Deron Williams

All posts tagged Deron Williams

No Kidding; Jason just wanted out of Brooklyn…

Posted by fantasyfurnace on July 5, 2014
Posted in: NBA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 15 Comments

The past week or so has created a plethora of theories as to what Jason Kidd did and why he did it. Was it for power? Was it the money? Was Kidd  just acting foolishly or was he being very shrewd and cunning? Here is our take. See what you think…

Was Jason Kidd 'outsmarted' by Nets management or was Kidd the 'smart' one.

Was Jason Kidd ‘outsmarted’ by Nets management or was Kidd the ‘smart’ one. Fantasy Furnace thinks that the reason for “JASONGATE” was simple-he just wanted out of his contract… Photo: USA Today

Plain and simple, it appears that Jason Kidd, at present  a rookie NBA coach, just wanted out of Brooklyn. One reason is that  the Nets, as presently constituted, have holes and question marks up and down their roster going into next season. More doubt has been cast as to whether Brook Lopez will be able to play an entire season without having any further surgeries. Clearly he will be put on time restriction at around 20 minutes per game next year. Deron Williams? Does anyone know if he will ever return to the all-star point guard status that he enjoyed in Utah? Paul Pierce? Does he return to Brooklyn? Will Garnett, if he’s back, also get put on a minute-watch? Point is perhaps Kidd felt that his sophomore season would have been hurt by some of these older players, their restrictions, and their future.

Another reason why Kidd wanted out could be the newly inked contracts recently given to two other neophyte NBA coaches; Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher. Their very lucrative contracts raised the bar for the salaries of rookie professional coaches and apparently Kidd found that appealing. Thing is, had he thought this through, he might have been better served to have stayed right where he was, worked hard, and then could have thought about seeking a better contract with Brooklyn, or another team, since the ceiling had already been raised so high by Kerr and Fisher.

Does anyone really think that Kidd thought that Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov would allow Kidd to usurp Billy King and thus place him in charge of Nets operations? After just one season? (and a rocky one at that) and with a very flimsy resume at best? Let me put it to  you this way; you just started working at a company and after doing a fairly good job overall in your first year there, you go into the owner’s office and request to be promoted to CEO. What do you think your chances would be of securing that position?

Kidd knew that not only would Prokhorov turn him down, but that he would ultimately be shown the door which is exactly what he wanted the owner to do in the first place. And the reason why Kidd had no problem with this is because he knew that the Bucks new co-owner Marc Lasry, already had a coaching position just waiting for him in Milwaukee as he had been looking to replace Larry Drew. No, this move last week by Kidd was not about the power. Knowing the way Kidd operates that will probably come in time, especially if he can do an admirable job with some of the younger talent that he will inherit on his new club.

The biggest collateral damage to take place as a result of Kidd’s actions was the firing of a very classy Larry Drew, the Bucks coach who was let go in order to make room for Jason Kidd. Drew, curbing his anger, took the ‘High road’ by thanking the Bucks and the fans for a “memorable year.” The two men who gained the most from all of this is first, Lawrence Frank, former Nets coach who was lured into becoming Kidd’s chief assistant when he took over the reins of the club and who subsequently was ‘demoted’ by Kidd shortly thereafter. Kidd’s firing, we believe, did not upset Frank’s day in the least.

And secondly, Lionel Hollins, the newly appointed Nets coach who was not exactly saddened by Kidd’s firing either as it opened the door for his hiring. Hollins, a huge upgrade over Kidd, is an excellent coach who did an outstanding job in Memphis and who will work well with the club this season.

Former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins will be taking over as coach of the Brooklyn Nets this Fall. Photo: AP

Former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins will be taking over as coach of the Brooklyn Nets this Fall. Photo: AP

What will be the fallout on Kidd’s part? Time will tell. Clearly his legacy has been tarnished and his reputation sullied. Will he thrive in Milwaukee? Will he be booed in many cities during next season, will the Nets decide to remove his banner from Barclays Center? Point is, does anyone really think that Jason Kidd didn’t have this all planned in the first place? No Kidding!!

* For an excellent in-depth look at Kidd’s past including his personal & professional indiscretions over the years, be sure to check out this link http://wp.me/p26SiB-1Pe (our friends at smallthoughtsinasportsworld).

Advertisement

10 Sports Facts & Stats You May Not Be Aware Of

Posted by fantasyfurnace on May 9, 2014
Posted in: MLB. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

May 9th, 2014

Did you know that…

1. The Milwaukee Brewers are the only team in the majors without a loss when getting more hits in a game than their opponent. (15-0)

2. Derek Jeter has 32 home runs, 120 RBIs, and has a career .323 average in interleague play going into Friday, May 9th, 2014.

3. Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada has not had a hit since April 29th.

Ruben Tejada, who hasn't had a hit in the last 10 days & who's batting just .183 on the season, will probably be replaced by 22 yr. old Wilmer Flores. Photo: AP

Ruben Tejada, who hasn’t had a hit in the last 10 days & who’s batting just .183 on the season, will probably be replaced by 22 yr. old Wilmer Flores. Photo: AP

4. No RBs were taken in the first round of this year’s NFL draft for the second straight year. Last April’s Draft marked the first time it happened.

