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“Renewed Optimism” About Possibility Of Irving Returning To Nets

December 13th, 2021 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s “renewed optimism” about the possibility of Kyrie Irving suiting up for the Nets this season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Irving hasn’t played at all in 2021/22, since he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 and a municipal mandate in New York City prevents him from playing in home games. He’s eligible to participate in road games, but the Nets decided they didn’t want him to be a part-time player.

In order for Irving to return to action for Brooklyn, one of three things would need to happen:

New York City would need to repeal or adjust its vaccine mandate.
Irving would need to get vaccinated.
The Nets would need to allow him to take part in road games.

Charania’s report doesn’t specify which of these routes is most likely. However, he notes that multiple City Hall officials – from both the outgoing and incoming NYC administrations – have told The Athletic that there are no plans to eliminate the mandate requiring individuals to be vaccinated in order to enter indoor venues.

That would leave vaccination or an adjustment to the Nets’ policy for road games as the only realistic paths for an Irving return. Charania doesn’t know which of those scenarios might come to fruition, but has heard recently from sources that Kyrie could play this season after all.

According to Charania, Irving and his good friend Kevin Durant have been talking more often as of late about his fit with the team, the Nets’ games, and life in general. There “appears to be an increased level of enthusiasm between the two superstars,” Charania adds.

This is just my speculation, but one report back in September stated there was a belief that Durant would help convince Irving to take the vaccine — perhaps that will ultimately happen a few months later.

Another recent report indicated that Irving may be interested in taking a plant-based vaccine, which is going through clinical trials, but it’s still likely months away from receiving full approval.

If Irving gets fully vaccinated, he would be eligible to play in all of Brooklyn’s home and road games. If the Nets adjust their policy and allow the star guard to play without being vaccinated, he would remain ineligible to play in home games, as well as in road games vs. the Knicks and Raptors.

NBA Fines Kevin Durant $25K For Swearing At Fan

December 12th, 2021 at 1:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The league has fined Nets All-Star forward Kevin Durant $25K for “directing obscene language” at a fan during the Brooklyn’s 113-105 victory against the Hawks, the NBA has announced (Twitter link).

With 28 seconds left in the first half Friday, Durant apparently made the remarks towards an attendant fan in the arena.

The NBA has been cracking down on players’ on-court obscenities this season. As Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic tweets, the league fined Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma $15K for flipping off a fan earlier this week. Lakers forward LeBron James was also fined $15K for making an obscene gesture on the court last month.

New York Notes: Durant, Harden, Turner, Barrett

December 8th, 2021 at 8:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are resting Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge for tonight’s game in Houston, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. Durant played more than 40 minutes in Tuesday’s win at Dallas, and Brooklyn is being careful not to overextend Aldridge, who briefly retired at the end of last season due to a heart condition.

There have been concerns about the heavy minutes that Durant and James Harden have seen this season with the loss of Kyrie Irving and injuries to other rotation players. Harden said Tuesday that neither of them minds the increased workload, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“One thing about me and KD, we love to play basketball,” Harden said. “So it don’t matter. We could play the whole 48. Even if we’re exhausted. Coach says something — nope. We wanna stay in the game. We wanna play.”

There’s more from New York City:

Harden received a mostly positive reaction when he was introduced tonight in Houston, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harden, who played more than eight seasons with the Rockets before forcing his way out in January, returned to Houston for a game last season, but the crowd was limited because of COVID-19 restrictions. “I think it definitely means something to James,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “I don’t want to overstate it, but I also don’t want to understate it. He had such a historic run here. This city means a ton to him.”
A report that the Pacers are exploring trades involving Myles Turner could be significant to the Knicks, who checked on Turner’s availability during the offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Those talks didn’t go very far, Begley adds, but New York’s front office remains interested in finding a center who can stretch the floor. The Knicks have multiple ways to match Turner’s $17.5MM salary, Begley notes, and Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel or Taj Gibson would likely be included in any deal.
Tom Thibodeau’s search for lineup solutions will be much easier if RJ Barrett continues to shoot the way he did in Tuesday’s win over the Spurs, per Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Barrett broke out of a 13-game shooting slump with a 32-point night while going 7-of-8 from beyond the arc. “I was down for a couple of weeks, but I’m feeling better now,” Barrett said. “It was good to get back in the gym, it was great and to have a game like today. Hopefully that can carry on for (Wednesday).”

