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Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts

Nets suffer another crushing last second loss to Minnesota

 


Mikal Bridges had two free throws to tie the game with 2.4 seconds remaining, but couldn't deliver.

The Nets top scorer missed the first attempt and intentionally missed the second with Brooklyn down 96-94. A lane violation by Dorian Finney-Smith and failure to foul on the ensuing position was all she wrote. 

Brooklyn showed grit and fight by coming back from double digits and taking haymaker after haymaker from the Timberwolves. Karl Anthony Towns led all scorers with 27, Anthony Edwards had 24 while Cam Thomas paced the Nets with 25 and Bridges added 21. 

Minnesota poured in 50 points in the paint and Brooklyn had difficulty dealing with the size and physicality the Timberwolves brought. 

Despite a spirited effort and comeback attempt, the Nets are now 4-17 in their last 21 games.

Brooklyn travels to Houston on Saturday night to face the Rockets looking to end a three-game skid.

Nets loss to lowly Blazers signals selling season is upon us



 The Brooklyn Nets lost yet another game to an NBA bottom feeder in the Portland Trailblazers on Friday night. 

Mikal Bridges came up clutch with a game tying basket with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter but Malcolm Brogdon drained a pair of threes that put Portland ahead for good in overtime. 

Bridges went for 42-points but the Nets could not best a young Blazers squad led by Afernee Simons who dropped 38. 

Cam Thomas played only 18 minutes and was not relied upon down the stretch as Jacque Vaughn went with a defensive-oriented lineup by becoming Thomas and Spencer Dinwiddie. 

The Nets now sit at a measly record of 16-21 and are sinking in a crowded Eastern Conference.

With a murderous schedule ahead, it begs the question, will the Nets be sellers ahead of the deadline?

It's pretty clear with how things have transpired over the last month in Brooklyn that the Nets and Sean Marks will be in selling mode. 

Look for pieces like Royce, O'Neale, Dinwiddie, Dorian Finnie-Smith and possibly Nic Claxton to be on the move. 

The Nets will be in Paris on an international stage to match up with the Cleveland Cavaliers starting on Thursday. 

The Nets face a daunting schedule over the next 17 games before the All-Star break and it might be time to start floating out rotation players to be on the move in order for Marks to recoup some draft picks for the future. 




Nets snap five-game losing streak with shocking win over Thunder



 The Brooklyn Nets led by as many as 32 points on Friday night at Barclays Center against Oklahoma City before surviving with a 9-point victory. 

The Nets losing streak ended at five games as Nic Claxton and Spencer Dinwiddie added 23 apiece. Cam Thomas chipped in 19 and Mikal Bridges 17. 

Brooklyn got off to a strong start in the first half but stumbled to the finish line in the second half.

Sloppy execution down the stretch saw Brooklyn's lead shrink to only six points, but It held on for a 124- 115 win.

The Nets are ecstatic to be back in the win column and head coach Jacque Vaughn can loosen his collar a bit. 

Brooklyn welcomes in the Portland Trailblazers to Barclays Center on Sunday looking for its second consecutive victory. 


Nets in danger of falling out of playoff race after fifth straight loss

 


The Brooklyn Nets are falling fast. Jacque Vaughn is pushing all the wrong buttons as leading scorers Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges are both mired in shooting slumps.

Brooklyn's 3-point shooting has gone down the tubes and its perimeter defense is nowhere to be found.

The answers may not be on this roster although the absence of Lonnie Walker IV and Ben Simmons has not helped the team's cause.

To make matters worse, the team the Nets lost to 112-101 on Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets, will hold the Nets lottery pick if Brooklyn continues on this downward spiral.

Sean Marks is at a franchise crossroads. Does he make a fifth coaching change of his tenure that started in 2016?

Does he build around Bridges and Thomas or decide to blow up the current core and build from the ground up?

All the answers will come into view later this month as the trade deadline draws near.

For the time being, the Nets are playing an unwatchable brand of basketball over the past two weeks and if things don't change in a hurry, there could be massive changes coming to Brooklyn. 

