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

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 lose by season-high 37 to Pelicans

 


There's no sleep in Brooklyn for Jacque Vaughn as his seat is getting hotter with each passing day and as the losses pile up.

The Nets are now 3-10 over their last 13 games and another heartless effort on Tuesday created more turmoil in Nets World.

Brooklyn had an off shooting night at 25.6 percent from 3-point range and 35.7 percent from the field.

Cam Thomas was scoreless twenty minutes, which is astonishing for such a good bucket getter. Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Day'Ron Sharpe were the only players in double figures. 

The Nets play Houston on Wednesday night and look to right a sinking ship. 

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 snap losing streak by keeping Pistons historic skid intact




 The Brooklyn Nets breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday night at Barclays Center as they outlasted a reeling Detroit Pistons squad 126-115.

The Nets had lost five straight heading in to last night's contest while Detroit had lost 25 straight and was looking to avoid tying the longest losing streak in one season in NBA history.

Brooklyn dealt Detroit its 26 straight defeat, tying the 2010-11 Cavaliers and 2013-14 76ers.

Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 29 and Cam Thomas added 20.  Jaden Ivey paced the Pistons with 23 and Cade Cunningham had 22.

The Nets and Pistons tangle again on Tuesday in the second half of a back to back. Another loss would set the record for Detroit and the Nets are hoping they can keep their winning streak and in turn the Pistons losing streak alive. 

Knicks down Nets as Bridges has historically woeful shooting night



The normally friendly confines of Barclays Center was a house of horrors for Mikal Bridges, who shot 4 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 8 from 3pt range in a 19 point drubbing at the hands of the Knicks on Wednesday night.

Brooklyn shot just 36.6 percent as a team with Cam Thomas and Cam Johnson leading the way with 20 each.

The Knicks led by as many as 25 as the club from MSG saw Julius Randle tally 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Donte DiVincenzo 23 while Josh Hart had 10 points and 13 rebounds. 

Jalen Brunson was a terrific tablesetter with 16 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds as the defensively challenged Nets couldn't overcome a poor shooting night.

Despite the Nets having won 8 of the last 10 matchups with the Knicks and Wednesday marking New York's first win at Barclays Center in four years, it does appear that the pendulum is swinging away from Brooklyn in the Intercity rivalry. 

Nets electric scorer mired in shooting slump since return from injury

 


Cam Thomas is a walking bucket. So when the Nets second year guard is struggling finding his stroke, it begs the question: what's wrong?

In his four games since returning from an ankle sprain, Thomas has shot 7 of 23 for 20 points, 3 of 10 for 7 points, 7 of 19 for 17 points and 7 of 20 for 19 points.

That's a combined 24 of 72 from the field and 15.8 points per game. The struggle is real for Thomas. 

It's likely a simple case of catching his rhythm, but certainly something to keep an eye on as the Nets travel to the Valley of the Sun on Wednesday night to take on Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. 

Former Net escapes scary injury with minimal damage

Mention Kyrie Irving and foot injury to a Brooklyn Nets fan and they will immediately hang their head in frustration. 

Of course, their thoughts will immediately go to the Game 4 in the second round of the 2021 NBA playoffs  injury when Giannis Antetokuonmpo slide under Irving on a layup attempt and caused the then-Nets point guard to severely turn his ankle. 

Irving was lost for the remainder of the playoffs and Brooklyn lost a devastating Game 7 with Kevin Durant's toe touching the line on a potential game winning three.

Flash forward 2 and 1/2 years and Irving is on Dallas after demanding a trade from the Nets. 

Now with his new club, Irving suffered what looked like it could be a horrific foot injury on Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers.

Luckily, Dallas' point guard avoided a worst case scenario. 



Nets shockingly lead all NBA teams in this statistical category

 


When you think of the Brooklyn Nets, you probably think of a gritty team full of selfless players who are overachieving through 20 games this year. 

Led by Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas, the Nets have a fun, up-tempo style of play that makes heads turn and lights up the scoreboard. An overlooked factor for this Nets squad is the fact that it astonishingly leads the entire league in rebounds per game at 48. Just last season, the Nets ranked second-last at 40.5 per contest.




It's a remarkable turnaround to go from virtually the worst rebounding team in the league to the best, but that's exactly what the Nets have done. 

