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But Kidd, who clashed with Johnson during their short tenure together in Dallas, said Williams’ struggles this season aren’t about play- calling. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the coach,” Kidd said Thursday. “I think it’s just a matter of getting comfortable making shots. Also, he has new teammates. He’s got to get used to a new crew. It’s always a growing period. “He’s a grownup. He’ll figure it out. All things don’t go well right away sometimes. He’s just going through a struggle shooting the ball, but he’s one of the best at what he does, so he’ll work through it.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams 

With the belief in the organization that the Nets have enough talent to be a top team in the East -- straight from the top, straight from Mikhail Prokhorov -- it's easy to see that this will land at Avery Johnson's feet if it doesn't get fixed. The coach always goes before the unhappy star in this sport, and that's especially true with the Nets, whose multi-billion-dollar business plan all hinged on acquiring him from the Jazz against his will and then persuading him to stay. CBSSports.com

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Mikhail Prokhorov 

Playing in Avery Johnson’s isolation-heavy system instead of Sloan’s pick-and-roll attack, the three-time All-Star is shooting a career-worst 38.8 percent this season. Asked if the Nets’ offensive system was better, Williams again didn’t hesitate with a negative answer. “No,’’ Williams said. “It’s just more 1-on-1 isos. I grew up ... in high school, my coach wasn’t one of those guys that just let us just throw out the balls and play. We were a system team. We had a staple of plays that we relied on for good execution. “In college [at Illinois], we ran a motion offense, a lot of cutting, a lot passing, a lot of screening and making the extra passes. I’m used to just movement. So I’m still trying to adjust. It’s been an adjustment for me. But it’s coming along.’’ New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan 

An Eastern Conference scout noted that Johnson never ran the U.C.L.A. sets when he coached in Dallas and that he seemed to be using them now for Williams’s benefit. Williams made his remarks on Monday after Johnson had already spoken to reporters, so the coach was not available to respond. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

“Nothing is mechanical,” Johnson said. “He’s had a few balls that’s gone in and out. Nothing’s wrong with his game. Everything is going to be fine.’’ New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

As for Johnson's job security, a person with knowledge of the thinking of Nets' management who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue told USA TODAY Sports there's still faith in Johnson at this early juncture and a feeling in the front office that some peaks and valleys are to be expected. As general manager Billy King has said before, though, the expectation is that the Nets not only make the playoffs but are in a position to make an impact once they get there. USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching 

Although Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans – two of Nets coach Avery Johnson’s best defenders – have already been first warned and then fined $5,000 under the league’s new anti-flopping rules, Johnson isn’t concerned it will impact the way either of them play. “Not at all,” Johnson said when asked if the fines would change the mentality of either player. “I think there was another warning given, and you’re gonna see more warnings with other teams. “We’re not getting picked on. We’re a good defensive team. Unfortunately, two of our guys have gotten fined, but both of our guys have guys that have gotten fined, Reggie and Gerald, it’s not gonna affect their play.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Reggie Evans, Referees 

Fair or not, the rap on Avery Johnson in Dallas is he was a type-A control freak, the kind of coach who demanded without compassion, and who could prompt Dirk Nowitzki to describe the tenure as “a little dictatorship.” “I’ve heard that,” Deron Williams says, cracking a smile. “At times, he likes to micro-manage the game.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

The Brooklyn Nets' Avery Johnson and the Memphis Grizzlies' Lionel Hollins today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in October and November. Johnson led the Nets to an 11-4 (.733) mark in October and November, with the 11 wins tying for the most in the conference (Miami Heat, 11-3; New York Knicks, 11-4). The Nets, off to the best start through 15 games in franchise history, ranked second in the NBA in team scoring defense, holding opponents to 90.4 ppg. The Nets recorded their largest road win (107-68) in franchise history on Nov. 9 against the Orlando Magic. USA Today

Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Rod Boone: Asked Kris Humphries if he's bothered #Celtics called him soft:"Nah, that’s their opinion. Avery Johnson is not calling us soft." Twitter @rodboone

Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries 

On Tuesday, Metta World Peace described for reporters (including Janis Carr of the Orange County Register) his role definition in the Los Angeles Lakers' system under new head coach Mike D'Antoni: "The coach said, 'Go do you.' I said, 'OK, no problem. That's not hard.'" So it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, then, when World Peace followed up a big fourth-quarter corner 3-pointer that drew his Lakers within one basket of the visiting Brooklyn Nets by offering Brooklyn head coach Avery Johnson — all 5 feet, 10 inches, and (we're guessing) roughly 185 pounds of homespun rambunction — a nice, playful ol' head rub on his way back down the court. That is, after all, a pretty Ron-Ron thing for Ron-Ron to do. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Metta World Peace 

