Nets Blog

Nets promote Marks to assistant GM

July 26, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Bobby Marks has had more staying power than anyone else on the Nets' basketball side. And now Marks has an assistant general manager's title.Marks, who has served the Nets for 15 seasons in numerous... Read on

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Thorn says goodbye to Nets

July 16, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

He remembered all the good, like two trips to the NBA Finals. He recalled much of the bad, like the last two years and that Milt Palacio shot that will live in Nets infamy. He recalled how it was,... Read on

He remembered all the good, like two trips to the NBA Finals. He recalled much of the bad, like the last two years and that Milt Palacio shot that will live in Nets infamy. He recalled how it was, remarked how it is and speculated on how it might be.
	 
And through his entire hour-and-a-half plus session with beat writers today, Rodney King Thorn was just "Rod." He is stepping down as Nets president after a 10-year run that directed the most successful era of the team's frequently famished history.
	 
He was "Rod," the guy who never put on pretenses, the guy who picked up his phone, who loved talking about the St. Louis Cardinals. So he sat laughing at memories of the ABA, marveling at the quality of the storied NBA rivalries, and touched on some of the high and low points of his regime that saw the Nets in the playoffs six times.
	 
Had the Nets gotten LeBron, he would have stayed.
	 
But that's another story.
	 
His top memory?
	 
"That fifth game against Indiana. I’ll never forget that game," said Thorn, conjuring up one of the greatest games in NBA history, the Nets' 120-109 double-overtime victory over the Pacers and Reggie Miller that propelled them to their first Finals trip (and the Lakers sweeping them away, another Rod memory, one on the negative side).
	 
"I’ll never forget that game we lost to Boston over Christmas my first year, when Lucious Harris inbounded the ball to Palacio. I’ll never forget that one," recalled Thorn of the game where he admitted he had his winter coat on and was ready to go, secure in the belief of a victory.
	 
But that game only re-affirmed Thorn's Yogi-like credo that he used for so many trades ("Nothing is done until it's done.")
	 
And that was the game where, he now admits, he went "nose to nose" with Eddie Jordan in the coach's office. Everyone knew it. People heard them in Bayonne.
	 
There were so many individual games and moments – Vince Carter beating the Raptors in Toronto; Vince Carter knocking on death's injury door once a game, nine times a week, 47 times a month but usually responding.
	 
And of course there was his relationship with Jason Kidd.
	 
Thorn wants to recall Kidd as the guy who would ask in game to take on the toughest defensive assignment and would then promptly shut down the opposing scorer. Thorn recalls the Kidd who split his head open in a playoff game in Charlotte, got stitched up and then played the next game and directed a win. He recollects the Kidd who night after night, game after game arose when it mattered. He was the player who transformed a franchise.
	 
So Thorn tries not to remember the migraine.
	 
"That was a tough one," said Thorn, admitting it took, "a long time" for him to get over it.
	 
"We had a really good relationship, it was tough," Thorn admitted. "Not to be maudlin about it, but I just felt the reputation he had built up was not good for him either. On his level. But he would maintain to this day he had one."
	 
Some still swear the Earth is flat.
	 
"It kind of went down hill after that," Thorn acknowledged.
	 
That led to the trade of Kidd.
	 
"They say you never get close to players. That’s probably smart because you never know when you have to trade him. In his case he traded himself," Thorn explained. "But this guy, you just had a special feeling for him. Because of who he was and what he was and what he did for all of us. When he came he just totally changed the culture of the team virtually by himself. He made everybody believe they could do something. He was unbelievable."
	 
* * *
	 
Thorn spent a lot of time reminiscing about his ABA days, which began when he took his wife, Peggy, from Seattle, bypassing a shot at U of Washington Law School, to come to New Jersey for $15,000 to be Kevin Loughery's assistant. His wife "thought I was crazy."
	 
But he landed in the ABA where he marveled at Julius Erving on a nightly basis and later as the head coach in St. Louis, he worked with the cross known as Marvin Barnes.
	 
Thorn recalled how he constantly got on Barnes who simply didn’t get by a 24 and 12 guy had to adhere to rules. Finally, Thorn tried a different approach. He'd try sugar. So after a particularly good game, Barnes was summoned to Thorn's hotel room. They talked for hours. Thorn felt he made headway. Barnes saw the light. The new Barnes, a team leader, a team player would emerge.
	 
He missed the team flight the next day.
	 
* * *
	 
In Chicago, before Michael Jordan there was Quintin Dailey, one of the first NBA players to find his way to drug rehab. Dailey was confused when Thorn drafted Jordan.
	 
