Tag: Brooklyn Nets

Nets’ Ben Simmons has shorter wingspan than Liberty’s Breanna Stewart

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has great positional size, but he also has a shorter wingspan than New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has been unlucky with injuries over the past few seasons, but when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was known as one of the better two-way players in the NBA. One of the main reasons for Simmons all-around ability is his great size for a point guard, but his wingspan is shorter that someone else who also plays in Brooklyn.

In a video posted on X, Overtime Maddy (social media manager for the Overtime League) plays a game with New York Liberty forward and reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart. The game is that Maddy gives her a list of NBA players and Stewart has to guess which one she has a longer or shorter wingspan than.

As some context for this challenge, keep in mind that Stewart is listed at 6-foot-4, but has a wingspan of 7-foot-1, meaning that she has some long arms, especially for her frame. When Simmons’ name came up, Stewart understandably hesitated given that he is listed at 6-foot-10 and already appears to have long arms when watching him play.

To Stewart’s surprise, Maddy told her that she was the one with the longer wingspan and for those familiar with Simmons from the NBA Draft process, the numbers bear out. Per Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of Draftexpress.com all the way back in 2016, the duo wrote the following for Simmons’ scouting report:

“In terms of talent, there is quite a bit to like in Simmons’ profile. He has ample size at 6’10, and a sturdy frame at around 240 pounds. While he does not possess great length, with a wingspan measured between 6’11 and 7’0, he is one of the most fluid and coordinated athletes you’ll find.”

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76ers’ Paul George names Nets’ Nic Claxton as dynamic NBA big man

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a dynamic NBA big man by Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George that could unlock Trae Young.

The Brooklyn Nets are moving forward with their plan to rebuild around some of their younger players as they try to find their next group impact players in the NBA Draft. One of the players that Brooklyn has invest almost nine figures in this summer is being recognized for his ability to contribute on the floor.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George recently had Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young on “Podcast P with Paul George” and one of the topics discussed was how the Hawks could build around Young heading into the future. In the clip posted below, George mentions that what unlocks Young’s game is having a dynamic big man and the first name that comes out of his mouth is Nets center Nic Claxton.

“I think what unlocks your game so much is having a dynamic big… say you had like a Nic Claxton,” George said. While dynamic could have different meanings in terms of describing a basketball player, it seems that in this context, George means dynamic in terms of athleticism when he refers to Claxton.

“Dynamic roller, locks up, controls the paint, great screen-setter, you can just play shooters around you at that point,” George continued. To be clear, this conversation isn’t good George or Young suggesting that a trade happens so that Claxton and Young can play together, but it is notable that George’s first player that would be a good fit with Young is Claxton.

Heading into the upcoming 2024-25 season, Claxton will be coming in with some heightened expectations now that he is getting paid like the dynamic big man that George and others have dubbed him to be at this point of his career. Earlier this summer, the Nets re-signed Claxton to a four-year, $97 million contract, ranking him as the 12th highest-paid center in the NBA as of this writing.

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Is Nets’ Noah Clowney still a secret around the NBA?

After a 2023-24 campaign that saw Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney show his promise to the fanbase, is he still a secret for this season?

The Brooklyn Nets added themselves to the list of teams that will be rebuilding next season in the hopes of getting their next superstar or two in the NBA Draft. As is commonplace with rebuilding franchises, Brooklyn will be taking a long look at their young players, one of which may not be much of a secret anymore.

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently wrote that the Nets’ best-kept secret is forward Noah Clowney, implying that he is set for a breakout season of sorts. While there is much unknown about this current roster outside of Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, and the host of veterans still on the team, Clowney may not exactly surprise people next season.

Obviously, Nets fans know how well Clowney played towards the end of the 2023-24 season as he showcased all of the abilities that made him a promising prospect coming off of Alabama. Due to the fact that Brooklyn was still trying to be a playoff team last season, Clowney did spend most of his time in the G League, but once he got his chance to play more, he took the opportunity and ran with it.

Clowney ended last season with averages of 5.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 53.8% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range. However, in the Nets final 12 games of the season when the team was still in the play-in tournament hunt, but dealing with some injuries, Clowney put up 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game on 52.7/39.3/62.5 shooting splits.

To be fair, it’s safe to say that the average NBA fan is not familiar with Clowney or with what he did when given playing time last season as he wasn’t on a Rookie of the Year pace. However, assuming that Clowney gets more consistent playing time, he will make his name known around the league and could even become a household name.

