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Atlantic Notes: Bullock, Brown, Nesmith, VanVleet, Nets

March 10th, 2022 at 8:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Losing Reggie Bullock in free agency last summer is yet another what-if for the Knicks, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Bullock received a three-year deal worth a little over $30MM from Dallas.

New York’s front office chose to utilize the team’s extensive cap space by signing veterans Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The Knicks also re-signed Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to pricey deals.

Bullock was close with Julius Randle, and Bondy wonders if Bullock’s presence might have helped uplift Randle during his struggles this season. Coach Tom Thibodeau says Bullock’s skill set is valuable to any team in the league.

“Reggie’s gonna help any team,” Thibodeau said. “That’s who he is. He’s got a skill in shooting; he spaces the floor for your best players. He’s a great defender, and he’s got length. He’s a long wing. Wherever he’s been, he’s always helped the team. He’s a team-first guy, so he’s a good player. He’s been a good player for a long time in this league.”

It’s been reported multiple times that Thibodeau urged the front office to retain Bullock, but he denies being upset that the veteran wing wasn’t re-signed.

“I love Reggie. He’s a good player. When a guy earns the right to free agency, he has to do what he thinks is best for him and his family,” Thibodeau said, per Bondy. “I got great respect for him, so I wasn’t disappointed. I know that’s part of the business. For a guy who conducts himself the way he does, you’re always happy when they get good situations.

“So, I think he was a big part of what happened last year and a byproduct of when something good happens like that, everyone’s value goes up, so that’s the case. And then you have to decide what’s best for your organization. He’s gotta decide what’s best for him and his family. And hopefully, you can find something, but it doesn’t always work out that way. It’s part of the league.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics coach Ime Udoka said Jaylen Brown has no more limitations relating to his sprained right ankle, but Aaron Nesmith will be out “a while” longer as he deals with his own ankle sprain, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). The second-year swingman is listed as day-to-day.
Fred VanVleet‘s shooting is much needed for the Raptors, but his value extends beyond that, Eric Koreen of the Athletic writes. “(VanVleet) makes it easier,” Scottie Barnes said. “It opens up a lot more space. He’s a general out there on the floor. So it helps us all when he’s out there on the floor with driving lanes being more open. When he’s there, his presence is just really big for our team.”
Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post wonders if the Big Two is all the Nets really need after the team’s 132-121 victory over Charlotte on Tuesday. “That,” coach Steve Nash said, “was about as well as we’ve played all year, both sides of the ball.” Kyrie Irving dominated the game, finishing with 50 points on just 19 shots. Brooklyn is currently 34-34, the No. 8 seed in the East.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Aldridge, Irving, Marks, Peterson

March 8th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Now a member of the Nets, Ben Simmons is expected to file a formal grievance against the Sixers at some point in the near future, league sources tell Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. The goal will be to recoup some or all of the $20MM+ that Simmons lost in team fines during his season-long holdout in Philadelphia.

As Neubeck explains, the Sixers fined Simmons for each game he missed (costing him about $360K per game) because he didn’t meet with team doctors to discuss the mental health issues he cited as the reason for his absence and because the club never received documentation providing an explanation for his absence or details on his treatment plan. Neubeck’s sources likened the situation to a player suffering a physical injury and only consulting with an outside specialist, without keeping his team in the loop.

Neubeck suggests the reception Simmons gets in Philadelphia on Thursday when he sits on the Nets’ bench may play a part in his grievance — his camp will likely point to the vitriol he receives on Thursday as evidence for why he wasn’t mentally prepared to suit up again for the Sixers, according to Neubeck. Still, based on his conversations with league sources and people familiar with the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Neubeck says the 76ers appear to be in a “much stronger position” in a potential arbitration case.