"We draft Jordan and Quintin says to me, 'Why'd you draft him?' And I said, 'Because I think he's a pretty good player.' He said, 'He plays the same position I play.' I said, 'Yeah, he does.' His next thing was, 'You're not just going to give him my job are you?' It was like, 'We need other things,'" Thorn recalled laughing throughout.
	 
* * *
	 
Thorn moved on to the NBA office were he was head of Basketball operations, or as Karl Malone once called him, "The NBA Police." Thorn admitted during his tenure there, he had five chances to leave and head up another team.
	 
He offered a "no comment," but yes, one of the teams was the Knicks. He was all set to replace Al Bianchi but withdrew when the move became public. Bianchi was rehired.
	 
* * *
	 
He expressed regret at the way the Kiki Vandeweghe situation went down. Vandeweghe did the job he was asked to do – he got the Nets under the cap, significantly under the capo.
	 
"Kiki certainly helped in what we were doing," Thorn said. "Owners come in, have certain ideas about how things were and how things weren’t as they were coming in because they have people talk to them about things. Had it been done a little bit differently, I think Kiki might have stayed on as GM."
	 
* * *
	 
So he definitely is not retiring but the time had come in New Jersey for him. He expresses confidence all will be well and sees a bright future, brighter than the one he inherited in June, 2000, when he actually gave out his home phone number at his introductory press conference.
	 
"I think it’s good. I really do. I think Avery’s going to do a really good job coaching for them, and I think Billy’s going to do a really good job. Now, you have the wherewithal (if) there are some pieces that you need that’ll put you in the luxury tax, you just get them," said Thorn.
	 
Of course, it won't be Thorn doing the getting.
	 
"I just want to look at the options I have. Whether it’s to do what I’m doing now or be a consultant or do something on the broadcast side, I want to see what options I have. Right now I have some, but we’ll see what transpires," he said.

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New Nets GM has time to get it right

July 15, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Usually, a guy taking over after a 12-win season – outside the NFL, of course – finds an organization in shambles, players in near catatonic state, a team with warning signs just a notch below:... Read on

Usually, a guy taking over after a 12-win season – outside the NFL, of course – finds an organization in shambles, players in near catatonic state, a team with warning signs just a notch below: "Lepers, Beware."
	 
But that's not the case with Billy King who finds a young, energetic and athletic Nets team with the holes basically filled in, more than $14 million in cap space, a new coach, a new owner with pockets deeper than the Pacific, and a new home set to open in two years.
	 
"I thank Rod for the roster," said King, who was formally introduced as the Nets new GM on Thursday, with the intro performed by the man whose act he must follow, Rod Thorn. "I was worried if they didn’t sign people I would be coming into the position and a lot of free agents would be gone. Rod has worked hard with his staff and Bobby (Marks) to bring players in. Everybody is under 30."
	 
See? Piece of cake. Well, not exactly.
	 
"The owners have set high expectations and high goals. We’re not striving for anything but a championship," said King who had two idle years after a 10-yerar run in Philadelphia. "It may take a couple of years to get there but we’re going to do our best to get there and bring one here."
	 
So while the Nets' marketing gang drives that "It's All New" stuff down everyone's throat, King – like owner Mikhail Prokhorov before him and coach Avery Johnson before that – asks for patience. Rome wasn't built in a day.
	 
Neither were the Lakers.
	 
King, who agreed with the assessment of everyone with a working pulse around the Nets that the power forward position remains a must address aspect, noted how the Lakers went about getting Pau Gasol.
	 
The Lakers were patient, persistent and opportunistic. King intends to be the same. And he won't spend just to spend, either. He called cap space "sacred," sort of like Nets archive film of Chris Dudley making a free throw or Yi Jianlian defending.
	 
"If you look at the free agent market left out there, there are some good players but I don’t know how many of them are going to be game-changers."
	 
But those guys do show up.
	 
"You’ve just got to be prepared," King, a Duke product, explained while discussing the Nets quest for a hold-the-fort four until Derrick Favors is ready. "There’s some guys I’ll call, because we have the flexibility. I’ll make some calls today. And I’ll make some calls tomorrow – to the same people, because I think you have to be a pest, you have to be a nuisance, and then they either do the deal or don’t. I think that’s how the Lakers got Gasol. They just kept calling and calling. Mitch said it took a year, but they got him."
	 
Hey, start calling Miami. See if they're sick of that LeBron guy yet.
	 
Yes, the Nets need a four. And it looks like they aren’t really looking for a Grade B stopgap. They want quality, but want to keep their flexibility.
	 
