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Atlantic Notes: Drummond, Embiid, Whitehead, Quickley

December 22nd, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Joel Embiid missing a majority of the Sixers’ games so far, Andre Drummond has played an unheralded role in Philadelphia, not just on the court but also as a respected locker room voice, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.

Drummond, who signed a two-year, $10MM with the Sixers during the summer, is averaging 7.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 23 outings (14 starts). That’s his highest MPG average and the most starts he has made since the 2021/22 season.

“I’m at a point now where I’ve done everything individually, accolade-wise,” Drummond said. “A lot of things that guys in this league haven’t done, I’ve done it already, individually. My goal now is to win. And whatever capacity that comes in, you know, I’m down to do for the team. Do I want to play more? Of course, who doesn’t want to play more? But that’s not best for the team right now.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Embiid’s latest injury was a right sinus fracture but he was able to rack up 34 points against Charlotte this week. The Sixers star said he’s stopping feeling sorry for himself when he gets injured, Pompey writes. “A lesson that I learned is stop feeling bad about myself, live day by day, enjoy the good people around, the positive and not focus on the negative,” he said.
  • Dariq Whitehead has only appeared in three games with the Nets this season but the 2023 first-rounder isn’t upset. He’s actually glad to be spending time with the Long Island Nets, since being in the G League gives the forward an opportunity to play regular minutes. “I was very clear with my agent that I needed to continue to play,” he told Eric Slater of Clutch Points (hat tip to NetsDaily.com). “I knew we had some guys that were injured, some older guys, and I knew they were gonna come back and get back in the rotation. So I was very adamant with my agent that I needed to go back down to the G League and play. That was a big boost for me.”
  • Immanuel Quickley is inching closer to a return after missing 17 games due to a left elbow injury. The Raptors guard, who also had an eight-game absence early in the season due to a pelvic injury, went through a light practice Saturday and was a full participant in all non-contact elements, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. He’ll know he’s ready to suit up again when he can throw all the one-handed passes a point guard needs with his left hand, Grange adds.
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Nets Notes: Monday Loss, Sharpe, Williams, Whitehead

December 3rd, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Since winning three road games in four days last week in Sacramento, Golden State, and Phoenix, the Nets have struggled. They lost their third contest in a row on Monday, falling by a score of 128-102 to the Bulls. It was a six-point game at the half before Chicago began to pull away in the third quarter, leaving head coach Jordi Fernandez upset about his team’s second-half performance, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“Losing a second half by 20, it’s not good enough. We have higher standards, the way we work, the way we play, the way we compete. And this was not good,” Fernandez said. “They scored 56 in the first half, and they scored 72 in the second half. So our defense was extremely bad. And our players know that our ball pressure has to be better, our competitiveness, our communication.

“In that second Orlando game (a 100-92 loss on Sunday), the first half of this game, I give the guys credit. You can lose, but that’s how you lose, and I was proud of them. This second half, this is not who we want to be. This is not our identity. It was pretty poor.”

As Lewis points out, it’s hard to blame the Nets too much for their underwhelming performance, given how banged up the team is. Starters Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons, and Cameron Johnson (who was a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain) were among eight Brooklyn players unavailable in Chicago. Still, Fernandez doesn’t view the club’s injury woes as an excuse for a disappointing effort.

“I’m going to go into every game believing that we have a chance to win,” Fernandez said. “I don’t care who’s playing. If they wear a Nets uniform, I’m going to go out there and believe that we’re going to fight, compete and we’re going to have a chance.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

  • One player who wasn’t on Monday’s injury report was center Day’Ron Sharpe, who was making his season debut after missing the Nets’ first 21 games due to a hamstring injury. After recording just four points and two rebounds in 16 minutes of action, Sharpe said it “felt good to be back on the court,” but indicated he wasn’t happy with his performance, according to Lewis. “My second stint, I was tired, I’m not going to lie. But I’m getting my wind back. After that I thought I was good,” Sharpe said. “But me personally, I feel like I played (terribly). But that’s the first game, so just keep building from here.”
  • Ziaire Williams missed his first game this season in Chicago due to what the team referred to as a left knee sprain. As Lewis relays, Fernandez’s comments on Monday suggested that Williams’ absence will likely extend beyond that. “Right now, we will have a better feel on how (Williams) reacts in the next few days to know exactly what that time frame is,” the Nets’ coach said.
  • Given the opportunity to play a rotation role with so many players sidelined, Dariq Whitehead had the best game of his NBA career on Monday, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 18 points. He’d scored three total points in his previous four NBA outings. Scott Mitchell of NetsDaily takes a look at Whitehead’s breakout game and explores how the guard’s time with the Long Island Nets helped build his confidence. “If I’m being completely honest, last year I just got drafted and was in the wrong mindset. I didn’t take playing in the G League the right way like I should have,” Whitehead said. “This year, I came into it with a clearer mind and want to be (in Long Island) and develop that leadership role.”
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Nets Exercise Third-Year Options For Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead

