Nets head coach Steve Nash recently praised general manager Sean Marks for constructing an impressive culture and roster, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. While both areas were strong before the season began, the recent signings of veterans Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge only helped strength Brooklyn’s culture – and roster – as the team continues its quest of winning a championship.
“Sean deserves the credit for pushing these things over the line and for having a vision to execute,” Nash said. “It may look straightforward and simple from the outside, but a lot goes into all these decisions, and Sean is very thorough in his approach, with the whole front office and then opinions from all the other departments as well.
“He’s done an unbelievable job, not just this year but in building the prior culture that was here before this team was here, building that position of strength and leverage for the roster over the course of the year. So I hope everyone understands what a great job he’s done and what a thorough and well-thought-out process he has. It’s been outstanding.”
Here are some other notes out of the Atlantic:
- Knicks rookie Obi Toppin is gaining confidence as he continues to play with aggression, Barbara Barker of Newsday writes. Toppin scored eight points in 15 minutes off the bench against the Pistons on Friday. “I really like the way he’s been playing,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He played extremely well in the first half.” On the season, Toppin is averaging just 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game.
- Nets guard Tyler Johnson will receive a scan on Monday after sustaining a knee injury against Chicago, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). The team called the injury a right knee strain before ruling the 28-year-old out for the rest of the game, Malika Andrews of ESPN tweets. Johnson had to be helped off the court and was unable to put any weight on his leg.
- Knicks 10-day player Norvel Pelle showed toughness after suffering a finger injury in his first game with the team on Saturday, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Pelle dislocated his finger, received treatment, and continued to play on despite suffering the injury. “Seeing a player like that that just joined us to go down with an injury and be able to wrap it right back up and make big blocks showed his energy,” Reggie Bullock said. “He’s a Knick type of player with the grit to continue to play in the game. We love that fight from him.’’ Pelle is currently listed a probable to play against Brooklyn on Monday, Berman tweets.
Thibs needs to play Knox and Toppin more. You gotta see what you’ve got in your lottery picks. Half that roster isn’t long for NY.
Careful, the Knicks fans will light you up for any player development criticisms.
Only when you blame their player development for players like Frank and DSJ simply being bad at basketball.
I actually wish he would give more mins to them. Even Nttilikina. Everyone knows Thibs goes with vets. But our core is young. Randle, RJ, Mitch are our core right now. Expectations now is NY want the playoffs. So it’s about winning with this group. But half these guys will be gone next yr. Knicks will either make a big trade. Or sign a big FA. To me Fournier would be big signing
Fournier? Are you kidding?
He’s a shooter 20 a gm, 27 yrs old. Yeah I like him. Fits well with RJ n Randle imo. Knox has to be developed and traded. I doubt we get much now. Could be included in a trade next yr, only 20 yrs old.
Maybe I’m pessimistic, but Knox has already been developed and just doesn’t have the skills to be very useful in the league. It was just a bad pick. It happens.
At 20 yrs old you give up on a guy. Took Randle till 27. Took Wood till 24. I still think he’s got a future. You can’t grow if you don’t play. Knicks would of been better off sending him to G-league.
Both Randle and Wood showed plenty of signs before this year. Look it up if you didn’t notice. A couple years ago Randle averaged 21 with a 21 PER… then he went to the Knicks and all was forgotten.
Really lol ??????? Wood had more teams than signs. Philadelphia, Charlotte, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Detroit, now Houston. Like I said he showed at 24 on Detroit. Randle was given up by two teams. Including one that wanted money to build around Bron, money not Randle. Then was almost traded twice by Knicks. Randle is actually a great story of perseverance and grit. To get to this yr. I doubt you ever watched him play on Knicks. Yet you are going to explain him to me. See thats just insulting and ignorant. Players develop late sometimes . Get a doll lol. I promise they will always think you are right. Here you need knowledge to hang.
BOTH WERE ALREADY GOOD ol ball coach. I spoke of two players and one Knick fan, not Knicks.
You missed the boat and lack knowledge.
C Wood lacked team play and maturity, not talent, always successful in the GL, PER22 in the NBA, oh wait you don’t follow advanced stats and it wasn”t with NY so how would you know. He was mentioned often in HR posts before 24. Many wanted to see him get an opening before a spot opened.
Randle has a nice story but he also has talent so your complements are grudging. You think almost being traded by Fizdale is a valid evaluation. You STILL underrate him yet claim to be a fan.
