Erik Slater Articles - Page 25

The Brooklyn Nets had a clear strategy during their first offseason of the post-Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era: take multiple chances on young, versatile free agents with upside. Among the players who fit the bill was Lonnie Walker IV, and no Net has presented a more pleasant surprise for Brooklyn early this season. An elite bench […]

Mikal Bridges has earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s top defensive stoppers over seven NBA seasons. During that time, the Brooklyn Nets forward has frequently battled with the league’s top scorers. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Bridges opened up on his toughest assignments, breaking down the individual skills that […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days after missing Brooklyn’s last six games due to a nerve impingement in his back, the team announced Wednesday. Brooklyn said Simmons is “continuing to improve with treatment” and “has begun light individual court work.” The three-time All-Star sustained the injury on this play […]

Following a career-best stretch to close the 2022-23 season, Mikal Bridges entered the year with All-Star expectations as the face of the Brooklyn Nets. However, 13 games into the 2023- 24 campaign, the 27-year-old has yet to live up to the hype. After averaging 27.7 points on 47/38/89 shooting splits in 30 games with Brooklyn […]

The Brooklyn Nets gave Cam Johnson a significant vote of confidence this offseason, signing the 28-year-old to a four-year, $94.5 million contract extension. However, they have yet to reap the rewards of that transaction early in their 2023-24 campaign. Johnson is off to a slow start while battling injuries, averaging 13.7 points per game on […]

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is progressing toward a return after spraining his ankle and missing the team’s last five games. “He is heading in the right direction,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said Tuesday. “To my knowledge, he won’t need another MRI. He’s building towards getting back on the floor.” Nets star Cam Thomas gets […]

The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2023-24 season with their highest defensive expectations in years. The team’s new-look roster is ripe with length, athleticism, and versatility, posting an average height of 6-foot-6 and an average wingspan of 6-foot-9. Brooklyn has eight players who ranked in the 80th percentile or better in defensive-estimated plus-minus last season, per […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 121-99 to the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday at Barclays Center for their first blowout loss of the season. The defeat marks Brooklyn’s second straight after wins over Washington and Orlando pushed them over .500 for the first time this year. Here are three key takeaways from a decisive Nets loss. Lonnie Walker […]

The Brooklyn Nets have been plagued by injuries early this season, with Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, and Cam Johnson all missing extended time. Those injury woes continued Sunday, with the team ruling out guard Dennis Smith Jr. ahead of their matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets listed Smith as questionable with lower […]

Lonnie Walker IV wasn’t greeted with a long line of suitors when he entered unrestricted free agency this summer. After struggling to earn a consistent role with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, the former first-round pick signed with the Brooklyn Nets for the minimum, citing opportunity within a young core as his reasoning. Three […]

The Brooklyn Nets’ five-game winning streak over the Miami Heat ended Thursday at Kaseya Center with a 122-115 loss. Miami entered the game on a six-game winning streak, with their last defeat coming on Nov. 1 to Brooklyn. Here are three key takeaways from a decisive Nets loss. Lonnie Walker continues Nets breakout Walker has […]

For Brooklyn Nets fans, Ben Simmons’ latest injury is “Deja Vu all over again,” to quote Yankees legend Yogi Berra. The three-time All-Star was hobbled briefly by a seemingly inconsequential play during a Nov. 6 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Simmons finished the game, and neither he nor head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned an injury […]

After spending most of his first two seasons on the bench, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas was having the breakout he always knew he was capable of eight games into 2023-24. The 23-year-old ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring at 28.7 points per game before suffering an ankle sprain that would sideline him for […]

The Brooklyn Nets moved over .500 with a 124-104 win over the Orlando Magic Tuesday night at Barclays Center. After leading by 15 in the first quarter, the Nets fell behind at the half but tightened the defensive screws late, holding the Magic to 6-of-21 shooting in the fourth quarter with four assists and four […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons has been diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back and will be re-evaluated in one week, the team announced Tuesday. Following a three-game absence with what the team had been calling a hip contusion, Simmons underwent an MRI, which revealed an impingement in the lower left side of […]

The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2023-24 season facing a new reality without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving: they are no longer built to succeed in the half court offensively. Aware of this, the team began crafting a new identity centered on Ben Simmons’ elite transition ball handling and passing ability. But with Simmons sidelined by […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell victim to the injury bug in all four seasons of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era. That bad fortune quickly carried over to their 2023-24 campaign. Brooklyn lost Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson for extended periods after the first game of the year. When both returned this past weekend, Cam Thomas and […]

The old saying goes, “A win is a win.” However, some wins are uglier than others, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 102-94 victory over the Washington Wizards Sunday would go in the “ugliest” category. The shorthanded Nets shot 37-of-98 (37.8 percent) from the field and 12-of-49 (24.5 percent) from three while committing 18 turnovers. However, the […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton will return to the lineup Sunday versus the Washington Wizards after missing the team’s last eight games with an ankle injury. Claxton suffered what he called a high ankle sprain during Brooklyn’s season-opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It has been just over two weeks since Claxton went down. While […]

The Brooklyn Nets had remained competitive in every game this season entering Friday’s in-season tournament matchup with the Boston Celtics. However, with Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas sidelined in Boston, that streak ended with a 121-107 loss before a sellout crowd at TD Garden. Here are three takeaways from Brooklyn’s decisive loss. Lonnie Walker continues […]