October 28th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets have exercised the third-year rookie scale team options on Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead for the 2025/26 season, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Decisions On 2025/26 Rookie Scale Team Options]

Clowney, the No. 21 overall pick in the 2023 draft, is continuing to increase his playing time with Brooklyn. He appeared in just 23 games (making four starts) with the Nets in his rookie season, but he gradually grew into his role. Clowney made 10 appearances from the beginning of last year to mid-spring, but he played in the final 13 games of the season, averaging 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per night.

Through three games this fall, Clowney is averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG off the bench. He’s on the books for $3.24MM this season and about $3.40MM in 2025/26.

Whitehead was drafted just one spot after Clowney at 22nd overall last year. However, he was sidelined with a left shin injury and has only made a total of three NBA appearances. His contract becoming guaranteed for a third year was less certain than Clowney after he shot 14.6% from the field in summer league and 22.2% in the preseason. Still, he’s just 20 years old and has tantalizing athletic upside, so he makes sense for a young Brooklyn squad.

He’s under contract for $3.11MM this season and $3.26MM in 2025/26.

As we outlined on Sunday, rookie scale options for ’25/26 are due Thursday.

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Nets Notes: Bridges Trade, Wilson, Whitehead, Z. Williams

July 20th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets general manager Sean Marks said the trade that sent Mikal Bridges to the Knicks came together quickly, but an unidentified source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the framework was actually set at the trade deadline. Although Bojan Bogdanovic and Shake Milton may not have been mentioned in the original discussions, it appears the idea of five first-round picks and a swap was discussed in February.

“We were always prepared for a rebuild. It wasn’t like, oh, let’s wait to be lucky to find the star that’s coming into free agency. We were always prepared to pivot in the other direction if we could see the right opportunity to do that,” the source said. “And who would’ve thought we could trade Mikal Bridges for five first-round draft picks? And who would’ve thought we were able to find that window of opportunity to get Houston to agree to get our picks back?

“It was eye-opening to see the Knicks offer these kinds of assets for Mikal. If you look at our ability to reload our assets, particularly in the draft year of 2025, we have one pick that’s our own that could be very. very good. … We’ve got three more first-round picks that probably will be in the 20s but it’s a very deep draft. Plus, we have our own second-round pick. That’s a class we can get very excited about.”

Lewis adds that the Nets began to strongly consider a Bridges trade after he openly criticized the team’s direction following a lopsided loss to Boston on February 14. Up to that point, the focus had been on finding an All-Star to pair with him.

There’s more on the Nets:

  • Jalen Wilson is a leading contender for Summer League MVP honors, Lewis states in a subscriber-only story. Through four games, Wilson is averaging 24.3 PPG with 46.3/55.6/88.2 shooting figures. His three-point shooting is especially significant because he only connected at 31.6% from beyond the arc in college, 27.5% last season in the G League and 32.4% in 43 NBA games. Concerns about Wilson’s shooting caused him to fall to the 51st pick in the 2023 draft, but he becomes much more valuable if he can maintain anything close to his Summer League pace. “Shooting helps everything at any level of basketball because it provides space on the floor for his teammates,” said Nets Summer League coach Steve Hetzel.
  • It’s been a difficult Summer League for Dariq Whitehead, who’s trying to return to the court after three surgeries severely limited his playing time in college and during his rookie season, Lewis adds. Whitehead shot 4-of-34 from the field and 2-of-21 from three-point range in his first three games before being held out of Thursday’s contest against Orlando for “rest.” “I’d just like for him to step on the court and play as hard as he can and don’t worry about the makes or misses,” Hetzel said. “That’s been our message from Day 1. … He’s had a tough journey being out as long as he has, and I don’t think any of us can know what he’s going through. It’s our job to just keep encouraging him, put him back out there and have him play as hard as he can the next year.”
  • Lewis suggests more trades could be in the works after Friday’s deal to acquire Ziaire Williams from Memphis. The Nets are determined to stay under the luxury tax, and their cushion dropped from $8.2MM to $4.3MM by adding Williams. League sources told Lewis “there are still moving pieces,” possibly involving Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson.
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Nets Notes: Claxton, Whitehead, Watford, Fernandez

