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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Harris, Nets, Horford

March 5th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors must address their perimeter shooting this offseason, Eric Koreen of The Athletic argues. Gary Trent‘s shooting slump and injuries to Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby have exposed the lack of natural shooters on the roster. Toronto ought to focus on finding another shooter or two in free agency or the draft, Koreen says. The Raptors currently rank 13th in 3-point shooting.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Nets had discussions with several teams prior to the trade deadline regarding Joe Harris, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, Harris’ ankle injury impacted what teams were willing to give up for him. Harris, who hasn’t played since Nov. 14, opted this week for season-ending surgery on his left ankle. He has two years left on his four-year, $75MM contract.
The Nets are running out of time to build chemistry, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post notes. Even with Kevin Durant back in the lineup, the rotation remains in flux. Ben Simmons has yet to make his season debut, Kyrie Irving‘s availability remains uncertain, Goran Dragic just joined the team and the coaches are still sorting out frontcourt options. “We are cutting it close,” Durant said. “There’s under 20 games left in the season. We have to go out there and figure it out.”
Al Horford has proven his worth during the Celtics’ turnaround, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. Boston has outscored opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions with Horford on the court. Horford, whose $26.5MM salary next season is partially guaranteed, has been a defensive anchor during the resurgence. “Everybody thinks Al is up there in age and that he’s lost it,” Marcus Smart said. “He’s still got it.”

New York Notes: Irving, Burks, Quickley, Barrett, Durant

March 3rd, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets guard Kyrie Irving has picked a new agent and it’s someone close to him. He’s hired Shetellia Riley Irving, which would apparently make her the only Black woman representing a current player, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. She’s Kyrie’s stepmother and a VP of ad sales at media company BET, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Irving’s contract includes a player option worth at least $36.5MM for the 2022/23 season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he opts out.

We have more from the New York teams:

With Kemba Walker shut down for the season and Derrick Rose recovering from a minor procedure on his ankle, the Knicks are thin at the point. They’re currently going with Alec Burks as the starter and Immanuel Quickley on the second unit. Until Rose is ready, coach Tom Thibodeau said he doesn’t anticipate a change, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “That’s the best we have, so that’s what we’re doing, and they’re capable,’’ he said.
Following his 46-point eruption against Miami last week, Jimmy Butler said that wing RJ Barrett was going to be “the face of the Knicks.” The New York Post’s Ian O’Connor writes that Barrett must not allow the state of the franchise to hold him back from being an All-Star player. O’Connor notes that the franchise hasn’t drafted, developed and held onto a star player since Patrick Ewing.
There won’t a minutes restriction on Kevin Durant in his return to action Thursday, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. However, Durant and acting coach Jacque Vaughn — who is filling for Steve Nash (health and safety protocols) — will be in constant communication during the game to monitor how he’s feeling.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Durant, Irving, Brown

March 3rd, 2022 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

With Nets guard Ben Simmons considered “week to week” as he reconditions, the odds of him taking the court in time to play his old team in Philadelphia on March 10 have steadily declined. On Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today (video link), ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski essentially closed the door on the idea of Simmons playing next Thursday.

“It’s not happening,” Wojnarowski flatly stated, after Shelburne suggested it was “very unlikely.”

According to Shelburne, the Nets want Simmons to be able to “go hard” in practices with the team for at least a full week before he’s cleared to play, and so far he hasn’t reached the stage in his ramp-up process where he’s doing that at all.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Kevin Durant, who is set to return on Thursday following a 21-game injury absence, said today that he feels “energized” and is confident the 32-31 Nets can finish the season strong, though he knows that confidence only goes so far. “I can be confident all I want, if we don’t go out there and actually put the work in then nothing going to happen,” Durant said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “So I can speak about how confident we are and how things look and give you taglines what our team may be; I can market my team to you right now, but we got to go out there and actually get in some reps, practice and the game in order to really see who we are, and what works best for us.”
While it’s great news for the Nets that Durant is back, Kyrie Irving‘s ongoing part-time availability and Simmons’ absence mean the club is running out of time to have its new Big Three establish chemistry, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Chris Sommerfeldt and Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News explain why Irving’s status as a New Jersey resident doesn’t make him from exempt from the vaccine mandate that applies to professional athletes who play in New York City.
When Brooklyn waived DeAndre’ Bembry in order to accommodate last month’s blockbuster trade with Philadelphia, the team was essentially choosing Bruce Brown over Bembry, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post, who says that decision has paid off. Brown has started the Nets’ last eight games, averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG on .493/.471/.769 shooting during that stretch.

