Brooklyn Nets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Watanabe, Irving, Raptors, Sixers

January 4th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

Yuta Watanabe is leading the NBA with a .521 3PT%, but he hasn’t been earning playing time for the Nets solely because of his three-point shooting, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn.

“He’s doing a little bit (of) everything,” Vaughn said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “… He’s getting his hands on balls, whether that’s being in the paint and plugging the paint, coming back and tipping balls. Being around the basketball and being in a good position, great drive to the rim, which was aggressive. So he’s grown as a basketball player.”

Watanabe has averaged a career-high 19.2 minutes per game this season for the Nets while playing on a minimum-salary contract that technically remains non-guaranteed. It’s a safe bet to assume the 28-year-old forward will remain with the club through January 7, which is the deadline for teams to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts and avoid paying their full-season salaries.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

At one point this fall, Kyrie Irving‘s NBA future beyond this season seemed up in the air, but the star guard has been reaffirming his case for a maximum-salary contract with his play in recent weeks, Mark W. Sanchez for The New York Post writes. It also no longer seems outlandish that Irving could remain in Brooklyn beyond this season, though it remains to be seen whether the Nets or any other team will be open to making a long-term offer.
Given the talent on the Raptors‘ roster, potential buyers around the NBA are keeping a close eye on Toronto and may be reluctant to move forward on other deals until they see if the Raptors will be sellers, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “Toronto are the first domino,” a league source who has been monitoring the Raptors told Grange. “What they do will affect teams all across the league: Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta – not that it’s about deals with any particular team, just that people are going to be waiting to see what the Raptors do before they make their moves. Toronto could set the market.”
Injuries have prevented the Sixers from taking an extended look at three-guard lineups this season, but they got a chance to do so on Monday night, with P.J. Tucker logging just 18 minutes. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice explores the pros and cons of those guard-heavy five-man units — especially the ones featuring James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton.

Nets’ Vaughn, Pelicans’ Green Named Coaches Of The Month

January 3rd, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets‘ Jacque Vaughn and Pelicans‘ Willie Green were named as Coaches of the Month for their respective conferences, the league’s PR department tweets.

Vaughn earned Eastern Conference honors by guiding his club to a 12-1 record in December. Vaughn was named Brooklyn’s head coach on Nov. 9 after Steve Nash‘s early exit. Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Indiana’s Rick Carlisle, Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley and Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers were the other nominees, the league’s PR department adds in a separate tweet.

Green, in his second season as head coach, took Western Conference honors by leading New Orleans to a 10-5 record last month. Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins, Dallas’ Jason Kidd and Denver’s Michael Malone were the other Western Conference nominees.

Nic Claxton Plays Vital Role In Winning Streak

January 1st, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Nic Claxton has given the Nets a defensive anchor in the middle, and coach Jacque Vaughn believes he’s playing the best basketball of his career during the team’s 11-game winning streak, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Nets Notes: Turnaround, Vaughn, Simmons, Harris

January 1st, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The drama that surrounded the Nets throughout the summer and in the early part of the season is a distant memory now that Brooklyn has reeled off 11 straight wins and is in the race for the best record in the league, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.

The franchise was in constant turmoil last season, highlighted by Kyrie Irving‘s uncertain playing status due to his refusal to get the COVID vaccine, James Harden‘s desire to leave, and Ben Simmons‘ unavailability after being acquired. It continued after Brooklyn was swept in the first round of the playoffs, as the summer brought Kevin Durant‘s trade demand, Irving’s last-minute decision to exercise his player option and a general uncertainty heading into training camp about whether all the pieces could fit together.

“It was one of those years you reflect on and you see the turning points in the organization,” Durant said Saturday after his team ended 2022 with a victory in Charlotte. “We’ve seen different moments that brought us together as a group. You see, at this point now towards the end of the year, you start to see us come together and perform what we’ve been looking to do these last couple of years, which was a solid team that plays hard every night. So we went through a lot in this calendar year, but we’re looking for bigger and better things in 2023.”

There’s more on the Nets:

The turnaround began with the decision to make Jacque Vaughn the new head coach after Steve Nash and the organization parted ways in early November, Friedell adds. Suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka was originally considered the favorite for the job, but Brooklyn turned to Vaughn, who has brought stability to the team and appeals to players with a relaxed style that includes less time spent on practice and shootarounds. “He gives you an ease,” Irving said. “When you come into the locker room nothing’s forced, he’s not too high or too low. He’s just holding himself to a high standard, exemplifying what a leader should look like. So as our head coach, as our leader, I’ve been able to learn some things from him.”
Brooklyn is also benefiting from improved play by Simmons, who says he has learned how to handle the ups and downs of NBA life, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “It’s not getting too carried away knowing we have a long year and guys understand that,” Simmons said after battling through an illness to play Saturday night. “My experiences in Philly, we had a young team and we had guys who are not used to being in the league for that long, and not knowing how to win and not knowing it’s not easy to win. We have a lot of vets on the team, Ky, Kev, guys like that and understanding it’s game-by-game and not getting too carried away with the noise, which has been great.”
The Nets are optimistic that Joe Harris will be able to return Monday after missing the past four games with soreness in his left knee, Lewis adds.