Here’s more on the Nets:

LaMarcus Aldridge, who had already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Charlotte due to a right hip impingement, returned to Brooklyn to undergo an MRI, head coach Steve Nash said today. As Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets, Nash said the results of that MRI were mostly good, but Aldridge won’t rejoin the team on its current road trip, so he’ll miss Thursday’s game in Philadelphia too.
Speaking to reporters following the Nets’ loss to the Celtics on Sunday, point guard Kyrie Irving likened the Boston faithful who booed him every time he touched the ball to a “scorned girlfriend,” as Adam Zagoria of NJ.com writes. Irving also said that he feels like New York City mayor Eric Adams is “on my side,” though the private sector vaccine mandate that prevents Kyrie from playing in New York remains in place for now.
In a conversation with Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, Nets general manager Sean Marks admitted that it was frustrating to never really see the Nets’ Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Irving together and healthy for an extended period, but said he’s excited to see what the new-look core looks like when everyone is available.
As part of his NBA 40 Under 40 series, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic profiles Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson, whom Marks refers to as a “great sounding board.” Peterson has played a key role in the Nets’ college scouting department and had a hand in the selections of Cam Thomas and Kessler Edwards last year, per Vorkunov.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Noel, Jordan, Raptors

March 7th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets would have to go on a major winning streak to escape the play-in tournament. Winding up in that extra round could have major offseason consequences, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Coach Steve Nash could find his job in jeopardy, despite all the obstacles he’s been forced to deal with this season. The roster could be overhauled, as Lewis notes only six players have guaranteed contracts for next season and two others can opt out of their deals.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks center Nerlens Noel did not play on Sunday due to plantar fasciitis and he could be out for an extended period, according to The New York Post’s Marc Berman. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Noel would not play until he recovered from the foot ailment and got some regular practice time. Noel has played in just 25 games due to an assortment of knee, hamstring and foot injuries. He signed a three-year, $27.7MM contract last summer with a team option for the final year.
DeAndre Jordan said his prior relationships with coach Doc Rivers and starters James Harden and Tobias Harris, plus the need for a backup center, made the Sixers an easy choice after he cleared waivers, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Jordan heaped praise on his former Clippers coach, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “He’s the best coach I’ve ever had, he’s more than a coach to me … when a new player comes to a team, it’s always everybody trying to get them to feel acclimated, but with Doc, he’s gonna curse me out like I’ve been here all season,” said Jordan, who played 10 minutes in his Sixers debut on Monday.
The Raptors’ loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday makes it seem almost inevitable that Toronto will wind up in the play-in tournament, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Canada writes. The defeat dropped Toronto three games behind Cleveland, which sits in sixth place in the East and also holds a tiebreaker advantage over the Raptors.

Eastern Notes: Simmons, Oladipo, Nash, Knicks

March 6th, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets star Ben Simmons was seen taking shots at the team’s practice on Saturday, but there appears to be no change in his return timetable, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. General manager Sean Marks said on Thursday he believes the best-case scenario is Simmons returning within two weeks.

“He’s still in the same boat that Sean talked about, still his individual work and getting treatment at the same time, so nothing’s changed,” assistant coach Jacque Vaughn said, according to Botte.

Simmons was acquired by the Nets in a deal involving disgruntled superstar James Harden nearly one month ago. He last played on June 20 — when the Sixers were eliminated by the Hawks in the playoffs.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Victor Oladipo will back up Kyle Lowry at point guard for the Heat. Miami is listing Oladipo as questionable to make his season debut on Monday against Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll play. The team used him at point guard when it acquired him from the Rockets last season.
Nets coach Steve Nash said he didn’t have any COVID-19 symptoms while in the league’s health and safety protocols, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Nash exited protocols on Saturday and coached his first game back on Sunday. Brooklyn wound up losing its fourth straight game, dropping a 120-126 road contest to Boston.
The Knicks are continuing to search for answers at point guard, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York has mostly played without Derrick Rose due to injury, but former All-Star Kemba Walker recently decided to shut it down after receiving inconsistent minutes. The team has also given Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley heavy minutes. It trails the Hawks by six games for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Nets Notes: Simmons, Mills, Durant, Curry, Nash

March 5th, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets don’t know when Ben Simmons will be available, but Patty Mills expects him to make an immediate impact whenever he does come back, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Simmons hasn’t played yet this season due to a standoff with Sixers management, mental health issues and soreness in his back, but Mills believes he’ll be a difference maker.

“He’s going to be a threat either way,” Mills said. “On ball, off ball — whether he’s handling the ball, whether he’s off the ball as a screener, I think he’s such a threat that he’s going to draw a lot of attention. So I think given his IQ and the way he can pass the ball and handle the ball, that makes us better at his bare minimum. So, obviously, where he’s the biggest threat is in an open-court situation with people, especially shooters around him. But, like I said, a bare-minimum Ben Simmons makes this team a whole lot better as well.”

