Nets Insider Videos


Brooklyn owns NY's best record with gritty win over Grizzlies



 A New York basketball team was aiming to be top three in the Eastern Conference. Through eight games of the NBA season, that has been the case. 

The team that sits behind the 8-0 Cleveland Cavaliers and 7-1 Boston Celtics is a New York-based basketball team, but not the one that immediately comes to mind.  

The 3-3 Knicks, that have championship aspirations this year, are sitting behind the 4-4 third place Brooklyn Nets.

In Monday's 106-104 nailbiter over Memphis at Barclays Center, Cam Johnson and Dennis Schröder led the way with 20 points apiece, while Dorian Finney- Smith chipped in 17. 

Ja Morant and rookie Zach Edey paced the Grizzlies with 25 each. 

The Nets were playing without Ben Simmons who was resting in the second half of the back to back. 

Jordi Fernandez has the Nets playing with grit and tenacity. 

While the NBA season is young and less than ten percent complete, the emergence of the Brooklyn Nets as a quality basketball team is one of the surprising storylines so far this year. 

Simmons hints he's not fully content with current role on Nets




 Ben Simmons is a problem. Not the kind of problem that other teams have to deal with, but that his own team has to deal with. 

Yes, he was two rebounds and two points shy of a triple-double during Friday night's win against Chicago, but the seven-year veteran intimated that he envisions himself as a starting player. As long as injuries aren't hampering him, Simmons sees himself as one of the starting five, according to this exchange with Brian Lewis of the New York Post. 




 The visions of grandeur for a player that cannot stay healthy, nor committed to basketball going back to his days with the Philadelphia 76ers is baffling . 

Simmons's confidence looks shook around the rim and he has an unwillingness to take contact and trips to the free throw line due to his poor shooting percentage. 

Simmons is a former three-time All-Star, but he's certainly far removed from that level of play after injuries have taken their toll.

Jordi Fernandez has this Nets group far exceeding expectations in the early season, and the last thing the locker room needs is Ben Simmons to put his personal priorities ahead of the team's. 

Nets ignore memo to tank; knock off Bulls for third win



Much to the chagrin of their fan base, the Brooklyn Nets look like a quality basketball team.

Winners of three of their last four games, the Nets are not just failing to tank, but they're ascending up the Eastern Conference standings. 

Cam Thomas hit a logo 3-pointer to ice the game and Ben Simmons doled out 11 assists in 26 minutes, falling two rebounds and two points shy of a triple-double. 

Brooklyn will take on Detroit on Saturday afternoon with tipoff set for 3:30 pm E T.  

With rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo listing Brooklyn and Miami as preferred destinations if he asks out of Milwaukee who is falling apart under the direction of Doc Rivers. 

The Nets may be out of Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper top three NBA Draft Lottery territory already, but owning Milwaukee's pick may bring a more impactful player than once thought. 

Two Nets land on NBA's Top 20 scoring list

 


One name will surprise you and one won't when you peruse up and down the list of the NBA's leading scorers to find two Nets in the top 20.

Cam Thomas is a walking bucket and at 27.4 PPG it's less than shocking he's among the best to fill up the cup.

 Thomas has actually had two straight down games by his scoring standards against Denver on Tuesday night and Memphis on Wednesday night.





The biggest surprise perhaps of the young NBA season is that Dennis Schröder at 24.6 PPG through five games is just six spots behind his back court mate at No. 19 in the league in scoring. 

Schröder is enjoying a Renaissance year under first year head coach Jordi Fernandez. 

But the question remains, will he be on this Nets rebuilding team past the trade deadline or does he become valuable trade asset for a contending team. 



Major health update on Ben Simmons revealed ahead of Tuesday's game

 


Ben Simmons, just three games into the 2024-25 NBA season, will miss Tuesday night's contest against the Denver Nuggets due to lower back management. 

Simmons underwent back surgery in the off-season, the second such procedure in two years. 



Everyone from Simmons' agent, to unrealistic Nets fans, were expecting the former three-time All-Star to return to form. 



Well , the seventh year vet couldn't even make it to the third game of the season before landing on the injury management list. 

