Erik Slater Articles - Page 16

The Brooklyn Nets ruled out Nic Claxton for Wednesday’s road matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Jordi Fernandez announced after Tuesday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. The sixth-year center will sit out the back-to-back as part of his return-to-play progression from a hamstring injury. “It’s basically part of the return to play with his […]

Jordi Fernandez got his first opportunity as a lead assistant under Michael Malone with the Denver Nuggets. Two years later, he’ll match up with Malone and Denver during his fourth game as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. “I learned a lot from him, and obviously the opportunity that I had to come into the […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will rest during Tuesday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets on the front end of a back-to-back. The three-time All-Star could see his role change when he returns. With Nic Claxton progressing back from a hamstring injury, Simmons has started all three of Brooklyn’s games in a point-center role to […]

The Brooklyn Nets will be without Ben Simmons during Tuesday’s home matchup with the Denver Nuggets. Playing the first game of a back-to-back, the team will hold out Simmons due to lower back injury management. It will mark the three-time All-Star’s first absence of the season. Simmons has started all three games of the Nets’ […]

Several Brooklyn Nets veterans described this year’s training camp as the hardest of their NBA career. For first-time NBA head coach Jordi Fernandez, the grueling process aimed to prepare his players for his defensive expectations. While the Nets ran out of gas late in their first two games, Fernandez wasn’t buying excuses about tired legs. […]

Jordi Fernandez got his first win as an NBA head coach in dominant fashion, as the Brooklyn Nets upset Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks 115-102 Sunday night at Barclays Center. Fernandez’s team outworked the Bucks for four quarters, forcing 18 turnovers and grabbing 12 offensive rebounds while attempting 17 more field goals. Brooklyn doubled […]

Dennis Schroder doesn’t take kindly to any disrespect directed at his Brooklyn Nets teammates. After Friday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, the Nets point guard stood up for Ben Simmons when a fan called the Aussie “trash.” After Simmons responded, Schroder got in the fan’s face, eventually needing to be separated by team personnel. “No […]

Jalen Wilson was among the Brooklyn Nets’ top bright spots last season as a rookie. His steady drumbeat continued entering 2024-25, as the second-year forward scored 16 points in 34 minutes during Brooklyn’s season-opener. The performance left fans and media encouraged, with the rebuilding Nets shifting their focus toward youth. Yet, Wilson played just 13 […]

Ben Simmons has shown glimpses of offensive assertiveness during the Brooklyn Nets’ first two games of the season. However, for a team severely lacking shot creation, those glimpses must become regular, and head coach Jordi Fernandez knows it. “I want those (shot) attempts to go up to 10 to 15 attempts per game,” Fernandez said […]

The Orlando Magic will host the Brooklyn Nets during their home opener on Friday. Jonathan Isaac is questionable while dealing with a hip ailment after landing awkwardly on teammate Moritz Wagner during a season-opening win over the Miami Heat. The Magic forward was slow to get up and did not return during the matchup. Jonathan […]

Puka Nacua didn’t skip a beat while returning from a knee injury during the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. In his first game since Week 1 after spraining his posterior cruciate ligament, the star wideout caught seven of nine targets for 106 yards. There was doubt about whether Nacua […]

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant has no shortage of accolades throughout his 20-year NBA career. The 35-year-old is a two-time champion, Finals MVP, league MVP, 14-year All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection. The list is a testament to his longevity as one of the league’s top players. Among his most impressive accomplishments is his eighth-place ranking […]

Nic Claxton wasn’t available for the Brooklyn Nets down the stretch of Wednesday’s 120-116 season-opening loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The sixth-year center was ejected early in the fourth quarter after clotheslining Dyson Daniels on a fastbreak layup. “Yeah, I gave up an and-one a couple possessions earlier, and then it was just a little […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 120-116 to the Atlanta Hawks during their season opener Wednesday at State Farm Arena. With the Nets positioning themselves for a top draft pick during year one of a rebuild, the game could serve as a blueprint for the season. In many ways, it was everything Brooklyn fans could have hoped […]

For Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, Wednesday’s regular-season opener marks a milestone in a long basketball journey. After spending years around basketball clubs in Spain as a teen before moving to the United States and breaking into the NBA, the debut is over 25 years in the making. The 41-year-old will become the first […]

The Brooklyn Nets open their regular season on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. While the team’s primary focus this year will be landing a top selection in next June’s draft, newly hired head coach Jordi Fernandez will attempt to develop several intriguing young prospects. The organization’s new timeline has cast doubt over the future of […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton finds himself in a new position entering his sixth NBA season. After years as the team’s promising youngster in the shadows of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the 25-year-old is suddenly Brooklyn’s longest-tenured player. The Nets’ last two years have been filled with blockbuster trades and intense roster turnover. They’re […]