How Vaughn Has Turned The Season Around

December 30th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets started the season 2-5, but have gone 21-7 under head coach Jacque Vaughn after parting ways with Steve Nash. How has Vaughn guided such a dramatic turnaround? Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details, including quotes from Vaughn and several players.

Joe Harris To Be Reevaluated In A Few Days

December 30th, 2022 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, who has missed the last three games due to soreness, is remaining in Brooklyn while the team travels to Charlotte for Saturday’s game, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN. Harris will be reevaluated in a few days, Friedell adds.

New York Notes: Fournier, Reddish, Kemba, Warren, Durant

December 28th, 2022 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson on Tuesday in Dallas and lost RJ Barrett early in the first quarter due to a finger injury, but Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish still didn’t see any action, nor did they expect to, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“We already knew,” Fournier said. “So I’m not surprised.”

Fournier and Reddish were regulars for the Knicks earlier in the season, with Fournier starting seven games and Reddish starting eight. However, they’ve fallen out of the rotation completely in recent weeks, and they’re not sure what it’ll take to get another look, according to Bondy.

“I’m going to be 1000% honest with you — you probably know more about that than me,” Reddish said. “I have no idea. None.”

“It’s been six weeks that I’m not playing. I’ve been pretty patient,” Fournier said. “It’s starting to be a little long. Maybe there’s going to be an opportunity, I don’t know.”

Both Fournier and Reddish are candidates to be on the move prior to February’s trade deadline.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:

Both Kemba Walker and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stressed that there are no hard feelings about how last season played out, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Walker referred to his decision to shut himself down in February as “selfish,” but pointed out that he wasn’t playing much and needed to get his body right. “The only issue we had with Kemba was health,” Thibodeau said. “If Kemba’s healthy, he’s a great guy and he’s a great player.”
Veteran forward T.J. Warren, who signed a minimum-salary contract with the Nets during the summer, is making a case to be the offseason’s best bargain, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After returning from a long injury absence, Warren is starting to hit his stride, setting new season highs with 23 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes in Monday’s win over Cleveland. He’s also making an impact on the defensive end of the court. “What’s surprising was how good he is deflecting the basketball on defense,” teammate Kevin Durant said. “Scorers like him get a rap on defense, but he’s made an impact on that end. He’s a natural.”
The Nets‘ recent hot streak is proving that the front office’s decision not to trade Durant when he asked to be moved over the summer was the right one and showing why you hang onto a player of his caliber, according to Jonathan Lehman of The New York Post (subscription required).

Nets Focusing On "Today," Winning Games

December 27th, 2022 at 9:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Putting controversies aside and just focusing on the game has keyed the Nets’ nine-game winning streak, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. “The most important part of today is we’re trying to win this ballgame,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “When we step into the gym every single day it’s about basketball. How we’re going to take care of each other on the floor, cover for each other on the floor, it’s about basketball.”

Joe Harris Has MRI On Sore Knee

December 26th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Joe Harris had an MRI on his sore left knee which revealed only swelling, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Harris missed his second consecutive game on Monday and will also sit out the road game against Atlanta on Wednesday. The club is hopeful the injury will heal with rest.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Tatum, Brunson, Niang

December 26th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

An eight-game winning streak has the Nets feeling extremely good about their place in the NBA’s hierarchy, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn has moved into fourth in the East after a slow start and can climb into third with a win tonight at Cleveland.

“We’re coming for everybody, man,” Nic Claxton said after the Nets routed the Bucks on Friday night. “We’ve had a lot of disappointment over this season, these past few seasons. But things are rolling. We’ve just got to keep it going.”

Part of that confidence comes from a defense that has clearly improved, Lewis adds in a separate story. Having Ben Simmons alongside Claxton and Kevin Durant gives Brooklyn three starters with seven-foot wingspans and plenty of options to handle high-scoring wings as well as big men.

“Yeah, I think we answered a lot of those questions,” coach Jacque Vaughn said Friday. “Being able to have multiple bodies like we talked about around Giannis (Antetokounmpo), seven turnovers for him.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum may be the clear frontrunner in the MVP race after a 41-point outburst in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee, states Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Tatum told reporters, including Jamal Collier of ESPN, that he enjoys the Christman Day spotlight. “I’ve said many times how much I love being here and what it means to play on Christmas — sixth year in a row and something I never want to take for granted,” Tatum said. “As a kid, that was part of the tradition: Eat, be with family, watch all the games and try to envision myself playing out there one day. Now I get to do that.”
The injury that Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson suffered late in Sunday’s game could prevent him from playing in Tuesday’s return to Dallas, per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Brunson appeared to be holding his right hip before he exited the game with 4:42 left in the fourth quarter, but the team didn’t provide any details. Brunson didn’t talk to the media afterward, and coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t able to offer any information other than saying he doesn’t believe it’s an injury that Brunson was dealing with prior to the game.
Sixers forward Georges Niang credits a verbal jab from coach Doc Rivers for inspiring his 12-point fourth quarter in Sunday’s win at New York, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. After Rivers asked Niang if he would ever “make a freaking shot … or are we just on vacation?” he responded by hitting four three-pointers in that final frame. “We have a good friendly banter, going back and forth,” Niang said. “I think when you have a coach that can challenge you to continuously be better, that kind of motivates me to continue to keep digging deeper and being better.”