Nets should be ashamed for punting on Milwaukee game



 Load management is alive and well in the NBA. On Wednesday night, the Nets sat the majority of their starters, while Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges played just 12 minutes.

The Nets were in a dogfight with Milwaukee in the second half, but the organization called off the dogs before the game by sitting its best players.

This is an alarming trend in the NBA that was supposed to be curbed by stricter enforcement by the league and the addition of the In-Season Tournament.

The Nets, who will be fighting for a play-in position or possibly the sixth seed, can ill afford to just give away regular season games.

As for the fans that spent their hard earned money during the holidays to see their favorite Nets players take the court, it's a bad look public relations-wise.

The Nets organization has a lot of questions to answer to the fans and media.

If the league is serious about limiting load management, a fine could be incoming for Brooklyn. 

Nets have a buying or selling conundrum ahead of the deadline



 The Brooklyn Nets currently sit at a record of 9-8 and in tenth place in a crowded Eastern Conference. The team is exceeding expectations and will be getting leading scorer Cam Thomas back in the lineup on Thursday night after he missed the last nine games because he suffered an ankle injury. 

The Nets are not quite ready to compete with the heavyweights in Boston, Milwaukee or Philadelphia, but find themselves in a mix with about a half dozen other teams looking to make the next jump in the conference. 

So as Sean Marks looks to maintain roster flexibility with one eye on building a contender and the other on stockpiling young assets, he's faced with a bit of a crossroads for this Brooklyn squad.

The Nets have four key players who will become free agents after this season including: Nic Claxton, Royce O'Neale, Lonnie Walker IV, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dennis Smith Jr. and Harry Giles. Marks has bird rights for Dinwiddie, Claxton and O'Neale and each can play a critical role for a true contender this year. The return for any of those respective players would also be significant with first round picks not being out of the question.

Even Dorian Finney-Smith, with years remaining on his contract has been rumored to be a player multiple teams are interested in for a first round pick.  

Marks will need to evaluate which of those names are candidates to remain with the core of the team as they develop the young player and build a contender for the future. Since Marks doesn't want players to walk after the year without receiving anything in return, he'll need to walk the GM tightrope. 

Could the Nets get a top 5 seed in the East and pull an upset against Cleveland, New York, Indiana, Orlando or even Miami? 

It's absolutely possible, but how much would the prospect of a potential first round playoff upset and likely second round exit change the calculus for Marks to hold on to multiple pending unrestricted free agents? 

On the flipside, should the Nets go big game hunting at the deadline or in the offseason?

 Brooklyn is only 17 games into the season, but as it draws near the midway point of the year, fans and the front office will have a better indication of where this team is headed, what pieces to keep, what pieces to send out and what additional talent they can bring on the roster to get the Nets back into contending status. 

Key player on Nets injury report won't be back anytime soon

 


A look up and down the Nets injury report and you'd strain your neck and eyes trying to read all the names.

From Cam Thomas' sprained ankle to Ben Simmons's nerve impingement in his lower back, Brooklyn has been banged up this early season. t

While it looks like the teams leading scorer will be back sooner than later, the team's  leading assist man won't be back as fast.

Thomas has resumed basketball activities and isn't scheduled for any further MRIs or imaging on his injured ankle.

Simmons, however, will still need to rehab his injured back, and is not cleared to practice.

Given Simmons injury history and specifically his surgically repaired back, the Nets could be without their starting point guard for the foreseeable future.

Nets star has jersey retired at storied college basketball program

 


Mikal Bridges may be Brooklyn's very own, but his heart will always be in Philly. The former Villanova Wildcat and Philadelphia native had his jersey retired at the Pavilion on Friday night.

Bridges is approaching the prime years of his NBA career, but he was honored as one of the all-time greats under a legendary coach in Jay Wright.

Bridges won the National Championship as a freshman in 2016 (program's first since 1985) and again as a junior in 2018.

Coincidentally, Brooklyn will take on Philadelphia on Sunday night at Barclays Center.

