#Nets Brook Lopez SNUBBED
The NBA All-Star Reserves were selected tonight and noticeably there was not a single Brooklyn Net on the team. The Nets currently have the third best record n the East and could have had as many as three players selected in Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams.
Lopez seems to be the biggest snug from the Nets with the numbers and PER he has put up this year it is hard to see how he was not selected. Lopez has stepped up his game all year long and his snub seems to have created quite a stir throughout the NBA and especially TNT broadcasters Charles Barkley and Shaquille ONeal. Both spoke glowingly about Lopez and what he means to the Nets success and that him being left off was a travesty.
[quote_box]Charles Barkley “Those coaches were mad that Deron Williams got the coach fired, so they were hating on the Nets.” [/quote_box]
The six-time All-star will also be getting some well deserved rest come All-Star weekend as Johnson has had an up and down season but seems to have figured out his role on the Nets team and has had one big moment after another for the surging Nets. Johnson has been solid as always averaging 17.4 points, three assists and three rebounds a game this year but his late game heroics are what has endeared him to his new city of Brooklyn.
The last “longshot” to the make this years team was Williams and the coaches felt the same way he did in that he did not deserve to be selected. His play has been sub par for his standards and he is the first to acknowledge that he needs to step his game up. Williams is playing much better as of late and with his increased production and leadership the Nets will be in good hands the second half of the season.
Many people seem to think that the firing of Avery Johnson had some adverse affect on the coaches choices and helped sway their votes away from the Nets players. I think there is something to that theory as the coaching fraternity is very close and when one is thought to have been “wronged” they stick together.