Nets-Wizards Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Dec 24 2011 3:50PM

The Washington Wizards and the New Jersey Nets haven't come close to the playoffs in recent years.

That may not change this season, but the clubs are looking for improvement around dazzling point guards.

John Wall matches up with Deron Williams and tries to get the Wizards off to a strong start as they look to continue their recent success against the Nets on Monday night.

Washington went 23-59 last season to finish at the bottom of the Southeast Division for a third straight time.

New Jersey has endured a similar fortune, missing the playoffs in four consecutive seasons after going 24-58 in 2010-11.

While getting to the postseason would be considered a great achievement for either club, both teams appear to have long-term plans for success.

For the Wizards, that centers on Wall, the top pick out of Kentucky in the 2010 draft.

Wall averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 assists - tied for sixth in the NBA - and 4.6 rebounds, finishing second to Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in voting for Rookie of the Year.

He spent the lockout working on his shooting since he made 40.9 percent from the floor and 29.6 from 3-point range. He's also trying to cut down on turnovers after averaging the second-most in the NBA at 3.8.

"I always try to be perfect, but you can't be," Wall said. "When we started losing a couple of games in a row, and how we were playing in stretches of games, I was getting frustrated. I knew we could play with those teams, with the talent we have, but just not being mature enough - and turning the ball over and taking bad shots - really hurt us."

Swingman Nick Young and big man Andray Blatche are back to help Wall.

Young led Washington with 17.4 points per game but was limited to 64 games while battling knee and ankle injuries.

Blatche averaged career highs of 16.8 points and 8.2 boards, but he also struggled with hip and shoulder injuries. His season also included a one-game suspension, along with center JaVale McGee, after the two were involved in an altercation outside of a Washington nightclub.

"Whatever we do, we've got to change this whole atmosphere from losing, and people used to us losing, to winning," Blatche said.

The Wizards have won seven of eight against New Jersey, including all four meetings in the nation's capital during that stretch. That includes a 26-point performance from Wall in a 98-92 victory March 20.

The Nets are entering their final season in New Jersey before moving to Brooklyn, and it's unclear if Williams will be going with them since he's beginning the final season of his contract.

He averaged 15.0 points and 12.8 assists while a wrist injury limited him to 12 games with the Nets last season after being acquired in a trade from Utah.

Overall, the two-time All-Star averaged a career-high 20.1 points and 10.3 assists.

It's unclear if his clouded status for next season is making him uncomfortable in New Jersey, which already has lost center Brook Lopez for at least six weeks due to a broken right foot.

Lopez led the Nets with 20.4 points per game in 2010-11.

"It's our team," Williams said. "Whether I am comfortable or not, it's our team. We've got good guys, guys who know how to play basketball and make plays. That's all we need as long as our defense is locked in."

Kris Humphries returned to the Nets after signing a one-year contract Wednesday and enduring an eventful offseason. The forward, who averaged career highs of 10.0 points and 10.4 rebounds last season, married reality TV star Kim Kardashian, and 72 days later the couple split up.

Lopez's injury could mean an increased onus on Humphries, as rumblings for a deal involving Orlando center Dwight Howard have quieted.

"I know they will play hard," coach Avery Johnson said. "When you have a team with Deron Williams as the point guard he will do a good job of quarterbacking the team."

Humphries hears boos, leads Nets past Wiz 90-84

By HOWARD FENDRICH
Posted Dec 26 2011 11:43PM

WASHINGTON (AP) Maybe Washington Wizards fans were keeping up with the Kardashians.

At least that might explain why they relentlessly booed Kris Humphries, the New Jersey Nets forward famous for his much-hyped - and short-lived - marriage to Kim Kardashian.

Jeered during pregame introductions and harangued every time he touched the ball Monday night, Humphries ignored all the attention and finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds, helping New Jersey erase a 21-point deficit and come all the way back to beat Washington 90-84 in the season opener for both teams.

"To me, it's motivation. People are yelling at you - you've got to perform, you've got to play hard. They might want to have a reason to say something. You want to try and give them that reason," Humphries said. "For me, it's just makes it a little hostile environment - and it's kind of fun to play in that environment."

Nets coach Avery Johnson, for one, was at a loss to explain all the hostility Humphries heard.

"I'm trying to figure out: What did he do? I'm serious. It may be because I don't follow reality TV - I don't know all the ins and outs of it. It's pretty hilarious to me," Johnson said. "I don't even know if THEY know why they're booing."

Humphries even deflected a too-late pass by John Wall, a turnover that thwarted Washington's last good chance, trailing by only three points in the final minute.

Afterward, there was a bit of drama in the Wizards' locker room, where power forward Andray Blatche - who opened a pregame speech to the home crowd by saying, "This is your captain, Andray Blatche" - voiced displeasure with the play-calling and said he should get the ball down low more than out on the wings. He then repeated that complaint on Twitter.

All it took was one regular-season game for the in-fighting to start in Washington.

"Is it trust? Or is it, `I think that I can make a play to get us going again,' and you try to do it individually? In our league, you can't do it, unless you're one of the elite players," coach Flip Saunders said. "We don't have anyone that's at that elite status right now."