"Just because we need it, we can’t be desperate," King stressed. "Because I don’t think there’s a player out there in the free agent market that you can say we’ll sign and it’s ‘that’s gonna guarantee us 10 more wins.’"
	 
Johnson said on Wednesday that it might take up to training camp before the Nets plug the four hole
	 
* * *
	 
Rod Thorn steps down today. He'll meet with the media in the a.m. and then probably start taking calls from King who joked he'll call the outgoing pres constantly for advice.
	 
"It’s not very often that you get to introduce your successor in this business, that’s for sure. In this case I’m very happy and very privileged to," Thorn said, describing King as a man I’ve known for many years, a man who has seen all of the aspects of professional basketball, a man who has seen the vagaries, a man who has seen the highlights, a man who has the experience, who has all of the qualifications it takes to succeed in this job."
	 
* * *
	 
Thorn will address his exit today but he did say that when he comes back to the Nets some day as a fan as a visitor as whatever, he'll take a certain pride.
	 
"When I come back and look in the rafters, there will always be (banners for) two conference championships, four division championships up there and I'll always have something to think about and be proud of with all those great players that we had," Thorn said.
	 
* * *
	 
King did say that Bobby Marks, a 16-year Net lifer and currently the VP of Basketball Operations, will become more or less his special assistant. Marks, the team's contractual whiz, also has been saddled with travel arrangements, scheduling, all the stuff others would swallow broken glass to avoid.
	 
"He’ll continue doing exactly what he’s doing, but I’d like him to give up some of the things like travel – let some other people do that – and really focus more on assisting me with the cap and coming up with ideas, trade-wise. I’ll look at him being my right-hand in basketball operations," King said.
	 
* * *
	 
Nets officially signed their first round rookies: Derrick Favors, the No. 3 pick gets $4,133,280 this season and $4,443,360 for the next (DeMarcus Cousins, the No. 5 pick, gets $3.374 mil this season – see why he wanted to be third?). Damion James will receive $1,156,320 and $1,243,080 for the upcoming two years. The team hold the third and fourth year options."
	 
* * *
	 
Avery Johnson had significant input into the hiring and even Thorn said that's not a bad thing as they're going to be working together. Johnson praised King's track record.
	 
"From a distance I thought he did a heckuva job (in Philly)," Johnson said. "Obviously, he was an assistant coach before so he understands the stress levels of coaches. He's had direct contact with players from that standpoint. Overall whenever you look back over the moves he made there, I think for the most part he did a heckuva job."

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Nets to name King general manager

July 14, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Former 76ers president and GM Billy King will be the Nets next GM. King, who was with Philadelphia from 1997-2007, will be formally introduced as Rod Thorn’s successor on Thursday. "I am very excited... Read on

Former 76ers president and GM Billy King will be the Nets next GM.
	 
King, who was with Philadelphia from 1997-2007, will be formally introduced as Rod Thorn’s successor on Thursday.
	 
"I am very excited about joining the Nets organization," King said in a statement. "I want to thank Mr. Prokhorov and his executive team for the opportunity to oversee a franchise that has such a vibrant owner, an outstanding coach in Avery Johnson, and possesses the combination of young talent, cap space and draft choices that will allow us to build a squad that will be able to contend for an NBA title."
	 
King was relieved of his position with the 76ers in December 2007 and replaced by former Nets GM Ed Stefanski. He will now have the task of helping to rebuild a team that went 12-70 last season.
	 
One of King’s best moves with the 76ers was drafting Andre Iguodala with the ninth pick of the 2004 draft.

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Nets statement on George Steinbrenner

July 13, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

New Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov released a statement on the passing of George Steinbrenner: “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the Yankees organization and the Steinbrenner family on... Read on

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Nets shoot for Morrow with Warriors sign-and-trade

July 12, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

The Nets still have their sights set on Anthony Morrow, Golden State's restricted shooting guard, but instead of a straight free agent signing, it looks like the Nets and Warriors will work out a... Read on

The Nets still have their sights set on Anthony Morrow, Golden State's restricted shooting guard, but instead of a straight free agent signing, it looks like the Nets and Warriors will work out a sign and trade by tomorrow. The Warriors will get a $4 million trade exception.
	 
Also, the Nets' attempt to land Udonis Haslem fell through. The power forward chose to stay with the Heat, as expected.
	 
And the press conference introducing Travis Outlaw and Johan Petro and anyone else who's in the neighborhood was moved to Wednesday.
	 
Assuming his physical turns up nothing nasty, Morrow will receive a three-year, $12 million deal.
	 
So even though the names are not LeBron or Carlos or Bosh, the Nets feel they have addressed their biggest needs. Addressed, not necessarily answered.
	 