The NBA has been cracking down on load management, so unless there is a medical reason for Simmons to miss Tuesday night's game, the league may look investigate this further to determine whether this measure conflicts with load management rules. 


This season, Simmons is averaging more fouls than shot attempts, so it's no big loss for the Nets. 


Video: Ben Simmons has ugly verbal exchange with fan in Orlando

 


Sports fans can do and say outrageous things. Most professional athletes handle this type of jeering or obnoxious behavior by either ignoring them or raising their game to silence critics and haters.

In the case of Ben Simmons, he decided to reply to an obnoxious, but non-personal fan insult by escalating the situation 




Simmons' this is crazy 😭 pic.twitter.com/TqukmlB70G

— Nick (@LL2123w) October 26, 2024


 Simmons' comeback can be heard clearly after a fan was tweaking his performance on the court. 

No one can condone actions on either side, but it's the job of security to root out any unruly or confrontational fans, while players engaging in trash talking with them is a slippery slope. 

Nets may break their own record for worst start in NBA history

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 The handful of New Jersey Nets fans that endured the 0-18 start to the 2009-10 NBA deserve a badge of honor. 

It was a brutal season that saw the team break a league record for the worst start to a season and flirted with the worst record in NBA history before stumbling to a 12-70 mark.

That club, in its final season playing at the Meadowlands, before a two-year interim stay in Newark on the way to Brooklyn, has lived in infamy.

Now, 15 years later, this 2024-25 Nets squad has a chance to either match or surpass that mark for futility.

The Nets have already suffered double digit road losses to Atlanta and Orlando to start the season. Yes, they are still 17 games away from breaking their own record for the worst start of the season, but you'd be hard-pressed to find wins in a brutal opening schedule for the next 17 games outlined below. 


Here is a rundown of the possible games the Nets could win and the ones they'll likely lose. 

Sun, 10/27 vs MIL. L

Tue, 10/29 vs DEN L

Wed, 10/30 MEM L

Fri, 11/1 CHI L?

Sun, 11/3 vs DET W??

Mon, 11/4  vs MEM L

Fri, 11/8 @BOS L

Sat, 11/9 @CLE L

Mon, 11/11 @NO L

Wed, 11/13 vs BOS L

Fri, 11/15 @NY L

Sun, 11/17 @NY L

Tue, 11/19 vs CHA L

Fri, 11/22 @PHI L

Sun, 11/24 @SAC L

Mon, 11/25 @GS L

Wed, 11/27@PHX L

Over the next 17 games, the Brooklyn Nets will have three legitimate chances for wins. Games with Chicago, Detroit and Charlotte pose a potential chance for the Nets not to start the season winless after 19 games. 

If  they are unable to pull off a win in any of those contests, it's a distinct possibility that the Nets may set a new mark for poor play.

However, with an exceptionally strong draft class, losing games may actually be beneficial to the long-term future of this franchise. Keep the NBA draft lottery ping pong balls coming!

Nets Insider shares thoughts on BSE Global, Nets leaving NJ fans behind




 In an interview with Bloomberg.com, Rick Laughland of Nets Insider, shares his thoughts on BSE global's current overall strategy and how the Brooklyn Nets regime has left fans behind in New Jersey. 


The author of: A history of the Nets- From Teaneck to Brooklyn, includes his thoughts on the rocky transition from New Jersey to Brooklyn and whether the franchise is properly paying homage to its earlier eras of basketball. 

Nets officially announce opening night starting five




 The Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of opening the 2024-25 season.

According to NBA.com, the Nets will start  Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton.

Jordi Fernandez has kept his cards close to the vest but this appears to be the lineup for the foreseeable future. 

It's likely that both Johnson and Finney-Smith will not be on the roster past the trade deadline. 

Both vets will showcase their skills to prospective buyers and contenders during the year. 

Brooklyn will open the season at State Farm Arena in Atlanta to take on the Hawks. 

While this is expected to be a tank season where the Nets will be evaluating and developing young talent as it eyes the 2025 NBA draft lottery, the opener is a winnable game on the schedule. 



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