Led by big men Day'Ron Sharpe, Nic Claxton and veterans Dennis Smith Jr., Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Johnson, Brooklyn is attacking the boards with ferocity. 

Much of it has to do with an organizational philosophical change from a 1 through 5 switching defensive scheme last year, to a drop defense with hints of matchup zone sprinkled in. 

The personnel has changed over drastically as well with divas Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing elsewhere, and the 2023-24 version has adopted a hard hat mentality to gang rebound and do the dirty work. 

Brooklyn is one-game out of the No. 5 seed, held by the Knicks, as they're crowded among other Eastern Conference squads looking to reach the top six. 

As long as the Nets are able to shake the early injury bug that has plague virtually every player on the roster outside of Nic Claxton, there's no reason to believe the Nets rebounding prowess will change for the worse anytime soon. 

Injury bug ravaging underdog Nets as another player is sidelined

 


The Brooklyn Nets can't seem to stay healthy. Between Ben Simmons's nerve impingement, Nic Claxton's ankle injury, Cam Johnson's knee, Dennis Smith Jr.'s back, Cam Thomas's ankle and now Lonnie Walker IV's hamstring injury, it's amazing that Brooklyn is just one game out of the sixth seed in the East. 

Walker will miss Wednesday's contest in Atlanta and while the majority of the Nets starters, sans Simmons, has returned healthy, the Nets x-factor and sparkplug off the bench is the latest name to be sidelined.

Brooklyn knows a thing or two about injuries derailing a season, just ask Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden about that. 

Luckily, the 2023-24 Nets run nine players deep and have the requisite depth to overcome a few injuries. 

This year has seen an inordinate amount of injuries afflict the team this season, so Jacque Vaughn will need to go into his bag on tricks and use his bench to make it out of a tough stretch of upcoming games will Walker working his way back. 

Nets disrespected in latest NBA Power Rankings



 NBA.com released its Week 7 Power Rankings, and while the Brooklyn Nets jumped up three spots, their place in the league pecking order seems somewhat disrespectful.

The league webpage cites, Ben Simmons' injury status and all the inferior teams the Nets have beat on the schedule as reasons as to why they landed where they did at No. 19 overall. 

The Warriors and Clippers, respectively, are ranked just ahead of the Nets despite both clubs fashioning sub .500 records. 

Jacque Vaughn and crew will gladly take this recent slight as motivation to fuel the remainder of the campaign. 

While Brooklyn might not be ready to mix it up with the heavy weight title contenders, the emergence of Cam Thomas, the continued development of Mikal Bridges as a option 1B. and a supporting cast that runs nine deep and can shoot the lights, make the Nets a team to watch.


 

One interesting note from the NBA.com piece is that the Nets are 10-1 when they surrender less than 120 points this season with their only loss coming on opening night to Cleveland. 

The Nets prolific offensive scoring was not something on many pundits radar as the team is littered with outstanding individual defenders, but that has taken a backseat to a run and gun offensive system predicated on volume threes. 

Brooklyn's schedule gets a bit tougher over the next nine games as they play eight on the road including a West Coast swing in Sacramento, Phoenix, Denver, Golden State and Utah before coming home December 20 to play host to the Knicks. 

If the Nets are able to tread water of this tough stretch, they may continue to slowly climb up the Power Rankings ladder.   


Adidas, Durant trade barbs over Anthony Edwards' new kicks

 Anytime a Nets fan hears Kevin Durant and big toe in the same sentence, it triggers the painful 2021 Game 7 playoff loss to the Bucks. 

But in this instance, Durant was speaking on Anthony Edwards new she's put out by Adidas. 

Durant was overly critical of the new shoes and the manufacturer, Adidas, took exception in a since deleted tweet. Durant is no stranger to online beefs, but the shoe giant had a comical explanation for coming at the NBA superstar.

Executive shares successes and challenges of near three decade career with Nets



Lou Terminello is synonymous with the New Jersey Nets era of the franchise. Having joined the club in 1981 when the team opened Brendan Byrne arena. 

Terminello is a well-respected name in Nets history and ascended from a role of Director of Sales to Vice President of Partnerships and Sales upon his departure from the team. 



The Nets 28-year stay in the Meadowlands is the longest at one venue in the team's now 56-year history. 

Terminello sits down with Randy Zellea of Backsports Page and Rick Laughland of Nets Insider to reflect on the Jersey Days and all the ins and outs of what was happening both on the court and on the business side of the team.