Kevin Durant Expected To Return On Thursday

March 2nd, 2022 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to return to action on Thursday after being sidelined for the team’s last 21 games due to a knee injury. As Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets, Durant isn’t listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Brooklyn vs. the Heat.

Durant was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral in his left knee on January 16. At the time, an ESPN report stated that team officials were optimistic the former MVP would be able to get back on the court in about four-to-six weeks. The Nets played it safe with their leading scorer — Thursday will represent the seven-week mark since that diagnosis.

In 36 games (36.5 MPG) so far this season, Durant is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with a shooting line of .520/.372/.894.

His return will be significant for a Nets team that only has Kyrie Irving available on a part-time basis due to his vaccination status and is still waiting for three-time All-Star Ben Simmons to make his Brooklyn debut. The club slumped badly with Durant out of action, winning just five of its last 21 games and slipping from the No. 2 seed in the East to No. 8.

Simmons is reportedly being considered “week to week,” and Irving is still waiting for some good news regarding the vaccine mandate that applies to New York City’s private sector. The Nets are hopeful that the roster will be at full strength before the postseason begins in mid-April. Of course, as things stand, Brooklyn will have to win a play-in game to even earn a playoff berth.

New York Notes: KD, Simmons, Reddish, Sims

March 1st, 2022 at 9:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star forward Kevin Durant could return from his sprained left knee MCL as soon as this Thursday or Saturday, Nets head coach Steve Nash indicated, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant has been sidelined since injuring his knee on January 5.

“We’re hopeful that he can play this week,” Nash said. “So Kevin’s getting close, which is exciting.”

In the 36 games he has been healthy, Durant has been his typical All-NBA self for the Nets. This season, he is averaging 29.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 5.8 APG, with shooting splits of .520/.372/.894.

“He’s going to come back and impact the game every way possible,” new Nets starting center Andre Drummond said of Durant. “I think with our chemistry together on the floor, it’s going to make it very difficult for teams to pick their poison, with who they want to guard, along with Kyrie [Irving], Seth [Curry] and when Ben [Simmons] comes back. And we go on the list of our roster, we have a lot of threats.”

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

Rich Paul, the agent for new Nets addition Ben Simmons, told Brian Windhorst of ESPN (video link) that Simmons should be thought of as “week-to-week” with back soreness as he works his way into game shape ahead of his 2021/22 season debut. Windhorst expressed uncertainty about whether Simmons would even be ready at any point in March for Brooklyn, suggesting that he’s “frankly not close” to debuting for his new team.
With Knicks wing Quentin Grimes unavailable for much of the remaining season, new swingman Cam Reddish finally has a path to regular rotation minutes in New York, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “I’m trying to work my way in,” Reddish said. “Just trying to make the right play, really. Not trying to force it too much. But yeah, I think the last 20 games are definitely a good spot to start.” In 11 games with New York thus far, Reddish is averaging 5.4 PPG, 1.0 RPG and 0.7 SPG across 12.5 MPG.
With the 25-36 Knicks seemingly stuck on the outside of the play-in race looking in, rookie reserve center Jericho Sims has been getting some run as New York looks towards the future, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “[Sims is] a great kid, great worker, getting better day by day,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Tuesday. “Very diligent. Comes in and watches film and wants to do well. So I think this experience is really good for him.” Sims has displaced Nerlens Noel in the rotation as Noel continues to grapple with a plantar fasciitis injury. 36-year-old veteran center Taj Gibson has also been a healthy scratch for the last two games in favor of the No. 58 pick in the 2021 draft.

Nets Notes: Irving, Vaccine Mandate, Durant, Dragic

February 27th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

With the Nets desperate for a victory, Kyrie Irving delivered his best game of the season Saturday night in a win over the defending champs, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Irving scored 38 points and carried Brooklyn’s offense in crunch time in a 126-123 victory at Milwaukee.

