NETS INSIDER

 Kevin Durant and Dennis Schröder have been trading barbs on X/Twitter since Team USA captured the Gold Medal in France.  Durant hinted that U.S. born NBA players exude both skill and entertainment on the court to take a shot at Schröder intimating that NBA basketball is just entertainment and European basketball is more team oriented.  Now, the Brooklyn Nets social team is promoting its current point guard but is it taking a subtle shot at its former franchise cornerstone?  A man and his beanie pic.twitter.com/MCH9GfxWNG — Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 22, 2024  Now at first glance the tweet may seem innocent enough, but if you read between the lines, the troll job perhaps becomes a bit more obvious. Durant's signature style featured a beanie hat that he wore on the streets, during pre and post game interviews, practices and I'm sure if the NBA allowed he'd wear it in games, too! So with Schröder and Durant embroiled in a public feud, it seems curious ...

 The Brooklyn Nets were headed nowhere fast. With Mikal Bridges as the supposed building block of the franchise, the Nets stumbled to a 32-50 record with Bridges looking lackluster throughout stretches of this past season.  Some speculated that the NBA's Iron Man was wearing down with his consecutive games streak reaching ridiculous heights. In hindsight, Bridges joins a list of other NBA divas that simply wanted to take the easy road out and join his Villanova teammates across the East River at MSG.  General manager Sean Marks was being harpooned by his own fan base for not flipping Bridges immediately upon the trade with Phoenix last year to teams that were apparently offering four first round picks. Marks made his fifth coaching hiring in Brooklyn this summer by tabbing Jordi Fernandez as the man in charge.  Nets fans were not sold on Bridges and unsure what superstar wanted to join Brooklyn after the big three exodus of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden...

The New York Knicks are playing like superheroes in the 2024 playoffs. After knocking off the 76ers in the opening round, New York will rest upb and prepare to take on Indiana at Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of the semi-finals. While one New York basketball team prepares for a deep playoff run, the other will pick up the broken pieces from its lost season. The Brooklyn Nets are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They don't own a draft pick in 2024 and general manager Sean Marks has reportedly passed on several opportunities to hit the hard reset button by refusing multiple first round draft picks for Mikal Bridges as well as for Dorian Finney-Smith.  So with Brooklyn in a retooling phase, adding a marque player via trade may be the most logical route back to contention. A player often connected to wanting out of his current situation is a noted coach killer and Knicks killer. That player, none other than Trae Young, may be just what the doctor ordered for Brooklyn. While Den...

  On May 3rd, starting at 6:00 p.m., the author of: A History of the Nets- from Teaneck to Brooklyn, Rick Laughland, will be signing copies of his book at the Paramus, NJ Barnes and Noble.  Sometimes you have to root for the lesser of two evils. In this case, Brooklyn Nets fans have to choose between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.  That's a product of the landscape in the East shifting away from Brooklyn as a powerhouse In light of trading away, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. So when Nets fans look at the clear-cut favor to come out of the East, the Boston Celtics, that is also the least desirable outcome.  Brooklyn will be inextricably linked to Boston following the 2013 trade that sent out unprotected picks for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry.  One of those pics, Jayson Tatum, is evolving into a superstar and face of the league. The last few seasons, the Celtics have been knocking on the door of a championship.  The p...

 The Nets bounced back in a big way from a miserable loss to the Grizzlies on Monday night with an impressive win over a shorthanded Sixers squad. Without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Brooklyn still found itself down by double digits. The Nets did not quit and kept fighting back when they could have easily folded and saw their play-in chances sink further into oblivion.  Five nets reached double figures including Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroeder with 20 apiece.  The Nets, which they seldomly do, out rebounded their opponent- in this case the sixers- 44 to 38.  Ollie went deep into his bench due to the team playing its second game in two nights. Ten players saw the floor with each of them getting in the scoring column and making their presence felt.  Brooklyn will have an off night after the back-to-back and we'll take on a reeling Detroit Pistons squad on Thursday night. 

  The Brooklyn Nets may have just suffered their worst loss than the season.  Against a Memphis Grizzlies squad that was missing five of its best players, the Nets found a way to squander a chance for a third consecutive victory.  Only Nick Claxton topped the 20 point plateau with 21 points, while Luke kennard notched to season high 25 points. Brooklyn missed 13 free throws and was out rebounded 50 to 33. Kevin Ollie and company have no one blame but themselves But for a borderline embarrassing loss to a G-league Memphis squad. 

 Brooklyn sent a message to the team its chasing for the final play-in spot on Thursday night by handing Atlanta a 27-point defeat.  The Nets played arguably the most complete game of the season. Cam Johnson went for a game high 29, while Dennis Schroeder chipped in 23.  Brooklyn shot a sizzling 22 /46 from three point range while committing just nine turnovers.  It's been a rollercoaster ride under interim head coach Kevin Ollie. Brooklyn suffered blowout losses to Toronto and Minnesota to open his tenure followed by a blowout win of the Grizzlies. This week the Nets were dismantled in Orlando, only to return home and destroy the Hawks.  Brooklyn will have a familiar opponent in town on Saturday as they welcome in Atlanta. Another win over the half and the Nets will be a mere two games back of the play-in race. 

