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January 28, 2011
Prok Speaks, Nets Listen: Owner’s Words Prove Prophetic As Brooklyn-Bound Franchise Heats Up
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
by John Torenli
The Eagle — and Nets' coach Avery Johnson — are impressed by the inspirational skills of team owner Vince Lombardi Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Nets had lost six straight games, 11 of 12 and owned an ugly 10-31 record last week when Prokhorov pulled the plug on a potential blockbuster deal that would have landed Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony in Newark, and eventually Downtown Brooklyn.
...Prokhorov, no stranger to the art of the business deal, flew in from Russia last Wednesday and insisted the Nets would no longer play the foil in Denver’s on-again, off-again discussions regarding a potential 14-player swap.
He even hinted that the eight Nets players whose names had been mentioned throughout the laborious process were suffering from the strain and tension of not knowing where they’d be playing at any given moment.
...While some scoffed at the notion of the Nets, who won all of 12 games last season and barely avoided the distinction of being the worst NBA team ever, playing poorly because of the trade rumors, recent history indicates Prokhorov was right on point.
...The Nets have since gone on to win four of their last five contests — their best stretch since 2009 — including Wednesday night’s come-from-behind 93-88 triumph over visiting Memphis.
Buoyed by their owner’s refusal to let the Anthony talks drag out, the Nets have clearly re-focused their attention on the hardwood.
“Right now the spirit of our team is at an all-time high, just in terms of all the things we’re tried to implement and trying to change this culture,” noted coach Avery Johnson, the man charged with carrying out Prokhorov’s vision of an NBA championship contender.
NoLandGrab: Calm down, Coach. "An all-time high" might be a bit hyperbolic, given the Nets' 14-32 record. Their four recent wins came against teams with a combined 74-109 record, which, to be fair, represents a winning percentage a full 100 points better than that of Prokhorov's charges.
Posted by eric at January 28, 2011 10:57 AM