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00:00the Knicks and the Nets they're going to continue their battle for New York City as they face off
00:20for the second time this season on Monday night so let's preview the matchup we're going to do
00:24it with the host of the Believe in Nets podcast his name is Thomas Lutner and he joins me now
00:29Tom what's going on man how you doing what's going on Dex thank you for having me man I'm excited
00:34another another nice matchup in New York we got going on here today yeah we got another matchup
00:39here too two teams kind of on different ends right now Tom because the Nets they now sit at 3 and 12
00:45on the season so let me ask you this when you look at the Nets and I think Knicks fans looking at this
00:49will find this interesting from your perspective what does their 15 game start say about where this
00:55franchise is right now and then how they're approaching this season under Jordy Fernandez
00:59who's in his second year as head coach there in Brooklyn well I think that we're seeing something
01:04that's a little interesting right and I and the Nets are trying to build up their reputation their
01:10foundation and really work on who's going to be the star of this team who is the best player because
01:14that's something I've gotten into and I think that you look at this team you look at the stats and
01:18obviously everybody thinks that MPJ is the best player on this team because he looks like it and he
01:23shoots like it and he's the primary ball handler you know most of the time but I think that they're
01:27just trying to build up who they really are and it's hard to find that because like you said Jordy's
01:33a younger coach he's a guy who's two years in he's playing with a team of a bunch of 20 year olds I
01:37don't think there's anybody that's over 30 on the roster yet the only guy you have up there is Terrence
01:42Mann so with this short stint that we've seen so far I think that we've come to realize that the Nets are
01:48in a rebuild and you know I'm not gonna say the t-word and I'm not gonna go ahead and uh and sit there
01:54and solidify what they're gonna do but they are trying to win games and I think that like I said it
01:58comes down to the identity of the team what is this team who who are they going to be in the future
02:04uh you know what is going to be the the lineup rotation and and everything in between the one guy we've been
02:10seeing a lot of uh in Jordy's game plan is Tyrese Martin and I think that Jordy wants to make him a little bit
02:17more than what we've seen from him uh in in last couple games actually he's had he's had a very
02:22good stretch but I think Jordy's looking to get more out of him so I think that in in the first few
02:28games it's just it's just identity you know who is this team what are they all about uh what are
02:32they going to do come you know February in the deadline but that's what we've seen through these
02:37first 15 games you know there's not there's not this huge sample size of all these guys where
02:41you're looking at a veteran you know like I said Terrence Mann's the oldest guy in the roster I
02:44believe uh MPJ is a guy who you know you've known what he's been able to do when he's been the second
02:50or third option on a team and that was with the Denver Nuggets but you're you're seeing what he's
02:54able to do now as a primary ball handler as a guy who they're asking uh more of and that is being able
02:59to get assist being able to carry this team when they do win games which hasn't been much but like
03:04you said they're on the the opposite side of what the Knicks are on and I think that if they do find
03:08their true identity and they solidify what they really want to do rather than uh attempting to compete
03:14they'll be in a way better position than they have been the first few games yeah it's interesting
03:18I'm glad you were able to not use the t-word there try to avoid using the t-word there that
03:22that is good you saying that made me think of this how much of what we're seeing on the floor with
03:27the Nets comes down to growing pains under a young coach in Jordy Fernandez still as you just mentioned
03:32trying to install a system and then how much of it is about a roster that just doesn't have enough
03:37talent or experience to compete night to night how much of it is you know both sides of this
03:42in and when you look at this Nets team well I want to say it's 50-50 right and and if I could
03:47say it's 100-100 I would say that because that's really what it is I think that Jordy has been
03:51struggling when it comes to a player development coach like I said they are in the midst of a
03:56rebuild they're a team that has to figure out what they do want uh they don't have the talent to
04:01compete and I think that we know that but they do have a core right and you look at what's going to
