Kings coach Keith Smart was prepping for Saturday night’s game in Brooklyn and he watched tape of Brook Lopez with particular interest. The Nets center, Smart noticed, has slowed down the game considerably.
“Sometimes, we want guys to play great right away because they’re big but they have to mature,” Smart said. “All players, they have to learn how to play fast but slow. His game has slowed down a great deal. There were a couple moves he had while I was getting ready for this game where he caught it on the post, real patient and just gave a face up. A couple years ago, he would have taken that and tried to drive or run over somebody.
“So the evolution of slowing down as a big pro player as a big man that’s when you become quicker with your moves and obviously he’s doing some of those.”
No argument from Lopez, who produced 18 points in just 16 minutes in the 113-93 romp.
“I think that’s a fair observation,” Lopez said. “I’m just trying to evaluate my options. Just reading if it’s single coverage or what happens when the double comes instead of just getting [and going].”
* The Nets were without Kris Humphries for the second straight game, with the power forward continuing to sit out with a sprained left ankle he suffered in the team’s win over the Thunder in Oklahoma City Wednesday night.
With Humphries still sidelined, the Nets continued to start Reggie Evans in his place. Although the Nets improved to three straight wins with that lineup, interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said before the game he wasn’t sure if he would stick with it.
“I think that, what we’ve said recently is we want to wait to get everyone back and healthy, and then figure out what works,” Carlesimo said. “I’m as concerned with the rotation as I am with who starts. I’m more concerned with figuring out rotations … but our lineup is OK right now.”
While Humphries was out once again, C.J. Watson made his return to the lineup after sitting out the previous two games with a sore right knee. Watson filled in behind starting point guard Deron Williams, and finished with two points, two rebounds and two assists in 16:09.
* With his team’s win over Sacramento last night, Carlesimo now has the second-best start by a coach in team history after the Nets improved to 5-1 since he took over for Avery Johnson on Dec. 27. Carlesimo is second only to Lawrence Frank, who began his tenure on the Nets’ bench with a perfect 13-0 start during the 2003-04 season.
— Additional reporting by Fred Kerber