Lakers had to shed their players to get Lebron. He was good at NOLA you are ignorant. Knicks outbid the Pels with an offer most fans lamented. I said he would thrive and dominate in NY at the time, maybe the only one (had to wait a year).
Players improve but he wasn’t born when he got to NY. All you have is your idiot patter trying to big-time people and you cannot even write without hiccuping.
Randle needed an opportunity, Knox needs motivation and ambition.
I’d like to see them cut Knox. He’s clueless and unengaged when given the chance.
lol i don’t disagree. knox and frank are history to me
but im all for more minutes for obi and quickley
Agreed, especially Obi. He tries so hard to fit in. Quickley has a confidence about him, so we know what he can do. They just need time and maturity.
I’d like to see them cut Payton.
Addition by subtraction.
They need to play Toppin more but Knox, unfortunately, just isn’t a good player. If he improved his shooting, maybe he’d deserve more time, but as it is now, he’s where he belongs.
Play them over who?
Stave Nash “Just in case you didn’t know, I have nothing to do with any of this”
Hope Tyler is ok. I always root for him. I actually have his Heat jersey lol
Pelle is a former Heat summer league guy. I think I mentioned it recently. Dude plays hard. Doesnt surprise me ti see him shake something like that off, especially if he is getting minutes. Tough for him to get minutes behind their 4 other bigs, but those minutes are obviously showcases for his future in other places
What 4 are those ????
Noel, Gibson, Randle, Toppin, as you already know. It’s cool. I get that you still think its 1997, but dont pretend you dont already know the answer
You still can’t explain yourself. There is no CENTER there. Are you that ignorant. Just accept you were wrong. Noel is not a true center. Or he would starting somewhere. Taj is a PF, Toppin is a PF. Why do you think Pelle is signed. I’m still waiting for the shooter we need. Not only do you not understand what a center us. You certainly don’t know why we need one. You certainly don’t know Thibs philosophy. You certainly don’t get what our success is based on this yr. Did we sign a BIG ……. the BiIG you told we don’t need. That I don’t know. Go read what a true center does.
And what 1997 have to do with these Knicks. That’s your winning wit. I’m not here to win an argument. I’m here cause your an uninformed troll who needs to be educated. So I’m here for you and I’ll be here daily to inform you. Until you get this is not a about winning. It’s about real knowledge. I can tell by now you don’t know ball. You certainly don’t now my team.
The answer is my first post. Knicks need a big. I like Whiteside. That sets you off. Hilarious lol. We got Pelle.
Al, Noel and Mitchell are centers and Gibson is close.
This is 2021 and your “real knowledge” is obsolete.
Nobody in the NBA cares what you like esp on too many meds.
You say the same dumb things over & over, page after page.
Nobody wants Whiteside even cheap, what does that say.
Again with BS. If you don’t watch a team. How can you possibly argue who they need. We are replacing a CENTER 7’1” Mitch. Who was the anchor of our #3 ranked team D. You don’t do that with its 2021 and e ergo e goes small BS. We are where we are cause of Mitchs D. And Noel and Taj providing mins OFF the bench. They can’t replace Mitchs production. Only bringing in another true C who plays D. Can we at least try and do it by committee. Now I know how Marty feels when someone tries and tell him about his team. I just don’t get upset.
The more both of you, and you know who you are. Both of you argue this only shows lack of knowledge of not only the Knicks but basketball too. This is not a philosophy. It’s a team success that we will need to rectify cause of the injury to our defensive anchor. Show more nonsensical takes.
Just wondering, how does Noel and Gibson playing extremely well and the Knicks being 10-9 without Mitchell Robinson this year, and 15-16 with him fit into your narrative that they havent filled in more than fine enough?
The big I said you maybe could add as a depth piece in case of more injuries that isnt a rotation player…like Pelle…yes you still need shooting at the 2/3, and dont need a big, outside of that. There are multiple pieces currently available. I mentioned 1 just yesterday as a potential option, although others might make more sense.
In 2021, every single one of those guys is either a 5, or can play enough minutes there. Noel currently leads the league in defensive box plus/minus AS A 5. Taj Gibson has been awesome for the Knicks AS A 5. Randle obviously primarily plays the 4, but also plays small ball 5. Toppin is better as a 5, and has shown that in his minutes there
In 2021, how many “true centers” really exist? You need guys that guard both up and down in size nowadays. I saw what you said on the Cousins thread, and all im ever going to respond to you with is “Roflmao.” You’re calling others a child? By the way, I just had eye surgery a few days ago, so I’m not capable of staring at a screen right now, but you’re asking redundant questions that have been answered already countless times, but you refuse to soak it in b/c you think your team with 4 other bigs all playing very well, with shooting issues as they’ve had, still have their biggest need at that same position, and not only that, you’re picks to fill that spot arent even good at what you’re talking about them doing.