04:05happen in the in the next few years right right now they're solidified to get a pick that's going
04:10to be in the top five you know and they have I think personally if you keep MPJ and you keep Nick
04:16Claxton and keep Jaeger-Dioman those three guys are are the foundation of this team and I think Jordy has
04:22to realize that so when you have a young coach who doesn't know how to use these specific players yet
04:28when you have weapons but you don't have enough to compete so especially in the eastern conference that's
04:32weaker if you give yourself two years of of allowing Jordy to really identify what he wants to do
04:38with this team and you give them that two years of you know signing the the right veterans getting
04:44the draft picks that you want and you need or trading up in the draft to something that you
04:48want to get then you'll be in a better position but like I said it's a 50-50 split right now you're
04:52in a position where this coach doesn't know how to approach this team yet and you're in a position
04:56where the talent's not there you do have a young talent but when you don't have a guy over 30 years
05:00old there's nothing you could really do with that yet so you know it's a 50-50 split like I said if
05:04I could say it was 100 100 I would 100 say that it's a lot of hundreds there I like that though
05:10I like that there's a lot of hundreds there I the thing is I think when you when you think about this
05:15Nets team right you think about teams I'm going to use the r word not the t word but teams that are
05:19trying to rebuild fans are looking for hope so when you look at this current Nets roster who's a young
05:26player that fans can reasonably get excited about right now is it is it a Noah Clowney because he's
05:32got some defensive upside is it you know Jaeger the old man is it somebody else that is on this roster
05:39who might be showing some flashes to fans and the coaching staff of being part of the long-term core
05:44who's that guy that you feel like Nets fans can say okay that's the guy we can get excited about going
05:49out to see well I would love to say MPJ and Nick Claxton but we know what they're all about right and
05:54like you brought up Noah Clowney who I I really like I think that he's a very good player but I
05:58think that you see him in spurts right he's a defensive guy who can score here and there but
06:03in some games he's non-existent some games he's going to go I believe in the in the Raptors game
06:06he went 0 for 5 from the three-point line so you can't you can't get that I think if there's one
06:11player who you have to stay patient uh stay patient with but you should be excited about it's Jaeger
06:16Dealman right and I think that there's a lot of people who are calling him a bust when you know when
06:21you were 10 games into the season and there's nothing you can do about that because one he's a
06:25play he's a playmaking point guard that likes to shoot threes I think that Jordy is expecting too
06:30much out of him when it comes to attempting to change his game he's a guy who wants to shoot I
06:35if I have a 6-8 point guard who can who really can pass the ball you know he can make plays but
06:40he's also a knockdown shooter I'm going to let him play his game I'm going to be patient with him
06:44and that's the thing and you're not wasting anybody's prime right now you know it's not like
06:48Michael Porter Jr. is this Nikola Jokic or this Giannis Antetokounmpo where if you don't get it done
06:53in three years you're not doing anything with it you have time with this roster so if you're patient
06:57enough and you really you know go into the game thinking the right thing and when you're watching as a
07:02fan and you really break down what Jaeger Dealman is doing during the games he is so exciting to watch
07:08and I know it's not this guy who's dunking on people and if you want to give the exciting upside
07:12it's Zaire Williams in my opinion who can just you know finish at the rim he could shoot a little bit
07:17but if I'm going to say you guys have to be confident in one person going down the stretch
07:20and I could always be wrong you know I anybody could be wrong but my in my opinion it's Jaeger Dealman he
07:25was the top pick for a reason he's a guy the first guy they took a chance on I think that Drake Powell is
07:30also up there I think the defensive ability as well as the athleticism you know two games ago he stole
07:36a little outlet pass and takes it down himself finishes at the rim both hands nice dunk I think that he has
07:42the dual athleticism and defensive abilities but if Jaeger Dealman could pick it up uh defensively
07:47and you allow him to play his game and you're really patient with him then I think that he's
07:51the guy that you should be most excited for all right Tom so when you look at this team what do
