New York Notes: Atkinson, Acy, Rivalry, Lee

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson hinted lineup changes might be coming after Saturday’s loss in Minnesota, according to NetsDaily.com. Atkinson was particularly upset with the team’ defensive effort as the Timberwolves put up 129 points. “We’ve got to find the guys that want to defend and distribute the minutes proportionately, appropriately,” he said. “I think that’s where we are. I think we’ve had a streak here where we’re not defending. That’s not acceptable. That’s not the type of program we’re trying to run.” In recent games, Atkinson has been using a starting lineup of Spencer Dinwiddie, Randy Foye, Trevor Booker, Bojan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez, with reserves getting plenty of playing time.

There’s more news out of New York:

• The Nets have to decide by Monday whether to sign forward Quincy Acy for the rest of the season, tweets NetsDaily. Acy, whose second 10-day contract expires tomorrow, has appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn, averaging 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds.
• The rivalry with the Knicks that began with so much promise after the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012 has fallen apart, writes Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. With the Nets at a league-worst 9-38 and the Knicks sliding out of the playoff race at 21-27, it’s hard to get excited about this week’s matchup, Vaccaro states.
• Courtney Lee is taking coach Jeff Hornacek’s advice to shoot more, relays Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Lee, who joined the Knicks on a four-year, $50MM contract over the summer, is starting to make an impact after an uneven start in New York. “I’m just trying to be more aggressive and take those shots,” he said. “Coach has shown me film and the shots I’ve passed up, areas where I could be more aggressive.”