July 13th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

As they begin the rebuilding process, the Nets made sure to hang onto center Nic Claxton, whom they believe could eventually become the NBA’s best defender, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Before reaching free agency, Claxton agreed to a four-year deal that contains $97MM in guaranteed money. He’ll be part of the roster foundation that Brooklyn will try to build around.

“He was our priority this summer,” new head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, obviously age-wise and how he’s progressed all these years. And we — me personally, and the organization — believe that he’s still getting much better. [He can win] Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a good play-maker, he can be even a better play-maker. We’re excited about his development. We’re excited that he’s part of the organization for a long time.”

Claxton’s production has steadily increased since he was selected with the 31st pick in the 2019 draft. He averaged a career-high 9.9 rebounds in 71 games last season, along with 11.8 points and 2.1 blocks. He gives the Nets a strong interior presence on both ends of the court as they try to reshape the rest of the roster into a contender.

“It’s great to have homegrown talent here,” general manager Sean Marks said. “Nic fits in a variety [of] different pathways we want to go. He’s young, he’s still scratching the surface here, and I just love his overall approach to him wanting more and more and more development. So now, with some of the changes to our roster, I think we’ll see even more from Nic as we move forward.”

There’s more on the Nets:

  • Dariq Whitehead admitted he had some “rust” during Friday’s Summer League opener, but he felt good being back on the court after undergoing three surgeries in 18 months, Lewis states in a separate story. The 22nd pick in the 2023 draft was limited to two NBA games and four G League contests last season, but he’s feeling fully healthy for the first time since high school. “Just being able to move laterally, just being able to beat someone to the spot, I haven’t been able to do that in a long time. So I’m just taking that as a stepping stone for me just being able to do that. It feels so good just to be out there and be able to move my feet side-to-side laterally again,” Whitehead said. “So just continue to take baby steps and knock the rust off and eventually get going.”
  • Trendon Watford is happy to have some security after accepting a one-year qualifying offer this week, Lewis adds in another piece. Twelve months ago, Watford was searching for an NBA job after being waived by Portland. He signed with the Nets in August and appeared in 63 games, playing his best basketball late in the season when interim coach Kevin Ollie leaned heavily on the team’s younger players. Watford reached double figures in scoring in eight of Brooklyn’s final 11 games.
  • In a subscriber-only story, Lewis looks at how Fernandez is already making an impact on his new team.
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Atlantic Notes: Whitehead, Bridges, MacDonald, Embiid

July 11th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

With Mikal Bridges joining the other New York City team, Nets forward Dariq Whitehead knows he could be in line for more playing time next season, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com writes. Whitehead has undergone foot and shin surgeries that limited him to two NBA appearances in his rookie year after getting selected with the No. 22 pick.

“I look at it as an opportunity for me to get on the court and a bunch of other young guys to grow our games and develop into who we want to be in the NBA,” Whitehead said. “And eventually be on their level, if not higher than where they were….and look it as an opportunity for us young guys.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Speaking of Bridges, he’s not worried about fitting in with his new Knicks teammates, some of whom played with him collegiately at Villanova, Zach Braziller of the New York Post relays. “I think it’s not going to be that hard honestly,” Bridges said. “I think it’s just knowing the brand we play here, and playing the right way is who I am. It’s like a natural thing. It’s kind of like going to [Team] USA, kind of the same thing where obviously, going to USA last year, the role’s going to change.”
  • The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, have named Matt MacDonald their general manager, according to a press release. “We are excited to have Matt step into this role and lead our G League program with the Long Island Nets,” Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks said. “Since starting out in our front office, Matt has continually been elevated into a variety of positions spanning both player personnel and administration and has proven to have the acumen and diverse skillset required to thrive with each opportunity.” MacDonald was Long Island’s assistant GM for the last two seasons.
  • Sixers superstar Joel Embiid says any concern about him getting injured during Team USA’s Olympic run is overshadowed by his quest for a gold medal, according to Shaun Powell of NBA.com. “For me, being part of the Olympics was always the goal. It was an opportunity and a chance I couldn’t pass up. And I don’t think there is a big risk,” he said.
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Eastern Notes: Holland, Pistons, Clowney, Whitehead, Raptors

June 29th, 2024 at 8:11am CST by Tristan Tucker

The first draft selection of the Trajan Langdon era is a heat check, Detroit Free Press’s Omari Sankofa II writes. Taking Ron Holland at No. 5 overall came as something of a surprise to many, especially because the Pistons didn’t hold a pre-draft interview or workout with the G League Ignite alum.