07:55you think should be the priority for the rest of the season is it simply player development and draft
08:01position see it's not using the t-word there or do you still think the nets can build an identity that
08:07carries meaning into next year no I think that it is it's it's it's really working on your player
08:14development and you know your position in the draft because that is the most important thing
08:18especially when you see a team like the Thunder right now who have the rights to so many different
08:21teams picks and there's a chance that they pick in the top five if the Clippers don't turn this around
08:25so I think you have to worry about that and I think you have to worry about where you're going to draft
08:30because you do want one of these top three guys and there's a lot of teams competing for that right now
08:34when it comes down to player development I think that Jordy needs to figure out um how to really
08:39just let players play their own game you know and I was able to have a conversation with a couple uh
08:44people and the one thing I was saying is Cam Cam Thomas when he when he does play and you know
08:49obviously he's injured right now he's a scorer he's a guy who's going to get to his mid-range spot
08:53whenever he comes off the screen he comes off the screen very tight so he you know and who knows how
08:58long he's going to be on this next team but the one thing that I want to I want to take away from this
09:02situation uh specifically Cam Thomas is a guy who just wants to score if he's going to come off the
09:07screen tight and take a mid-range shot let him take that mid-range shot Jordy's whole game plan
09:11right now is making players do more than what they already do which I understand if you want to expand
09:17their game but if you're telling Cam Thomas to take threes and instead of just taking the mid-range
09:21that he would just normally take he's taking step-back three-pointers that aren't going in because he's
09:25not set then you have to work you have to work on just allowing players to be themselves right
09:29another prime example of this Jaegor Diehlmann a guy who like I said he's a three-point he's a
09:34three-point sniper the guy wants to shoot from the three-point line he wants to be the guy who you can
09:39rely on from when it comes to shooting outside of MPJ and the whole thing with within the first five
09:44games was well we want to see him score from other parts of the floor which I understand but if you're
09:48taking a shot on this guy so early in the draft you have to learn how to just let him play his game
09:53you have a you have a three-point shooter in Michael Porter jr so it's not like that's your biggest
09:57worry in the world you know you don't have to worry about this guy not being able to shoot
10:01threes MPJ is going to be your scorer you know most of the most of the time it's going to MPJ
10:05now would I like Jaegor to be able to score over smaller defenders closer to the rim sure but I'm
10:12not understanding the point of trying to make him into this mid-range scorer if you want him to get to
10:16the block and take a shot over you know a smaller guard but guys by the names of Jalen Brunson Trey Young
10:22he's six foot eight I understand that but if you're going to try to get him to the mid-range
10:25it's not it's not that kind of game anymore a guy that perfected that kind of game was Shawn
10:29Livingston and it's not that NBA anymore although it worked the difference was you had Steph Curry
10:34and Klay Thompson on the other side of that so when you hit you know when you when you go out and hit
10:3810 mid-range shots in that game you have a guy who's hitting 10 three-pointers behind you the
10:42Nets don't have that so you have to let players develop a little bit on their own but you have to
10:46coach them in the way that they want to be coached rather than what you think is right because
10:51right now like like we were saying there's no identity going into next year so work on the
10:56development build your core around Nick Claxton, MPJ, Yegor Dioman the only thing that I would say
11:04needs to change for one of those star those star players I guess you would say
11:08is I would love to see Nick Claxton expand his game a little bit just because we're also not in
11:13the traditional center role where you're finishing at the rim every single time and it's going to work
11:17does it work for some role centers like we'll see you know in in this game with Mitchell Robinson
11:21it works for him because you have Carl Anthony Towns backing him up so I would love to see
11:25Nick Claxton be able to catch the ball at the free throw line turn around and when a defender is
11:29letting him shoot shoot the ball he could shoot we've seen it before he has a nice mid-range jumper
11:33so if you're able to really develop a guy like Claxton to his full potential you let Dioman uh develop
