Planinic Impressive

The following two stories concern NBA rookie Zoran Planinic who plays
for the NJ Nets. He has become a key player for the team as shown by
the following article from Newsday and a second artile below from the NY
Times. John Kraljic

By Laura Price-Brown
STAFF WRITER

November 15, 2003

Zoran Planinic gobbled tapes of Nets star Drazen Petrovic when he was
growing up in Bosnia- Herzegovina. He never saw him play in person -
Petrovic died in a car crash when Planinic was 10 - but the NBA rookie
knew that if he wanted to learn basketball, he'd have to know Petrovic.

"Drazen was the best athlete in Croatia, so you have to have the tapes,"
Planinic said. "I see the people respect me more because of him."

So he studied and played, turning pro at 14 and being named Best
Croatian Young Player at 20. The Nets picked the 21-year-old Planinic
22nd overall in this year's NBA draft. Friday night at Continental
Airlines Arena, under the banner that displays Petrovic's retired
number, Planinic made his own statement for Croatia as the Nets beat the
Knicks, 85-80, in front of 17,557.

Planinic shot 4-for-6 and scored nine points in 15 minutes, most of them
while Jason Kidd rested on the bench. After losing to the San Antonio
Spurs, Kidd and Nets coach Byron Scott had agreed that Kidd would be
more effective not playing 41 minutes a game. The two-time Eastern
Conference champions signed 12-year veteran Robert Pack this week to
help fill that backup role, but he never shed his warmups Friday.

Planinic took over at point guard late in the first quarter with the
Knicks leading 18-14. He promptly led the Nets on a 10-0 run in his
eight minutes, finishing it with a sweet baseline runner for a 24-18
lead.

When he returned with 1:37 left in the third quarter, the Knicks had
rebounded from an 11-point deficit and trailed 54-52. Knicks guard
Howard Eisley burned the rookie on a layup, but the former Croatian
national champion recovered by draining a rainbow from the top of the
key.

Planinic also learned quickly about what it means to play in the NBA.
While guarding Allan Houston, he stuck out his left hand as he contested
a shot but never moved it. Houston wisely leaned in and drew a foul on a
three-point attempt, converting all three free throws for a 57-56 lead.

"I knew it was coming," said Pack, who counseled the rookie during the
game. "I knew he held out his hand too long."

But the 6-7 Planinic was impossible to intimidate. He told himself to
stay aggressive, and with 3.9 seconds left in the third quarter, he
accepted a Kerry Kittles feed on the fast break, dribbled behind his
back to blow past Eisley and softly laid in the ball to tie the score at
59.

Planinic's play impressed Scott enough for the coach to leave him in at
the start of the fourth, even as Kidd returned. Planinic effectively
kept a hand in Houston's face, and when Scott finally sat him for the
night with 7:27 remaining, the coach patted Planinic on the rear.

"I told him that he was going to play some minutes and he responded
really well," Scott said. "The thing that impressed me most is he
stopped thinking so much. He just played."


November 16, 2003
NETS 100, HAWKS 85
Nets Finally Break Free and Reach 100 Points
By LEE JENKINS

TLANTA, Nov. 15 - The Nets needed 10 games to find their backdoor passes
and halfcourt lobs, but in one night with the Atlanta Hawks they
rediscovered their old fast-breaking selves.

The Nets took off the manacles Saturday night and proved they could
still move a little. Showing exactly how they captured the past two
Eastern Conference championships, the Nets entertained a rare capacity
crowd at Philips Arena and ran past the Hawks, 100-85.

Informed that his team was averaging only 85 points a game, Coach Byron
Scott promised more scoring and the Nets made good on his guarantee.
They reached 100 points for the first time this season and got back to
.500 in their trademark style.

Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin made the highlights with two ally oops -
including one from halfcourt - but they did much more. Martin scored 23
points and smothered Shareef Abdur-Rahim, snatching 14 rebounds. Kidd
directed an offense that appeared high-octane again, scoring 21 points
and dishing out 8 assists. He spent much of the second half smiling and
laughing, a sight the Nets had been missing.

"We got out and ran," Kidd said. "Our strength is getting out and
running and we did that."

Kidd is happy to be playing fewer than 40 minutes these days and
thrilled to have designated rest periods in the first and second half.
He said he was fresher and stronger in the past two games, both Nets
victories, and for that he can thank Zoran Planinic. A first-round draft
choice from Croatia, Planinic has become more assertive and more
consistent since the Nets' signed Robert Pack to be Kidd's backup
Thursday.

"I just played aggressive again," Planinic said. "These last two games
have been very different from the others. Jason is only playing about 30
minutes, so that's good."

Planinic and Alonzo Mourning are separated by more than a decade of
N.B.A. experience, but they are just now getting accustomed to their new
roles off the bench. The Nets were ahead by a point in the second
quarter when Mourning established position in the post and Scott
hollered for his players to pound the ball inside.

Catching the ball deep in the key, Mourning bullied Atlanta's interior
defense and got himself to the free-throw line, sinking eight free
throws in a row. It was Mourning's most effective effort since coming
back from a kidney disorder.

"Once I get my blood flowing, my adrenaline going and my sweat going,
I'm better off," Mourning said. "I just want my minutes to be productive
so when I come in, we don't lose a step."

The Hawks are known for playing some of the worst defense in the league,
which is exactly what the Nets needed to face. Running their Princeton
offense to precision for the first time this season, they shot 49.7
percent and took a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. Atlanta never
threatened in the second half.

The Hawks went through two seven-minute stretches without making a field
goal. After his team dominated in the paint and on the break, Scott
praised the Nets for playing "a complete game."

"We made some shots, we made some easy baskets," Martin said. "We got up
and down and passed the ball and were unselfish. Guys found each other
and played the way we need to play to win."

The Nets count on these victories before they even record them. In the
past two years, they have dominated most inferior opponents, with slight
slip-ups against the Hawks and the Cavaliers. Heading into this season,
the Nets preached the importance of blowing open games they are supposed
to win.

Not much has gone as planned so far, but for one game, the Nets appeared
exactly as advertised.