Nets Insider Videos


Short-handed Nets shellacked by Cavs in latest embarrassing loss



 The Brooklyn Nets had only eight available players on Thursday after the trade deadline passed.

With Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O'Neal no longer part of the equation, Brooklyn wasn't even able to keep a close against Donovan, Mitchell and company.

Mitchell had 27, while Mikal Bridges had 26 and Cam Thomas 17. 

The Nets look like a team that is going to have a very rough second half of the schedule. The Cavaliers are the hottest team in the entire NBA, winners of 16 of their last 17 contests. 

Sean Marks did unload a pair of expiring contracts and the only significant move was bringing in Dennis Schröder. 

Brooklyn looks like a team that is stumbling into the All-Star break and will need a hard reset this summer.

While the fan base is clamoring for superstar talent back on the team, Jacque Vaughn will need to find a way to stack some wins and avoid an NBA lottery situation where the Nets don't even own their own pics. 

Nets make two trades on deadline day



 The Brooklyn Nets completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors acquiring point guard Dennis Schröder and forward Thaddeus Young in exchange for guard Spencer Dinwiddie

The Raptors subsequently bought out Dinwiddie and he is expected to be a coveted piece on the buyout market by several contenders, including: the Lakers and Mavericks.

Dinwiddie played in 348 games as a Net, in two separate stints, and is one of the most accomplished players in franchise history. 

In a separate deal, the Nets sent out another expiring contract in Royce O'Neale, reuniting him with Kevin Durant, now in Phoenix. As part of the deal, the Nets acquire three future second round picks and Keita Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin. 

And a corresponding move, the Nets cut forward. Harry Giles.  Brooklyn still has a log jam on their roster and will need to release one more player. 

While the trade deadline was not the splashy type that many Nets fans had hope for, the weren't that many marquee players available. Brooklyn now has the flexibility to revisit trades over the summer, especially a player they had on their radar and Dejounte Murray. 

Kyrie dismantles Nets again, this time in return with Mavs



 Kyrie Irving knows how to tear apart the Brooklyn Nets, whether he's with the team or in another uniform. On Tuesday night, Irving put on a show to a chorus of Brooklyn boo birds mixed with Dallas faithful.

The former Net point guard turned Dallas' problem dropped 36 and had 5 assists while Luka Doncic had 36 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists.

Mikal Bridges had 28, Royce O'Neal 18 and Cam Thomas 16. Dallas jumped out to an 18 point halftime lead and led by that same number after three quarters.

The Nets closed to within six points with 5:22 remaining but couldn't draw any closer.

Brooklyn is now ten games under .500 and welcomes a red hot Cavaliers team into Barclays Center on Thursday. 

The team could look quite different after Thursday's deadline as changes are not only welcomed but sorely needed with this Nets team. 

Curry takes over Brooklyn as Warriors down lackluster Nets

 


Not since the final two seasons at the IZOD Center in the Meadowlands and the two seasons to follow at The Prudential Center in Newark, have opposing fans taken over a home arena the way they have at Barclays Center this season.

Last month, it was Knicks fans chanting Jalen Brunson for MVP in a comeback win and now it was Steph Curry stans soaking up his 29 points.

Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges combined to go 9 of 36 from the field for just 31 points. The Nets shot just 38.2 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep.

Nic Claxton was ejected with a flagrant foul 2, Lonnie Walker IV left with hamstring tightness and Jacque Vaughn refused to use Trendon Watford or Harry Giles off the bench. 

It was all around ugly for Brooklyn. While the stands in Brooklyn are filled with fans, the enthusiasm for the Nets is pailing in comparison to the roars for opposing players.

The deadline is fast approaching and with unrest in Nets World, fans are clamoring for Sean Marks to bring some excitement into an arena that has been comatose due to an inferior product on the court. 

It's time for Marks to trade a Net fan favorite




 The clock is striking midnight on Nic Claxton. Set to to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, it's expected the center will earn $20-$25 million per year, whether he resigns with the Nets or not. 

It's pretty clear that it is Claxton's preference to remain in Brooklyn. But as the Nets look big picture and possibly try to get into the big star hunting mode, Claxton would tie up a lot of the salary cap space and preclude them from taking on major superstars. 

As much as Claxton has been a homegrown Net and has grown up before Nets fans' eyes, the lack of flexibility of the team will have with extending him long-term, coupled with the fact that is offensive game has plateaued, it makes it attractive for Sean Marks to consider moving him. 

It's not a popular opinion, and one that I'm sure Net fans will push back on significantly.  But if Brooklyn wants to maximize this window with Mikal Bridges under a team friendly contract as well as rising star Cam Thomas, adding a legitimate third star player won't happen easily with Claxton still on the roster. 

The trade deadline is this Thursday and things are sure to change by the minute if not the second, but don't be surprised if Claxton is a name that is coveted by several teams and Marks at least takes phone calls on him. 

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.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)