Erik Slater Articles - Page 25

The Brooklyn Nets have yet to get a look at their new-look starting five through two preseason games. After straining his hamstring days before training camp, Cam Johnson has been held out of training camp thus far. Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is optimistic that the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter could join practice next week. However, Vaughn […]

Nearly two and a half years had passed since Harry Giles last appeared in an NBA game entering the 2023-24 season. The nation’s number-one high school player in the Class of 2016, Giles was once considered a future NBA star, ranked ahead of players like Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox and Lonzo Ball. “A […]

Maccabi Ra’anana head coach Yehu Orland entered a crowded room of reporters ahead of Thursday’s exhibition with the Brooklyn Nets. His shirt read, “R.I.P Eli, forever in my heart.” The message honored one of Orland’s best friends, Eli Ginsberg, who was killed two days earlier defending Israel after Hamas militants attacked the country. The attack […]

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn faced scrutiny for Cam Thomas’ benching amid the team’s offensive struggles late last season. With Thomas’ role in question entering 2023-24, questions surrounding the 2021 first-round pick persisted early in training camp. However, the skeptics were silenced ahead of Brooklyn’s preseason opener, with Vaughn giving Thomas a surprise starting […]

Mikal Bridges’ stock has steadily risen within NBA circles since joining the Brooklyn Nets at last year’s trade deadline. The 27-year-old quickly cemented himself within the inner circle of the NBA’s rising stars upon his trade, averaging 27.7 points on 47/38/89 shooting splits in 31 games (playoffs included) with Brooklyn. He continued building that star […]

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has not had a typical career arc through his first two NBA seasons. After a chaotic, Covid-laden rookie year in 2021-22, Thomas struggled to crack Brooklyn’s rotation following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season. The late-season benching came after the 2021 first-round pick tied LeBron James […]

Preseason basketball typically isn’t headline-worthy. NBA starters go through the motions while coaches get a look at younger players on the roster bubble. But for the Brooklyn Nets, this year’s preseason opener presented a test for Ben Simmons, their highest-paid player, and one who could determine the ceiling of their new-look roster in 2023-24. Simmons […]

The Brooklyn Nets opened the 2023-24 preseason with a 129-126 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Monday in Las Vegas. Nearly every player on Brooklyn’s training camp roster saw extended playing time in the defeat. With that, we outline three key takeaways from the team’s first game action of the season: 3. Nets experience growing […]

If you watched the Brooklyn Nets last season, you likely noticed a glaring hole at backup center behind Nic Claxton, a product of the team’s reluctance to play second-year big man Day’Ron Sharpe. However, after ranking 28th in defensive rebounding in 2022-23, head coach Jacque Vaughn is giving Sharpe an expanded opportunity to win the […]

The Brooklyn Nets open the preseason on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. The team boasts a reshaped roster following a pair of blockbuster trades at last year’s deadline and numerous offseason moves. With that, we break down the three must-watch developments for the Nets as they take the floor for their […]

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t concerned with individual accomplishments in 2023-24, but Spencer Dinwiddie said they are aware of how a winning season could personally benefit several players on the roster. Ben Simmons is attempting to rectify his NBA career amid a newfound bill of health, Mikal Bridges has All-Star expectations, and Cam Johnson has to […]

When a player has a place alongside LeBron James in the NBA record books, you’d think it’s safe to assume he has a secure role on a team without a superstar. Yet that’s not the case for Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas, who tied James last season as the youngest player in league history to […]

The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2023-24 season searching for a new offensive identity. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out the door, the days of historic isolation scoring are in the rearview mirror, leaving the team with several question marks. Mikal Bridges will shoulder a large portion of the scoring burden after breaking out with […]

Damian Lillard had a well-documented interest in the Brooklyn Nets this summer, but from all reports, it was not reciprocated on Brooklyn’s end. With negotiations between Portland and his top preferred destination, the Miami Heat, going nowhere, the seven-time All-Star reportedly informed the Bucks and Nets last month that he was interested in trades to […]

The Brooklyn Nets had several glaring weaknesses last season, but few were more evident than their rebounding. Last year’s team ranked 28th on the defensive glass and was outscored 80-22 in second-chance points during a first-round sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers. General manager Sean Marks and head coach Jacque Vaughn emphasized that changes were necessary […]

Mikal Bridges’ breakout stint with the Brooklyn Nets offered the team a silver lining following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season. The former Sun quickly cemented himself within the inner circle of the NBA’s rising stars, averaging 27.7 points per game on 47/38/89 shooting splits in 30 appearances. He continued to […]

Nic Claxton was one of the Brooklyn Nets’ few bright spots during an otherwise bleak 2022-23 season. The 24-year-old emerged as one of the NBA’s top perimeter-defending centers while making significant strides as a rim protector. Claxton tied Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. for the league lead in stocks (steals + blocks) […]

Ben Simmons’ health status was a black cloud over the Brooklyn Nets season in 2022-23. But after a summer rehabbing a back injury that forced him out at last year’s All-Star break, the three-time All-Star finally has a clean bill of health, one he says will allow him to play without restrictions in 2023-24. “I […]

There’s a real world where Damian Lillard could have been reporting to training camp on Monday as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. With trade talks between the Portland Trail Blazers and his top destination, the Miami Heat, going nowhere, Lillard instructed his agent to inform the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks he was interested in […]

Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, dubbed “The Twins” by their Phoenix Suns teammates after joining the team, quickly became fan favorites in Phoenix due to their hard-nosed defense, unselfishness and three-point shooting. After a midseason trade sent the duo to the Brooklyn Nets, Johnson and Bridges turned heads across the league while stepping into expanded […]

The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2023-24 season with a fully revamped roster. After posting a 12-15 record and being swept in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers following the midseason trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn will have a full offseason and training camp to incorporate a bevy of new faces. Among […]

Eight months ago, the Brooklyn Nets were thought to have hit rock bottom. Kyrie Irving requested a trade, then Kevin Durant. Brooklyn acquiesced to both, completing the implosion of what many considered the most talented big three in NBA history. With Durant, Irving and James Harden all requesting trades within a year, the questions about […]

The Brooklyn Nets want more from Mikal Bridges this season. If you watched Bridges following his trade to the Nets in 2022-23, that’s saying a lot. The former Sun quickly cemented himself within the inner circle of the NBA’s rising stars, averaging 27.7 points per game on 47/38/89 shooting splits in 30 games with Brooklyn. […]

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t tolerating any more Ben Simmons slander. The nine-year veteran stood up for his teammate during an appearance on The Pat Bev Podcast Wednesday, calling Simmons “a far more athletic” version of Golden State’s Draymond Green: “Ben at his best form is a far more athletic Draymond Green with less […]

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks didn’t mince words at the end of the 2022-23 season: his team needed to get bigger and nastier on the boards. After ranking 28th in defensive rebounding and losing the second-chance points battle 80-22 during a first-round sweep against Philadelphia, both Marks and head coach Jacque Vaughn appeared aligned […]

Ben Simmons has made it no secret what position he will play for the Brooklyn Nets in 2023-24. The three-time All-Star continuously reiterated that he wants to be Brooklyn’s point guard, indicating that the Nets’ coaching staff is on board. Head coach Jacque Vaughn spoke to the media for the first time since Summer League […]

After a tumultuous first season with the Nets, Ben Simmons’ health is on the mend, and so is his relationship with head coach Jacque Vaughn. Simmons was largely ineffective last season while battling a rash of injuries, something Vaughn found frustrating throughout the year. The Nets head coach said Tuesday that he’s since realized he […]

For the first time in over two years, Ben Simmons has a clean bill of health entering training camp. Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said Tuesday that Simmons progressed through a rehab process for his surgically repaired back and will be 100 percent when the team reports to Brooklyn: “Ben is playing five-on-five with no […]

The Brooklyn Nets open training camp next week as they turn the page to the first full season of the post-Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving era. The bulk of Brooklyn’s roster will be comprised of returning contributors from the second half of 2022-23. With that, we breakdown the number one area each returning Net must improve […]

The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2023-24 campaign absent a superstar following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. In a league where a top-tier star is required to compete for a title, that reality casts a bleak shadow over the upcoming season. However, there’s reason for hope that Brooklyn could soon re-enter the inner […]

The Brooklyn Nets open training camp soon. Entering the first full season of the post-Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving era, the Nets have a blend of returning contributors and young additions. With that, we project Brooklyn’s rotation for the 2023-24 season before the new campaign starts. Starting Five: Ben Simmons, Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, […]

Ben Simmons has not been shy about his expectations for himself amid his newfound health ahead of the 2023-24 season. After spending the offseason training in Miami, Simmons said he’s “the strongest he’s been” during his time with the Brooklyn Nets. The three-time All-Star opened up Monday about what excites him most about Brooklyn’s new-look […]

Nic Claxton said he felt he “kicked the door down” when speaking about his ranking among NBA centers following a breakout 2022-23 season. The 24-year-old’s two-way performance earned him his first appearance on an NBA Top 100 list at No. 79 on CBS Sports’ rankings. Claxton also earned the 87th spot on ClutchPoints’ Top 100 […]

Mikal Bridges drew praise across the NBA following a midseason trade to the Brooklyn Nets last season. The 27-year-old emerged as one of the league’s most efficient scorers, averaging 27.7 points per game on 47/38/89 shooting splits. He did so while maintaining his high-level defense, frequently drawing opposing teams’ top scorers. That two-way consistency landed […]

Following a disappointing exit at the FIBA World Cup with no medal, USA Basketball now turns its focus to the 2024 Olympics. After sitting out the World Cup, LeBron James has already started recruiting the league’s top players to join him in Paris next summer. Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges could be on the shortlist […]

Ben Simmons is on a mission to get his swagger back. After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season and half of 2022-23 due to a lingering back issue, the three-time All-Star is reportedly beginning to feel like his old self. “He’s talking about being an All-Star again. He said in some workouts in Miami he […]

Team USA entered the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Cup on a sour note after an upset defeat against Lithuania. In need of a bounceback effort against Italy in the elimination round Tuesday, Mikal Bridges was the star of the show for the red, white and blue. Bridges poured in 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting […]

Ben Simmons opened up on his health and mindset Tuesday during a lengthy interview with ESPN’s Andscape. The three-time All-Star spoke confidently about his ability to turn a corner this season, calling his body “the strongest it’s been” since joining Brooklyn. Simmons also left no doubt about what position he’ll be playing for the Nets […]

After a disappointing first season with the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons opened up about his injury struggles, rehab process and more in a tell-all interview with ESPN’s Andscape. Among the topics Simmons dished on was his rocky relationship with head coach Jacque Vaughn last season: “I feel like our relationship, to start, was terrible,” he […]