has given Plumlee the freedom to try and score on post-ups, which has been a mixed bag thus far.
It’s hard to imagine Plumlee won’t improve, and probably will soon. But Jordan played well, getting four points, four rebounds and a blocked shot, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he got a shot ahead of Plumlee in Saturday’s game in San Antonio.
3. Andrei Kirilenko missed the game for personal reasons, and it appears his time with the Nets has come to an end.
It’s remarkable how quickly Kirilenko has fallen from a player most of the league was up in arms about the Nets – and the team’s Russian ownership – being able to get last summer for what seemed like a below-market contract to one that spent almost half of last season injured and who 12 games into his second year with the team could possibly be done in the NBA.
Many have asked what has happened to Kirilenko. One potential reason? His lack of a shooting touch has caught up with him. In today’s NBA, where shooting and the ability to space the floor at just about every position is so valuable, having Kirilenko – basically a non-threat from anywhere outside of 10 feet – on the floor doesn’t allow for any spacing to take place.
But whatever the reason, it doesn’t look like he’ll be suiting up again for the Nets.