Not only was the win significant in the standings for the Nets, who moved to within three-and-a-half games of escaping the play-in tournament, it helped erase some bad memories for Irving, who suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the playoffs in his last trip to Fiserv Forum.

“I haven’t been back in this building since then, and I tried my best not to wear my emotions on my face or on my shoulder, but sometimes they get the best of me,” Irving said. “But it definitely felt like there was a weight lifted just getting back here, being healthy, getting a win and knowing that there’s a possibility we could see them down the line again. So it makes our competition in our league that much more fun.”

There’s more on the Nets:

After the game, Irving addressed comments this week from New York City mayor Eric Adams, who is thinking about lifting the city’s vaccine mandate, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Whenever that happens, Irving will instantly become eligible to play in the Nets’ home games. “I’m glad that things are kind of settling down and there’s light at the end of the tunnel here,” Irving said. “Hopefully, I can get back on that home floor playing in the Barclays and now we can finally have that conversation that you’ve been dying to have just about turning the page and moving forward beyond this.”
Brooklyn is 5-14 since Kevin Durant suffered an MCL sprain on January 15, but there’s optimism that he won’t be out much longer, according to Greg Joyce of The New York Post. The Nets put Durant through a second high-intensity workout Saturday, and if he doesn’t show any ill effects he’ll just need one more to be medically cleared. Coach Steve Nash doesn’t expect Durant to be available for back-to-back games with the Raptors Monday and Tuesday, but said he may play later in the week.
Goran Dragic made his debut with the Nets Saturday, playing 14 minutes and scoring six points. It was his first game action since November 13 and he admits being tired and having to come out after six minutes, Lewis tweets.

Eastern Notes: Oladipo, Simmons, Durant, Porzingis, LaVine

February 26th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat guard Victor Oladipo is hoping to make his season debut within the next two weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired 11 months ago.

With Oladipo’s season debut inching closer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines how the veteran guard could fit in the Heat’s rotation. Oladipo will likely play backup point guard behind Kyle Lowry. The Heat could also finish games with him, sporting a defensive-minded lineup of Lowry, Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo.

Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals per game. He also shot 48% from the floor and 37% from deep that season.

Here are some other notes from the East:

Nets superstar Kevin Durant (sprained MCL) is also moving closer to a return, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Every day closer,” head coach Steve Nash said. “We’ll see. I expect in the next week he’ll be back for sure. It could be quick; it could be the whole week barring any setbacks.” While Durant is returning soon, Ben Simmons‘ timetable remains unclear. “He’s not gone to high intensity yet,” Nash said. “Just ramping him up still.”
Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington poses five questions for the Wizards now that the All-Star break has passed. Among the topics Hughes addresses is Kristaps Porzingis‘ potential role, specifically how much he’ll play. The 26-year-old has only appeared in 34 games this season due to injuries.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report conducted a Q&A with Bulls star Zach LaVine, covering his season, team and ambitions. LaVine has averaged 24.5 points per game and will become a free agent this summer. “For me, it’s not even about my contract [situation]”, he said. “I’m a competitor. I want to go to the playoffs and play on the big stage. Contract, everything, that all comes. But I look at it day by day. You can’t get to April in a day. You’re gonna have to play and compete each and every day to get there, and then once the playoffs come, we got to go do our thing. You know I’m really excited. I’m really excited to be on that stage, because I haven’t been there yet.”

Nets Notes: Dragic, Durant, Simmons, Curry, Irving

February 25th, 2022 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Goran Dragic is probable to make his Nets debut on Saturday against Milwaukee, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. Dragic has been reconditioning since signing with the club after passing through waivers. Dragic played five games for Toronto this season but hasn’t been active since November 13. Kevin Durant (left knee – MCL sprain) remains sidelined.

