Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Dinwiddie, Anunoby, Raptors, Walsh

January 19th 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

At one point in mid-December, the Nets were 13-10. But they’ve gone just 3-14 since, and are currently 16-24, the No. 11 seed in the East.

While there are several reasons for the team’s poor play, veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie in particular has been oddly disengaged of late, writes Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. Dinwiddie averaged just 3.3 points (on 3-of-15 shooting) and 3.0 assists in the three games prior to Wednesday’s loss vs. Portland, with his minutes being cut back too.

Dinwiddie’s name has popped up in recent trade rumors and there has been speculation that his second tenure in Brooklyn might be nearing its end.

Dinwiddie, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, only attempted one shot and had zero points in the first half against the Blazers, but he scored 19 points in the second half and was far more aggressive than he has been lately, notes Bridget Reilly of The New York Post.

“I thought overall, his ability to get downhill, thought he was seeing the floor very well tonight,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Just ran the basketball, getting us organized. But, he has the ability to get downhill, to get to the rim, [and to] draw fouls, which he was able to tonight. It was good to see him aggressive, and in the flow and playing to his capabilities.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

  • Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.com says the Nets “aren’t very good” and argues the team should pick a direction and stick with it, since the lack of clarity about the future is casting a cloud over the organization.
  • The Knicks are 8-2 since they traded for OG Anunoby and the results aren’t a coincidence, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who lays out several eye-opening stats related to Anunoby’s impact early on in his tenure. Perhaps most remarkably, through 10 games, New York is plus-22.3 points per 100 possessions when Anunoby is on the court vs. minus-18.9 when he sits, for a net rating differential of +41.2.
  • Raptors president Masai Ujiri emphasized the word “patience” on Thursday as the team begins a different era, one more focused on young players and the future rather than the present. Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca examines what a patient approach could look like and when Toronto might look to become a competitive playoff team again.
  • Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh, the 38th pick of last year’s draft, made his regular season debut on Wednesday after spending much of the season playing for the team’s NBA G League affiliate in Maine, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. “For me personally, it’s been easy knowing that I’m in the best team, the best organization there is in the NBA right now,” Walsh said. “So, keeping that in my mind, knowing that the time is coming, it’s a process for everybody. I’m just at this point in my process, and hopefully by the end of this process, I’ll be where I want to be. And that’s kind of like how I approach every day, just wanting to get to that final end goal.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
View Comments (18)