General manager Sean Marks said this week there’s “no real timetable” for Simmons to resume playing, although it will likely be two more weeks at minimum. Simmons hasn’t participated in a full practice since the February 10 trade that brought him from Philadelphia, but Mills said he has been able to learn from his new teammates while sidelined.

“We’re doing a lot of talking,” Mills said. “A lot of conversations, meaning the group, a lot of film, a lot of walk-through stuff. So he’s there for all of it; he’s there for the entire practice. And then he’s doing his part with his shooting coach and physio and whatever that looks like. But as far as every team thing goes, he’s at everything.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Even though the Nets lost Thursday in Kevin Durant‘s first game back after being injured, he offered some hope with a 31-point performance, per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Durant said a total team effort will be needed to turn around the season, adding, “I don’t look at myself as that — as a savior.”
Nets guard Seth Curry shares his memories of playing for retiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in a lengthy interview with Steve Serby of The New York Post. Curry also touches on a few NBA topics, such as the difficulty he had breaking into the league, what it’s like to play alongside Durant and Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn’s playoff prospects after a second-half slide. “We put ourself in a tough situation with the play-in game, but we still like our chances against anybody in the league,” Curry said. “… Our sense of urgency is trying to fit together and figure out the way we’re gonna play when we do get in that play-in game and then hopefully into the playoffs.”
Steve Nash will be available to coach Sunday against the Celtics after clearing the health and safety protocols, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Nets Notes: Curry, Drummond, Simmons, Irving, Nash

February 28th, 2022 at 7:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While Ben Simmons remains out of action, two other players dealt from the Sixers to the Nets have been productive, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. In five starts with Brooklyn, Seth Curry is averaging 19.2 PPG on 47.4% shooting from deep, while Andre Drummond is posting a double-double (11.2 PPG, 11.0 RPG) in 22 MPG. Curry’s contract runs through next season, while Drummond will be a free agent this summer.

We have more on the Nets:

Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers is pleased to see Drummond take on an expanded role in Brooklyn, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Rivers was happy the way Drummond accepted a backup role with the Sixers and said the former All-Star is missed from a chemistry standpoint.
Simmons’ back soreness that caused a delay in his return is a minor issue and he’ll try once again to work his way into playing shape this week, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne (video link). “This is the same back issue he had at the beginning of training camp when he returned to Philadelphia,” she said. “This is something he’s had for a couple of years. … The plan is the same this week, ramp it up and see where you’re at.” However, coach Steve Nash has already ruled out Simmons from practicing this week, Lewis tweets.
As we noted last week, Kyrie Irving is excited by the possibility of vaccine mandates being relaxed in New York City. However, mayor Eric Adams reiterated in a CNBC interview he’s in no rush to do so, according to an ESPN report. “We want to find a way to get Kyrie on the court, but this is a bigger issue,” Adams said. “I can’t have my city closed down again. It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we’re telling countless number of New York City employees, ‘If you don’t follow the rules, you won’t be able to be employed.'”
Nash did not coach on Monday after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, Lewis tweets. Jacque Vaughn filled in for him.

Nets Notes: Irving, Dragic, Nash, Harris

February 23rd, 2022 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets and point guard Kyrie Irving got some promising news today, as New York City mayor Eric Adams told reporters that he “can’t wait” to phase out the city’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements for indoor spaces.

Irving has been unable to play home games all season long due to the local regulations that apply to unvaccinated athletes, but the mayor’s comments today suggest those regulations could be adjusted in the coming weeks.

“I’m not going to get ahead of the science,” Adams said (video link via The Glue Guys). “… They gave us benchmarks. We’re going to follow those benchmarks. But I look forward to the next few weeks going through a real transformation. … We’re moving in the right direction. We’re going to do it in a safe way.”

For now, New York City’s vaccine mandate remains unchanged, so Irving will be ineligible to suit up when the Nets host Boston on Thursday night. But if the city plans to phase out the mandate within the next several weeks, that bodes well for Kyrie’s chances of suiting up in the postseason, which begins in mid-April.