“He’s got one of the biggest upsides in the draft,” Langdon said. “Everybody knows the shooting is an issue, but for a lot of the players that have high upside in this draft, shooting was an issue. We hired Fred Vinson for a reason, so we can take chances like this on young players when shooting is the piece. 

“If his shot hits, he’s going to be a really, really good player. The kid works, the kid competes, he has a great size for his position. I just think everything that we looked at across the board, he just checked a lot of boxes except for shooting. It’s really hard to find a player that age, compete level, to have the productivity in the G League he had at 18 years old.”

The reason Holland didn’t end up visiting the Pistons, Sankofa notes, could have been that several agents didn’t want to bring their players to Detroit for workouts. That may not have been the case with Holland specifically; but in any case, the Pistons did their homework on the talented forward, which included speaking with teammates like former NBA and Ignite veteran John Jenkins.

“He did say, ‘Look, I understand what my role is. I understand who I am as a player. I want to come to whatever team that drafts me and I want to help them win,’ ” Landgon said. “The people that he compared himself to — Jaden McDaniels, Jaylen Brown, Mikal Bridges — those guys came in as defenders first and then they figured out their offensive games. He knows who he is, which I think is huge to have that kind of awareness at 18, 19 years old. We’re incredibly excited about having him.”

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:

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Eastern Notes: Pistons, Horst, Butler, Sixers, Hornets, Nets, More

May 6th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Now that the Bucks‘ season has come to an end, the Pistons are expected to formally seek permission to interview Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst for their president of basketball operations job soon, Marc Stein reports in his latest story at Substack. According to Stein, it’s not yet known whether the Bucks will grant Detroit permission to meet with Horst, a Michigan native who began his NBA career in the Pistons’ basketball operations department.

Elsewhere in his Substack article, Stein says that Jimmy Butler‘s future has become an “increasingly hot topic” around the NBA following the Heat‘s first-round playoff exit. Multiple rival teams have wondered if the Sixers will make a run at trading for Butler this offseason in an effort to reunite the star swingman with good friend Joel Embiid, per Stein. The Embiid/Butler 76ers took the eventual-champion Raptors down to the wire in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2019, but were broken up less than two months later when Butler was signed-and-traded to Miami.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Several executives around the NBA thought the Hornets would have concluded their head coaching search by now, but the team is taking a “very methodical” approach to the process and there’s no specific timeline to make a hire, Rod Boone writes in a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer. Boone’s mailbag also explores Charlotte’s draft strategy and how to revitalize the team’s brand, among other topics.
  • How much of a difference could it make for the Nets to have a healthy Ben Simmons and Dariq Whitehead next season? Net Income of Nets Daily explores that subject, citing league insiders who say Brooklyn has no plans to waive Simmons this offseason.
  • With Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby set to square off in the second round of the playoffs as members of the Pacers and Knicks, respectively, the Raptors will “catch some sass” for trading away both players this season, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Given how well the two forwards have played alongside backcourt stars – Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana and Jalen Brunson in New York – Koreen wonders if things went wrong in Toronto because the club couldn’t find the right “dynamic” guard to allow Siakam and Anunoby to play their proper roles.
  • James L. Edwards III of The Athletic previews next week’s draft combine from a Pistons perspective, identifying the players the club will have its eye on in the top five and naming a few prospects who could make sense at No. 53. Edwards views Alexandre Sarr as the player likeliest to be atop Detroit’s board, with Stephon Castle, Cody Williams, Donovan Clingan, and Matas Buzelis in the next tier.
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Atlantic Notes: Anunoby, Achiuwa, Knicks, Lowry, Robinson, Whitehead

April 29th, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Raptors teammates OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa were instrumental in the Knicks’ defensive effort during their Game 4 win over the Sixers on Sunday. They guarded Joel Embiid a majority of the time with Isaiah Hartenstein in foul trouble and Mitchell Robinson sidelined by an ankle injury.