 The Brooklyn Nets snapped a four game skid with a 111-86 win over Memphis on Monday night.  The Nets fixed many of their defensive issues and kept the Grizzlies at bay as seven players reached double figures in scoring. Even on a night the Nets came out on top, Cam Thomas turned his ankle and was not putting weight on his foot. Thomas told reporters after the game that he doesn't think the injury is as serious as the injury he suffered earlier this year, but it's not great news nonetheless  It's almost certain that Thomas will not be available on Tuesday night in a back to back against Orlando and the team already ruled out Simmons for playing for a second consecutive night. It's been a feel good night for Brooklyn, but the Nets will need more than one win to catapult them back into the playoffs conversation. 

  The Nets battled, but in the end lost a fourth consecutive game-the latest setback to a dominant Minnesota squad. Brooklyn shot a measley 33.7 percent from the field and 17.1 from 3-point range in the loss. The Nets were tied with the TWolves at 78 with just under 10 minutes left. Minnesota finished on a 23-8 run to pull away.  The Nets were competitive but the result was the same.  Dennis Schroeder took exception to Mike Conley's 3-pointer with less than 30 seconds left to add insult to injury. 

  New coach, same problems. The Nets fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and were never able to climb back into contention. The starting five of Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton was less than stellar. Claxton only had six points, Simmons two points, Finney- Smith three points while Thomas added 19 and Bridges led the way with 21.  Brooklyn gave up a whopping 46 fast break points, an NBA record since the stat was first tracked back in 1996- 97.  Kevin Ollie's flawed offensive lineup was less than impressive and will need to be altered quickly.  Jalen Wilson played just 4 minutes in garbage time and needs to see his workload increase if the Nets hope to even be competitive.  Brooklyn takes on Minnesota on Saturday night looking for the first win in the Ollie era. 

  The Brooklyn Nets made a major move on Monday following the All-Star break, relieving head coach Jacque Vaughn of his duties.  The Nets( 21-33) were underachieving in the first half of the year and closed out the first 54 games with a 50-point drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden Arena. That game was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sean Marks and Joe Tsai, in consultation with team leaders, including Mikal Bridges, decided to make a coaching change. Vaughn unsuccessfully tried to carry over Steve Nash's freelance and free-flowing offense that worked so beautifully with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Now, without superstar talent, the offense was inexplicably built around Ben Simmons, who could never stay healthy.  The Nets should have been a top flight defensive team, but Vaughn decided to employ a drop defense that had catastrophic results.  Bridges and other players were looking for clearly defined roles as Vaughn constant...

  Mikal Bridges is a good guy. Always smiling and with an upbeat attitude. He's low-key, but knocking on the door of All-Star status.  But when the Nets best player went on a podcast this week with former Villanova teammates and now New York Knicks, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, it became difficult for Nets fans to watch.  While it appears the ribbing is good natured, Bridges doesn't exactly stand tall against the criticism of Nets fans and the lack thereof at Barclay Center when the Knicks came to Brooklyn earlier this year. Full context: https://t.co/GBZk0dRCQ9 — Nets As Depicted By Spongebob (@NetsDepiction) February 16, 2024   Knicks fans have jokingly referred to Barclays Center as MSG South.  Just another dig at what they consider their little brother- even though the Nets have been the better franchise over the last quarter century.  It's clear the tide is turning in New York and the Knicks are coming together as a championship hopeful squ...

  In the front end of a home and home, Brooklyn came up on the short end of the stick. Ben Simmons jump shots were as ugly as the muddy, melted streets throughout the Northeast. Nic Claxton followed up one of his best performances against the Spurs on Saturday with a terrible outing on Tuesday against Boston. The Nets had no answers for Jayson Tatum, who dropped 41, while Mikal Bridges had 27 and Cam Thomas 26. The Nets get another crack at Boston in part of the home and home at TD Garden on Wednesday night. 

 The Brooklyn Nets completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors acquiring point guard De nnis Schröder and forward Thaddeus Young in exchange for guard Spencer Dinwiddie The Raptors subsequently bought out Dinwiddie and he is expected to be a coveted piece on the buyout market by several contenders, including: the Lakers and Mavericks. Dinwiddie played in 348 games as a Net, in two separate stints, and is one of the most accomplished players in franchise history.  In a separate deal, the Nets sent out another expiring contract in Royce O'Neale, reuniting him with Kevin Durant, now in Phoenix. As part of the deal, the Nets acquire three future second round picks and  Keita Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin.  And a corresponding move, the Nets cut forward. Harry Giles.  Brooklyn still has a log jam on their roster and will need to release one more player.  While the trade deadline was not the splashy type that many Nets fans had hope for, the weren't that many marq...