"We needed shooting and we feel we're getting two guys who can make shots (Outlaw and Morrow) and help spread the court. We needed a backup center and we feel we addressed that with Petro. And we obviously needed a backup point guard and we got a kid in Jordan Farmar who has done that in some pretty clutch spots," outgoing team president Rod Thorn said.
	 
So the balance of power has not shifted to New Jersey. But the work is an upgrade from last year. Then again, considering the Nets won 12 games, a group of cardboard cutouts backed by medical experiment cadavers would be an upgrade. 
	 
So there remains one gaping hole – a starting power forward. Candidates, the line starts to the right.
	 
In the Nets' eyes, the guys they sought after all the top-shelf fours (Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, etc) went elsewhere were Haslem, Charlotte's restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas, and Houston's Luis Scola.
	 
Thomas went off the market immediately after the Nets showed sincere interest. The Bobcats were willing to match any offer and promptly re-signed the power forward. Haslem signed a five-year deal Monday worth around $20 million, according to The Associated Press, more than $10 million less than he could have gotten had he accepted offers from the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets.
	 
"No one is taking less money to play for the Nets," Thorn said with a laugh.
	 
So Scola, another restricted type? Looks like an exercise in futility. The Rockets want to keep him and will match any offer.
	 
So the Nets are back to Kris Humphries and real raw -- but ultra promising rookie – Derrick Favors, who legally can buy a drink two years from this Thursday. Favors turns 19 in three days.
	 
Next idea? Offensively deficit but energy-loaded Louis Admundson from Phoenix is a possibility. Al Harrington, whose penchant for shooting turns off many, is a short-term thought.
	 
But likely, the four is an area that will be addressed at a later date, one that comes after Thorn's expected final day Friday.
	 
* * *
	 
What about any of the free agents from last year's Nets team? Figure there are two guys who possibly could get some thought, Jarvis Hayes and Chris Quinn.
	 
Hayes can shoot, and in the Thorn view of the NBA, shooting is like MLB pitching, you can never have enough. Quinn was a third point guard and again, that's is something to consider in the event undrafted rookie Ben Uzoh from Tulsa doesn’t work out.
	 
* * *
	 
Thorn has remained absolutely mum on his successor. Two names repeatedly surface, former Sixers exec Billy King as a top guy with Nets VP of basketball operations Bobby Marks for a GM job.

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KERBER: LeBron showed early he wasn't

July 09, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

There are sports impressions that never fade. Your first baseball game. Your kid's first Little League hit. Your first meeting with supposed superstars. Watching that LeBron James "Hey Everybody,... Read on

There are sports impressions that never fade. Your first baseball game. Your kid's first Little League hit. Your first meeting with supposed superstars.
	 
Watching that LeBron James "Hey Everybody, Look At Me" nonsense Thursday reminded me of my first meetings with two of the NBA's all-timers, Magic Johnson and LeBron. Suffice to say each provided lasting impressions that have not changed.
	 
It's in the past longer than I care to admit or even remember but in my first year of covering an NBA beat full-time – it was the Nets -- my then-editor asked me to talk to Magic for a story. The Nets, being the Nets, were not nearly as interesting as this guy with the memorable smile. We were in Los Angeles and the Lakers PR staff told me to get to the Forum by something like 10:45, I could talk to him after the morning workout.
	 
Three wrong turns later, I pulled into the Forum parking lot about 11:20, wondering how my new career in the exciting world of Encyclopedia sales would go. As I rushed to the entrance, I saw this guy trudging up the ramp of the Forum. It was Magic.
	 
Now remember, this guy was "Magic," already a legend with several title rings. I was some guy from a New York paper who had been covering cops and baseball players forever, a guy he didn't know from Adam. I clumsily introduced myself with an apology, figuring he would give me the baseball player brush-off. I expected the worst.
	 
What I got was the most memorable hour-plus I have ever spent with an athlete. Magic could not have been more gracious. He treated me as if I were an old friend. He stood and talked and talked to me for 70-plus minutes in the parking lot. I jotted down what I could and, I admit it, I was completely captivated by this guy who explained this, answered that and never stopped smiling or made me feel like a fairly young reporter twit.
	 
Never did I feel worse for an athlete than on the day when Magic made his fateful HIV announcement. This is a man you can't help but like. Every time I see him to this day, he recognizes the face (he doesn’t know the name, which is fine – better that than Charles Barkley arguing with me that my name is "Frank") and is as gracious and kind and helpful as he was in the Forum parking lot a quarter century ago.
	 
Now my meeting with LeBron.
	 