Nets could add two-time Finals MVP if his super team flops

February's trade deadline is sure to be compelling. 

With superstars changing teams as frequently as ever, there's an outside chance the Nets could be on the receiving end of another mega-deal.

 The Los Angeles Clippers have stocked up on talent, albeit aged and oft injured talent that has yet to mesh together. 

 With Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kwahi Leonard and Paul George joining forces, the Clippers have a formidable roster on paper. 

 However, things have been far from rosey since trading for Harden as The Clippers have lost all three games he's played with them and four overall. Los Angeles sits at 3-5 in a conference loaded with championship hopefuls including the: Nuggets, Lakers, Warriors and Mavericks.

 Should things continue to spiral out of control, Leonard may look to get out of LA and the organization's feelings may be mutual for a player who's been injured, more than he's played.

The Nets are a true proven star away from being a true force in the East and while Leonard comes with his share of injury baggage and isn't exactly a larger than life personality, his track record as a big time playoff performer is unquestioned. 

Former Net launching 3-on-3 Pro Streetball League




"The Big Ticket" will be going box office in 2024 to show off his true entrepreneurial spirit. 

You heard right, a former Net, Timberwolf and Celtic great will be dipping his toe in the proverbial Pro Streetball League waters.

According to CBS Sports, Kevin Garnett has his sights set on creating a 3-on3 basketball league called, Str33t. It will feature men's, women's and co-ed teams competing over 4-weeks.

Garnett's company, Big Ticket Sports, is forming a partnership with Pro League Network to get the venture off the ground.

Str33t is gearing towards a streaming audience with fast-paced games and will play under FIBA 3-on-3 rules. 

The success of rapper Ice Cube's BIG3 has been well documented and it appears Garnett is looking to throw his hat in the ring and be the hottest ticket in the 3-on-3 circuit.

Str33t is set to get underway in 2024 and will be sure to capture basketball fans' imagination, especially those who have been longing for a viable streetball league to watch.

Even since the grassroots And-1 mixtapes, there's been a growing demand for streaming and televised pro streetball to whet hoopheads appetites for nonstop action on the blacktop and Str33t might just satisfy the craving. 

Kevin Durant has yet to thank Nets fans for time in Brooklyn

Kevin Durant is awfully active when he's conversing with randoms on Twitter or defending his legacy against former NBA greats like Shaq, but the former Net has yet to bid farewell to the place he called home since 2019. 

 Durant was traded in the wee hours of the night just prior to the morning of the NBA's trade deadline day on February 7. After his partner in crime, Kyrie Irving, requested and was granted a trade to the Dallas Mavericks, following failed contract extension talks, Durant followed in suit.
NBA.com
The 7-footer, known for his Twitter fingers and skipping town when things get difficult, hopped ship again to Phoenix to join his second super team after choosing Golden State back in 2016. 

 Durant only furthered the narrative that he can't be the bus driver for a championship team and his lack of a tribute to the hard working fans who cheered for him and paid their hard earned money to see him is nothing short of classless. 

 Durant's running mate, Irving, had nothing but a contentious relationship with the media, rocky rapport with the front office and was a major reason for James Harden's trade demand a season ago. 

 Regardless of Durant's feelings towards ownership or the front office, Durant owed a debt of gratitude to the fans for their loyal support. The Nets even traded him to his preferred destination in Phoenix and did the same for James Harden last year when he requested a move to Philadelphia. 

 Durant's partner, Rick Kleinman, of 35 ventures, also tweeted a subtle jab in the aftermath of the former Nets trade request. Durant leaves the organization without delivering a single title, NBA Finals appearance, conference finals appearance, divisional banner or any noteworthy accomplishment. 

 Nets fans deserve better. If Durant couldn't deliver a single banner, the least he could do is acknowledge Nets fans as he slips out the backdoor overnight.

