BROOKLYN – There wasn’t a better feel-good story in the NBA last season than that of Shaun Livingston.
Having almost had his career ended by a horrific knee injury in 2007, Livingston resurrected his career with the Brooklyn Nets. He was so impressive the Los Angeles Clippers signed him to a three-year, $16.6-million deal, leaving the Nets in dire need of a backup point guard.
In a trade that went somewhat under the radar, Nets GM Billy King acquired Jarrett Jack from the Cleveland Cavs. Jack dazzled the Barclays Center crowd Sunday afternoon in a 95-90 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Jack scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first half along with two rebounds and two assists. At 6-3, Jack is a different player than the 6-7 Livingston. But he’s exactly the smart, experienced backup point guard to Deron Williams the Nets need.
Jack finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Williams had 16 points, giving the Nets 33 points and six assists out of the point guard position in a 95-90 loss, their first preseason defeat after three wins.
JORDAN RULES: With Brook Lopez (right midfoot sprain) and Kevin Garnett (stomach virus) out, the door was open for one of the Nets’ bigs to make an impression.
Enter journeyman Jerome Jordan, a 7-foot center who spent last season playing in Italy. The Tulsa product also has played in Serbia, Slovenia, and the Philippines, as well as the D-League.
Jordan had 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and almost rallied the Nets, who trailed 73-65 after three quarters.
“Jerome who?” quipped Coach Lionel Hollins. “I thought that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out there.”
THE NBA’S PROUD GUINEA PIGS: Whether it’s playing in London or China or debuting nickname jerseys, the Nets aren’t shy about trying something new.
So when the NBA’s coaches, led by Dallas’ Rick Carlisle, suggested 11-minute quarters as a way to speed up games, the Nets were a natural choice to take it for a test drive. On Sunday, they did so.
“I don’t really know what that does,” said guard Deron Williams. “One minute less per quarter, I don’t see that impacting much of a season. We’ll see how it goes. They want to try it, and we’re the guinea pigs.”
The game went one hour and 58 minutes. By comparison, Saturday’s Pacers-Mavericks game, a 48-minute affair, went two hours and 24 minutes.