 Kyrie Irving knows how to tear apart the Brooklyn Nets, whether he's with the team or in another uniform. On Tuesday night, Irving put on a show to a chorus of Brooklyn boo birds mixed with Dallas faithful. The former Net point guard turned Dallas' problem dropped 36 and had 5 assists while Luka Doncic had 36 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Mikal Bridges had 28, Royce O'Neal 18 and Cam Thomas 16. Dallas jumped out to an 18 point halftime lead and led by that same number after three quarters. The Nets closed to within six points with 5:22 remaining but couldn't draw any closer. Brooklyn is now ten games under .500 and welcomes a red hot Cavaliers team into Barclays Center on Thursday.  The team could look quite different after Thursday's deadline as changes are not only welcomed but sorely needed with this Nets team. 

  Not since the final two seasons at the IZOD Center in the Meadowlands and the two seasons to follow at The Prudential Center in Newark, have opposing fans taken over a home arena the way they have at Barclays Center this season. Last month, it was Knicks fans chanting Jalen Brunson for MVP in a comeback win and now it was Steph Curry stans soaking up his 29 points. Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges combined to go 9 of 36 from the field for just 31 points. The Nets shot just 38.2 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep. Nic Claxton was ejected with a flagrant foul 2, Lonnie Walker IV left with hamstring tightness and Jacque Vaughn refused to use Trendon Watford or Harry Giles off the bench.  It was all around ugly for Brooklyn. While the stands in Brooklyn are filled with fans, the enthusiasm for the Nets is pailing in comparison to the roars for opposing players. The deadline is fast approaching and with unrest in Nets World, fans are clamoring for Sean Marks to bring som...

 The clock is striking midnight on Nic Claxton. Set to to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, it's expected the center will earn $20-$25 million per year, whether he resigns with the Nets or not.  It's pretty clear that it is Claxton's preference to remain in Brooklyn. But as the Nets look big picture and possibly try to get into the big star hunting mode, Claxton would tie up a lot of the salary cap space and preclude them from taking on major superstars.  As much as Claxton has been a homegrown Net and has grown up before Nets fans' eyes, the lack of flexibility of the team will have with extending him long-term, coupled with the fact that is offensive game has plateaued, it makes it attractive for Sean Marks to consider moving him.  It's not a popular opinion, and one that I'm sure Net fans will push back on significantly.  But if Brooklyn wants to maximize this window with Mikal Bridges under a team friendly contract as well as rising star Cam Tho...

 The Nets built a 16-point first quarter lead and never looked back. Ben Simmons, who was scoreless and didn't attempt a shot in the game, made his impact felt in other areas with nine rebounds and five assists in 14 minutes.  Brooklyn's offense was humming with Simmons pushing the pace and finding open shooters. Cam Thomas went for 40, Mikal Bridges 23 and Lonnie Walker IV 20.  The splashed through 20 threes and dished out 35 assists. It's clear that a healthy Simmons has the Nets playing at a different level, but given his injury history it's hard for the team to put any faith in the point forward staying healthy. Brooklyn plays again on Monday in a nationally televised game against Golden State.

  Kevin Durant always loved the rims at Barclays Center and he barely needed them on Wednesday as he dropped 33 to go along with eight assists and five rebounds. The Nets, led by Cam Thomas with 25 and Mikal Bridges with 21 for the game, hung tough in the first half, trailing by just three points. Once the third quarter hit, Phoenix blew the doors off Brooklyn with a 42-26 frame, including a stretch where the Suns went 14 of 16 from the field. The Nets allowed the Suns to shoot 62 percent for th e game and despite a late charge to cut the lead to just ten points inside 5 minutes remaining, the Nets couldn't get any closer. Prior to the game, the Nets showed a tribute video to Durant, one that was rumored, and Durant indicated on X that he neither wanted nor deserved due to his short stint with the team. The Nets are sinking into oblivion while the Suns seem to be finding their footing. Anything short of a Phoenix championship will be an utter failure during Durant's contract, w...

  Photo by Doug Bearak All it took was 18 minutes for Ben Simmons to wind up back on the injury report. According to the latest update released by the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons has been downgraded from probable to questionable with a left knee contusion. The Nets face Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.  Brooklyn has sorely missed Simmons' play making ability, but his inability to stay healthy makes him an unreliable option for the team this season and moving forward.  If Simmons is unable to go, that will drastically reduce the Nets chances of pulling the upset against friend turned foe Durant. While the team is not characterizing Simmons injury as anything to do with his nerve impingement, the franchise has toyed with and played around with injury updates surrounding Simmons.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether this injury is totally unrelated or stems from his chronic back issues that he has had the p...