After watching his team shoot just over 65 percent from the free throw line during the first five preseason games, Nets coach Jason Kidd decided to do something about it during Friday’s practice.
So, after the team completed its intrasquad scrimmage — which was won on a 3-pointer by Paul Pierce — Kidd had the players spread out to the six baskets around the court and begin taking foul shots.
While the players normally shoot free throws at the end of practice, Kidd turned it into a team exercise, having the Nets go around the gym, with a player at each hoop needing to make two foul shots in a row.
“It is easy to shoot them individually and making 25 or whatever,” Kidd said afterward. “But I thought I would change it up and promote our unity as a team.”
After several false starts, the Nets went on a run, with Alan Anderson, Mason Plumlee, Jason Terry, Kevin Garnett and Tyshawn Taylor all hitting both of their foul shots.
It was up to Shaun Livingston to knock down the final two attempts to end the practice. But after his first one went in, his second and final one rattled out, forcing the Nets to start all over again.
“It took a little longer than they thought,” Kidd said with a smile.
So, after they failed to end practice that way, Kidd brought the entire team to one basket and asked the players to pick three shooters and he would pick two, with each player expected to shoot two free throws. Kidd said every miss during the 10 free throws would result in a set of five push-ups — copying the team’s new habit of having a designated player do three push-ups every time a Net hits a 3-pointer in a game.
The players’ choices — Deron Williams, Pierce and Terry — went 4-for-6, with Williams and Pierce each missing one. Kidd’s first choice, Brook Lopez, made both of his, leaving just Garnett to shoot the final two free throws of practice. The veteran forward was so confident he would make both that he said at one point, “Go get the popcorn ready.”
But after making his first free thow, Garnett’s second somehow rattled around the rim and out, forcing he and the rest of his teammates to do five more push-ups and prompting Garnett to accuse Kidd of “having a button over there” that kept the shot from going in, drawing laughs from everyone in the gym.
“This is fun, man,” said Terry, who practiced fully for the first time this preseason after undergoing offseason left knee surgery. “It’s what it’s all about.
“As you can see at the end, our emphasis is on free throw making. It’s something we struggled with in the preseason. We’re always trying to get better.”
In addition to Terry, Williams (sprained right ankle) remained limited in practice, while Tornike Shengelia (offseason left knee surgery) participated in limited portions of practice for the first time this preseason. Taylor (sprained right ankle) and Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) both remained out of practice.
The Nets also signed forward Adonis Thomas to their training-camp roster, returning the roster to 18 players after waiving Gary Forbes following Thursday’s game.
Thomas, who was in camp with the Hawks earlier this month, will now have his rights controlled by the Nets D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor.