Nets Insider Videos


Showing posts with label NETS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NETS. Show all posts

NFL Opener decided in eerily similar fashion to Nets playoff heartbreaker

 




The Brooklyn Nets had their title hopes dashed when Kevin Durant's toe touched the 3-point line on a potential game winning basket in the 2021 NBA playoffs.

That big three squad fell apart and the Nets championship chances went out the window in a flash. So while an NBA playoff loss at a pivotal moment by millimeters can't stack up to a NFL regular season heartbreaker, the similarities are still uncanny.

 



In a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game, the Ravens went to Arrowhead aiming to avenge the loss on their own turf in January to the Chiefs. 

Trailing 27-20, Lamar Jackson danced in the pocket as the final seconds slipped away and miraculously found an open Isaiah Likely for an apparent touchdown.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh signaled for his team to go for the two point conversion and the win. Before the Ravens could do that, the booth reviewed the play and upon closer examination, Likely's toe appeared to just touch the out of bounds line in the back of the end zone.

Just like that, a potential win was turned into a devastating loss. Sound familiar Nets fans?

This Nets player will wear KD's sacred No. 7

 


If Nets fans haven't turned the page from Kevin Durant's unceremonious exit from Brooklyn, they will be forced to now. 

Shake Milton came over to the Nets from the Knicks in the Mikal Bridges mega blockbuster this offseason.

The shooting guard will take Durant's number 7. 

 This is the first time since Durant's departure that a Nets player will wear that number. 

Clearly Milton won't fill the void left behind from Durant, but seeing another player wear
that number might help the healing process in Brooklyn. 

Nash reflects on disastrous Bklyn tenure, NBA player empowerment




 Things didn't exactly go as planned for Steve Nash in Brooklyn. He'd be the first one to admit that.

With a plethora of injuries, side stories, distractions, COVID interruptions, infighting and constant power struggles, the locker room wasn't exactly a picture perfect place. 

Speaking at former NBA star Goran Dragic's retirement event in Slovenia, Nash revealed to Eurohoops that many obstacles he faced during his first opportunity as an NBA coach in Brooklyn were not basketball related. 

“I was surprised when I coached, you’re not in the team that much, Nash told Eurohoops. You have five minutes with players before the game, at halftime, and after the game. Those are the only times when you address the team. I wanted to connect with every player individually. It’s important to build a culture and an environment where people believe and see them be their best. You need to feel that you want them to become the best version of themselves”, Steve Nash continued.

Managing the egos of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden became untenable for the neophyte head coach. 

"Coaching was a great experience, I didn’t want to be a career coach, admitted Nash to Eurohoops. "I don’t think coaching was about to be my career. I’m coaching my kids, teaching them life. I earned the opportunity to choose, and that’s rewarding, There are always projects, affiliates, and partnerships. I always have something going on, I’m focused on my family."

While Nash did interview for the Toronto opening and didn't get the gig, the two-time MVP had a very difficult situation to navigate in Brooklyn and failed to deliver on the lofty title or bust expectations. 

Nets tied for worst NBA championship odds

 


According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Brooklyn Nets are tied with the worst odds to win the 2024 Larry O' Brien trophy.

The Nets are among eight teams with +100,000 to take the title.

Three years ago the Nets were listed as title favorites by many odds makers. How far the mighty have fallen. 

This shouldn't come as a shock to Nets fans as they are fully retooling the roster and almost setting themselves up for an NBA draft lottery that is rich with generational talent. 

So while another season may pass without the Nets winning a championship, player development and NBA draft lottery positioning may set up exceptionally well for the future. 

Did Brooklyn Nets social team troll Durant?



 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? 


 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 in the least, but perhaps intentional, to stir up a little drama. 

The Nets are expected to be a lottery team this year, so in the dog days of the NBA off-season, it looks like the social team is doing just about anything for engagement. 

Brunson-Kyrie swap was possible for Bklyn according to one basketball pundit



Jalen Brunson is currently the New York Knicks savior. 

 But according to  ESPN basketball expert and Mavericks reporter Tim MacMahon, Brunson was close to playing across the East River. 

During the summer of 2022 when Brunson became a free agent, his intentions were clear to sign with his father's former club in the Knicks. 

 Before he became a free agent, the Mavericks failed to lock down Brunson on a four-year, $55 million extension during his final season there. Speaking on the Knicks Film School Podcast, MacMahon indicates that there was a 'strong likelihood' that Brunson is part of a Kyrie Irving trade with Brooklyn if an extension is signed in Dallas.

 We'll never know what the pairing of Brunson and Kevin Durant would look like, but things would have likely ended better than they did with the Nets the last two seasons. 

Nets fans will root for these two nations in addition to Team USA

 


Team USA knocked off Serbia 110-84 on Sunday to improve to 1-0 in their group. While all US-born basketball fans are pleased with the outcome, Nets fans will have second and third favorite teams they'll root for to grab the silver and bronze. 

Jordi Fernandez, head coach of Canada and Dennis Schröder, point guard for Germany, will give the Nets faithful other rooting interests.

Obviously, love for country will supercede all, but Schröder and Germany are coming off a FIBA title last year, while Canada secured third place and the U.S. fourth place. 

Team USA added a lot of big names since that disappointing finish including: Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and others. 

The reshaped roster is the odds on favorite to take gold, but a good showing by Team Canada and Germany will reflect well on the Nets. 

New Jersey may get an NBA team again, but it's not the one you think



When the New Jersey Nets left for Brooklyn after the 2011-12 season, the state, and specifically Governor Chris Christie, wished good riddance to its pro basketball franchise. 

The IZOD Center in East Rutherford has  remained merely as a relic of the past. It's been utilized by studios for workspace and the filming sets to the highest bidder including the zombie classic series, The Walking Dead, among others. 

Now, an existing NBA franchise may look to relocate across state lines and into the Garden State. 

That team, the Philadelphia 76ers, already has its training facility located in Camden, New Jersey. 

With strong opposition to build a arena in Center City Philadelphia, the state of New Jersey is making a major push for a proposed 1.3 billion arena project to call New Jersey home. 

There's no clear indication that a move is imminent, but New Jersey becoming an NBA city again would be a major development. 

 The Internet, and specifically X(formerly Twitter), have run wild if there's a potential name change. Among them: The Jersey Sixers, Philadelphia Jerseys and perhaps the best of the bench-the Philadelphia 76ers of New Jersey.

This is certainly a story for many in the tristate to keep a close eye on. 

Brooklyn needs to build a bridge and get over Mikal

 


Mikal Bridges is a New York Knick. The supposed centerpiece of a Nets post-Big Three era is now a distant memory. 

Sean Marks built a warchest of picks and capitalized on the Knicks overpaying for a zero-time All-Star. 

The Nets will be in the Cooper Flag sweepstakes. That means plenty of losing and therein lottery balls hopefully bouncing their way. 

In the meantime, the Knicks will be looking to dethrone a Celtics team that just inked Jayson Tatum to the richest contract in league history and has all of it's starters and key reserves locked up for at least the next few years. 

The Sixers added Paul George, Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond to a core of a rising Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre. 

The Bucks and Pacers will look to be a factor, while Miami can never be discounted with Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra.

The Knicks have a pathway to the finals, but after losing Isaiah Harkenstein, there's a glaring need for them at backup center. 

The Bridges trade will be a constant talking point in the Big Apple, but while the Knicks will have the pressure of being winners in the short-term, the Nets can patiently wait for draft picks, the right free agents and trade opportunities to come across Marks' desk.



Nets trail only this one team in future draft assets

 


The Brooklyn Nets have an embarrassment of future first round picks. In fact, they have 13 first rounders between the 2025 and 2031 NBA Drafts.

And guess what? More could be on the way.

Dorian Finney-Smith is a highly coveted player across the league and he might possibly net Brooklyn at least another future first rounder.

Cam Johnson is a valuable 6-foot -8 wing with accuracy from long range. Teams may look to attached a future first round pick to any deal where he's included.

Don't forget expiring contracts in Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder. Teams that are looking to clear salary cap space next summer to make a play for a big free agent, will find those two players'contracts useful. 

When all is said and done, Brooklyn may come close to Sam Presti and Oklahoma City's ridiculous draft stock.

Nets fans are fully embracing the rebuild and Sean Marks is now well armed to build a long-term contender in Brooklyn. 

Knicks player trolls Haliburton with meme about maligned Net

 


Donte DiVincenzo didn't pull any punches in Game 5 and he is not pulling any punches in his meme game. 

Following the 121-91 win in Game 5 over Indiana at MSG, DiVincenzo took to Instagram to caught a stray via Instagram. 

New York can close out the series on Friday in Indiana. Haliburton had a down game with just 13 points and five rebounds. 

Clearly, the Pacers star has bulletin board material that he'll need to use as inspiration when he returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

 

Nets make NBA history with latest head coaching hiring




 When the Brooklyn Nets hired former Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez to take over their head coaching duties, I'm not sure even they knew history was being made. 

As a respected coach across the league, Fernandez was voted the best assistant coach in a league GM survey. He's also the fifth ever European-born coach and the fifth youngest NBA coach ever to be hired. 

But all those facts pale in comparison to the fact that Fernandez is the first Spanish-born coach in NBA History.

There are only three Spanish-born players currently in the NBA and eleven total from Spanish speaking countries. 

Fernandez is adored and praised by his peers in the NBA and from Team Canada. The Nets are hoping that his worldly experience will help develop a roster that vastly underachieved in 2023-24.

Only time will tell, but Brooklyn can hold claim to setting league history by appointing Fernandez as the main man in charge.

Nets beat down decimated Grizzlies for Ollie's first win



 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. 

With Vaughn gone, Ollie is new top dog in charge

 


Kevin Ollie is a grinder. A former 13-year NBA journeyman that's seen it all. He doesn't mince words when he talks, which will be a fresh perspective for a Nets club searching for an identity.

As Ollie put it himself, he's searching for "hunters" and those that fit that mold will play. The Nets have looked like a lifeless and joyless team since the 13-10 start. Anytime a coaching change takes place, it infuses energy into a struggling club.

Ollie and Brooklyn have a chance to put a stamp on his first game in Toronto on Thursday.

The Nets have the easiest remaining schedule, but the way things have gone in Brooklyn, not a single opponent should be overlooked.

Ollie has been named the interim head man and general manager Sean Marks told reporters on Tuesday that the organization will "cast a wide net" in search of a full-time coach. Ollie will certainly be in the mix, depending on how things pan out over the final 28 games. 

Marks won't make the same mistake he did with Vaughn by removing an interim tag prematurely and extending Ollie before the Nets GM looks at all coaching options. 

Claxton outplays Wembanyama as Nets cruise past Spurs



 Nic Claxton had a chip on his shoulder on Saturday night against the likely Rookie of the Year award winner, Victor Wembanyama. The Nets center went for 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks on 10 of 15 from the field.  

Wembanyama went for 21 points, but managed just 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, committed four turnovers and shot 7 of 16 from the field. 

Claxton and Schröder showed an impressive level of chemistry in just their first game together as the point guard had 15 points and 12 assists.

Brooklyn shot a sizzling 50 percent from deep and 56.3 percent overall. 

While the outing was a great team win for the Nets, San Antonio is just 10-43 on the season. After taking care of business against San Antonio, the Nets will face the Boston Celtics in a home and home starting Tuesday at Barclays Center. 

The Nets will look to grab at least one victory out of the back-to-back and close out the pre-All-Star break on a high note. 

Ben Simmons scoreless in return to Philly, Nets steamroll Sixers



 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.

KD sticks it to Nets one more time, this time in return to Brooklyn

 


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 the 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, which runs through the 2025-26 season. 

The Nets, meanwhile, are mired in a brutal stretch of basketball. With the trade deadline seven days away, Sean Marks' future with the club may depend on how he positions this roster for both short-term and long-term success.

Ben Simmons makes a big statement in return from injury



 Playing in his first game since November 6th against Milwaukee, Ben Simmons looked even better than Nets fans could have imagined.

In 18 minutes of play, Simmons registered 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field. 

Brooklyn steamrolled Utah 147-114 behind Mikal Bridges' 33, while Cam Thomas added 25.

It will be fascinating to see how Brooklyn handles Simmons' minutes with a game Wednesday against Kevin Durant and Phoenix.

Simmons' nerve impingement has been characterized as a potentially chronic issue that could reoccur anytime.

It's unclear whether extra rest days and a lighter workload will minimize the risk of reaggravating the condition or have no impact. 

That part of the equation will have to be a wait and see experiment. It's something to monitor, but Nets fans at least can be somewhat encouraged by Simmons impact on the floor in his limited playing time on Monday. 

No Sleep in Brooklyn: Nets are becoming the butt of every joke



There aren't many smiles right now in Nets World, but the outsiders are laughing at Brooklyn's futility. A record of 4-17 over the last 21 games is not just bad, it's downright embarrassing. 

Not since the 0-18 start to the 2009-10 season where the franchise was playing the string out in New Jersey have things looked this bad. 

Yes, there was a rebuild under Kenny Atkinson in Brooklyn, not one but two failed Big Three star experiments. But at those three junctures the Nets defined a direction, no matter how misguided it was. 

All-in for three aging stars, all-in for three prime stars with supersized egos and break it all down to reset the organization and the culture. 

Brooklyn now find itself in NBA purgatory. With Houston owning the Nets picks and swaps through the 2027 NBA Draft, there is no incentive for the Nets to tank. 

If you look up and down the roster, it's hard to fathom how this team could be a whopping ten games under .500 just after the midway point of the year. The Nets don't have overwhelming superstar talent like they've had in years past, but this roster should be good enough to be around or above the .500 mark and avoiding a play-in type scenario. 

As things stand now, Brooklyn is fighting tooth and nail with Atlanta just to be in the play-in and that's with Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas and the rest of the supporting cast.

Where do the Nets turn from here? 

Big game hunting in the form of Zach LeVine or Dejounte Murray are possible scenarios with the latter being a more feasible option and better fit. 

Do the Nets lurk in the weeds and wait for the next disgruntled superstar to ask out or be traded and make a play for him?

If that's the case, Marks will need to resupply his draft stock in a hurry to make it happen. The reality is, the more the losses pile up, the worse things look in Brooklyn and for Jacque Vaughn. 

It's never easy trading away not one, not two, but three superstar players, but that's the situation that Brooklyn is in, searching for a direction, hope and positive vibes. 

After a 13-10 start, punctuated by a win over Kevin Durant and the Suns, the Nets looked to be a fun, selfless team that could surprise a lot of people this season. 

From that point on, everything that could have gone wrong, has gone wrong. 

Mired in a brutal stretch of basketball, the Nets are looking for leadership. Vaughn's words seem to fall of deaf ears and the roster is filled with too many nice guys. Bridges, Thomas or the rest aren't the alpha-type of personalities that will get in guy's faces to challenge them.

The results are what they are and until the Nets find their footing and get things right, the pressure cooker is going to be piping hot for Vaughn, Sean Marks and Joe Tsai to get things right before they go from bad to worse in the borough of Brooklyn. 





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.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)