We have more on the Nets:

Ben Simmons‘ team and season debut has been held back due to conditioning, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “It’s been a long layoff, right?” coach Steve Nash said. “So he hasn’t played NBA basketball for a long time, so just trying to work through that.”
While some have suggested there was friction between Seth Curry and Simmons in Philadelphia, Curry says that’s inaccurate, ESPN’s Nick Friedell reports. They’re now teammates in Brooklyn, as Curry was included in the blockbuster deal. “I don’t take anything personal,” Curry said. “When we’re on the court, we’re teammates. Everything’s fine. And we depend on each other to do good things. There’s been nothing negative he’s done to me personally, so I’m fine.”
Kyrie Irving is excited by the possibility of New York City relaxing its vaccination rules and allowing him to play home games, Friedell writes in a separate story. “I sense a real focus and urgency from (mayor Eric Adams),” Nash said. “And so if that’s any indication, I would say he is getting excited at the prospect of being allowed to play in all our games and hopefully in the short term.” However, there are no set dates regarding a rollback of the mandates, as Adams urges caution, Lewis reports.

Injury Updates: Oladipo, Morris, Nets, Brooks, Hampton

February 25th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Victor Oladipo (knee) and forward Markieff Morris (neck) traveled with the team to New York, but won’t play in Friday’s game vs. the Knicks and still don’t have timelines for their respective returns, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“They were able to do a lot (in Thursday’s practice),” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “I’m not going to give you all the details. There’s nothing that’s imminent right now. This is all just part of the process. But it was good to have the entire group here at practice and getting after it, and getting a little bit of the rust off by competing and try to get ready for the stretch run.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Nets head coach Steve Nash said it’s possible Kevin Durant (knee) and/or Goran Dragic could play as soon as Saturday, but said it’s more likely to happen at some point next week, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Nash expressed optimism that both players will be active beginning either Monday vs. Toronto, Tuesday in Toronto, or Thursday vs. Miami.
Dillon Brooks‘ recovery from a left ankle injury is “progressing well,” per Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins (Twitter link via Grizzly Bear Blues). A previous report stated that Brooks is expected to be back at some point in early March, and that timeline hasn’t changed.
Magic guard R.J. Hampton had been expected to return to action on Friday night after missing 14 games due to an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left knee. However, Hampton sprained his left ankle during Friday’s shootaround and is now questionable to play, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.

Nets Notes: Dragic, Durant, Simmons, D. Green

February 24th, 2022 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Goran Dragic didn’t intend to sit out most of the season, but he said there was no defined role for him with the Raptors, according to a Sportsnet.ca story. Dragic, who chose the Nets after receiving interest from several teams following his buyout with the Spurs, spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since signing with Brooklyn.

“It’s been a unique situation this year for me, unfortunately couldn’t get along in Toronto, they said they wanted to go young, they didn’t see me to be a part of that team,” Dragic said. “We talked and they said we’re going to trade you, we agreed I go home to be with my family until everything got resolved.”

The Raptors acquired Dragic in the offseason trade that sent Kyle Lowry to the Heat, but he was never in their long-term plans. He played just five games before taking a leave of absence in November. The Nets will play in Toronto next week, and Dragic is looking forward to returning to the city.

“(I have) no hard feelings towards them, wish them all the best … we play against them twice in next couple of weeks so should be interesting,” he said.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Nets players were heavily involved in recruiting Dragic once his buyout became official, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and others sent text messages to Dragic urging him to join them in Brooklyn. Dragic said the Nets were among six contenders that tried to sign him.
Although Dragic has been training during his absence, coach Steve Nash doesn’t plan to use him in tonight’s game against the Celtics, according to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (Twitter link). Nash said Dragic needs to practice with the team a few times, but he doesn’t expect his debut to be far off. Nash added that he expects Durant to be ready before Simmons, but there are no definite dates for either to begin playing again.
Simmons’ first game back in Philadelphia is scheduled for March 10, but Sixers guard Danny Green doesn’t expect to see him on the court, writes Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. On his “Inside the Green Room” podcast, Green said Andre Drummond and Seth Curry, who were also traded to Brooklyn, “weren’t on the most cordial terms” with Simmons when they were all together in Philadelphia. Green added that his reaction to Simmons will be determined by his actions if he does play March 10. “I understand you have a mental health issue, I understand you don’t want to play where you want to — whatever it is, you did what you needed to do to make better for you in your life. That’s cool,” Green said. “Do I think you could have handled it better? For sure, because we had nothing against you as teammates, still have nothing against you. But it all depends on how that game goes, how he interacts in that game, how well he plays or how cleanly or non-cleanly he or us plays against each other, is going to determine how we shake hands.”