Here’s more on the Nets:

While Goran Dragic is looking forward to playing alongside stars like Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Irving, his decision to sign with the Nets was ultimately influenced by his relationship with head coach Steve Nash, who assured Dragic he’d be an important part of the team, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “If it wasn’t for Nash, Dragic would be either with the Bucks or Clippers,” a source told Scotto.
A source tells Scotto that the Nets and Joe Harris will likely make a decision on whether or not the forward needs a second ankle surgery after seeing how things go this week with his recovery process.
His roster doesn’t look like he expected it to when the season began, but general manager Sean Marks hasn’t adjusted his expectations for the Nets, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “Championship. That’s it,” Marks said to a group of season-ticket holders. “I’d be doing 17 players and another 60 staff members over there a massive disservice if I said anything other than that, because that’s what we’re all here for.”

Nets Notes: Marks, Harden, Simmons, Irving, Mills, Nash

February 11th, 2022 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets general manager Sean Marks said the decision to move on from James Harden was a difficult one, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Make no bones about it: We went all-in on getting James Harden and inviting him to the group,” Marks said during a video conference call discussing the trade deadline Friday afternoon. “And these decisions to move on from a player like that, of that caliber, are never easy ones. I just want to be clear that this is not something that you think, great, let’s just make a split decision and move on from that. I give James a lot of credit for having open dialogue, open discussions with me and with the group, [Nets coach Steve Nash] and [owner] Joe Tsai and everybody over the last 24, 48 hours.

“Again, I said they’re not easy, but I think that’s something we pride ourselves on is being open and honest. James was honest with us and we were honest with him. I think it’s a move that enables him to have a fresh start, enables this team to have a fresh start, without trying to push things to make things work. If we realize this is not going to work, short-term or long-term, then it’s time to say for both parties involved, this is better off.”

Marks went on to say that trading Harden wasn’t about the team’s 10-game losing streak, it was based on his entire tenure in Brooklyn, and the newly-acquired players help the Nets in ways that Harden couldn’t.

“It’s not just eight or nine games,” he said. “The things that we’ve had to deal with over the course of the last year since James has been here is, to be quite frank, the Big Three, quote unquote, haven’t had significant time to play together for a variety of different circumstances. So, I think the frustration is more in that than in eight or nine games. Obviously it was not, and it currently isn’t, trending in the right direction, but we’re not going to make a decision off of one, two, five games, whatever it may be. The sample size has to be bigger. And at that point, we’re sitting here saying, ‘Yeah. We’ve seen enough.’ On both sides.

“We obviously thank James immensely for everything he’s done. Let’s be honest, he’s come in here and set all kinds of Brooklyn Nets records in such a short time. He’s a hell of a player, without a doubt. Again, these are not easy decisions, but we’re very grateful for what James has done over his short time here, but at the same time, adding these three players — Seth [Curry], Andre [Drummond] and Ben [Simmons] — help us in needs James doesn’t fulfill.”

When asked if the Sixers tampered by talking to Harden, Marks said that was for the league to decide.

“Unfortunately, the world we live in right now, so much of this is being played out in the media,” Marks said, per Bontemps. “So much of this is, whether it’s scuttlebutt, hearsay, and so forth, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s just the nature of the world we’re in. I’m not going to start making accusations at everybody else. Again, this particular set of circumstances was played out in the media far earlier than any conversations were ever had. I don’t know and again if this is where it ends up, that will be completely up to the league to look into these set of circumstances.”

There are several more interesting quotes from Marks in Bontemps’ article. I recommend checking it out.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Kyrie Irving said there were hints that Harden was unhappy in Brooklyn, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “I can’t really say that you feel that [unhappiness] in the locker room, but we get hints,” Irving said. “So we just wish him well. We want him to be ultimately successful. Now we move forward with the guys that are coming in. We’re excited. I just want everyone to be happy and do things they love to do, and be a part of things they can see themselves being successful at. It probably wasn’t here with us and he made a choice and we respect him for it. No love lost.”
Nets guard Patty Mills said that his fellow Australian Simmons is in a good place at the moment, Lewis writes in a separate article for the Post. “He’s in a really good place right now, speaking to him a fair bit lately and seeing what he’s been up to in terms of staying ready and getting his body right and getting game ready,” Mills said. “So it was good and pleasing for me to see and feel where he’s at. From that standpoint, you get a really hungry person who’s looking forward to playing basketball again, and especially with our group.”
Nash was reflective on what could have been with the “Big Three” era, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “You’re up 2-0 against the NBA champs, and then to not have James in the first games and then Kyrie in the last games, James being on one leg, Jeff Green being out of the lineup, all sorts of things that hampered our opportunity to win,” Nash said. “To take them to overtime in Game 7, you definitely think there are some what-ifs, but that’s life. You can’t look back. You’ve got to look forward.”