Nets Notes: Millsap, Durant, Mills, Claxton

December 5th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent addition Paul Millsap turned in his best game since joining the Nets in Saturday’s loss to the Bulls, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. The veteran power forward is only averaging 11.3 minutes of playing time in 18 games, but he got an expanded opportunity with James Johnson sidelined by a shoulder injury and delivered 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

“He was great. He did a little bit of everything,” coach Steve Nash said. “He scored the ball. He was able to initiate some offense. He got some rebounds, offensive rebounds. Got some steals. Just did a bit of everything. His intensity was great and I thought his impact on the game was really good.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Kevin Durant played 38 minutes in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday, and Nash hasn’t given any thought to cutting his playing time, Botte adds. Durant has only missed one game this season and welcomes the heavy workload. “Kevin’s mentality is a huge reason why he’s one of the best players of all-time,” Nash said. “He loves the game. He comes in every day and has a laser focus on his routine, he finds the most happiness when he’s on the basketball court. The success he has is really the mentality as much as it is the gifts. The joy that the game gives him makes him sacrifice every day. So to tell him, ‘Hey, we’re going to limit your minutes on a back-to-back’ is not going to get over very well.”
Patty Mills wasn’t expecting to be a starter when he signed with the Nets over the summer, but that has changed because of Kyrie Irving‘s absence and an injury to Joe Harris, Botte notes in a separate story. Mills made his ninth straight start Saturday and may be in that role for a while. “Patty has been great, and we’re asking for a lot from him now with guys being injured,” Durant said. “But he’s taken on that challenge, and we’re going to need a lot more from him going forward.”
Nash was excited to welcome back center Nicolas Claxton, who returned Friday after missing 17 games with a non-COVID illness, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “He’s an athletic, active big that can guard multiple positions, protect the rim, roll on offense and just be disruptive with his energy, length and athleticism,” Nash said. “That’s a unique profile for our team. If we can get him back to where he’s confident and comfortable physically, mentally and emotionally and adapting to our play, there’s no reason he can’t regain that.”

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant Named Players Of The Month

December 2nd, 2021 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Two of the NBA’s early frontrunners for the 2021/22 MVP award have been named the Players of the Month for October/November. Warriors guard Stephen Curry has won the Western Conference award, while Nets forward Kevin Durant is the Eastern Conference winner, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Curry led Golden State to an 18-3 record in October and November, averaging 27.8 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 5.7 RPG with an impressive .452/.412/.943 shooting line in 20 games (34.3 MPG). According to the NBA (Twitter link), Curry beat out fellow Western nominees Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, Paul George, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, and Karl-Anthony Towns for the award.

Durant, meanwhile, led the NBA in scoring in October and November, with 28.6 PPG. He also put up 7.5 RPG and 5.6 APG and shot .539/.389/.863 in 20 games (35.8 MPG). His Nets sit atop the Eastern standings with a 15-6 record. The other Eastern nominees for the award were Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Tyrese Maxey, and Trae Young.

The NBA also announced its Rookies of the Month for October and November today, awarding that honor to Thunder guard Josh Giddey in the West and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley in the East (Twitter link).

Giddey has immediately slid into the starting lineup for the lottery-bound Thunder and filled up the box score with 10.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.8 APG in his first 20 games (29.4 MPG), though he struggled with his shooting efficiency (.391/.257/.654). Mobley, meanwhile, has been the most impressive of the rookie of the 2021 class so far, posting 14.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.8 BPG in his 17 games (33.8 MPG) in October and November.

The other nominees for the Rookie of the Month awards were Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Davion Mitchell, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the West, and Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Chris Duarte, and Franz Wagner in the East (Twitter link).

Nets Notes: Irving, Harden, Thomas, Durant

December 2nd, 2021 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

An ESPN report in October indicated that the Nets were willing to take calls from teams asking about Kyrie Irving, but weren’t making calls themselves. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Brooklyn has maintained that approach during the past several weeks. Even though the Nets are willing to listen to inquiries on Irving, his trade value is down at this point due to his season-long absence, so making a deal may not be in the team’s best interest.

