Erik Slater Articles - Page 14

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez emphasized one goal for Cam Thomas this season: he wanted to help the fourth-year guard be more efficient offensively, on and off the ball. Through two preseason games, Thomas has shown improvement in that department. The 22-year-old turned in an impressive offensive performance during a 131-92 win over the […]

Killian Hayes is battling for his NBA life at Brooklyn Nets training camp. After four disappointing seasons with the Detroit Pistons, the former No. 7 pick signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets this summer. Non-guaranteed training camp invites have little margin for error as they battle for a roster spot. In Hayes’ case, […]

The Philadelphia Eagles got a win coming off their bye week, but few would call it a “get right” performance. Nick Sirianni’s squad squeaked out a 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns, a team many consider the worst in the NFL, led by the league’s worst quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Eagles fans were not pleased […]

The Las Vegas Raiders have a turnover problem, amongst many others. Their struggles taking care of the ball were on full display during a 32-13 loss to Pittsburg Steelers on Sunday. The Raiders lost two fumbles, threw an interception and had a punt blocked during the blowout. Las Vegas has posted a league-worst minus-10 turnover […]

The Brooklyn Nets made multiple dart throws on the free agent and trade markets this summer. Entering year one of a rebuild, general manager Sean Marks acquired several former top prospects looking for a fresh start. They don’t all have to hit; just one. While it’s very early, Ziaire Williams looks like Brooklyn’s best bet. […]

The Brooklyn Nets will be more concerned with lottery odds than wins this season. General manager Sean Marks abruptly pivoted to a rebuild this summer, resetting his team’s timeline with an eye on the 2025 draft. However, several of Brooklyn’s players have much to play for, whether it be contracts, trade appeal or pride. Here […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is targeting the team’s regular season opener for his return from a hamstring injury. Claxton missed Brooklyn’s first preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday due to hamstring soreness. Head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Thursday that the fifth-year big man is working through his recovery process, and […]

Vanderbilt shocked the college football world with its Week 5 upset over top-ranked Alabama. Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia quickly went viral after the stunning win for his NSFW interview on the field. Less than a week later, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea’s halftime speech surfaced online, and it followed a similar tone. “You’re ready to […]

Pittsburg Steelers wide receiver George Pickens made headlines after showing his frustrations during a Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Pickens — who played a career-low 34 snaps out of 54 plays during the loss — had his least productive game of the season, catching three passes for 26 yards on seven targets. The […]

The Philadelphia Eagles have been heading in the wrong direction since their 10-1 start last season. Head coach Nick Sirianni’s squad has lost eight of its last 11 games. Philadelphia fell to 2-2 this season after suffering a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Sirianni’s seat is undoubtedly warming amid his […]

At just 17 years old, Cooper Flagg is on the fast track to NBA stardom. The Duke forward is the consensus pick to go No. 1 overall in next June’s draft. Ahead of his freshman season, Flagg revealed when his NBA draft dreams first began to come into focus. “I think the first draft that […]

The Brooklyn Nets kicked off their rebuilding era Tuesday with a 115-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their preseason opener. Jordi Fernandez made his head-coaching debut in front of owner Joe Tsai at Frontwave Arena in San Diego. The Nets were without starting center Nic Claxton and reserves Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford, […]

CJ McCollum’s role is among the top questions facing the New Orleans Pelicans entering the 2024-25 season. After the Pelicans acquired Dejounte Murray this offseason, it’s unclear where the McCollum fits in the team’s offensive hierarchy. Despite this, the 12-year veteran isn’t concerned about his ability to adapt to the new-look rotation. “I can do […]

The Cleveland Browns aren’t getting the return on investment they hoped for after giving Deshaun Watson the highest guaranteed contract in NFL history. Watson looks like the NFL’s worst quarterback this season, and Cleveland looks like one of the league’s worst teams. Following an embarrassing 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 5, two-time […]

Just when it appeared that the New York Jets may have the look of a competent organization, things went sideways. After a 2-1 start to the season led by Aaron Rodgers, the Jets’ offense crumbled in back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. Owner Woody Johnson responded with a stunning move Tuesday, firing […]

The Brooklyn Nets open preseason action Tuesday in San Diego against the Los Angeles Clippers. After trading Mikal Bridges and pivoting to a rebuild, the team enters the 2024-25 campaign on a new timeline. While several rotation pieces are returning, the Nets welcomed first-time head coach Jordi Fernandez and numerous offseason acquisitions. Here are three […]

The Brooklyn Nets will be without two potential rotation pieces to start the season. Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford have each been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain after sustaining injuries during practice last week, the team announced. Sharpe will be reevaluated in six weeks, while Watford will have his status updated in two. The […]

The New York Giants stunned the NFL with a 30-21 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks during Week 5, and they did it without their top offensive weapon. With rookie phenom Malik Nabers sidelined by a concussion, the Giants entered the road matchup as seven-point underdogs. While New York dominated both sides of the ball, […]

New York Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons made the biggest play of his NFL career on Sunday, and it didn’t come on defense. With the Giants leading the Seahawks 23-20 with one minute remaining, Simmons jumped over Seattle’s offensive line and blocked a field goal. New York returned the block for a touchdown, sealing a 29-20 […]

