Tag: Nets

Jamal Crawford confident in his hoop skills as restart approaches

Nets guard Jamal Crawford will bring a veteran voice to Orlando for the NBA’s restart.

Brooklyn Nets guard Jamal Crawford is battling the noise and the doubters, but what he sees is the hooper he’s still capable of being.

Crawford released an interview with The Players’ Tribune, and he spoke about the different stages of his career, likening them to albums musicians have over the course of their careers. Crawford, 40, is at a stage that would be the end for most players, but he feels he can still ball out:

In my heart of hearts, I’m like, I know I’m still the same player. I know at this age you’re not supposed to be the same player, but I know I am. That’s why that last month was so huge. Besides the 51-point game off the bench, right? I averaged 31 points in the month of April. That’s my highest scoring month of my career, in 19 years.

Crawford was speaking of his season with the Phoenix Suns during the 2018-19 campaign. He scored 51 points off the bench as the Suns lost 120-109 to the Dallas Mavericks. In four April games, he scored 31.3 points per game and shot 55.1% from the field.

A three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, Crawford’s ability to quickly score will make him valuable for Brooklyn.

The Nets need all the offensive help they get, with Caris LeVert now being the No. 1 option. Crawford will be another important player in the team’s offense, with his mesmerizing handles helping him dissect defenders.

During his career, Crawford has scored 14.6 points per game, dished 3.4 assists a game and shot 41.0% from the field.

Brooklyn will be without Kevin Durant (right Achilles rehab), Kyrie Irving (right shoulder), DeAndre Jordan (opted out after testing positive for COVID-19), Nicolas Claxton (left shoulder), Wilson Chandler (chose to opt-out), Taurean Prince (won’t play after testing positive for COVID-19) and Spencer Dinwiddie (won’t play after testing positive for COVID-19).

With Crawford there as a veteran voice, he could help the Nets stay levelheaded in an environment no one in the league has ever experienced.

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Brooklyn Nets sign Alabama’s Donta Hall for rest of 2019-2020 season

Former Alabama forward Donta Hall was signed by the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the 2019-2020 season.

Former Alabama forward Donta Hall was signed by the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the 2019-2020 season.

According to the Nets, “Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.”

Hall was also named to the NBA G League’s All-Rookie team.

In February, Donta was called up to the NBA’s Detroit Pistons for a 10-day contract. He played in four games.

In his first game for the Pistons, he recorded 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in the 15 minutes of play against the Denver Nuggets.

Hall has averaged 15.4 points in 36 games this season with the Pistons’ Grand Rapids affiliate in the G League. He shot 67 percent on field goals, while racking up 382 rebounds, 38 assists, 38 steals and 53 blocks.

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Why the Orlando restart could be a turning point for Caris LeVert

Brooklyn Nets wing Caris LeVert has a great opportunity to prove he’s the franchise’s third star while in the Disney World bubble.

Brooklyn Nets wing Caris LeVert is waiting to erupt.

A four-year player out of Michigan, LeVert is nicknamed “Baby Durant” for a reason. LeVert’s ability to score in multiple ways is his greatest strength, and it’s going to make him the Nets’ undisputed best player as the franchise hurtles toward the NBA’s restart.

LeVert had surgery on his right thumb in November, and he didn’t return until January. He has played in 39 games this season, and he’s still managed to improve. This season, LeVert averaged a career-high 17.7 points per game and shot a career-best 38.1% from the 3-point line.

Spencer Dinwiddie, one of the Nets’ primary ball handlers, won’t play in Orlando after testing positive for COVID-19 again on Monday. Considering Dinwiddie was the lead guard, that responsibility will now go to LeVert.

And as a budding shot-maker, LeVert is more than capable of achieving success.

LeVert has increased his scoring numbers each season he’s been in the league. His field goal percentage numbers have decreased each season, but that’s in part because his number of field goal attempts has gone up each season. This season, he took a career-high 15.6 shots a game.

On top of that, he’s shown he’s capable of commanding an offense for stretches. LeVert has averaged 3.5 assists for his career, and he has dished 4.1 assists per game this season.

He had his first career triple-double March 6, when he scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished 10 assists as Brooklyn defeated the San Antonio Spurs.

LeVert will have to shoot about 20 shots because of how much offense the Nets will lack. Along with Dinwiddie, the Nets will also be without Kevin Durant (right Achilles), Kyrie Irving (right shoulder), DeAndre Jordan (elected to opt-out after testing positive for COVID-19), Nicolas Claxton (left shoulder) and Wilson Chandler (elected to opt-out) in Orlando.