Ben Simmons entered the 2023-24 season with a clean bill of health for the first time in over two years. However, two weeks into the season, the three-time All-Star is set to miss his third game. After suffering a hip injury during the Brooklyn Nets’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Monday, the team ruled Simmons […]

Reinforcements are on the way for the injury-depleted Brooklyn Nets ahead of Friday’s in-season tournament matchup with the Boston Celtics. After missing Brooklyn’s last seven games, Cam Johnson is listed as probable for the nationally-televised meeting at TD Garden. Johnson was sidelined by a calf strain alongside Nic Claxton following the Nets’ season-opener. The 6-foot-8 […]

When things feel like they can’t get any worse for the Brooklyn Nets on the injury front, they lose Cam Thomas, their leading scorer and the top story of their young 2023-24 campaign. Thomas exited during the third quarter of Wednesday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers after rolling his ankle. The Nets announced Thursday […]

After struggling to carve out an NBA role during his first two seasons, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is receiving leaguewide praise amid a historic start to the 2023-24 campaign. Entering Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, during which he exited with a sprained ankle, the 22-year-old ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring […]

The Brooklyn Nets were in danger of falling to 3-5 to open the year while down three starters in Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson and Ben Simmons Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Clippers. That fate looked likely when Cam Thomas, Brooklyn’s top scorer to start the season, exited with an ankle sprain in the third quarter. […]

The Brooklyn Nets have played eight of their nine games to open the year down at least two starters, with Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson sustaining injuries during their season-opener. Claxton and Johnson’s absences are a significant blow to Brooklyn’s size, defensive versatility, and floor-spacing, three focal points of their new-look identity. However, both players […]

Ben Simmons will miss his second of the Brooklyn Nets’ last three games after being ruled out with hip soreness Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons received a rest night on Saturday against the Boston Celtics with Brooklyn on the back end of a back-to-back. However, head coach Jacque Vaughn said Wednesday’s absence resulted […]

Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson appears to be trending in the right direction after missing the team’s last six games with a calf strain. The Nets listed Johnson as doubtful for Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, marking the first time he wasn’t ruled out on the team’s initial injury report since sustaining the […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton may have let some need-to-know information slip when he told reporters on Saturday that he’s dealing with a high ankle sprain. Claxton had missed Brooklyn’s previous five games, with head coach Jacque Vaughn calling him day-to-day during that time. However, high ankle sprains typically take multiple weeks, if not months, […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 129-125 to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks Monday at Barclays Center. Off the heels of a loss to the league-leading Boston Celtics on Saturday, Brooklyn led for the majority of the game against Milwaukee before a late surge handed them their second consecutive loss. Here are three takeaways from the […]

The Brooklyn Nets have fallen victim to the injury bug during each of their last three seasons. Less than one game into 2023-24, they appeared to be trending in a similar direction, with Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson exiting during the season opener. Claxton (6-foot-11) and Johnson’s (6-foot-8) injuries presented a significant blow to Brooklyn’s […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has missed five consecutive games after suffering an ankle injury during the team’s season opener. During that time, the Nets have been calling the breakout center “day-to-day.” However, Claxton revealed Saturday that he’s dealing with a high ankle sprain, which is more severe and carries a longer recovery time than […]

The shorthanded Brooklyn Nets fell 124-114 to the league-leading Boston Celtics at Barclays Center on Saturday, snapping a three-game winning streak. Down three starters with Ben Simmons, Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton out, Brooklyn made it a game in the fourth quarter before the Celtics closed on a 25-17 run to pull away late. Here […]

Ben Simmons looks the healthiest he’s been in years five games into the 2023-24 season. That’s what made it surprising for some Nets fans to see Simmons ruled out with an “injury maintenance” label Saturday versus the Boston Celtics, the second game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn. However, the Nets are all too familiar with […]

The already shorthanded Brooklyn Nets ruled out Ben Simmons Saturday against the Boston Celtics on the back end of a back-to-back. Brooklyn labeled Simmons’ status as “back – injury maintenance”. The decision to rest the three-time All-Star shouldn’t come as a surprise after his injury-riddled 2022-23 season. Nets resting Ben Simmons Simmons played just 42 […]

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is trending towards missing his fifth consecutive game when the team welcomes the Boston Celtics on Saturday. “Nic has not participated in shootaround, I can say that to you. So if that leads you to any direction to seeing if Nic’s gonna be available tomorrow, probably not,” head coach Jacque […]

The NBA is attempting to increase interest in the regular season with its introduction of the first-ever in-season tournament. All 30 teams are split into six groups, with eight advancing to the knockout rounds to compete for cash prizes. The team that wins the tournament will be crowned with the NBA Cup. Each player on […]

The NBA kicks off its inaugural In-Season Tournament on Friday, with all 30 teams competing for cash prizes. The Brooklyn Nets enter within the Eastern Conference’s Group C alongside the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors. With that, we detail Brooklyn’s tournament schedule and offer bold predictions ahead of the team’s first […]

The Brooklyn Nets are receiving reinforcements for their first in-season tournament game in franchise history. After missing Wednesday’s win over the Miami Heat, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr. will return for Friday’s road matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Dinwiddie exited midway through Brooklyn’s win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Smith Jr. was able […]