Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors Pre-Game Report
Dec 6, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) defends against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of an extremely tough stretch. The Nets will take on the Golden State Warriors in the first half of a back-to-back, which will also include the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Brooklyn Nets come into Thursday’s game fresh off of a loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. In a hard fought effort, the Nets fell to the Raptors by a score of 116-104. The loss was Brooklyn’s 20th of the season, and unfortunately for the Nets, the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
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Clashing with the Nets at Barclay’s Center will be one of the NBA’s best teams, the Golden State Warriors. Golden State is sitting at 25-4 on the season, and seems to be firing on all cylinders led by an enviable offensive unit of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and others.
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This matchup will be an extremely tough test for Brooklyn. The Warriors are entering a back-to-back of their own, which will consist of the Nets and Detroit Pistons, but the Warriors won’t be resting any of their stars, according to head coach Steve Kerr.
With Golden State likely to have all of their stars available, the Nets will need a fantastic effort in all facets of the game to pull off the upset. The Warriors, thanks to their sheer amount of star power, will have the upper hand, but Brooklyn has proven that they can beat talented teams this season, as they knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers last month.
This could be considered a trap game for the Warriors, which may give the Nets an opportunity to catch Golden State off guard if Brooklyn can get off to a hot start. Here’s what the Nets need to do to have a chance to knock off the Warriors.
Nov 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) makes a three point basket against the Brooklyn Nets with under 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 107-99 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Keys to the Game
Minimize turnovers
The Warriors’ offense does not need help scoring. Golden State can fill up the bucket, as evidenced by their scoring output of 117.4 points per game, which leads the NBA.
Often times when the Nets struggle, turnovers play a big part in their downfall. The Nets need to find a way to hold onto the ball on offense, and keep the turnovers to a minimum. Currently, Brooklyn averages 16.5 turnovers per game. Against Toronto, the Nets turned the ball over 16 times, nearly hitting their season average. The Warriors have a few defenders, most notably Draymond Green, who can cause havoc, so the Nets will need to make ball security a priority. The Warriors will get their points without any help in the way of turnovers, but matters will only get worse for the Nets if they give the ball away several times.
An impactful game from Brook Lopez
Brook Lopez was held out of the Raptors game due to rest. While it wasn’t a back-to-back, the Nets have made it clear that they will be careful with Lopez this season. It will be interesting to see how Brooklyn handles the Warriors-Cavaliers back-to-back. If Lopez plays against the Warriors, it would obviously give the Nets their best chance to win.
Against such a tough opponent, the Nets will need Brook Lopez to be at his best. If Lopez could get on a roll against the Warriors, scoring in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 points, the Nets may give the Warriors a run for their money.
Players to Watch:
Warriors: Kevin Durant (F): 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season.
Nets: Brook Lopez (C): 20.3 points, 5.4 rebounds this season.
Nov 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) reacts to a change of possession call during action against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Starting Lineups:
Nets:
Warriors:
Injury Report:
Nets:
Warriors:
Matchup to Watch:
Stephen Curry vs. Jeremy Lin
All things considered, this is the most intriguing matchup. Lin, the former Warriors guard, will go up against his former teammate in Curry. Both players are critical to their respective team’s success. If the Nets aren’t diligent in their defensive efforts on Curry, he could have a huge game. It will be interesting to see how the Nets handle Lin’s minutes after he played a team-high 25 minutes vs. Toronto. He may be on a minutes-restriction, but anything Lin can provide will be beneficial, especially considering that Whitehead is questionable going into the game.
Other Notes:
The game will be broadcasted on YES Network at 7:30 PM EST. Join the conversation by tweeting @NetsBlogFS.