Perhaps he can have a 50-point outburst in Orlando, just like when he scored a career-high 51 points against the Boston Celtics on March 3.

The Nets aren’t even going to make it out the first round in, assuming they secure a playoff spot.

Brooklyn, currently ranked seventh in the Eastern Conference, hasn’t officially earned a playoff berth. But the Washington Wizards are 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic, and Bradley Beal isn’t coming to Orlando because of a shoulder injury. The Nets should be able to comfortably have a playoff spot by the time the seeding games finish.

Brooklyn isn’t a contender, but LeVert has a great opportunity to leverage himself as the clear third option for next season, when Durant and Irving are supposed to be back healthy.

A wing player with LeVert’s skill is the perfect complement for scoring dynamos in Durant and Irving.

LeVert doesn’t project as a No. 1 and No. 2 option right now — and the crazy thing is, he did well as Dinwiddie’s scoring partner. This season, he’s had the Nets’ third-highest usage percentage (27.7%), right behind Irving and Dinwiddie. The usage percentage is also a career-best for LeVert.

LeVert playing with Durant and Irving means he’s going to earn the easiest of shots. He could end up having the best efficiency of his career next season.

And despite the Nets’ slim chances to make it out of the first round, what’s more important is how the early part of the restart could be a pivotal time in the young wing’s development.

The stage will undoubtedly be LeVert’s.

Report: Nets will sign Justin Anderson to replace Wilson Chandler

Justin Anderson is back with the Brooklyn Nets after having a 10-day contract with the franchise in January.

The Brooklyn Nets have quickly found a player to substitute for Wilson Chandler at Disney World in Florida.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Justin Anderson will sign with the Nets.

Anderson played three games with Brooklyn this season on a 10-day contract before he was released in January. The Nets then brought him back in a trade to play for their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.

The move to sign Anderson comes after Wilson Chandler said he was “opting out of playing” in the Orlando restart, according to ESPN’s Malika Andrews. Chandler cited the importance of his family’s health as the reason for not participating in the NBA’s resumption of the 2019-20 season.

In three games with Brooklyn, Anderson averaged 1.0 points per game and 5.7 minutes of play. He shot 2.0 field goal attempts a game and shot 16.7% from the field.

Anderson played 31 games during his time with Long Island this season, scoring 20.6 points per game and shooting 47.9% from the field. He also grabbed 6.6 rebounds a game and shot 35.4% from the 3-point line.

Anderson played some of his best basketball during his runs with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks. During the 2016-17 season, he started with Dallas and was traded to Philly in February of 2017.

He averaged a career-high 7.1 points per game in 75 total games that season and grabbed a career-high 3.3 rebounds a game. He also shot 42.4% from the field.

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Report: Mike Dunleavy Jr. in running for Pistons assistant GM position

Mike Dunleavy Jr. could be leaving the Bay Area to take the Detroit Pistons assistant general manager job.

The Golden State Warriors may have one of their front office members leave for another team in the near future.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, Warriors assistant general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is in the running for the Detroit Pistons assistant general manager position. Along with Dunleavy, Brooklyn Nets director of player personnel J.R. Holden is also being considered for the assistant general manager job.

Dunleavy, the son of former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., has been in his position with Golden State since last August. He began working with the team as a scout during 2018, per Begley.

The Pistons are also looking for a new general manager, with Oklahoma City Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver and Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson being the top candidates, according to Begley.

The Pistons are headed toward a rebuild, with former franchise cornerstone Andre Drummond being dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers during February’s trade deadline. Though Blake Griffin is still there, he is under contract for next season and has a player option of approximately $39 million for the 2021-22 season, per HoopsHype.

Griffin, who missed most of this season due to a lingering knee injury, recently told ESPN’s Sage Steele that he is healthy. If the Pistons were to deal Griffin in a trade, he’d have to rebuild his reputation as a valuable player. Teams would want to see if he can still produce at a relatively high level before taking on his hefty contract.

Still, any front office member headed to Detroit will have some work to do. The Pistons finished the 2019-20 season with a record of 20-46. They currently have a 10.5% chance at the first pick in the 2020 NBA draft, according to Tankathon. Their highest pick odds are at seventh overall, with a 26.7% chance.