I had come back to covering the Nets after the Pitino Knicks and the Riley Knicks. And in 2003-04, the next great thing, LeBron James entered the league. I remember asking Rod Thorn during LeBron's high school senior year if this guy was indeed worth all the hype. After marveling at James' NBA-ready body, Thorn said simply, "Oh, yeah."
	 
So LeBron did this and did that and everybody was amazed. Then in late March against the Nets, he became the youngest player to score 40 points in a game when he slapped the Nets for 41. As I recall, he won the game in the closing minute-plus. Made a basket. A steal. A dunk. A rebound. An assist. Incredible finish stuff.
	 
So I went down to the Nets locker room and the Nets said all the right things. Then I went to the Cavs locker room a little late. LeBron was still at his locker stall, surrounded by friends. I went up and introduced myself (far more authoritatively then I did with Magic, by the way as I was a full blown, jaded reporter by then). LeBron held up his hand.
	 
"LeBron has spoken. LeBron is finished."
	 
I was stunned. I hadn't really heard anyone talk in the third person since Ricky Henderson, especially when "Ricky's hammy hurts."
	 
As I turned away, I mumbled "Fred thinks LeBron's a (bleep)." I don't know if he heard me or not. I didn’t care.
	 
To be fair, LeBron was far better in subsequent settings but I always remember the first meeting with him. And after watching Thursday night, my opinion hasn't changed.
	 
Fred still thinks Magic is great and that LeBron is a (bleep).

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Nets agree to five-year deal with Outlaw

July 08, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

They tried for the moon — LeBron James — and now the Nets are building a team.Multiple sources have confirmed The Nets agreed to a five-year, $35 million deal with Travis Outlaw. Independent sources... Read on

They tried for the moon — LeBron James — and now the Nets are building a team.
	 
Multiple sources have confirmed The Nets agreed to a five-year, $35 million deal with Travis Outlaw. Independent sources told The Post that former Jazz sharpshooting guard Kyle Korver would also join the Nets, but team sources said the money marked for Outlaw would prevent them from doing that.
	 
“In our situation we needed a starting three and Travis had some really good years in Portland,” said head coach Avery Johnson, from Orlando with the Nets’ summer league team.
	 
With the team trailing in the James sweepstakes, Carlos Boozer headed to the Bulls and David Lee rumored to the Warriors, the Nets added Outlaw — a 6’9 small forward, who averaged 9.1 points in 34 games with the Blazers and Clippers.
	 
“With Outlaw and (draftee) Damion James we feel we have gained some ground at that position,” Johnson said.
	 
Outlaw, 25, was in the same 2003 draft class as James, Dwyane Wade and the rest --selected 23rd by the Blazers out of Starkville High School in Mississippi.
	 
Outlaw averaged 13.3 points in the 2007-’08 and 12.8 the following year, but broke his foot early in the 2010 campaign and was traded from the Blazers to the Clippers midseason before becoming a free agent.
	 
The Nets are still considering making a front-loaded offer to Bobcats power forward and restricted free agent Tyrus Thomas.

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Nets lose chance to meet with Boozer

July 07, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

With Chris Bosh set for Miami and with the feeling that LeBron James is out of the question, the Nets were looking to fortify themselves and trying to arrange a meeting with Utah's Carlos Boozer. But... Read on

With Chris Bosh set for Miami and with the feeling that LeBron James is out of the question, the Nets were looking to fortify themselves and trying to arrange a meeting with Utah's Carlos Boozer.
	 
But
	 Boozer reportedly has signed with the Bulls.
	 
The Nets are still looking for a backup point, a backup center, a three man – you know, a lot.
	 
When James announces his decision on prime time tomorrow – face it, don't you deep down hope President Obama decides to address the nation and James and this ludicrous self-importance gets pre-empted? – the Nets at this point hold virtually no hope he calls their name.
	 
Should the Nets get shut out among the elite free agents, they will look to fill out the roster with good, lesser profile players. For the three, think Mike Miller, Kyle Korver, Rasual Butler, Richard Jefferson, Matt Barnes. For the four – assuming they alos get locked out on David Lee – think Udonis Haslem, Tyrus Thomas.
	 
Boozer was a name mentioned by James and his camp during their meeting with the Nets in Cleveland last week when James specifically inquired about how New Jersey could upgrade the roster. James also asked numerous questions and presented assorted theories about the point guard position, it was learned.

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Dumars out of Nets search to replace Rod

July 05, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Detroit's Joe Dumars won’t be replacing Rod Thorn. The Pistons' President of Basketball Operations released a statement a short time ago denying any interest in taking over as Nets' president,... Read on