When Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Nets back in May, I drank the Prokhorov Kool-Aid like no other. As a diehard Nets fan, I had just witnessed a 12-win season, the team trading away all of my favorite players, and worst of all, losing the Draft Lottery and seeing the Wizards end up with John Wall. My optimism about the team was at an all-time low, and the only thing I could grasp on to for any hope was Prokhorov with his deep pockets and bravado. Read More »

Yesterday afternoon, the New Jersey Nets announced that for the 2011-12 NBA season, they would be entering into a single affiliate partnership with the D-League’s Springfield Armor. What this means is that the Nets will have total control of the basketball operations for the Armor, while the current local ownership would be in charge of selling tickets, sponsorships and reaching out in the community. Within this framework, the Nets would draft the Armor’s players in the D-League Draft, would decide who to sign to the roster and would also appoint the Armor’s front office and coaching staffs. There is only one other affiliation like this currently in the NBA, as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a single affiliate for the Houston Rockets. Read More »

Words. Anthony Rizzuti

How exactly do you transform the ugly duckling into Miss America? Well, you follow a number of elaborate steps. First, you make her over. Give her a modern, beautiful look. Next, you teach her how to perform. Practice her etiquette, show her how to walk down the stage, and give her an interesting talent. And lastly, train her into a winner. Teach and instill the values of winning into this project and make her something the whole country will drool over.

This is the exact situation Mikhail Prokhorov, Billy King and Avery Johnson are looking at. How do you make the New Jersey Nets, the ugly duckling of the NBA, a playoff team? Read More »

As a Nets fan I really thought this would be the summer of change. I thought with Mikhail Prokhorov and his 22-story high “Blueprint of Greatness” billboard, this would be the summer the Nets made a big splash. Maybe, just maybe, LeBron would play for us, but if not, at least Amar’e Stoudemire or Rudy Gay. As it turned out, the combination of a 12-win season, two years in Newark, and Rod Thorn‘s imminent departure made the Nets less appealing than I thought they were. Read More »

You knew that hearts were going to be broken, but you just didn’t know where. After LeBron James chose to move to South Beach, read statements from all the teams that he snubbed. Of course they’re always looking on the bright side of things. Read More »

Before LeBron James causes a party in one city and breaks hearts in five others, the teams still in pursuit of the NBA’s biggest star are undoubtedly vying for one last audience with LBJ before he goes live on-air at 9 p.m. on ESPN. What will those teams say to LeBron should they get his ear for a last-ditch pitch? Next up: N.J.’s Rod Thorn: Read More »

At the very moment today’s Smack is being posted, odds are some NBA superstar — Amar’e Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, maybe Mr. You Know Who — is hearing a knock on his front door, or taking a phone call from a front-office exec who sounds like a 14-year-old trying to be cool on the phone with the girl he’s crushing on. You want to hear a grown man’s voice crack? Listen in on one of these icebreaker free-agent phone calls … The first bomb in the Nets/Knicks battle for talent was dropped yesterday, when a giant billboard of Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov began to appear on the side of a New York City building that just happens to face the offices at Madison Square Garden. Read More »

In the biggest free-agency bonanza to ever hit the NBA, LeBron James is the first domino that has to fall before everyone else figures out their next move. From D-Wade all the way down to Brian Scalabrine, you could say every other free agent’s future will in some way be affected by LeBron’s decision.

With the official start of free agency set for 12:01 a.m. Wednesday night/Thursday morning, we decided to look at each team believed to be in the running for LeBron and delve into the reasons why LBJ would and wouldn’t (or should and shouldn’t) sign with them. Next up: The New Jersey Nets. Read More »

Longtime Nets President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn announced he is stepping down on July 15. Thorn wants to guide the Nets through the beginning of the free-agent bonanza before stepping aside. With Thorn out as GM, and owner Mikhail Prokhorov‘s deep pockets, a wide range of names have been mentioned to replace Thorn. Here we break down the candidates: Read More »

As much as we were all hoping the 2010 NBA Finals would be different from the ’08 version — at the very least, so it’d be more competitive — things are starting to unravel like a movie we saw two years ago: Kobe Bryant vs. The Green Goblins. While Mamba went off for 38 points in last night’s Game 5 loss (the second-most of his Finals career), including 19 points in the third quarter, he was trying to beat an entire Boston team by himself and it didn’t work … And that’s what it was, a team effort. Paul Pierce led the C’s with 27 points (12-21 FG), but everybody did their part in the win, from Rajon Rondo‘s playmaking and defense, to Kevin Garnett (18 pts, 10 rebs, 5 stls) putting Pau Gasol in his pocket, to Doc Rivers coming up with the right blend of carefully planned strategy and on-the-spot motivation … Read More »