Come Sunday, Bridges will surely cast aside his Philadelphia loyalty and try to deal the Nets Atlantic Division foe only it's fourth loss of the season after a scorching hot 9-3 start. 

Philly traded Brooklyn damaged goods in Ben Simmons

 


When people debate who won the trade between Philadelphia and Brooklyn centered on Ben Simmons and James Harden, the answer is quite simple: they both lost. 

Harden failed to deliver a championship to the City of Brotherly Love and is 0-5 with his new team, the Clippers, while Simmons can't manage to stay healthy with the Nets.

Simmons has underwent multiple back procedures and now will be sidelined at least another week with a nerve issue.

Harden battled nagging hamstring injuries with the Nets and Sixers, but his lack of work ethic and penchant for growing disgruntled if he doesn't get his way is a tired act.

The Nets are now stuck with Simmons for two more seasons. Until he gets on the court again, he has virtually no trade value and his market is as narrower than a runway model, as he's due nearly $38M this year and over $40M next year.

Brooklyn is stuck between a rock and a hard place and seem to be in a holding pattern season after season waiting for Simmons to get healthy.

It's the same old story that is all also a tired act and a gift from Daryl Morey that keeps on giving the front office, coaches and fans headaches time and time again.

Ben Simmons injury might be worse than are Nets letting on

 


Ben Simmons has spent more time on the injury report than 90 percent of NBA players the last few seasons.

Returning from back surgery last season, Simmons played in 42 games before Brooklyn shut him down for the season with a nerve issue.

Simmons returned this year after a another procedure, supposedly healthy, and with offseason workout videos being met with elation and optimism from Nets fans.

Just six games into the 2023+24 campaign, Simmons looked improved physically but still not his former All-Star self. Now, the Nets have shut him down and he will miss his fourth consecutive game.





The Nets are notoriously guarded with injury news and are classifying Simmons' most recent ailment as a hip contusion. Nets World holds its collective breath as the prospect of him missing significant time is not off the table. 

Mikal Bridges hits career low in this statistical category


Mikal Bridges is the NBA's Iron Man. With 401 consecutive games played and a summer full of FIBA competition in the Philippines, Brooklyn's small forward doesn't have the words "load management" in his vocabulary. 

 Bridges has shot a dismal 29.3 percent from long range. Whether this is a mini slump, a cumulative effect from not missing any time during the season or this summer or a combination of both, it's something Nets fans will keep an eye on. 

 It's only nine games into the season, but without Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons in the lineup on Friday against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics, Bridges produced just 12 points on 4 of 11 from the field and 1 for 6 from 3-point range. 

 It's such a small sample size to draw any definitive conclusions but if the Nets hope you tread water without three starters, Bridges will need to play like the star he showed he can be in the second half of the 2022-23 season when he was the return package for Kevin Durant.

Cam Thomas injury latest example Nets can't have nice things

 Cam Thomas hasn't just been good for the Brooklyn Nets this season, he's been historically good. 



So, with the Nets in cloud nine watching a budding 22-year old superstar blooming before their very eyes, the franchise standout fell on tough luck on Wednesday night against the Clippers.

 Thomas turned his left ankle in the first half of the Nets eventual win over Los Angeles as he attempted to dribble around PJ Tucker. The Nets have indicated that Thomas will be revaluated in two weeks and an MRI revealed an ankle sprain.

 After a drama filled few seasons with mercurial superstars James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all asking to be traded, Nets World was gearing up to enjoy a homegrown franchise cornerstone help make a playoff push. 

 The Nets have been a snake bitten franchise and this injury setback is just the latest example.

Kyrie's Hollywood story with Nets became a nightmare on Atlantic Avenue

 


Kyrie Irving was the driving force that brought Kevin Durant to Brooklyn. A Jersey kid that grew up in West Orange and sat in the upper deck of the Meadowlands, formerly known as Continental Airlines Arena. Irving idolized Jason Kidd and vowed to get the Nets to the finals just like the captain did, except he promised that he'd win that elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy.


After nearly four years of drama, disappointment and injuries, Irving came and went without delivering on his promise. 

In fact, Irving demanded a trade at least year's deadline. Apparently, Irving was unhappy with his ongoing negotiations for a long-term contract extension. 

Alas, the Nets and Irving broke their partnership and went their separate ways. Kevin Durant followed in suit and here is Brooklyn without the star power of years past, but with a happy, relatively healthy and younger locker room.

Now, on the eve Irving's first game against his former club, Nets fans are rooting for the hometown kid to come up as short as he did in big moments time and time again in Brooklyn both on and off the court.

Mikal Bridges named ahead of ex-Net superstar on ESPN top 100 player rankings

According to ESPN's top 100 NBA player rankings, Nets small forward Mikal Bridges hits at No. 33 overall. Bridges, 27, is looking for his first All-Star nomination this upcoming season. Many argue that Bridges should be higher up the list but another Net turned Maverick actually fell behind Brooklyn's good guy. An 8-time All-Star, former Rookie of the Year and NBA champion, Kyrie Irving was named just behind Bridges at No. 34 overall. While it's worth debating if both players should be ranked higher, Bridges' best ability is his availability, as he played in 83 regular season games and all five playoff games last year. While Bridges has been an NBA Ironman, Irving has been quite the opposite. 

Irving missed games for a multitude of reasons ranging from personal to unexcused absences to injuries.

It's clear Brooklyn is in good hands with Bridges leading the charge. 

Simmons confirms: 'This is the best he's felt in two years'

 Save all the Ben Simmons jokes because he might make you eat your words.

After 14 minutes in preseason section on Monday, it was clear this is not the same Simmons that was laboring his way through the season last year in Brooklyn or disengaged with teammates the way he was two years ago in Philadelphia.

Simmons looked stronger, faster and healthier than ever and he let it be known to all the doubters.


You can never take too much from the preseason, but the explosiveness he showed in the open court and attacking the basket, along with a new found confidence to look at the rim offensively, will make Simmons a major X-Factor for the Nets this season.

Ben Simmons commits laughable turnover amid positive night

 


Ben Simmons looked a heck of a lot closer to his former All-Star self than he did to the shell of himself he was last season with the Nets. 

Appearing healthy and apparently fully recovered from back surgery, Simmons had an extra pep in his step during the first half of his preseason debut.

Simmons was attacking the basket, split four free throws, poured in 10 points and dished out three assists in 14 minutes.

No matter how much progress Simmons has made, he'll always have his detractors.

So when the Nets point guard skipped across half court in what appeared to be a travel, went behind his back and attempted a no look pass to the wing that nearly ended up in the stands, his trolls were out in full force.

 The Nets season opens on October 27 and Simmons will have an opportunity to silence his haters when the games truly count. 

Ben Simmons reaches double digits in scoring in preseason debut

 


Ben Simmons made an early preseason statement, by looking as healthy as he's ever been since he donned a Nets uniform.

Brooklyn's, point guard opened the team's scoring with a smooth hook over LeBron James to set the tone for the night.

 

In 14 minutes, Simmons tallied ten points and three assists on 2 of 4 from the charity stripe. 



The Nets defense was about as casual as having a cup of coffee with an old friend, letting up 75 first half points against a starting five of James, Anthony Davis and DeAngelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Taurean Prince. 

Brooklyn fans anticipated the team being an elite defensive ball club, but the opening half of the preseason has to raise a ton of concerns for Jacque Vaughn and company. 


Simulation determines best Nets team ever

 


Have you ever imagined how the 1976 ABA Champion New York Nets would fare against the 2003 Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets?

How about the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets against the 1975-76 New York Nets?

Well, courtesy of WhatifSports, you can see any team in sports history take on another all-time team, either current or historic. 

Of interest to Nets fans is what team is definitively the best of all-time.

Selecting three of the best Nets teams of all-time, we let the simulation do the work!