Go ahead and like Whiteside. I’ll never argue about his talent. It’s still hilarious to think he can do the things you think, or cares about it
^ Bro, how’s our boy Winslow doing anyway?
Hope he’s doing well in the 3PT FG% as you said he would.
Has a very positive net rating, but hasnt played the last few games. Again, spacing g around him is an issue, which was discussed, so the 3 point shooting hasnt been there in his extremely small sample of playing. Still a winning player
Poor spacing ……… okay, that should explain Winslow’s horrendous 12% 3PT FG%.
Where do we get a shooter now ???? We got Quickly. We aren’t building a team now. Teams are solidifying for the playoffs. So you add what you can. You do understand that right. Really having Whiteside instead of Pelle you think they compare. No cares what guys can play now. Taj is not a center. He can’t anchor a team D. You understand our problem is replacing Mitchs success. You cans do it with the guys we have. Why is that so hard to grasp. A real center like Whiteside gets us closer to replacing that production by committee. Why is that so hard to understand. Like I said you obviously don’t understand our success this yr. it’s not Noel and Taj .. get me the ten ur old. He will understand
So why sign Pelle. You actually think you know my team. That’s just ignorant. Our team success is based on Mitch D and reb. Not Taj and Noel. Two undersized PFs who you want to be centers. Our success is based on rim protection. Noel can’t do it for 30 mins every gm. That’s why Knicks signed pPelle. Like I said we need a C long ago
Roflmao
Pelle is a D guy. So as a combination we can still play the team D we have been under Mitch. Knicks team is better and consistent this yr. Cause Mitch was the anchor on D. Before getting hurt the first time. He was playing almost 30 mins. More important he was staying out of foul trouble, a big issue last yr. His reb was also excellent. Now it’s gotta be done by committee. Noel is solid as backup cause he doesn’t have to play mins. As a starter the position weighs on him. And he is not consistent. Taj is only 6’9” not a center. But he plays D smart and can give mins there. Especially when other teams go small. Getting a true big even Pelle if he sticks. He’s only 6’10” and 236 LBs. but plays more like a true center. 3 guys who play D can make up for some. Still losing Mitch affects the strength of a team. A team that relied on its top 8 players to do well. The playoffs and our schedule is tough. So I just hope they all buy in cause we will need everyone to get in playoffs. Only 22 gms left. And the East is bunched up for last 4 spots.
If anything, Sean Marks did clear-up the incredible mess that Billy King and Prokhorov left the NETS with. The one thing that Prokhorov got right, was getting Marks, who proceeded to plant seeds and set things right.
The word ‘culture’ gets thrown and used around easily nowadays in the NBA. It’s supposed to be something formed and made sustainable through many years, decades even. It doesn’t happen overnight or in a span of an offseason or two.
The moment Kyrie & KD chose Brooklyn, all that building ‘culture’ was thrown out the window.
No ways around it, NETS are in championship-or-bust mode …….. it’s about the farthest thing from the culture that Nash speaks of now.
Agreed. Marks cleaned things up, but no way did he create a culture. It’s hard not to look good when the phone rings and it’s Blake and Lamar, or Harden whispering to his buddies. At this time Marks is making the easiest money a GM can make.
Marks did actually. Those Atkinson years, had some decent organic growth e.g. Levert, Allen, Dinwiddie, Harris, etc.
But when Kyrie and KD chooses you, a championship window opens up and you get all the needed veteran pieces, organic growth/culture be damned. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s not everyday that superstar talent knocks on your door.
Agree, Marks does not respect Dinwiddie, which indicates culture was thrown at him… not his creation.
I’ll also add RE: culture that breezing thru the reg season with Harden & Kyrie is a lot different than when/if these guy hit a pothole in the postseason—or face any kind of real adversity.
Then we’ll see what culture they have in Brooklyn.
Great post Mike
Nets deserve their success. After giving away the farm to the Celtics for old stars. They did well to come back from that. I agree KD and Kyrie wanting to join up together. Sure makes things easier. I still see Sixers and Bucks as threats. Nets D is still not top tier. They are currently ranked 25th efficiency.
link to teamrankings.com