The Nets are still feeling some negative effects from the team’s big acquisitions and moves in the past (Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, for example) and severely need help at the point guard position, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. The Nets are one of only three teams in the league that remain without a win. While it is obviously still early in the season, Mazzeo does not see a turnaround for the Nets in the near future with the way the roster is currently composed.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics assigned power forward Jordan Mickey and shooting guard/small forward James Young Sunday to their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. It is the second time the pair has been sent to Maine already this season. Young and Mickey were assigned to the D-League on Tuesday, but were sent back up to the Celtics later in the week. Mickey played three minutes in Friday’s NBA game while Young has yet to play this season.
- Kent Bazemore, who is entering the final season of his current deal, has long been known as a defensive player, but the Hawks‘ new starting small forward is producing offensively as well so far this season, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details.
- Jason Smith, whom the Magic signed to a one-year, $4.3MM deal in July, has supplied Orlando with some energy and toughness, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Smith, as Robbins adds, has taken on a larger role since starting center Nikola Vucevic suffered an injury.