Nets Insider Videos


Nets longshot championship odds revealed

 


It should come as a surprise to no one that the Brooklyn Nets are not the betting favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this season.

But just how unlikely is it the Nets will be the last team standing?

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, a $100 bet would net a winner a whopping $13,000!



While there are exactly nine teams with worse odds and three other teams with identical odds, it basically puts Brooklyn in the bottom third of the league. 

Sean Marks and the Nets would be the first to admit they're not in ring chasing mode.

 Instead, they're trying to find untapped potential in Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton, getting Ben Simmons back to his All-Star self, keep Mikal Bridges on his path to a first All-Star nomination and let veterans Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Johnson serve as unspoken leaders for the squad. 

While only one team will be truly content at the close of the upcoming season, the Nets have many team and individual goals that could be building blocks toward being in the championship conversation in the seasons ahead. 

Ex-Net standout offers high praise for Ben Simmons

 Kevin Garnett spent parts of two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and in his short time he left a mark on the franchise.




So, when Garnett speaks, the basketball world listens.

Nets point guard Ben Simmons has been a polarizing figure in the NBA. 

From his unceremonious exit from Philadelphia to his largely injury riddled tenure in Brooklyn, Simmons has caught the brunt of criticism from detractors.

Now appearing to finally be fully healthy and confident, Simmons may be primed for a breakout year according to Garnett. 

Vince Carter's No. 15 not yet retired by Nets, joins YES broadcast booth

Half man, half amazing may have hung up his basketball shoes but he's going to be a big part of the Nets family moving forward. Carter played five of his illustrious 24 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, forming an original big three alongside Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd. Carter will be eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 and his longevity along with his theatrical dunks and scoring prowess will almost assuredly land him in the hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Somehow, the Nets have yet to retire VC's No. 15. The Nets have often been late to the party honoring alumni, but with more former Nets coming into the fold in the broadcast realm, hopefully things are slowly improving. 

Carter will join Jefferson and Devin Harris as former Nets working for the YES Network. The Nets legend turned analyst will be sure to delight fans as a blast from the Jersey past brings his talents to the broadcast booth in Brooklyn.

Former Nets exec reflects on Jersey days, move to Brooklyn

 Join Nets Insider's Rick Laughland and BackSportsPage's Randy Zellea as they welcome former New Jersey Nets and Brooklyn Nets executive Fred Mangione on the show. 

Mangione served in roles ranging from Senior V.P of  Ticket Sales to Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Operating Office with the Nets. He started his career with the Nets Organization in 1999 and stayed with the team until 2017.

   

With nearly two decades of experience including: back-to-back NBA Finals runs, a record-setting 12-70 season, an NBA lockout, a move to Brooklyn and redefining the Nets brand, Mangione has seen the good, the bad and the ugly from both the business side and the basketball side of the team.

Mangione oversaw the business operations at three different arenas and spoke to the challenges of growing and maintaining a fan base with all the dizzying changes swirling around the team over the last twenty years and really throughout franchise history. 

Dražen Petrović would have been 59 today

 


An unthinkable tragedy took place on June 7, 1993, as Dražen Petrović's life was lost in an auto accident on the rain-soaked Autobahn 9 in Bavaria. 

The Croatian sensation left an indelible mark on the Nets franchise and electrify the NBA during an era in which European players were starting to make their mark in the league.

Petrović was just 29 at the time and merely scratching the surface on his superstardom.

The Brooklyn Nets retired Dražen's No. 3 Jersey in the rafters at then -Meadowlands Arena, and it currently hangs at Barclays Center.

Widely regarded as the best shooter and arguably the purest scorer of his era, his memory lives on and continues to inspire a new generation of European born players to carry the torch and make their impact felt in the NBA. 

Ben Simmons shows off $13M Brooklyn home to Esquire Australia

 


Ben Simmons is due to make $35.45 million in 2023 and the Brooklyn Nets point guard is making sure he lives large in the borough. 

In an exclusive interview with Esquire Australia, Simmons gave a sneak peak into his life off the court.

Simmons calls home to the sprawling appartment within the Olympia building, situated in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood. 

With a personal stylist, chef and luxury watch collection that would make even the most carefree person jealous, Simmons is soaking up the New York City lifestyle.


While, it's fun to see Simmons in his element and appearing to be settled into the borough of Brooklyn, many Nets fans think their point guard has quite a bit to prove this season.

Hampered by injuries the past two seasons, Simmons has been a shell of his former self and the butt of many jokes on social media for his inflated salary and inability to stay healthy.

All indications are that Simmons is, at least in part, back to his former All-Star form. 

Clearly, the Nets are committed to Simmons for at least the next two seasons and with a mass Exodus of superstars including James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving the last few years, the fan base is hopeful that Simmons along with Mikal Bridges can ascend and bring star power back to Brooklyn.


Nets in for rude awakening with brutal early schedule

 


The Brooklyn Nets will have a hell of a time navigating a brutal first nine games of the regular season.

Despite Ben Simmons showing signs of his former All-Star form, Cam Thomas seeing his minutes expand under Jacque Vaughn and Nic Claxton continuing to develop into an All-NBA defender, the road ahead isn't exactly pretty.

The Nets open the season with tough opponents including: Cleveland, at Dallas, at Charlotte, at Miami, at Chicago, Boston, Milwaukee, Los Angeles Clippers and at Boston.

If there was ever a more daunting first nine games, I haven't seen it. Brooklyn will likely only be favored against Hornets. 

The Nets shouldn't be a bottom barrel team in the NBA this season with an ascending Mikal Bridges chasing his first All-Star bid, but the caliber of their opponents is undeniable.

Brooklyn's defense looked lackluster for the majority of its first four preseason games, Simmons committed 18 costly turnovers and Vaughn has yet to establish a go-to rotation or offensive system that can generate points for a roster that lacks consistent shot creators and makers.

It might be an steep uphill climb out of the gate, but it Nets can weather an early storm, they may stay relevant in the playoff picture.

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