11:39the way that he wants to he's also super young and you keep the the MPJ you know that MPJ play making MPJ
11:45live as well as scoring I think that's what you have to focus on as well as your draft position
11:49because if you have those three solidified and you know Drake Powell's able to be this defensive
11:53guy Noah Clowney's able to be this defensive guy work on his scoring a little bit uh and you're
11:57getting a top pick you're you're in a 10 times better position than than in next year's uh next year's
12:03season than you are you know 15 games into this season right and then once that is done then you
12:09can think about next year and then working on the identity and developing that as you go further
12:14it makes a lot of sense to me all right last thing for me last time the Nets face the Knicks
12:18earlier this month it was all New York the Knicks they recorded a 134 to one excuse me 134 to 98 not
12:24198 that'd be a whole lot of points 134 to 98 victory when you look at this matchup against the
12:31Knicks for the Nets what do you think will be the key matchups to keep an eye on in terms of individuals
12:36in this game well you didn't have to bring up the score I remember the game unfortunately I had to watch
12:42I had to watch the Nets get dominated but um no I think there's there's a few and you know I
12:48think that the Knicks playing two bigs with um Mitch and Cat makes a little bit harder for the Nets
12:56but I do think that there's going to be a world where Cat and MPJ go at it because OG's not there
13:02and I know that he's not the best defensive player in the world Cat but we'll probably see MPJ guard
13:06Cat here and there I know that Clowney's probably going to be on him majority of the game so that is a
13:10matchup I would like to see if somehow um you know the Nets are able to make that matchup work because
13:16I do think that MPJ could take advantage of that matchup with not having a guy like OG there we'll
13:20probably see Hart guarding MPJ we'll probably see McHale guarding MPJ but if if the Nets somehow
13:25make that matchup work where they get Cat to switch on to MPJ I would love that the other thing I would
13:30love to see and and I know we saw a little bit of it but I think that we're seeing uh you know
13:34Jaegor Dioma get more comfortable in the position that he's at now so I'm excited to see him
13:38versus Brunson I think that it could be a good matchup I think that like I said if you're going
13:42to get Jaegor to really uh advance his game and and make a name for himself it's going to be on
13:48smaller defenders and Brunson's a smaller defender now do the Knicks throw McHale bridges at him and
13:53Josh Hart at MPJ possibly but if we're able to see that point guard on point guard matchup the good
13:59thing about the matchup realistically for the Nets is that like you know you have to just go one one on
14:05one your position is going to be one-on-one so I would like to see Jaegor's game advance a little
14:10bit uh defensively and be able to guard a smaller guard in Jalen Brunson maybe we see Terrence Mann
14:15take over that um that role a little bit but I think that's my prime matchup just the prime matchup
14:20of Jaegor versus Brunson like I said if you're able to get MPJ and uh Carl Anthony Townsend each other
14:26but also the defensive abilities of Mitchell Robinson against the offensive abilities of Nick Claxton I think
14:31would be a great matchup because you're seeing traditional center versus traditional center
14:34you're seeing two guys who are going to finish at the rim they're both going to play defense at the
14:37rim and I think it's going to come down to with them to at least who's going to block more shots
14:41who's going to dunk on each other more so that's a that's going to be an interesting matchup just
14:45because it's not a matchup that people really traditionally look for the two guys who are just
14:49traditional centers who can't really not that they can't shoot but aren't going to shoot and they're
14:53just going to finish at the rim but I think that could be an aggressive matchup and and a little bit
14:56of an underlooked matchup in uh in this game at least yeah it will be interesting to see
15:01nicks and nets playing for the second time this season at the barclays center on monday night nicks
15:07in the middle of a five game road trip nets three and 12 on the season mix 96 on the season that is
15:16thomas luther check him out believe in nets podcast a really good one for the nets fans on here tom i
15:22appreciate you coming on with me not using the t-word being able to preview this matchup we'll definitely
15:28have to do it again i appreciate you joining me on new york got game thank you so much man
15:32no problem man thank you for having me i really appreciate the time
15:38and thanks for watching new york got game boom shakalaka
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