Begley also follows up on reports from The Athletic and The Philadelphia Inquirer stating that James Harden is among the Sixers‘ trade targets. Sources tell Begley that even before those reports surfaced, people with the Nets organization were aware that Philadelphia “loomed as a potential suitor” for Harden.

As we’ve noted before, the Nets are extremely unlikely to consider a Harden trade during the season, and all indications are that he wants to remain in Brooklyn going forward. But he does have the ability to opt out in 2022, so if the Nets’ season turns south, the Sixers could emerge as a more viable threat.

Here’s more on the Nets:

With Harden off to an up-and-down start this season, Michael Pina of SI.com attempts to determine whether the 32-year-old’s inconsistency can be attributed more to an early-season slump or the start of a career decline. With Harden up for another maximum-salary contract in 2022, he’ll be highly motivated to recapture his All-NBA form.
Joe Harris‘ ankle injury pushed rookie Cameron Thomas further up the depth chart, but the Nets don’t want to have him take on a bigger role until he’s fully ready for it, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who says the organization is happy with Thomas’ development so far. “If his role grows it’s more on his continued development than on our necessity, because that’s too much of a burden to throw at him,” head coach Steve Nash said.
Two years removed from his Achilles tear, Kevin Durant is averaging 35.8 minutes per game, his highest mark since his Oklahoma City days. As Nash acknowledges, the team would prefer not to play Durant that much going forward. “It’s not ideal to have him have such a burden,” the Nets’ head coach said, per Lewis. “But I don’t know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more. He’s a great player, and we’re down a great player (Irving) and a really good player (Harris) and a few others. So I don’t know if we have the luxury right now.”
For his part, Durant said he feels good and would love to play all 48 minutes every night if the Nets would let him, as Lewis relays. “If I can convince coach to play me the whole second half sometimes and put me in earlier in quarters, I’m gonna do it,” the former MVP said. “It don’t matter. My basketball life is not that long, so I’m gonna get the most out of it.”

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Walker, Kanter, Riller

November 30th, 2021 at 10:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of the Knicks‘ eventual 112-110 loss to their cross-town rival Nets on Tuesday night, New York All-Star forward Julius Randle praised Brooklyn All-Star forward Kevin Durant, per Peter Botte of the New York Post.

“He’s the best player in the league, for sure,” Randle raved on Monday. “[I’ve] never seen a 7-footer that skilled… [He can] do anything, everything, on the court. No weakness. That’s him. He’s tough. Great player, but I love competing against him.”

In an MVP-level season for the Nets, Durant is averaging 28.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG in 35.8 MPG, with a shooting line of .539/.389/.863.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The demotion of Kemba Walker from starting Knicks point guard to a DNP-CD serves as clear evidence of head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s zeal to win, per Ian O’Connor of the New York Post. Though the move for the 31-year-old hometown hero may not be a popular one, Thibodeau knows it will help the club’s defense significantly. “I just don’t like the way we’ve been trending, the inconsistency of our team,” Thibodeau said. “I want to get bigger. I want our defense to get bigger at the point of the attack.” The six-foot Walker, never a good defender, has seen his efficacy on both sides of the ball decline following knee injuries while with the Celtics. Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that the disparity in points per possession when Walker plays as opposed to when he sits represents the difference between what would be the best defensive efficiency in the NBA (when he sits) and what would be the worst (when he plays).
Upon becoming a US citizen on Monday, Celtics reserve center Enes Kanter has officially changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). “It was really important to me” to acknowledge the freedom that the Turkish native gets to enjoy as an American citizen, the freshly-anointed Kanter Freedom said.
Sixers two-way player Grant Riller injured his right shoulder during a contest for Philadelphia’s NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, this past Sunday, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Bodner adds that Riller’s health status will be reassessed in a week. The No. 56 pick in 2020 out of the College of Charleston, Riller has yet to appear in a game for the Sixers this season. The 6’2″ point guard is averaging 5.5 PPG, 2.3 APG and 1.5 RPG across four games for Delaware.

New York Notes: Durant, Aldridge, Walker, Anthony

November 22nd, 2021 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant rested his right shoulder sprain during the Nets’ win over Orlando on Friday and it apparently made a difference, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Durant returned to practice on Sunday and returned to action against Cleveland on Monday.

“Kevin is great. I think it served his shoulder well to miss a game,” coach Steve Nash said.

Durant is off to a strong start, averaging 28.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.9 APG in 16 games.

