Nets power forward/center Blake Griffin‘s role will increase with recently-inked starting center LaMarcus Aldridge now retired, as Peter Botte of the New York Post details.
“It’s not so much about, ‘It’s my time’ or anything like that. It’s just, when your name is called and when you’re asked to do something, you be ready and do it,” Griffin said of his increased opportunities with the Nets. “And that’s sort of our mindset here is everybody has their part. You’ve got to stay ready and execute when you’re called.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is striving to keep his club dialed in with the playoffs in sight, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Thibodeau has guided the Knicks to six straight victories during the season’s home stretch. The club is now 31-27, the No. 6 seed in the East, and just 0.5 games behind the fourth-seeded Hawks for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. “We try not to get wrapped up in any of that stuff,” Thibodeau said after winning the team’s fifth straight game Friday. “If we’re taking care of all the little things, the big things will take care of themselves. Just stack good days.”
- Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, in the first season of his new four-year, $85MM contract with Toronto-by-way-of-Tampa, has criticized the NBA’s treatment of a truncated 2020/21 season in the midst of a pandemic, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “It’s pretty much all about business this year on every level and it’s hard to hide it, you know what I’m saying?” VanVleet said. “The NBA is a great balance of like the pure love and joy of one of the best sports in the world mixed with a billion-dollar industry, and I think this year the industry side has taken precedence over some of the love and the joy.”
- All-Star Knicks forward Julius Randle is proving his doubters wrong with a career season at age 26, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Randle, who appears to be well worth the three-year, $63MM deal he signed with New York in 2019, detailed how he has improved his approach for the improved Knicks. “It’s not just about the weight room and the court. I’m going to handle that,” Randle said Friday. “But my mentality and my mindset was just different. So I changed that aspect as well. And the results are showing.” Randle is averaging 23.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 6.0 APG for the Knicks, all career-bests. He is also connecting on 41% of his 5.1 three-point attempts per game.
I think Claxton is the guy who needs to step up. He got that young energy. And can give them that big man D they need off bench. Blake is that bench vet that pick them up. When starters need help. Biggest key for Nets will be their health.
Nets are in a good position if Claxton is in at center… that means they’re getting enough offense from perimeter positions. On-off +13, and offensive efficiency is not bad. Dinwiddie liked him right away last year for instincts.
BTW Nix have Randle locked up for next year, but they could still extend.
Randle has just been on a tear lately. Today against Pels 34 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl. With 41 mins.
He’s absolutely become a star this yr. He deserves a lot of credit. Cause most were willing to give up on him. I know most of it was him stepping up. But I gotta think Thibs had something to do with it. I think he reminds him of Jimmy. Jimmy too was thought as not much until Thibs stepped in. Both are that hard nose, perseverance type of player. Randle defines what Thibs and this Knick season is all about. Been a long time since we’ve seen this in NY. So I’m just going to enjoy every game. To me rebuilding from draft is the best thing you can watch your team do. You see the growth and team come together from the ground up. Finally we are on the right path FO n coach. Just keep Dolan away and we will be fine. April looks good for us Suns are only tough home stretch we have. We have a chance this month to Really make a big jump. Not going to get ahead of myself. All about one gm at a time for me. So good win today. We got 5 gms at home. All winnable….. Hornets up next .
Go NY Go NY Gooooo
Contract year
Yup . He’s doing it right. I think both parties will be fair. We still got a way to go. We got cap space but I’d rather sign at least one major player. Randle will get his.
tear lately?? lol he’s been awesome all year brother.
34, 44, 32, 34, 26 last 5 gms. For the yr 23.7.
So Yeah !!!!!! Lately.
Playoffs
Celtics can defeat any of the Nets, 76ers or Bucks only if one of teams big 3 miss two games or more
Let’s say Tobias Harris miss two games in the series
Boston is the only team capable of beating one of those three with a trip to the ECF on the line. The rest of the eastern conference is very uninspiring.
Fred VanVleet u new here?
That was good by him. I think the “love and joy” part was rent asunder by the bubble first though and maybe FVV is feeling the slog of constant ball.
I recall the first meaningless games in the bubble players were raring to go finally, but that wore off quickly.
Not entirely believing Randle though who I doubt is an intellect. At first in NY, he was taking every shot he could, and between those two things, made himself unpopular with teammates.
This year Thibs made him the focus, certainly never the case in LA were fans sometimes might fun of his size.
IDK what he means by “mentality and mindset” exactly.
He does need for things to be done his way and Thibs put that in the mix. No waiting for the ball then chucking it to hit numbers.
Credit to Elfrid Peyton too for coming in late last year and stopping the freezing him out from the ball or team.