5. QB Vince Young, now with the Cleveland Browns, hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2011.

6. CC Sabathia went 9 innings for the win in Game 5 of the 2012 ALDS. Since then, Sabathia is 18-18 with a 5.04 ERA and has allowed a staggering 285 hits and 76 walks in 255 1/3 innings.

7. David Wright has gone 132 at bats without a home run, the longest drought of his career. He last homered on Opening Day.

8. Giancarlo Stanton’s 30 RBIs ranks as the most of any N.L. player through the first 20 games of the season since 1960.

9. On Wednesday night, May 8th, 2014, against the Heat, Deron Williams was scoreless. It was the first time in 60 career playoff games that he failed to score.

#8 PG Deron Williams took 9 shots vs the HEat on May 8,2014 and missed them all. Something quite rare for the former All-Star. Photo: Getty Images

#8 PG Deron Williams took 9 shots vs the Heat on May 8, 2014 and missed them all. Something quite rare for the former All-Star. Photo: Getty Images

10. DT Dominique Easley, from Curtis High School on Staten Island, became the first New York City product to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft in 28 years.

Will the Brooklyn Nets get their Phil?

Posted by fantasyfurnace on December 28, 2012
Posted in: NBA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

After the recent firing of Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson, the reports rushed out of the media about the possibility of 11 time NBA Finals champion and ex-Knick & Net Phil Jackson returning to New York to coach the beleaguered team.

Could Phil Jackson come out of mothballs and take over the helm of the Brooklyn Nets? ufrsports.com

Could Phil Jackson come out of mothballs and take over the helm of the Brooklyn Nets? ufrsports.com

For starters the firing was almost inevitable. The Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, who is worth in upwards of $17 billion, has invested a lot of money into this team. The 5-year $98 million signing of PG Deron Williams & the 4- year , $80 million contract for guard Joe Johnson were made in order to bring relevancy to the franchise that had floundered in East Rutherford, N.J. for many years. Not since the days of Kenyon Martin, Jason Kidd, and Richard Jefferson have the Nets been even mentioned in the same sentence as other elite teams.

So why the firing of Avery Johnson… Several reasons. For one thing he’s in the last year of his contract so that made the axing easier. He has been given a team with arguably one of the best backcourts in the league, a decent swingman in Gerald Wallace, and, when healthy, a productive center in Brooke Lopez. Ironically, Johnson began the year at a torrid pace, taking the team to 11-4, a franchise record for the best 15 game start to a season. 

Then there’s Deron Williams’ dissatisfaction with Johnson’s offense. He has watched his points per game drop from 21 last year to 16.6 so far this season. Williams has made his voice heard within the organization as well as the media and the last thing G.M. Billy King or owner Prokhorov need is their franchise player upset with the system. Remember Williams did the very same thing in Utah which resulted in the firing of long time coach Jerry Sloan.

#8 PG Deron Williams has made comments that has helped in the dismaissal of coach Avery Johnson. Photo: photosmashup.com

#8 PG Deron Williams has made comments that has helped in the dismaissal of coach Avery Johnson. Photo: sportsmashup.com

Even Gerald Wallace has vented his displeasure with the organization and so fearing a mutiny might be in the offing, it appears that Prokhorov had heard and seen enough. He had been to see his team play 5 times this season; all losses.

So what about Avery Johnson’s replacement? Well, when you have $17 billion in your savings account, you don’t hesitate to kick the tires and see if an unemployed legendary coach would be interested in coming to Ft. Greene, Brooklyn. It would probably take $10 to $13 million per year to get him here, if he’s interested. The reason why he just might bite at the bait would be because he is not expected to bring a championship to Brooklyn this season so the pressure would be tolerable.

It would also create what Prokhorov is drooling over; an opportunity to grab the headlines on the back pages of the papers from the hated Knicks, but not in the same way that the Jets and Woody Johnson go about doing so. Those are ’empty’ headlines. The Nets owner craves productive back page fodder, the kind where his team plays winning ball and can be included in playoff conversations because his team is relevant again.

So what if finicky Phil turns down the cash and opportunity. Who would be another strong candidate? Well, he happens to be sitting right on the Nets bench as we speak. P.J. Carlesimo. Before you start shaking your head, remember he has always been a knowledgeable and astute coach who, unfortunately, is best remembered more for the Latrell Sprewell choking incident back during a practice session in 1997 than for his talent as a head coach. Before that incident he was one of the most respected coaches in the NCAA and NBA. Right now he is the interim coach and my guess is he won’t get the full-time gig but should.

P.J. Carlesimo, here with ex-Nets coach Avery Johnson, would be the logical choice as his replacement, but not the most popular. Photo: AP Photo/Mel Evans

P.J. Carlesimo, here with ex-Nets coach Avery Johnson, would be the logical choice as his replacement, but not the most popular. Photo: AP Photo/Mel Evans

Clearly, with a Phil Jackson signing the “rivalry” between the two New York teams would increase. There would definitely be a buzz around the city and personally, I wouldn’t mind it even though we’re not fans of his. And furthermore, if he turns down Prokhorov’s offer, at 67 years of age, when do you suppose he would coach again?