The Philadelphia Phillies were on the ropes during Game 2 of the NLDS against the New York Mets, and their fans let them know it. After crumbling during the eighth inning of a Game 1 loss, the Phillies trailed 3-0 with just three hits through five and a half innings on Sunday. The Citizens Bank […]

Pittsburg Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was not busy during Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In a controversial decision by Mike Tomlin and Pittsburg’s coaching staff, Pickens played a career-low 34 snaps out of 54 plays. He had his least productive game of the season, catching three passes for 26 yards on seven […]

The Brooklyn Nets appear to be getting a fully healthy Ben Simmons entering this season. In a new admission about his letdown 2023-24 campaign, Simmons said that wasn’t the case last year. “I feel physically ready to play at a high level,” he said when asked if he feels different this training camp. “Last year, […]

The Brooklyn Nets will be without starting center Nic Claxton when they open the preseason against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in San Diego. Claxton, who did not participate in a team scrimmage on Thursday, is dealing with hamstring soreness and will be held out as a precaution, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez. […]

Entering year one of their rebuild, the Brooklyn Nets are taking fliers on several former top prospects. During his first rebuild with the Nets, General Manager Sean Marks found success with low-risk reclamation projects such as D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris. Brooklyn’s new-look coaching staff, led by first-time head coach Jordi Fernandez, will […]

The Brooklyn Nets opened training camp Tuesday, and with Ben Simmons healthy, there’s a position battle brewing at point guard. Unlike last season, when Jacque Vaughn named Simmons the starter before camp, head coach Jordi Fernandez said the job is up for grabs. That means Simmons will have to beat out veteran floor general Dennis […]

Betting odds are out ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season, and they are projecting the Brooklyn Nets will be the NBA’s worst team. After trading Mikal Bridges and pivoting to a rebuild, the Nets have an over/under win projection of 18.5, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Not only is it the lowest in the league this season, […]

The 2024-25 season is an audition year for the Brooklyn Nets. While general manager Sean Marks’ primary focus will be landing a top pick in next June’s draft, he’ll also need to identify which of Brooklyn’s young players fit his long-term vision. At the top of that list will be fourth-year guard Cam Thomas. After […]

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks revealed an honest goal for the organization entering year one of a rebuild. “We’re looking at it as, ‘Who are the next Nets?’ Who do we look at and say, ‘Ok, this person can be part of this rebuild, and this person is on the team for the next […]

The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2024-25 season with a new No. 1 offensive option: Cam Thomas. After cracking Brooklyn’s rotation for the first time last season, the 22-year-old led the team in scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game. That was an 11.9-point jump from the prior season, the highest of any player in the league. […]

Ben Simmons is officially cleared ahead of Brooklyn Nets training camp. But after undergoing his second back surgery in two years, is 2024-25 the season he can finally return to relevance? “Yeah, I certainly hope so for Ben’s sake,” general manager Sean Marks said Thursday. “You never want to see anybody have to go through […]

Since joining the NBA in 2017, Jayson Tatum has amassed a list of accolades with which few 26-year-olds can compete. The Boston Celtics superstar is a five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA first-team selection, NBA All-Star Game MVP and an NBA champion. Fresh off the Celtics’ first title in 16 years, Tatum signed a five-year, $314 million […]

Florida football has operated a two-quarterback system featuring Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway through the first four weeks of 2024. The Gators bounced back from a Week 3 loss to Texas A&M with a 45-28 road win over Mississippi State on Saturday. Both quarterbacks saw time in the win, after which Steve Spurrier gave his […]

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels stole the show during Week 3’s two-game Monday night football slate. Daniels posted his most electrifying performance to date during a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 21-of-23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 39 yards and a score. The performance gave Daniels an edge […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for a spark in their 27th-ranked rushing attack, and they’re hoping it will come from rookie running back Bucky Irving. Following Sunday’s 26-7 upset loss to the Denver Broncos, head coach Todd Bowles said the fourth-round pick has earned more snaps moving forward, according to Buccaneers team writer Scott […]

Clemson football got back on track Saturday with a 59-35 victory over NC State, and junior receiver Adam Randall was a catalyst for the Tigers’ offense. Randall hauled in five catches for a career-high 69 yards and a touchdown to lead Clemson’s receiving corps. Following the win, head coach Dabo Swinney revealed the wideout was […]

The Carolina Panthers led the NFL news cycle last week with their decision to bench former No. 1 pick Bryce Young. After Andy Dalton led Carolina to a 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday while throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns, one analyst believes a Young trade could be on the horizon. […]

Two decades after his playing days with the Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter will return to Scotiabank Arena to make history this season. The Raptors will raise Carter’s No. 15 to the rafters on Nov. 2, according to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. He will be the first player in the franchise’s 30-year history to have his number […]

The Brooklyn Nets are signing Chinese star Yongxi “Jacky” Cui to a two-way contract, the team announced Friday. Cui played his last two seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 14.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 45/36/81 shooting splits over 99 appearances. Before that, the 6-foot-6 forward attended the NBA’s Global Academy in […]

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks is taking a page out of his old playbook as he enters his second rebuild. He’s taking chances on low-risk reclamation projects, and plenty of them. In his latest move, he signed Amari Bailey to an Exhibit 10 contract, first reported by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and confirmed by ClutchPoints, […]