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Could the Nets take a chance in trading for Cavaliers’ Dean Wade?

The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked in trade rumors throughout this offseason. Could Dean Wade be a Net next season?

The Brooklyn Nets have decided that they will find their next superstar in the Draft as they are embarking on their latest rebuild in the franchise’s history. At this point in the organization, Brooklyn is concerned with player development and finding diamonds in the rough, a description that one player could fit for them.

When Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently wrote that forward Dean Wade is the best kept secret for the Cleveland Cavaliers, NetsDaily pointed out that the Nets have inquired about him multiple times. Those reports have mostly come out from the media that covers Cleveland, specifically Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Fedor said on the “Wine and Gold” podcast earlier this year that “A source tells me that the Brooklyn Nets have expressed interest in Dean Wade in the past” when discussing Wade. Wade is one of the players that has come off the bench for the Cavaliers over the past few seasons, but with the team looking for more wing depth, it’s possible that Wade could be one of the players that sees himself out of the rotation or on a different team for next season.

With the Cavaliers reportedly having interest in Brooklyn forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Nets may find themselves in a position to get a player in Wade that could be one of those players that can shine in an elevated role. However, considering that the Nets and Cavaliers haven’t been able to come close to terms on a trade that would involve forward Isaac Okoro and Finney-Smith, it’s possible that Brooklyn doesn’t get Wade either.

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Nets’ 2024 Emirates NBA Cup schedule details to be revealed Tuesday

ESPN announced Monday on “X” that the Brooklyn Nets’ 2024 Emirates NBA Cup schedule details will be announced on Tuesday on “NBA Today.”

The Brooklyn Nets still have a little under two months until they will convene for training camp in their preparation for the 2024-25 season that will see them invest in their player development. As the NBA world waits for the release of the entire schedule, Brooklyn fans will get a taste of that when the In-Season Tournament schedule is released.

ESPNPR’s “X” account announced on Monday that the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup schedule will be released on its NBA Today TV show on Tuesday at 3 PM ET. The NBA announced on July the group that the Nets will be playing in and who they will be playing as part of the NBA Cup during the season, but did not specify times.

The Nets will be playing in East Group A and the other teams they will be playing are the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and Charlotte Hornets. Brooklyn will be playing the Knicks and the 76ers on the road and will be facing the Magic and the Hornets at home.

The NBA said as part of the announcement that “all 30 NBA teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2023-24 regular season” and that “Group Play games in the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays from Nov. 12 – Dec. 3.”

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Nets’ Lonnie Walker IV regarded as one of the best remaining NBA free-agents

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report considers Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV to be one of the best NBA free-agents right now.

The Brooklyn Nets have already made most of the moves that they’re going to make in free-agency this summer as they seek to evaluate their young players this upcoming season. There is still one player that played for Brooklyn last season that’s still a free-agent and he’s regarded as one of the best that remain.

Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV is still a free-agent as of this writing and at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any indication of where he will be playing for the 2024-25 campaign. Granted, training camp for the NBA will most likely begin in late September so Walker still has plenty of time before making his next decision.

In a recent article by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, Walker was regarded as one of the five best free-agents remaining, but he suggested that Walker’s best landing spot is not with the Nets. Swartz suggested that the best spot for Walker is with the Denver Nuggets as he can bring some much-needed three-point shooting to a team that will be missing some outside shooting with the loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Walker played well for the Nets last season, but his role changed amidst injuries and a coaching change for a Brooklyn team that disappointingly missed the postseason entirely. If Walker is looking to bet on himself so that he could have a bigger payday next offseason, the Nuggets could be another team for him to consider as he weighs his options this summer.

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Nets likely would have traded Dorian Finney-Smith to get Isaac Okoro

Per Evan Dammarell of ClutchPoints, the Brooklyn Nets likely would have traded Dorian Finney-Smith in exchange for forward Issac Okoro.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the early stages of their latest rebuild and as a result, they are expected to trade more of their veterans at some point in the near future. There was a chance that Brooklyn could have taken a chance on another young player, but there are more details surrounding that situation as well.

Per Evan Dammarell of ClutchPoints, his sources confirmed a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer that talks between the Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers about forward Isaac Okoro did not get far. Dammarell also adds that if Brooklyn and Cleveland were able to come to terms on a deal involving Okoro, Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith “likely” would have been going to the Cavaliers as a result.