Jalen Wilson has seized every opportunity he’s earned throughout his basketball journey. After a decorated high school career, the 6-foot-8 wing won a National Championship while earning First-Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year honors at Kansas. Despite his impressive resume, he fell to the Brooklyn Nets at 51st in the 2023 draft […]

Any chance the Las Vegas Raiders had of competing this season went out the door when they traded star wideout Davante Adams to the New York Jets. With a 2-4 record and the league’s 27th-ranked offense, the Raiders will likely be watching from the couch come playoff time. Despite this, owner Mark Davis said moving […]

Juan Soto earned his pinstripes last night. With the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians tied in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS, the 25-year-old sauntered up to the plate. After falling behind 1-2 against Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis, the Yankees star fouled off three straight off-speed pitches, nodding his head […]

The Brooklyn Nets have waived former No. 7 pick Killian Hayes, the team announced Saturday. Hayes missed all four of Brooklyn’s preseason games due to a hip injury after signing an Exhibit 10 contract. He’s expected to pursue a deal with the Nets’ G-League affiliate, sources told ClutchPoints. After three and a half disappointing seasons, […]

Cam Johnson faces an uncertain future entering his sixth NBA season. With the Nets entering a rebuild, the veteran forward will garner trade interest leading up to the deadline. But for now, he’s playing a feature role for Brooklyn and showing teams across the league why he’s a valuable commodity. Johnson erupted for 32 points, […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is nearing a return from a hamstring injury that has held him out the entire preseason, head coach Jordi Fernandez announced before Friday’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Claxton, who sustained the injury early in training camp, aims to return for Brooklyn’s regular season opener in Atlanta on Oct. 23. […]

After losing Paul George in free agency, the Los Angeles Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard to start the season. The Clippers star will be sidelined indefinitely as he rehabilitates from inflammation in his right knee, head coach Ty Lue announced Thursday. The coach projected optimism about Leonard’s long-term outlook, but Gilbert Arenas offered his […]

The New York Giants’ rookie class has impressed early in the 2024 campaign. Running back Tyrone Tracy has been among the team’s top bright spots. With starter Devin Singletary sidelined, the fifth-round pick carried New York’s offense during their last two games, rushing for 179 yards and a touchdown while adding 58 yards through the […]

NBA teams, agents and players will be at the negotiating tables over the next several days. With Monday’s 6PM deadline to sign players to rookie-scale extensions approaching, several notable names are not locked into deals. Among those is Brooklyn Nets leading scorer Cam Thomas. Thomas is entering the final year of his contract after cracking […]

The Golden State Warriors are honoring basketball legend and former executive Jerry West. In a tribute to West, who passed away in June at 86, the team unveiled a “JW” court decal that will be displayed at Chase Center throughout the 2024-25 season. The Warriors will honor Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, who […]

Eagles offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is preparing to travel to New York for a Week 7 matchup with the Giants. The Louisville product spent four disappointing seasons in New York after the Jets selected him 11th overall in the 2020 draft. Looking back on his Jets tenure, Becton said playing second fiddle to the Giants […]

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has seen better days. After his team’s embarrassing 47-9 Week 6 loss to the Detroit Lions, Jones got into a heated argument with Dallas radio hosts when questioned about his lack of offseason moves. The owner responded aggressively and even appeared to threaten the radio hosts’ jobs during the live […]

After a loud offseason, the Brooklyn Nets are entering another rebuild under general manager Sean Marks. The GM rebuilt Brooklyn once before, taking what many considered the worst situation in NBA history and crafting a title favorite in less than four years. He’ll attempt to work that magic again, only this time with a stockpile […]

Jordi Fernandez may be entering his first season as an NBA head coach, but he has no problem calling it like he sees it. Following the Brooklyn Nets’ 117-95 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Fernandez called out where he felt individual players, whether younger players or veterans, came up short. With Nic Claxton, […]

ESPN released its NBA Top 100 list on Tuesday, and zero Brooklyn Nets made the cut. The Nets are rebuilding after a star-studded era headlined by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, followed by a transitional period with Mikal Bridges. However, the team still has two players who were notable omissions from this year’s […]

New York Jets linebacker Haason Reddick has new representation amid his contract holdout. After being dropped by CAA last week, the 30-year-old hired Drew Rosenhaus. During an appearance on The Facility Show, LeSean McCoy asked Rosenhaus if Reddick would play for the Jets this season. “I believe it will Shady. I think we’re going to […]

The New York Giants defense did all it could during Sunday’s 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Facing a Joe Burrow-led offense that ranks fifth in the NFL in EPA per play, the unit allowed only 10 points and 240 yards of offense before a drive in the final minutes. However, as has been the […]

Several Brooklyn Nets players performed well during Monday’s 139-92 preseason win over the Washington Wizards. However, the highlight of the night came from an unlikely candidate: rookie Cui Yongxi. The Chinese prospect, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets before training camp, drained back-to-back buckets upon checking in late in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn’s […]

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 […]