“The funny thing is, I wish he would be quiet on the floor and not call out your plays,” the Nets coach said in a bemused and complimentary tone Thursday morning prior to his team’s nationally-televised contest against KG’s Celtics. “He’s seen so much. We’ll call a play and he’ll say, ‘Joe is going over here and Deron is going here.’ It’s not funny anymore, OK? “As much as (Rajon) Rondo quarterbacks their offense, (KG) quarterbacks their defense. … I like every now and then when we’ll surprise him with something, and then maybe he’ll look at the bench and curse the other coaches out, not me.” ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kevin Garnett 

Brooklyn Nets coach Avery Johnson was talking about practice. And he was talking about Nets center Brook Lopez. "He's had to raise the level of his practice habits because of the competition," Johnson said, referring to 2012-13 Nets additions Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche. It was a polite, non-inflammatory way of saying Lopez's practice habits in previous seasons were not what the Nets sought. "We want him to be a presence inside," Johnson said. USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans, Brook Lopez 

In preseason Nets were talking titles and being best team in NYC. Now, this from Avery after 30-point loss to Heat: "Nobody said we're on Miami's level. Nobody ever said it," said coach Avery Johnson, either ignoring or unaware that Joe Johnson said the Nets can beat the Heat to win a title this season. "We're definitely not there after three games in the regular season. ...So we're not there yet. Sulia

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Joe Johnson 

Helping erase a 22-point deficit, the former All-Star helped complete a stunning second-half comeback with an all-around performance that was classic Kirilenko, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, as the undermanned Timberwolves won, 107-96. “Oh, he definitely was on our list. Oh, yeah,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said before the game. “That guy, with a skill set like that? I’ve always been a fan. He plays hard, he plays defense, he dives on the floor, he blocks shots, he goes back door, he’s improved his shot. ... When he was in Utah, I thought he was awfully good when he was healthy, so there was some discussion.” New York Post

Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Andrei Kirilenko 

League sources tell NetsDaily that "The Association" will spend all Thursday night re-editing episode 2 to include the horror of Hurricane Sandy and the trial and tribulations of the Nets players in coping with the storm...including Tayshawn Taylor, who was stranded in his Hoboken apartment since Tuesday but was able to make it to Thursday's practice at Barclays Center. Prior to the re-edit, much of episode 2 focused on Avery Johnson NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Media 

The Nets' season opener instead will be Saturday night at Barclays Center against the Toronto Raptors. Bloomberg, who confirmed that game would go on as scheduled, said he's working with the city to provide extra bus service for fans to get to the arena. Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said Friday's game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden is still on. NBA spokesman Tim Frank later confirmed that in an email. "We're good to go," Grunwald said. The NBA said it doesn't anticipate the status of the Knicks-Heat game to change Thursday. Nets coach Avery Johnson informed his team in the middle of Wednesday's practice at Barclays Center that the game against the Knicks was postponed. "We're definitely disappointed ... but we realize the seriousness of the situation," Nets point guard Deron Williams said on "SportsCenter." "A lot of people have lost homes and lost loved ones, so in the grand scheme of things, it's really not that important." ESPN.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Avery Johnson, Deron Williams, Schedule, Tim Frank, Glen Grunwald 

Although Johnson stopped short of saying that Humphries’s starting role was in jeopardy, he said flatly, “We do not have a rotation yet,” and suggested that the Nets might have to change lineups at times “to cover for some of our weaknesses.” “Everything right now is an open book,” Johnson said. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries 

Nets coach Avery Johnson thinks his team could learn a thing or two from those boxers that fought on the same arena floor where his team will take on the Knicks in the season opener in a little over a week. “We don’t have a hit-first mentality,” Johnson said following yesterday’s open practice at the arena, “and if you don’t have a hit-first mentality you’re going to get hit. That’s what I’m talking about. “It’s not about a turnover or a guy forgetting a play. No, I’m talking about defensively ... we haven’t done a good job. I don’t care if we’re fatigued, I don’t care if we haven’t practiced, we haven’t done a good job of protecting the paint. For us to go where we want to go, we’ve got to be able to protect the paint a lot better than we have.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson 

“Brooklyn’s Backcourt” is so good, Avery Johnson thinks at least half of it always needs to be on the floor. The Nets coach made sure his All-Star backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson played together in Friday night’s scrimmage. But he’s also trying to figure out how he’s going to deploy both of them in games this season with the idea of always having at least one of them on the court. “We’ve made a concerted effort to have them playing together in practice, drills, scrimmages, and then we have to figure out which one of those guys we want to lead our second team — because we’re not going to play a true second team this year,” Johnson said after yesterday’s practice. “We don’t think we can have Deron and Joe out of the game at the same time, so that’s something else we’re trying to develop.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams