NETS INSIDER

Comparisons between Jason Kidd's arrival with the Nets franchise and Kyrie Irving landing with Brooklyn are aplenty, but don't tell T.J. Kidd, son of the former Nets great that. Speaking with Nets Insider, T.J. Kidd weighed in on what intangibles Irving will bring both on and off the court at Barclays Center and how his circumstances are much different than his father's when the Nets made a blockbuster trade to acquire him back in 2001. "Kyrie Irving is a top tier point guard in the league as my dad was when he came from the Suns," said the son of the first ballot Hall of Famer. "Both had all-star seasons before joining the Nets. When my dad came it was via trade. Kyrie joined via free agency after playing for the Celtics last season. So I wouldn’t compare their arrivals. Two incredibly talented basketball players for their times. Kyrie doesn’t have to come in and be the next Jason Kidd for the Nets. He’s won a championship already with the Cavs. He’s a c...

Former NBA Scout Bryan Oringher spent four years full-time traveling with the Washington Wizards as Head Video Coordinator and the 17-18 season conducting regional advanced scouting for the Raptors and Hawks. If there’s anyone who has a keen eye for talent and understands X’s and O’s as well as film breakdown, it’s Oringher.  A University of Maryland graduate, Oringher spent his first two years at school working under head coach Gary Williams before joining the Wizards as an intern for his final two undergraduate years. Nets Insider sat down with Oringher to discuss Kyrie Irving’s transition to the Nets culture as well as Kenny Atkinson’s system. The key for Irving’s success, according to Oringher, will be the former Celtics’ ability to check his ego at the door and make some simple adjustments to his game. “Until KD is back, I think it’s very similar to what Boston had last year: Kyrie surrounded with a pretty good supporting cast,” said Oringher of Irving’s situation in B...

The Nets know a thing or two about acquiring a superstar point guard with somewhat of a checkered past. Back in June of 2001, the then-New Jersey organization sent floor general Stephon Marbury packing for Phoenix in exchange for All-Star Jason Kidd. A former Co-Rookie of the Year, alongside Grant Hill, Kidd was regarded as one of the top point guards of his generation. In his first season in New Jersey he completed the greatest turnaround in league history as the Nets went from 26 wins before he came to town to 52-wins and a berth in the NBA finals. Kidd was arrested in January of 2001 for hitting his now ex-wife Joumana and the Suns subsequently shipped him out that offseason. The former Cal star brought leadership, toughness, but his share of baggage to the Garden State. Flashforward 18-years, and while Kyrie Irving has no arrests or misdemeanors on his record, his leadership and team-first attitude have been challenged by critics that point to his selfishness as a reason the...

You can't call the Brooklyn Nets The Little Engine that Could anymore. Signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has a way transforming a franchise that before the free agent frenzy was quietly minding its own business and ascending the rankings in the Eastern conference step by step. A franchise that has had a nomadic existence to say the least. From Teackneck New Jersey, to Commack, Long Island to West Hempstead, New York to Uniondale, New York to Piscataway, New Jersey to East Rutherford, New Jersey to Brooklyn, New York, the Nets are well traveled to say the least. Stay tuned to https://t.co/7P1luYIl13 for updates on Kevin Durant's injury. #nba #nets pic.twitter.com/JwMylWR3Dm — Rick Laughland (@ricklaughland) July 24, 2019 LIST OF NETS HOME ARENAS Teaneck Armory Teaneck, New Jersey 1967–1968 Long Island Arena Commack, New York 1968–1969 Island Garden West Hempstead, New York 1969–1972 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Uniondale, New York 1972–1977 Rut...

Nets Insider sat down with Dr. Steven Weinfeld, Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, to discuss Kevin Durant's Achilles injury. Dr. Weinfield indicated that while rehabbing his Achilles heel is paramount, the greater challenge for Durant comes in getting his calf muscle back to full strength. The question on every Nets fans' mind is when will the ten-time All-star be able to return to the court? The team hasn't ruled him out for the entire 2019-2020 campaign just yet, but the prospect of him playing this upcoming season is still improbable, according to Dr. Weinfeld. "I think it's unlikely that he would play this season, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if he did come back," admitted Mount Sinai's Chief of Foot and Ankle Surgery. "Certainly things you want to be clear about as a surgeon allowing an athlete to come back to play high level sport is that obviously their repair is healed enough and that their stength is whe...

25-year television voice of the Brooklyn Nets, Ian Eagle joins Bryan Fonseca and Dexter Henry for episode 90 of the Ain't Hard To Tell Podcast. Eagle details meeting Kyrie Irving -- then a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers -- while stuck on an Amtrak on a Sunday night, learning that Irving has been a huge Net fan his entire life. Ian Eagle talks meeting Kyrie Irving while stuck on an Amtrak | Ain't Hard To Tell Podcast

The Nets second round draft pick via a trade with the Clippers, UCLA guard Jaylen Hands, gave a classy shoutout via Twitter on Monday night. In an age where marquee rookies are being held out of summer league games for fear of injury, Hands is thanking the organization that he'll be starting his pro career with for the opportunity to compete in Las Vegas. Wanted to take the time to say thank you to the @BrooklynNets for the opportunity I had to play in Summer League this month. I learned a lot and am very excited to build and get better!!! — Jaylen Hands (@JHANDS08) July 23, 2019 This is a strict departure from the current mentality surrounding summer league games where executives and agents alike cringe at the thought of a potential star player suffering a catastrophic injury in an exhibition contest. Clearly Hands isn't concerned about potential injuries, but instead focusing on his own development as he tries to make the Nets 15-man roster. Ideally Hands would like t...