When a reporter relayed the gist of what Saunders said, Blatche responded: "He probably was talking about me, because for the simple fact that I said that I need the ball in the paint to be effective."

"You can't keep having me pick-and-pop and shooting jump shots. Give me the ball in the paint. That's where I'm most effective at. I've been saying that since training camp: I need the ball in the paint. I don't want to be the pick-and-pop guy that I used to be. It's not working for me," continued Blatche, who shot 5 for 13, scored 11 points and was called for a technical foul. "I'm not saying the offense has to run through me, but I prefer to be in the paint."

He shook his head. He stared at the carpet. He shrugged his shoulders. And then he sat in front of his locker, in full uniform, for a good half-hour after the game had ended.

Blatche offered a simple analysis of how Washington went from being ahead 37-16 in the second quarter to trailing in the third.

"Our blessing was our curse," Blatche said. "Getting up by 20 so early and so easy was a curse for us, because then guys started to get relaxed, and then we all wanted to start to play 1-on-1 basketball."

Which, as Wall explained, isn't something that generally will work in Washington's favor.

"We have nobody on our team that's THAT great," Wall said, echoing his coach.

Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, was outdueled by New Jersey point guard Deron Williams, who accumulated 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Wall had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, shooting only 3 for 13 on field-goal attempts, and 7 for 13 on free throws.

Backup shooting guard Nick Young led Washington with 16 points in just 18 minutes. He missed a large part of the second half after jamming his left foot, but returned.

Humphries re-signed with the Nets last week and was in the starting five Monday because Johnson decided to drop Shelden Williams from the lineup.

Wizards fans greeted Humphries - who split up from Kardashian 72 days after their wedding - with loud jeers when he was first introduced. The booing reached a crescendo when Humphries was about to attempt a free throw in the first quarter, then turned to cheers when his shot clanged off the front of the rim. Fans also applauded and shouted approval when Humphries was whistled for fouls.

But he helped New Jersey put together a 58-38 rebounding edge. And when Humphries hit an 18-foot jumper four minutes into the second half, a game that Washington led 38-17 suddenly was tied at 53. About halfway through the third quarter, Deron Williams' 3-pointer made it 58-57, the Nets' first lead of the evening.

"It's good to get the win," Humphries said. "We were down by 21. That's funny to say."

Notes: The Wizards (who went 23-59) and Nets (24-58) were two of the six worst teams in the NBA last season, and neither made any truly significant additions. Both went 0-2 during the abbreviated, post-lockout exhibition schedule. ... According to the Nets, their collection of guys named Williams make New Jersey the first team in NBA history to have four players with the same last name on a regular-season roster together: Deron, Jordan, Shawne and Shelden.

Nets-Wizards notebook

By Rich Dubroff, for NBA.com
Posted Monday December 26, 2011 11:48PM

THE FACTS: Kris Humphries had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Deron Williams had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to power the New Jersey Nets past the Washington Wizards 90-84 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.

The Nets trailed by 21 points in the second quarter, but were able to draw even by early in the third quarter, and took the lead for good with 4:48 to play.

The Wizards were led by Nick Young, who had 16 points in 17 minutes. Jordan Crawford had 15, and John Wall added 13, but missed 10 of his 13 shots.

QUOTABLE: "People were talking crazy last year. There might be a little bit more this year, but to me, it's motivation. People are yelling at you. You've got to perform. You've got to play hard."
-- Humphries on the crowd booing him

THE STAT: The Nets outrebounded the Wizards 58-38. In the second half, the margin was 32-17.

TURNING POINT: New Jersey put on a 16-2 run to cut the 21-point led to seven late in the second quarter. Washington never controlled the game again.

QUOTABLE II: "I don't know why. I'm trying to figure out: What did he do? I'm serious. It may be because I don't follow reality TV. I don't know all the ins and outs of it. It's pretty hilarious to me. I don't even know if they know they're booing."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson on the crowd booing Humphries

HOT: Humphries was 9-for-14 from the field, and controlled the board with 16 rebounds. He was just four points from his career high.

NOT: Wall, who missed 10 of 13 shots. Last year, he had lots of games when he was hot, many when he was not. This year, the Wizards hope it's not the same.

GOOD MOVE: Johnson starting Humphries, who signed just last week. Shelden Williams was listed in the original starting lineup, but Johnson thought Humphries was in excellent shape.

BAD MOVE: Wall missed six of 13 free throws, and the Wizards lost by six. He missed three in the final minutes. He had lots of trouble defending Williams.

NOTABLE: Williams was two assists and two rebounds away from his first career triple-double.

IN THE ARENA: Kim Kardashian was not, so the 17,102 had to settle for her former beloved -- Humphries, who lasted 72 days with her. The lockout was nearly twice as long.

UP NEXT: For the Nets: Tuesday vs. Hawks, Thursday @ Magic, Friday @ Hawks. For the Wizards: Wednesday @ Hawks, Friday @ Bucks, Sunday vs. Celtics

• Nets: Lopez, Williams
• Wizards: N'Diaye, Vesely

• Nets: --
• Wizards: Blatche

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #36 David Jones, #77 Karl Lane
• Attendance: 17102
• Duration: 2:19