We have more on the New York City teams:

LaMarcus Aldridge has thrived while playing on the Nets’ second unit but it’s still been a tough transition, he told Lewis. “It’s very difficult. You’ve been one type of player or a certain type of player your whole career. It’s definitely different coming off the bench and not playing much,” Aldridge said. “So it’s been difficult. … I’m still trying to figure it out and navigate it and find my spots. And I’m just trying to find my ways to try and help out.” Aldridge is playing for the veteran’s minimum after coming out of a health-related retirement. He’s averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 20.6 MPG.
Kemba Walker played both ends of a back-to-back this weekend for the first time this season. However, that won’t always be the case for a guard who’s battling knee injuries in recent seasons, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Nothing is set in stone for back-to-backs,’’ Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s just communication with medical people. Kemba has a lot of say in it. I trust him. He feels comfortable. And he’s done a great job taking care of his body.’’
The Lakers will face the Knicks on Tuesday and Carmelo Anthony is looking forward to coming back to Madison Square Garden against his former team, Berman writes in a separate story. He says the New York fans treat him with uncommon adoration. “I always look forward to playing at the Garden, playing in front of the fans,” Anthony said. “With the Knicks or against the Knicks. That love is different. That fan base is different for me. It goes deeper than basketball. They embrace me. I embrace them.”

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Fournier, Durant, Harden

November 20th, 2021 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam erupted for 32 points and eight rebounds against Sacramento on Friday, his sixth game after recovering from shoulder surgery. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets that Siakam, who bounced back from a four-point game against Utah, is still trying to gain a rhythm.

“Last game I felt like I was running in mud the whole game,” Siakam said. “It’s just waking up every day continuing to push forward knowing it’s going to be tough, but once I get that rhythm and my legs under me I know what I can do, and I have to focus on that.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Evan Fournier, the Knicks’ major sign-and-trade acquisition this summer, hasn’t been playing in fourth quarters lately and it’s been an adjustment for the swingman, Mark Sanchez of the New York Post writes. “I think the situation right now is I don’t know how many minutes I’m going to play, so I have to have the mindset of: If I’m going to play 20 minutes, then just come out the gate with extreme energy,” he said. “Being very alert. Being ultra-aggressive. And trying to have an impact.”
Kevin Durant missed his first game of the season on Friday due to a shoulder ailment. The Nets are trying to figure out how much to play Durant and James Harden during the regular season without wearing them out prior to the postseason, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I think that we definitely are going to look for our spots to protect them,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. “We just have to be very strategic. We’re a new team trying to find itself and trying to form that identity. Those guys are super-competitive, so they want to play. It’s a tricky balance.”
The league’s crackdown on offensive moves in which players move into defender’s bodies to draw fouls has affected Harden. He’s going to the line less and committing more turnovers, Sanchez notes. The Nets star says he’s still getting used to the new parameters. “We’re in a little bit of a funk right now in a sense of just everything,” Harden said.

Injury Notes: Durant, LeBron, J. Brown, Lopez

November 19th, 2021 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Friday’s game vs. Orlando due to a right shoulder sprain, the team announced this afternoon (Twitter link via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic).

Durant admitted earlier this week that he has been getting some treatment on that shoulder, but he had been able to play through the ailment up until this point. With a pair of off-days coming up after Friday’s game, the Nets will take this opportunity to get their leading scorer some rest over the weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if Durant is back in action on Monday in Cleveland, though we’ll have to wait for further updates from the team.

Here are a few more injury-related items from around the NBA:

Lakers star LeBron James will be a game-time decision on Friday night in Boston, head coach Frank Vogel said today (Twitter link via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group). If James isn’t able to return from his abdominal strain tonight, he’ll likely target Sunday in Detroit for his first game back.
While the Lakers are still waiting to see if LeBron will be available for Friday’s game, the Celtics have already ruled out Jaylen Brown, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown has been on the shelf since November 4 due to a right hamstring strain.
Bucks center Brook Lopez has been sidelined for a full month due to a back issue, but he tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) that he’s been ramping up and believes he’s nearing a return. Lopez added that he has a “target in my mind” for his return, but didn’t specify a date. I imagine he’d love to suit up against his twin brother Robin Lopez and the Magic on Saturday and/or Monday, though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go that soon.