Nets guard Goran Dragic has entered the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the team tweets. Dragic has been a rotation piece since signing with the Nets as a free agent, averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.8 APG in 25.5 MPG through 16 games.
Bruce Brown has a non-COVID illness and will also miss Saturday’s contest against the Hawks.
We have more on the New York teams:
- The Nets could use their taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason to try to sign a wing such as Otto Porter Jr., according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Robert Covington, T.J. Warren, Nicolas Batum, Danny Green and Danilo Gallinari are other potential targets via trade or in free agency, a source told Lewis.
- Knicks forward Julius Randle, who won’t play against Cleveland on Saturday due to a quad injury, will also miss the team’s game against Orlando on Sunday, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Randle will “most likely will be out the rest of the way.”
- Thibodeau deserves some blame for Randle’s subpar season, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines. Thibodeau failed to form a partnership with his highest-paid player — never inspiring him to lead, to be a team player, or to honor the terms of his $117MM extension, says O’Connor.
We’re past the trade deadline, so they couldn’t pursue one. If they’re allowed to take a hardship/COVID exception and OPJ is available, I could certainly see them doing that.
They’re talking about in the off-season. Otto is currently a key reserve for GSW & will be playing big mins for them this postseason
Kind of a new one, blaming Thibs for Randle’s issues. The comments following that were not in agreement with that theory. I think most assume they benefit each other, or should, or did.
Randle just isn’t connected with the other players, and lost allies in Elfrid Payton and someone I forget.
How could anyone not blame Thibs?
I don’t understand this era of not holding people accountable for the people they manage.
On the one side, you have folks that blame Thibs for everything. That, in turns, gets the other side to overcompensate by claiming that Thibs has no blame in the Knicks’ failings this year. Those looking at the situation objectively know that there is plenty of blame to go around: Randle, Thibs, and the front office.
More to the point, the Knicks need to let Thibs go because he’s not a guy you want leading a young roster. He’s a total mismatch for a team that is clearly not as far along as many had once thought. There’s no sense in sticking with an, at best, mid-tier coach who doesn’t fit well with the roster.
Now, some may counter by saying “Good luck finding a better coach than Thibs” and that would simply be an excuse for incompetence and not understanding the traits to prioritize in a head coach. Just look at the Wolves. Years of ineptitude but they still managed to snag themselves quite a nice find at the position. It can be done with a smart front office.
Lost his boys Elfrid and Bullock. Coaches Woodson & Payne, who both left, were also close with Randle. So glad he’s sitting the remaining games.
I think the Nets likely add a back up SF but on back up money I doubt any of those guys are available. I see them lining up
1. Kyrie. Mills. TREY BURKE
2. Harris. Curry. Thomas
3. Simmons. JOE INGLES. Edwards
4. KD. LA. PATRICK BALDWIN JR.
5. Drummond. DEMARCUS COUSINS. Sharpe
Cousins is trouble… still not accepting a bench role, still wants to start… “Carmelo” syndrome” meaning, Carmelo accepted a 6th man bench role in Portland and thrived, but that regime didn’t play D, so he fit in… ACTUALLY DRUMMOND/ CLAXTON CENTER DUO IS OK…
Claxton is off contract and I see him getting a good contract the Nets can’t match.
Because they have a need for a centre and a shooter my guess is they get Cousins who in sharing the starting role with Drummond would average about 20 minutes a night and could fit in with Kyrie KD and Simmons. Especially Simmons who will want a centre that can shoot and has skill.
Not sure whether they’ll be able to re-sign Drummond. Also I’d make Harris earn that starting job back. Curry may very well be the better option next year.
TREY BALL… good call
Perfect for that third string shooting/scoring point role. Was tempted to throw in Dante Exum instead for the Aussie connection
Simmons should play centre
Brooklyn not having Bruce Brown tonight is gonna have a huge impact on their season & this NBA season in general but few will recognize it. I’m guessing we might get a Cam Thomas sighting now that Dragic is out. Hope that doesn’t end up hurting us too bad
Last year’s coach of the year formed a bond with last year’s MIP, no? That comment makes zero sense Randle is a veteran and clearly was more focused on other things other than his play last year. You can blame Thibs for a lot of what went wrong this season but not for Randles decreased production and efficiency.
I think that’s fair. If anything, Thibs hurt the team by catering too much to Randle’s style of play even when he was produced at a insufficient level. The Knicks have looked a lot better—and a lot more fun—playing to the strengths of the kids: pace, transition, ball movement, and keeping the ball out of Randle’s black hole hands.
Now it’s up to the front office to take the decision out of Thibs hands—assuming they don’t fire him—by trading Randle in the offseason
Knicks need starting professional point guard, Rose, when healthy is perfect off bench. If Randle, is traded they have to replace is 20 pts/ 10 rebounds per game, though inefficient, with very high usage rate…Robison’s contract is up, resign him or use Randle in trade with draft capital to get a center or point guard. Randle trade value down, because of high contract…. As for Thibs, management will give him one more year, Thibs shelve life as a coach historically 3 yrs, his teams get worse after a good 1st year. Knicks need a younger coach, Monty Williams type, even keel who can work with the kids… They also need to shed/ eat/ trade Kemba’s contract…. KNICKS TOOK STEP BACK THIS YEAR, NEED TO RETOOL THIS OFF SEASON TO GO FORWARD… WITHOUT RANDLE? Will SEE…..
Why wouldn’t you blame the coach for the way he deploys his roster?
Management isn’t just about assigning time slots and accepting whatever work product is generated in that time.
Thibs could and should have done something about it if it wasn’t what he wanted. You can easily do that by changing things up like every other coach in the history of basketball.
The simple fact that Randle was allowed to play like this all year and not face any consequences until the last week of the season is literally proof that Thibs isn’t even trying.
I wouldn’t even play for a jerk like Thibs. Pretending that his terrible coaching and commitment to making players look bad isn’t a factor in player happiness, buy in or effort just ignores what you would do in the same circumstance.
Of course Thibs is at fault if JR ain’t performing at his level, the bug always stops at the top, you can’t blame the player, that would be outrageously preposterous!
For months, 2k’ers have been blaming Thibs for forming some kind of alliance with Randle; now, others are blaming him for not forming one. Seems like another case where it would helpful if there were a world council of 2k’ers that could meet on it, and pronounce a consensus 2k’er position.
The irony is amazing, if Thibs is fired for not handling Randle right… not directing him as the writer indicated.
But I can see one of them blamed & moved. Randle just happened to be there when Thibs arrived, a leading asset to make the most of, one that the previous HC did not.
It would be, but moving in that direction would require a FO with no more basketball acumen that the average 2k’er and/or Ian O’Conner. If that’s the case, there’s little hope in any event.
Randle has to go. We are waaaayy past that by now. Thibs has enabled him this yr. And therefore hurt the team and it’s rebuilding.
He always talks team. Well this us anti team behavior. Coming from your coach. Randle just might take Thibs down with him.
Basketball gods send us Mathurin ……
Is this supposed to make sense or is a a haiku?