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LeBron James probably should’ve been on the NBA player call with Kyrie Irving on Friday

He should listen in next time, at least.

Kyrie Irving was a major voice in the NBPA’s call on Friday night with 80 or so players going back and forth on their concerns about the league’s potential return from its coronavirus induced hiatus at the end of July.

There were a lot of big names on the call — Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Donovan Mitchell. But there was one big one that was missing.

It was LeBron James, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reports.

James has long been adamant about the NBA moving forward with its plan to continue, even amid the social unrest the country is in right now. One of the reasons Irving and other players cited to pause on the league’s return was the current state of the country right now.

Protests have broken out en masse across the country because of the killing of George Floyd and a number of other unarmed Black people at the hands of the police. Many NBA players, including Irving, have taken to the streets in those protests.

He believes that the NBA’s return would provide people with a distraction from those protests. But James doesn’t believe those things are mutually exclusive.

James believes he can play basketball and affect social change all at once, Amick reports.

Because sources say James, whose Lakers have as good a chance at the title as any of the 22 teams invited to Walt Disney World, believes playing in Orlando won’t deter his ability to continue inspiring change.

He wants to keep making his mark off the court. He wants to play basketball. And as has always been the case, he clearly believes he can do both at the same time.

James is right. But his perspective shows us just how complicated this thing is.

He generally disagrees with the premise that the NBA would be a distraction from making change. He also has a shot at a championship that he very clearly wants to take. It also won’t deter him from him continuing to use his platform for social justice.

At the same time, it’s also very fair and valid for Irving and other players to fear that the NBA’s potential return could provide people an escape from the discussions about race and policing in America that need to be had right now.

As one player points out in Wojnarowski’s ESPN piece on Irving, “once we start playing basketball again, the news will turn from systemic racism to who did what in the game last night.”

And that’s before we discuss the money issues that come with not playing and a potential restructuring of the NBA’s CBA.

This thing is complicated. It won’t be solved overnight. That’s why it’s important for Irving and other players to voice their concerns. And that’s why it’s also imperative that players like James join in on the call next time to actually hear those concerns and hammer out solutions.

It’s not too late. They’ve got two months to get things done. But the lock is already ticking.

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Brooklyn Nets NBA Championship odds, picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds and chances of the Brooklyn Nets winning the Eastern Conference and the 2019-20 NBA Championship, with picks and best bets.

The Brooklyn Nets were seventh in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-34 when the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended. Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds of the Nets winning the NBA Championship once play resumes with a 22-team format in Orlando, Fla. later this summer.

Brooklyn Nets season recap

The Nets were seventh in the East, but there was a huge drop-off from the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers to Brooklyn. The Nets are 22.5 games behind the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, while the Sixers are only 14 games back.

That was after the Nets won their last three games before play was suspended, too, and they went 5-5 in their last 10 games before the break. They were an unimpressive 12-20 on the road this season, though there will be no home or away games with every team playing in Orlando.

The Nets were led by breakout stud PG Spencer Dinwiddie, who shined with Kyrie Irving in and out of the lineup. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game this season. Irving was playing well when healthy, averaging 27.4 points per game, but he only played 20 of a possible 64 contests.

Against the spread, Brooklyn was only 31-33 this season before play stopped.

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Brooklyn Nets NBA Championship odds

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Despite not having locked down a playoff spot yet, the Nets’ championship odds aren’t as long as you might expect. They’re +5000, which is 12th among all teams.

It seems unlikely Irving will be back for the playoffs, though he did hint at a return, which makes it hard to understand why the Nets’ odds aren’t longer.

Given the strength at the top of the Eastern Conference and Brooklyn’s lack of talent further down the roster, it’s hard to see them making much noise. I’d PASS on taking them to win the championship.

Brooklyn Nets Eastern Conference odds

Just as I would pass on taking the Nets to win the NBA Championship, I’d do the same for the Eastern Conference title. The Nets simply don’t have the firepower to compete with the likes of Milwaukee, Boston or Toronto, especially if Irving isn’t available.

The Nets have the sixth-best odds to win the East this year at +2000, but again, I’d PASS on this bet.

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On this day: Jones, Sharman born; Pierce leads 21-point rally vs. Nets

On this day, Boston Celtics guard legends K.C. Jones and Bill Sharman were born, and Paul Pierce almost single-handedly beat the Nets in 2002.

On this day, Boston Celtics point guard legend K. C. Jones was born in 1932 in Taylor, Texas.