There's no shame in playing behind a three-time All-NBA Player, two-time rebounding champion, two-time All-Defensive team player, one-time All-Star and the NBA's all-time leader in field goal percentage at 67 percent. But don't tell Jarrett Allen that. The Nets youngster, at just 20, is on the rise and there's a growing concern in Brooklyn that he'll be buried behind DeAndre Jordan on the depth chart. The reality is Allen is clearly a budding star in the making, but Jordan's ability to bang with the Joel Embiid's and Marc Gasol's and Al Horford's of the world make it doubly important for the Nets to station a viable defensive presence in the paint. Not that Allen isn't a talented defender in his own right as his 1.5 bpg average is among the league leaders. As a rim protector, the former University of Texas standout stacks up to the league's best. Unfortunately, his lack of strength and the fact that his young frame hasn't filled...

How could a 46.6 percent free throw shooter not be a liability at the stripe? It's been a bugaboo of sorts that has followed DeAndre Jordan around for the better part of his 11-year career in the NBA. However, something after ten seasons clicked. It was almost as if Jordan had exorcized the demons of the past and unlocked a shooting stroke that was previously undiscovered at the foul line. 2018 was a tumultous season for Jordan after he was spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2008-2017 until the core of that team including: Chris Paul. and Blake Griffin were traded away to the Rockets and Pistons respectively. Jordan was the last piece of the Clippers high-flying act left, but even he eventually signed a deal to join the Dallas Mavericks during the 2018 offseason. It was only three years before that Mavs owner Marc Cuban tried to whisk Jordan away from the Clippers during free agency only to see the star center agree to a deal to join Dallas then change hi...

Remember Mikhail Prokhorov's championship promise? When he took over as majority owner of the Nets back in 2010 he said he expected the team to make the playoffs the following season and win a Larry O'Brien trophy within five years at the most. Below is an excerpt from his speech to Nets fans and season ticketholders: "If everything goes as planned, I expect to be in the playoffs next season...and championship in one year minimum and maximum in five years... "The excitement is with the Nets. We will have a desire to win that is unmatched anywhere in the league. This will be a first class organization with all the support it needs... "This will be the first truly global team in the NBA with exceptional international exposure no other team can reach, and there will be fans of the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn to Moscow... “I can convince the very best of the best that the Nets are the place they want to be." Five years came and went ...

I've been watching the Nets for 25 years and I never recall a season with more anticipation or excitement than the 2019 campaign. While Knicks fans, Celtics fans, and all-around Nets-haters try to rain on the parade by intimating that Kevin Durant won't be back this season and maybe never the same player again; I'm not buying it.  Look, I understand the severity of Durant's injury and the normal timetable for recovery is 9-12 months. There isn't a strong track record of players rebounding from this setback in quick fashion and even fewer return to the same level of play they showcased prior to the injury. All those things are good and well, but Durant is a different animal. His lean body will allow for a quicker recovery than more muscle-bound or bulkier athletes. Durant's strength has always been his ability to rise up and shoot over opponents.  Standing 7-feet tall, Durant is almost indefensible and is regarded as one of the greatest shooters in the hist...

Kevin Durant's rehab is underway and the sharpshooter is already shooting a basketball! Well technically he is because he's working out in a pool, but that's a major first step toward him making a return to the hardwood. Check out all the photos below. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0E0L9XjRV6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Nearly 20 years later, it's a day that will live in infamy for many Nets fans. It's a day that forever changed the course of a franchise that for many years was considered the red-headed stepchild of the NBA. It was the day the Nets traded away Stephon Marbury for floor general and future first ballot hall of famer Jason Kidd. The agreement was in place on June 29, but couldn't be agreed to until July 18 when Marbury's base-year salary status came to a close. The other pieces of the trade include Chris Carr, Elliot Perry and forward Bill Curley headed to the Nets while the Wolves got guard Terrell Brandon from Milwaukee and forward Brian Evans and two draft choices from the Nets, including a first-rounder. The then-New Jersey Nets sent Sam Cassell and Chris Gatling to the Bucks, who also get Paul Grant from the Wolves. It was a complicated scenario, but the two star point guards saw their careers go in opposite directions. Marbury put up empty numbers during his ...

Kyrie Irving is often lauded for his play on the hardwood, but his depiction of old-time fictional street ball legend Uncle Drew is worthy of praise. Based on Nike Commercials showcasing Irving dressed up as the elderly baller schooling youngsters became widely popular and was the basis for the movie's development and release last summer. Featuring Irving and former NBA greats: Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, and slam dunk champion Nate Robinson, Uncle Drew is filled with humor, life lessons and lots of heart. While Irving's surprisingly polished acting skills and laugh out loud portrayal of Uncle Drew are reason enough to give the basketball flick a chance, Nets fans will surely get a kick out of watching their franchise point guard's debut on the big screen.

The Nets have two of the top eleven players in the NBA according to the ratings released by NBA 2K20 this week. Kevin Durant (3) and Kyrie Irving (11) proudly represent the borough of Brooklyn and Metropolitan area with a 96 and 91 rating respectively. While video game ratings clearly don't translate to on-court performance, 2K has been awfully good over the years of simulating each player's strengths and weaknesses. Gaming has quickly become a billion dollar industry and even the NBA has followed suit by drafting players to represent the respective teams across the league. Below are the overall player ratings along with the ratings of this year's rooies, top five shooters, and dynamic duos Player Overall rating 1. LeBron James 97 2. Kawhi Leonard 97 3. Giannis Antetokounmp 96 *4. Kevin Durant 96 5. James Harden 96 6. Stephen Curry 96 7. Anthony Davis 94 8. Paul George 93 9. Damian Lillard 92 10. Joel Embiid 91 *11. Kyrie...

Rick Laughland joins the OpenMike program to discuss arguably the biggest moment in Nets franchise history.