Erik Slater Articles - Page 23

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 […]

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. […]