The Knicks’ frontcourt duo also made the right reads in rotations and pick-and-rolls, SNY TV’s Ian Begley notes. “I don’t know how to (explain it),” Achiuwa said. “It’s a feel thing between me and OG. When we’re involved in a defensive action, I understand what he wants to do, we read off each other and play off each other that way. … That’s kind of what played into it.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • While Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was setting a franchise record for playoff points in a single game, Sixers counterpart Kyle Lowry only made one field goal in Game 4, Peter Botte of the New York Post notes. Lowry, an unrestricted free agent after the season, is averaging 10.5 points and 4.0 assists per game in the series.
  • Offensive rebounding was a key to the Knicks’ victory on Sunday. They grabbed 15 for the game, including seven in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Sixers 21-6 on second-chance opportunities. “That’s what they do,” 76ers forward Kelly Oubre told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “Like I said, Jalen (Brunson) is putting up all the shots, but at the end of the day, like that’s what he’s supposed to do. And then everybody else is supposed to crash the glass like mad men.”
  • Robinson is listed as questionable to play in Game 5, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Bojan Bogdanovic (foot contusion) has already been ruled out.
  • Dariq Whitehead‘s rookie season with the Nets was a washout, as he underwent season-ending surgery on Jan. 29 to repair a stress reaction in his left shin. The No. 22 pick in last year’s draft, who appeared in just two NBA games, will hit the reset button with a new head coach, Jordi Fernandez, and a busy offseason. “Dariq should play in summer league, should be available in summer league. Whether or not he plays the entire summer league or not, that’ll be TBD,” GM Sean Marks said, per NetsDaily.com. “But the plan right now is he’s in the gym every day.”
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Nets Notes: Fernandez, Marks, Simmons, Whitehead, B. Johnson

April 24th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Rory Maher

At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was optimistic about a quick turnaround following a disappointing 2023/24 season, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“We will see results right away,” Fernandez said. “This industry is about getting results and getting better. So how much are you gonna get better? It’s how we believe the process is important.

“We know that there’s proper steps to take and we’ll see improvement right away. But the most important thing to me is to believe in team success over personal success.”

Fernandez added that he was enthusiastic about the young talent on Brooklyn’s roster, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“The youth excites me,” Fernandez said. “When you have a young roster — and talented — that means you’re going to have those guys for a long time. So you can develop them, and then they can perform at their best, and they’re here with you. So that’s extremely exciting.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

  • General manager Sean Marks said one of the reasons Fernandez stood out in the Nets’ head coaching search was his ability to coach players at various stages of their careers, according to Lewis. “Something that separates Jordi from a lot of the candidates (is), we found that he could look at a developmental roster, he could do various different pathways,” Marks said. “He’s coached stars before, he’s been the head director of development before so he’s worn many hats and there’s no roster that he’s not going to be able to get the respect of those guys.” Marks noted that as a big market, Brooklyn has an inherent ability to attract stars, which could accelerate the team’s timeline.
  • Marks said the team expects Ben Simmons to be ready for training camp in the fall, as Adam Zagoria of NJ.com relays (subscription required). “There should be no reason not to,” Marks said. “I mean, the doctors and therapists and so forth have told us that he should be ready to go next season. Again, it’s going to be on Ben’s timeline. We’re going to have to see how he progresses through the summer.” Simmons was limited to 15 games in ’23/24 and underwent his second back surgery in two years last month.
  • Another injured Net, Dariq Whitehead, should be ready to go for Summer League in a few months, Marks told reporters, including Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com. The 2023 first-round pick had season-ending surgery for a stress reaction in his left shin back in January.
  • They don’t currently control a draft pick in 2024, but Marks said the Nets could look to move into the draft if a player they like is available, Kaplan writes. Marks also suggested BJ Johnson, who is the team’s director of player evaluation, could be in line for a promotion after former front office executives Jeff Peterson and Ryan Gisriel left to join the Hornets. “I think some of our guys have done a terrific job,” Marks said, per Kaplan. “In terms of just simply drafting, I mean, you want to take BJ Johnson. BJ runs our draft and has done so for the last several years. So, there’ll be more pressure and more responsibility placed on several of the guys in-house here.”
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