Jones played his college ball with fellow Celtics legend Bill Russell at the University of San Francisco, and was drafted along with Russell by the Celtics with the 13th overall pick of the 1956 NBA Draft.

The Texan guard would go on to win eight championships with Boston, the only club he played for over a nine season playing career.

He would average 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game with the Celtics, and would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989.

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En Nueva York las ligas deportivas ya pueden regresar a sus instalaciones

El fin de semana, el gobernador de Nueva York, Andrew Cuomo, anunció que los equipos de las ligas debortivas profesionales tendrían permiso de regresar a sus instalaciones para reiniciar entrenamientos de efecto inmediato. “Creo que los deportes que …

El fin de semana, el gobernador de Nueva York, Andrew Cuomo, anunció que los equipos de las ligas debortivas profesionales tendrían permiso de regresar a sus instalaciones para reiniciar entrenamientos de efecto inmediato.

“Creo que los deportes que pueden regresar sin tener personas en los estadios, sin personas en la arena… háganlo. ¡Háganlo! Arreglen las economías, si pueden. Los queremos de pie. Queremos que las personas puedan ver deportes. En la medida en que personas siguen quedándose en casa, le da a la gente algo qué ver. Es un regreso a la normalidad. Así que estamos trabajando y motivando a todos los equipos deportivos a que inicien sus entrenamientos tan pronto como les sea posible. Trabajaremos junto con ellos para asegurarnos de que esto pueda suceder”, declaró Cuomo, según ESPN.

Recordemos que Nueva York es una de las ciudades más duramente afectadas por la pandemia de coronavirus. Sin embargo, en los últimos días, se ha visto la disminución de nuevos casos, así como indicadores de un aplanamiento de la curva.

Ante el anuncio del gobernador, los Nets compartieron el domingo que abrirán sus instalaciones para entrenamientos voluntarios a partir del martes de esta semana.

“La organización seguirá entrictamente los protocolos establecidos por la NBA y los expertos en enfermedades infecciosas para asegurar que se tomen todas las precauciones con el fin de mantener un entorno seguro y saludable para los jugadores y el staff”, declaró el equipo.

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Snapshot: A look back at Joe Johnson, the ultimate isolation scorer

Former Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Johnson is one of the most talented scorers of his era.

Like all good scorers, Joe Johnson had a methodical and purposeful cadence to his dribble.

Johnson was going to get to his spots more times than not because of that steady dribble. Aptly nicknamed “Iso Joe,” Johnson is one of the most talented scorers of his generation. He is one of 46 players in the 20,000-point club, ranking 43rd in NBA history for career points (20,405).

He played 17 NBA seasons, and though his best years were with the Atlanta Hawks, Johnson maintained his scoring ability with the Brooklyn Nets.

Johnson started his career with the Nets in 2012, as he was traded to the team from the Hawks before the 2012-13 season.

During his tenure in Brooklyn, Johnson displayed his scoring prowess, averaging 14.7 points per game and shooting 37.8% from the 3-point line.

A seven-time All-Star, Johnson earned one of his All-Star appearances during the 2013-14 season, his second with the Nets. That season he scored 15.8 points per game and shot 40.1% from the 3-point line, the third-highest percentage of his career.

The rhythm Johnson played with was necessary for his success as a scorer. A quality shooter, he could make shots from deep. He could drive to the hoop and finish at the rim.

One of his biggest assets was his ability to score in the midrange. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson shot 42.7% on shots 10-16 from the hoop during his career.

Johnson experienced more team success with the Hawks, going to the playoffs five times with the franchise. While with the Nets, he went to the playoffs three times. He made it as far as the second round in 2014, as the Nets lost to the Miami Heat in five games.

Johnson averaged a playoff career-high during that postseason, scoring 21.2 points per game and shooting 41.5% from deep. He shot a playoff career-high 53.3% from the field.

Though he finished his NBA career ringless, Johnson had a remarkable second act with Ice Cube’s Big 3 league. As the leader of the Triplets, Johnson won a Big 3 championship in 2019. During that season, Johnson averaged a league-high 21.9 points per game.

As one of the top scorers of his era, Johnson has a resume that could lead him to the Hall of Fame. He averaged at least 20 points a game for five straight seasons, and he also ranks sixth on the Hawks’ all-time leading scorers list.

Johnson will always be remembered as “Iso Joe,” the player who could get a bucket in seemingly any situation.

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