Player grades: Cam Thomas scores 33 as Nets beat Pacers 136-133

Here are the Nets’ player grades for Saturday’s win over the Indiana Pacers.

The Brooklyn Nets visited the Indiana Pacers on Saturday and won 136-133. This was the fourth and final matchup between these two teams this season and the regular-season series is tied at 2-2.

For the Nets, Cam Thomas had 33 points and three rebounds off the bench while Patty Mills had 24 points and six assists. Day’Ron Sharpe had 20 points and 12 rebounds as Edmond Sumner had 20 points and seven rebounds.

For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton had 35 points and nine assists as Buddy Hield had 17 points and four rebounds. Myles Turner had 16 points and three rebounds while Oshae Brissett had 14 points and three rebounds off the bench.

In a game where the Nets rested eight players including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn still had six players in double figures. Not much defense was played in this game by either team, but the Nets were able to limit the Pacers in the second a tad by allowing them to score only 24 points in the third quarter.

The Nets couldn’t hit many 3s, but they did win the rebounding battle 59-30 which includes 29 offensive rebounds. The Nets only had 19 assists as they were relying more on players like Thomas and Mills to hit shots off the dribble or guys like Sumner getting to the rim. Turnovers were an issue for the Nets, but in the end, the 25-11 run Brooklyn made from the middle of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth quarter was huge.

Here are the Nets’ player grades:

Nets’ Alondes Williams, others support Liberty in WNBA playoffs

Williams was among the players on hand Tuesday to watch the Liberty host the Sky in the WNBA playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Alondes Williams was among the players on hand Tuesday to watch the New York Liberty host the Chicago Sky in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

Williams was joined courtside by teammates Nic Claxton, Kessler Edwards, David Duke Jr. and RaiQuan Gray. Nets head coach Steve Nash, assistant coach Igor Kokoskov and general manager Sean Marks were also in attendance.

The group witnessed the second-seeded Sky defeat the seventh-seeded Liberty in Game 3 to advance to the semifinals. Candace Parker led the Sky with 14 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in the 90-72 win, while Sabrina Ionescu had 14 points for the Liberty.

The Nets have been well-represented at Liberty games in the past. Ben Simmons, Joe Harris and Royce O’Neale are among those who have stopped in recently.

With the Liberty eliminated from the playoffs, they will look ahead to next season after a solid 2022 campaign.

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Nets’ Alondes Williams joins Ben Simmons, others at Liberty game

Nets rookie Alondes Williams was among the players on hand to catch the Liberty host the Sparks on Wednesday.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Alondes Williams was among the players on hand to catch the New York Liberty host the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday at the Barclays Center.

Williams joined Ben Simmons, Joe Harris and newcomer Royce O’Neale courtside as the Liberty defeated the Sparks, 64-61. Simmons has attended several Liberty games recently and has brought different teammates each time.

The players were treated to another dazzling performance by Sabrina Ionescu, who scored a game-high 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Liberty. Natasha Howard chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds while Crystal Dangerfield had nine points.

Williams, who went undrafted, signed a two-way contract with the Nets on July 4. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds in five games with the Nets in the Las Vegas Summer League and turned in his best performance on July 10 with nine points and five assists.

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Nets sign Wake Forest star Alondes Williams to two-way contract

Williams signed a two-way contract with the Nets ahead of the start of summer league.

Former Wake Forest star and ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams on Monday signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets, the team announced.

Williams, who went undrafted last month, averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals last season. He became the first Demon Deacon to win the conference award since Josh Howard (2003) as his 649 points scored were seventh-most for a single season.

The 23-year-old emerged as an exceptional scorer in college with his athleticism and ability to get others involved. He also proved a great finisher inside and got into the paint with ease, and will now bring that skill set to Brooklyn.

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Williams will split his time between Brooklyn and the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League. He is eligible to spend no more than 50 games in the NBA and will earn a flat salary equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.

He will play in summer league as the Nets begin play on Friday.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Nets sign Alondes Williams to two-way deal

The Nets officially signed Alondes Williams to a two-way contract Monday morning. Williams, who will play for the Nets in the NBA Summer League this week, is coming off a big senior season with Wake Forest — a season he upped his scoring average from 6.7 to 18.5 points per game to pair with his 5.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds. He was viewed as one of the most dynamic players in college basketball with elite court vision and a playmaking niche. After leading the Deacons to a 25-10 record, he was named ACC Player of the Year — the 11th Wake Forest product to do so.

5 possible sleeper candidates to watch for in 2022 NBA draft

Rookie Wire took a look at five possible sleeper candidates in the upcoming NBA draft.

Last year, Herb Jones shocked the NBA as a second-round pick who entered the league and had an immediate impact. After his selection at 35th overall by New Orleans, Jones went on to average 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals at 29.9 minutes per game.

Jones, who was eventually named to the NBA All-Rookie second team, offered extremely valuable defensive basketball and complimentary offense to a Pelicans squad that overperformed their preseason expectations and made it to the playoffs.

It’s safe to say that, entering the 2022 NBA draft, every team would like to find their own version of Jones: A rookie with the ability to prosper and contribute meaningful minutes immediately if given the chance.

Here are five possible options that could meet that criterion in 2022.

Chris Kirschner: Hawks draft workouts …

Chris Kirschner: Hawks draft workouts tomorrow: Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite) –Forward Jules Bernard (UCLA) – Guard Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse) – Guard Savion Flagg (Sam Houston State) – Guard/Forward Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite) – Forward Alondes Williams (Wake Forest) – Guard

Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams earns NBA draft combine invitation

Williams confirmed that he will be among the prospects participating in the NBA draft combine this month.

Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams on Wednesday confirmed that he will participate in the NBA draft combine this month in Chicago, Illinois.

Williams, a grad transfer from Oklahoma, was named the ACC Player of the Year after averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals, becoming the first Demon Deacon to win the award since Josh Howard (2003).

His 649 points scored were seventh-most for a single season.

The combine will run May 16-22 and feature executives and scouts from all 30 teams. Teams each year submit a list of the players they would like to see invited, typically those with the highest odds of getting drafted. Williams will also be joined by Wake Forest teammate Jake LaRovia.

Williams is most commonly projected to be a second-round pick this year. He emerged as an exceptional scorer with his athleticism and strength and ability to get others involved. Williams proved a great finisher inside and got into the paint with ease.

The 2022 NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams declares for NBA draft

Williams was named the ACC Player of the Year after averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals.

Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams announced this week that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Williams, a grad transfer from Oklahoma, was named the ACC Player of the Year after averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals, becoming the first Demon Deacon to win since Josh Howard (2003). His 649 points scored were seventh-most for a single season.

The 6-foot-5 standout emerged as a strong floor general throughout the season, ranking first in the ACC, and 13th in the country, in assists. He also led the conference in assist percentage (31.2) and was fourth in usage (28.9) among all players.

Williams is most commonly projected to be a second-round pick this year. He emerged as an exceptional scorer with his athleticism and strength and ability to get others involved. Williams proved to be a great finisher inside and got into the paint with ease.

The 22-year-old faces questions regarding his shooting after converting 28.2% from 3-point range on 4.1 attempts per game. However, with solid mechanics, Williams should be able to improve with more practice and reps at the next level.

The 2022 NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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