Similar to Fischer, Dammarell points out that the possible reason that the two franchises were unable to nail down a deal was because of the financial situations of both teams after free-agency has died down.

The Nets are hard-capped at the first apron after acquiring guard Shake Milton from the New York Knicks as part of a sign-and-trade deal to facilitate the Mikal Bridges trade while the Cavaliers are operating as an over-the-cap, non-tax paying team as of this writing.

It has been reported plenty of times that the Cavaliers have been interested in acquiring either Finney-Smith or Cam Johnson, but they may be trying to keep Okoro at the same time as well. Ultimately, it seems like Brooklyn is unlikely to get Okoro at this point as they have only $5.2 million in space under the first apron.

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Team USA’s Kevin Durant posts subtle message to Nets’ Dennis Schroder

After Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder gave his thoughts on European basketball, Team USA’s Kevin Durant dropped a subtle response.

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder did his best to lead Germany to the possibility of winning their second gold medal in as many years after the 2023 FIBA World Cup last summer. While Schroder and company were unable to win a medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, he shed some light on different between European basketball and American basketball, a distinction that one of the best players in the world didn’t appreciate.

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant, who recently was one of the best players leading Team USA to the nation’s fifth consecutive gold medal, appeared to slight the distinction that Schroder when discussing the different styles of basketball. For context, Schroder said that European basketball is “no entertainment” and is “straight IQ basketball” when talking to the media about the differences.

After Team USA won their gold medals after beating France on Saturday in the gold medal game, Durant posted a picture on X of all of the players showcasing their medals along with the caption “ENTERTAINMENT & IQ” on it. Given that Schroder is a pretty good NBA player in his own right, it makes sense that Durant would have picked up what Schroder had to say about something that separates different versions of the sport.

To be clear, Schroder did acknowledge that the NBA is the best league in the world so it doesn’t sound like his words were meant to slight the league that he plays in. As has been said before, the rest of the world has been catching up to the United States in recent years and there are plenty of ballers around the world, including those who don’t play in the NBA.

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Nets’ Dennis Schroder discusses qualities of European basketball

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder discusses the emergence of European basketball and what makes it different from American basketball.

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder did his best to guide Germany to a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer to continue their success from the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Unfortunately, Schroder and company were unable to earn any medals from the tournament, but he also gave his take on the emergence of European basketball.

“European basketball I think is more, I got to be careful here, it’s no entertainment,” Schroder said on Saturday following Germany’s 93-83 loss to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the bronze medal game. One of the prevailing narratives surrounding basketball as a sport is how much the rest of the world is catching up to America in terms of talent and competition.

“It’s straight IQ basketball, straight coaching, and really high IQ guys who know how to play the game,” Schroder explained. “I mean Serbia, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, I mean, so many teams out there who knows how to play. Who is athletic and I think it’s a lot of people from Europe in the NBA who make some noise.”

To Schroder’s point, some of the best players in the NBA are from Europe such as Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (Serbia), and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece). As it stands, it seems that some of the other countries are building up their own talent in a major way and it could be something for Team USA to watch out for in the coming years.

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Nets’ Dennis Schroder named to All-Star Five for 2024 Paris Olympics

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder was named to the All-Star Five for the 2024 Paris Olympics after his performance playing for Germany.

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder is most likely coming away from Paris disappointed that he wasn’t able to lead Germany to the gold medal game or to any medal at all. Despite the fact that Schroder will not be getting a medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics, he did receive recognition for his play in the tournament.

FIBA announced on Saturday after the conclusion of the gold medal game between the United States and France that Schroder made the All-Star Five list. That means that Schroder was considered one of the five best players in the tournament and that’s impressive considering that the other four players on the list are some of the best players in the NBA.

Joining Schroder on the All-Star Five list is Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, and Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. As a matter of fact, all four of those players received a medal in some capacity as Curry and James won gold, Wembanyama won silver, and Jokic won bronze after beating Schroder and Germany in the third place game.

It makes perfect sense why Schroder made the list as he averaged 17.2 points (13th place in the Olympic field), 2.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists (fifth), and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.1% from three-point land. Schroder can walk away from Paris knowing that he was one of the best players in the field and was one of the main reasons that Germany had a chance to go for the gold medal in the first place.

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