The first matchup saw the 2002-03 New Jersey Nets take on the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets

The results might shock you!


So naturally, the next matchup we'd all pay to see is the 1975-76 New York Nets against the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets. Those results may shock you, too!


And finally, Dr. J's 1975-76 New York Nets take on Jason Kidd's 2002-03 New Jersey Nets.

Does the winner of this matchup settle once and for all the best Nets team of all-time?

We like to think so! Once again, the results are quite stunning!


The Simulation possibilities are endless, but according to this set of simulations, the 2002-03 Nets rated as the best team in franchise history!





How Kooky Kyrie, The Bearded One, and Kevin, too, ruined Nets' Superteam

It started with a clean sweep and ended with a clean sweep. Bookended by utter bliss and overwhelming dysfunction, the Nets superteam era was littered with disappointment and sprinkled with highlights. 

 From James Harden's lingering hamstring strain to Kyrie Irving's season-ending ankle injury and finally Kevin Durant's toe in the line in Game 7 of the 2021 NBA playoffs, even the most anticipated season in Nets' history ended in bitter anguish. 

 The offseason to come was filled with optimism that all three superstars would ink long-term extensions, but only Durant made good on his long-term commitment to the franchise, one he would reneg on not just once, but twice.

Irving's unvaccinated status caused him, fairly or unfairly, to be ineligible for home games and eventually the team refused to let him be a part-time road player. Discontent formed in the locker room with Harden growing impatient without Irving and eventually Durant who was sidelined by a knee sprain suffered a few weeks before the All-Star break. 

 Every step of the way, Durant, Irving and Harden had a chance to take a leadership role to keep the organization on the tracks. All three refused to hold each other accountable, culminating in Harden asking out and getting dealt to Philadelphia centered on a package around a physically and mentally damaged Ben Simmons. Irving eventually rejoined the team in time for a late season push, but with a friend turned foe Ime Udoka leading the hottest team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, the Nets couldn't simply flip the switch come playoff time.

 The Nets lost four highly competitive games with Simmons in the series sweep, including falling victim to a Jayson Tatum game winner in the opener. Brooklyn was back to the drawing board and now it was Durant who grew disenfranchised with the direction of the team by demanding a trade that summer, only to rescind it a few weeks later. The Nets, with Durant and Irving leading the charge, raced out again to an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, but Irving's off the court antics, including promoting a film with anti-Semitic tropes became a breaking point in his relationship with the team. 

 Owner Joe Tsai gave Irving a punch list of tasks to complete to get reinstated by the club, which he ultimately fulfilled and then returned. For the second straight year, Durant suffered another pre-All-Star break MCL sprain and the locker room, led by Irving, unraveled. 

 Only weeks later, Irving, who was set to become a free agent at season's end, held the Nets feet to the fire to offer him a near max contract extension. The two sides were miles apart, leading Irving to requesting a trade and the Nets obliging, sending him to Dallas for a package centered on Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and picks. 

 With his co-star gone, it wasn't long before Durant revisited his trade request and skipped town like the other two thirds of the superteam. It was a tragic story of misfortune, missteps and a lack of leadership. The front office and ownership deserve their share of the blame for the dysfunction, but the trio stars not only gave up on their teammates and the organization, but the fans and each other.

 Irving, Durant and Harden will remain as not only the biggest What-if in Nets history, but in sports history as well.

Nets will hold annual Practice in the Park event on Oct. 14



 Nets fans looking for an up close and personal look at the 2023-24 Brooklyn Nets can look no further than Brooklyn Bridge Park on October 14th.

 The Nets may not have the star-studded rosters of season's past, but Mikal Bridges is well on his way to a first All-Star selection.

Former three -time All-Star Ben Simmons is showing signs of returning to form, while Cam Thomas is one of the most exciting young players in the game. 

Nic Claxton is aiming for the NBA's defensive player of the year award, while Spencer Dinwiddie's veteran leadership and bubbly personality will be sure to amuse fans.

Nets fans looking to get notified about tickets, click on the link at the tweet above for more details!

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