This trade can help stabilize reeling Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are fading fast with superstar Kevin Durant sidelined at least another two weeks and with Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons in and out of the lineup due to injury maintenance. Brooklyn lost Durant to an isolated MCL sprain in his right knee in what turned out to be a win over Miami on January 8. To that point, the Nets were eyeing a matchup with the defending Eastern Conference Champion Celtics on January 12, with a chance to win and take over first place in the conference and secure the NBA's best record. Three straight defeats later and with Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Cleveland all gaining ground, the Nets now sit in a virtual tie for fourth place in the East. How quickly things change in the NBA landscape. But with a little creative manuevering on the part of Sean Marks, the Nets can recharge and stop the sinking ship without Durant shouldering the scoring load. Unfortunately, after multiple ankle surgeries, Joe Harris' mobility is not where it once was and his shot making from 3-point range has been erratic this year. Patty Mills has been a consummate professional and locker room leader, but he's been relegated to reserve minutes if he even cracks into Vaughn's rotation. As for the Nets second-year guard Cam Thomas, he's a lethal scorer, but his defense, playmaking and overall awarness leave quite a bit to be desired at this point in his young career. Now the Nets have been burned by Danny Ainge before while he was in Boston managing the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry trade, so while Utah's GM may push for additional picks, the following makes sense for both clubs. With his team struggling to find an identity and its way without Durant, Marks will need to be active ahead of the trade deadline if he hopes to contend with the top clubs in the East.

Kyrie Irving's latest tweet reveals hope for his Nets' future




For the first time since tweeting an apology for promoting an anti-semitic film, Kyrie Irving's latest tweet is letting fans know that he'll likely be back on the court sooner than later. Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai set forth six steps that Irving needed to take to be reinstated with the club. Assuming Irving satisfied those requirements, he will be eligible to play after serving his five game suspension.

While the tweet doesn't provide complete clarity, it is the clearest indication to date that there is a path forward for Irving with the Nets.

Even Nets fans don't like the Brooklyn Nets

 

Doug Bearak


The Brooklyn Nets are making it impossible for even their own fan base to tolerate their complete chaos.

Steve Nash and the club mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday, while former assistant Ime Udoka has been reportedly finalizing a deal with the team.

This comes on the heels of the bombshell report two months ago from the Celtics that Udoka had an consensual relationship with a female employee in Boston. Not many details have emerged from the report, but many believe it's a lot messier and uglier than it looks.

Before the Nets could complete damage control with Kyrie Irving, who took to Twitter and Instagram to promote a film based on a book with anti-semitic tropes, a coaching change was made.

Nash is out, Udoka is reportedly in and Irving is so far off scott free after double down on his support for a film that promotes hate speech.

It's the latest in a Brooklyn fiasco with Irving at the center of it all. In the interim, Jacque Vaughn has been named the interim head coach starting when the Nets host the Bulls Tuesday night.

To make matters worse, Ben Simmons will miss his second straight game after suffering an apparent knee injury. Since Irving and Durant's arrival, the Nets have been without a title and filled with drama, causing more headaches than triumphant moments for fans.

Things have been an on unmitigated disaster since 2019, so can you even blame Nets fans for turning their backs on this laughing stock of a franchise?

Ben Simmons owns this embarrassing NBA distinction




 So far, Ben Simmons looks like a player who hasn't played regular season basketball for over a year.

 

The Nets point guard wasn't acquired for his scoring prowess, but his offensive numbers are downright ugly.

Brooklyn was hoping that Simmons' defense, rebounding and playmaking would be a major asset, but on Wednesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo played bully ball to the tune of 43 points and 14 rebounds as the Nets lost by 11 in Milwaukee.

Head coach Steve Nash was ejected in the third quarter after arguing a defensive foul call on Patty Mills. Simmons' rust and the Nets lack of overall offensive and defensive continuity have them sitting at the bottom of the Eastern conference at 1-3 to start the year.

Nets are league worst in this NBA statistical category

 



Three games into the season the Brooklyn Nets sit at 1-2 with a lot left to be desired by their fan base.



The Nets allowed 130 points in a lopsided opening night home loss to New Orleans only to bounce back with a strong 109-105 win over Toronto last Friday night. Brooklyn's defensive deficiencies reared its ugly head again on Monday in Memphis as the Grizzles poured in 134 enroute to a 10-point win.

First year point guard Ben Simmons has fouled out in both the team's losses, while the offense has looked discombobulated with a rusty Simmons trying to find his niche.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Nets season has been the lack of defensive connectivity as opponents are scoring at will.

The Nets face perhaps their stiffest challenge yet as they tangle with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

As Brooklyn aims to climb back in the win column, attention to detail and defense will go a long way and determining how far the Nets go this season. 


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