Reggie Evans does not care the Miami Heat won a championship last year and is really unimpressed with their superstar, LeBron James. He had some strong words about the team as the Brooklyn Nets prepare to face the Heat tonight at home. Evans told the New York Daily News that the championship proves nothing since it was during a lockout year, believing the title is diminished due to the shortened schedule last season.
The Nets will face the Heat tonight for the third and final time this season. James and team won the first two meetings by a combined 43 points, which makes Evans' comments a bit surprising. One would think going up against the league's reigning MVP would mean extra preparation. Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo believes James is "unguardable" but Evans said that James gets no more added attention than any other player for the Heat.
"Our team is defending the Miami Heat. If our team has to defend on person, LeBron isn't going to score nothing. LeBron is no different from Joe Johnson or Andray Blatche," Evans told the Daily News.
James averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the Heat's first two games against the Nets. Johnson only averaged 16 points a game against the Heat, while Blatche averaged just 12 points in the two games.
In response to Evans' comments, James said he was not losing any sleep over playing in Brooklyn for the first time. He believes it was a shame that former Nets coach Avery Johnson took the fall for a team that did not want to play at a high level of intensity. James believes he will use the comments as motivation to play well.
The rest of the Nets' team remained silent on the pressure of the matchup and what it means to go up against one of the league's best teams. Gerald Wallace said he had no comment on what it was like guarding James, but recognized that it was a big game and a win against the Heat would be big for the team.