Steve Nash Says Nets Aren’t Trading James Harden

February 6th, 2022 at 2:26pm CST by Rory Maher

There have been reports recently stating that the Sixers will pursue James Harden ahead of the trade deadline on February 10, and that the Nets would be open to those discussions.

However, in a media session with reporters Sunday afternoon, Nets head coach Steve Nash said that the team is not trading Harden, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

“I’ve talked to James and he wants to be here,” Nash said. “And he wants to be here long term as well.”

When asked if that meant the Nets are not trading Harden, Nash replied, “Yes.”

“This has been a constant thing since the summer,” Nash said, per Bondy. “He’s continually reiterated that he wants to be here, and we’ve continually said that we want him here and that that’s our best chance to win. So nothing’s changed.”

Harden, who’s dealing with left hamstring tightness, will miss his second straight game Sunday with the injury. The team is being cautious with Harden after he dealt with a nagging hamstring injury late last season that affected his playoff performance.

“The scan is pretty good but there’s a strain — there’s a tightness, sorry, not a strain — there’s a tightness and a strength deficit. So, for us, we just don’t want to take any chances. We know last year we lost him for an extended period and we want to be conservative and make sure he resumes full strength so there isn’t an extended absence,” Nash said.

The Nets are on a seven-game losing streak and currently hold a 29-23 record, sixth in the East.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

December 18th, 2021 at 7:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets plan to bring Kyrie Irving back for road games once he clears health and safety protocols, but general manager Sean Marks may not be committed to that as a long-term decision, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Asked today if the team will continue with Irving as a part-time player when the roster returns to normal, Marks declined to answer, calling the question “hypothetical.”

Brooklyn has been hit hard by COVID-19 in the past week and currently has 10 players in health and safety protocols with tonight’s addition of rookie Day’Ron Sharpe, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Nets, who also have Joe Harris sidelined after ankle surgery and Nicolas Claxton sitting out with soreness in his wrist, are missing 12 players for tonight’s game with Orlando. They signed four players this week with hardship exceptions to fill out their roster.

Marks admits the extreme shortage of personnel was behind the decision to let Irving start playing again, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, although he’s still ineligible for home games because he hasn’t met New York City’s vaccine requirement.

“Several months ago we made a decision that was based around what was best for the team,” Marks said. “What was best for the team at that point was continuity and I think we all see that continuity right now over the course of the last week and whatever the future looks like may be out the window for a while, and we’ve got to navigate that as best we can.”

Irving was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols earlier today, which means he either tested positive for the virus or returned an inconclusive result. Marks said he hasn’t appealed to Irving to get vaccinated or tried to change his mind about the issue, Reynolds adds.

“There’s also a risk for Kyrie when a guy comes in and if they’re not vaccinated,” Marks said. “I don’t want to get into those type of discussions, but that’s a risk for him coming into this environment, not just the team and so forth. But we’re all well aware of the status and his status and moving forward and how we’ll navigate this as best we can.”

Coach Steve Nash echoed Marks’ comments in a pre-game meeting with reporters, saying the original decision on Irving was based on continuity, but “continuity’s out the window now,” tweets David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“I’m excited to have Kyrie back,” Nash continued (Twitter link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “He’s an incredible player, no matter what capacity. We’ll incorporate him in. It’s a positive for our group.”

Owner Joe Tsai also spoke about the thinking behind the reversal on Irving, telling Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the decision was made solely for basketball reasons and isn’t an attempt to make a statement about the vaccine mandate.

“We’re trying to be practical. And I’ve always said I don’t want to make this a political issue,” Tsai said. “My only religion is to win games and win the championship. That’s where we are.”