Erik Slater Articles - Page 20

The New York Jets made aggressive moves to save their season recently, firing head coach Robert Saleh and trading for star wideout Davante Adams. They finally saw returns in Week 9 as Adams and quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected on several big plays during a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans. After snapping a five-game losing […]

The Brooklyn Nets did not expect to start Nic Claxton during Monday’s 106-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. However, with Ben Simmons resting on the second night of a back-to-back and Noah Clowney ruled out due to a hip ailment, the sixth-year center joined the starting unit for the first time this season. Claxton, who […]

The Brooklyn Nets were projected to be the NBA’s worst team this season. Eight games in, they have the Eastern Conference’s third-best record at 4-4, and their veterans have played a crucial role. Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson and Dennis Schroder gained more notoriety as trade candidates than impact players for Brooklyn entering this season. Yet, […]

Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney was a late scratch Monday vs. the Memphis Grizzlies due to hip soreness. The 2023 first-round pick sustained the injury during the final minute of Sunday’s 106-92 loss to the Detroit Pistons. “He had an MRI this morning. It was clean, everything clear,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “But he’s […]

After a hot start to the season, Cam Thomas cooled off during the Brooklyn Nets’ 106-92 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The 23-year-old struggled against a physical Pistons defense, posting 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting with two assists and three turnovers. Without his production, the Nets’ offense faltered down the stretch, scoring 35 […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has not started a game in 2024-25 while progressing back from a preseason hamstring injury. Head coach Jordi Fernandez said that could change next week as the sixth-year center continues to ramp up his minutes. “There is a plan for him to start at some point,” Fernandez said before Sunday’s […]

Brooklyn Nets forward Trendon Watford suffered a setback to a hamstring injury that has held him out for nearly a month. The team downgraded Watford from available to out before Friday’s win over the Chicago Bulls after the 23-year-old experienced “awareness” in his hamstring during warmups. Watford will remain sidelined for Sunday’s home matchup with […]

Anthony Richardson is the latest top quarterback draft pick to be benched, with the Indianapolis Colts announcing they’d be starting veteran Joe Flacco in Week 9. Several players and key figures within the organization supported the decision, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “One thing was clear, as several sources pointed out: While players went […]

Vince Carter became the first player in Toronto Raptors history to have his number retired, with the organization raising his No. 15 to the rafters on Friday at Scotiabank Arena. Two decades after his playing days with the franchise, Raptors president Masai Ujiri summed up Carter’s legacy in a passionate speech to the Toronto crowd. […]

Since Cam Thomas entered the NBA four years ago, the discourse surrounding his game has centered on what he can’t be. Many scouts, executives and fans have doubted whether his skillset can be conducive to winning on a contending team. There were justified concerns about Thomas’ game entering the league, some of which remain. He’s […]

The Brooklyn Nets have exceeded expectations early this season, and their high-powered offense has been a driving factor. Jordi Fernandez’s squad has posted the NBA’s sixth-best offensive rating on its way to a 2-3 record. With a roster lacking individual shot creation, the first-time NBA head coach pointed to his team’s selflessness when speaking on […]

Kiyan Anthony, the son of Carmelo Anthony and the nation’s 36th-ranked player in the Class of 2025, is nearing a decision on his college commitment. The four-star recruit is deciding between Syracuse basketball, USC basketball, and Auburn basketball. Anthony recently appeared on Angel Reese’s podcast, and the WNBA star predicted where he will take his […]

Penn State basketball and head coach Mike Rhoades secured a historic recruiting victory on Friday. Kayden Mingo, ESPN’s 44th-ranked player in the Class of 2025, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on The Breakfast Club. Mingo becomes the program’s highest-ranked recruit during the modern recruiting era. “I chose Penn State because I felt like […]

The Brooklyn Nets are close to welcoming back a rotation piece from last season. Trendon Watford is probable for Friday’s home matchup with the Chicago Bulls after missing several weeks due to a hamstring strain. Watford returned to practice earlier this week and has not suffered a setback after sustaining the injury early in training […]

Ziaire Williams may have found a new home with the Brooklyn Nets. After joining Brooklyn as a salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies, the former No. 10 pick has been among the team’s top bright spots early this season. His defensive performance has left his teammates particularly impressed. “He’s hands down one of the best […]

Dennis Schroder is making Brooklyn Nets history early this season. The veteran point guard turned in another brilliant performance on Wednesday, posting 33 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from three with eight assists and only two turnovers during a 119-106 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Schroder became the first player in […]

Dwayne Wade is the latest NBA legend to receive a statue, as the Miami Heat honored him earlier this week. After the unveiling, the three-time champion and 13-time All-Star predicted three active NBA players he thinks will receive the honor next: LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. James has a high chance of receiving […]

Netflix announced on Tuesday that it will film a second season of its popular NBA docuseries, Starting 5, and Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant will be among the players featured. Durant will star in the series alongside Jaylen Brown, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden and Tyrese Haliburton. The 14-time All-Star dished on what he’ll share during the […]

Dennis Schroder’s future with the Brooklyn Nets is uncertain, but one thing is clear: he’s playing like one of the NBA’s top point guards early this season. Despite a precarious situation as a veteran on a rebuilding squad, Schroder has emerged as the Nets’ leader. The floor general is off to one of the best […]

No risk was involved in the Brooklyn Nets’ acquisition of Ziaire Williams this summer, but there was clear upside. General manager Sean Marks acquired the former No. 10 pick and a second-rounder in a cost-cutting move by the Memphis Grizzlies. Four games into his Nets tenure, Williams looks like one of the top steals of […]

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 […]