Erik Slater Articles - Page 28

The 2022-23 season thrust Mikal Bridges out of the background and into the spotlight. After joining the Brooklyn Nets in a trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, Bridges stepped into a lead-scoring role in Brooklyn. Anyone who criticized the Nets’ return for Durant was silenced soon after. In 30 games with the […]

The Brooklyn Nets are beginning an overhaul of their coaching staff following the midseason promotion of Jacque Vaughn. Brooklyn is parting ways with assistants Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kokoskov led Brooklyn’s offense this season, his first year on the staff. The 51-year-old shares a close personal relationship […]

The Brooklyn Nets are turning the page following the close of the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era. As the two stars walked out the door so did Brooklyn’s hope of competing for a championship in 2022-23. The revamped squad headlined by Mikal Bridges posted a 12-15 record before being swept in the first round by the […]

After struggling to stay on the floor during his first three seasons, Nic Claxton’s breakout 2022-23 campaign offers the Brooklyn Nets a building block as they turn the page to a new era. Claxton was at the forefront of an improved Nets defense this season, tying Jaren Jackson Jr. for the league lead in stocks […]

The Nets announced Dorian Finney-Smith underwent successful surgery to correct a contracture on his right pinky finger and is expected to resume workouts in six weeks. A contracture is defined as a “tightening or the muscles, tendons, skin, and nearby tissues that cause joints to shorten and become very stiff.” Finney-Smith joined the Nets along […]

After the 76ers thoroughly dominated the Nets in the rebounding department during a first-round sweep, general manager Sean Marks didn’t mince words: Brooklyn needs to get bigger. And stronger. And grittier. “Without a doubt, we need to make some changes in terms of adding some size,” Marks said Sunday at HSS Training Center. “I think […]

The new-look Brooklyn Nets were thoroughly outclassed during a first-round sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. Two months after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets head into the offseason well short of contender status with a roster full of high-end role players. The 13-15 record to close the season before the […]

After the dust settled from a Brooklyn Nets season that saw Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving traded, the million-dollar question quickly reared its head: Do the Nets go star-hunting again this summer? If the answer is yes, Damian Lillard could be at the forefront of the conversation. Following his appearance at Barclays Center for Game […]

Following his team’s exit from the playoffs, Nets General Manager Sean Marks identified retaining Cam Johnson as a “big priority” this summer. Johnson was one of two future building blocks Brooklyn received in return for Kevin Durant at this year’s deadline. Mikal Bridges has dominated headlines while breaking out as a lead scorer with the […]

Jacque Vaughn watched Mikal Bridges pull up for a jumper Sunday with the Brooklyn Nets trailing the Philadelphia 76ers by 11 in the final minutes of Game 4. His team was less than two minutes away from being swept in the first round for the second straight year. The shot came up short. Philadelphia collected […]

The Brooklyn Nets couldn’t buy a basket in the final two minutes of their heartbreaking Game 3 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday. Ironically for Brooklyn, the player best suited to close out a playoff game was in the building, he just wasn’t a member of either team playing. Damian Lillard sat courtside at Barclays […]

Less than three minutes into Game 3 between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, the referees were presented with a series-altering decision. After finishing an alley-oop, Nic Claxton stepped over Joel Embiid, who responded by kicking him in the groin. Embiid KICKS Nic Claxton after stepping over him 😳 pic.twitter.com/gsOzepO4lZ — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April […]

Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson stood with their hands on their heads and a stunned look on their faces. Both realized their season was all but over after the Philadelphia 76ers completed a last-minute comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday at Barclays Center. It was a night where it felt like everything had lined […]

The Brooklyn Nets need Spencer Dinwiddie to be much better if they’re going to have a shot against the high-powered Philadelphia 76ers. After averaging 17.3 points per game this season, Dinwiddie has scored 26 total through the first two games of the NBA playoffs series. The veteran has been unable to find his stroke from […]

There’s no need to over-complicate the Nets’ Game 2 loss in Philadelphia. Brooklyn couldn’t hit a shot, and it’s the number one, two and three reasons why they return home down 2-0. The Nets held Joel Embiid and James Harden to 28 combined points on 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) shooting Monday. However, their own offensive deficiencies […]

If you were to tell Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn that Joel Embiid and James Harden would combine for 28 points on 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) shooting in Game 2, odds are he’d be feeling good about his team’s chances in the contest. Vaughn got his wish Monday and yet Brooklyn lost by 12. The […]

An outstanding opening weekend to the NBA playoffs was underscored by injuries to two of the league’s top players. Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo both went down Sunday, and the similarity of the plays in which they were injured has sparked league-wide conversation. Both stars exited after falls with defenders attempting to draw charges near […]

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t panicking following their blowout Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Brooklyn’s study of the game tape brought about several conclusions, the biggest of which Spencer Dinwiddie revealed following Sunday’s practice at Temple University: Optimism. “The adjustments are kind of in our control,” Dinwiddie said. “A lot of the rebounds that we […]

With the Nets an overwhelming underdog in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers, the most important Brooklyn storyline centered on one question: Is Mikal Bridges really as good as he’s shown since joining the team? Bridges has flirted with “star” status since the Nets acquired him at the deadline, averaging 26.1 points on 48/38/89 […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 121-101 to the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday in Game 1 of the first round before a raucous crowd at Wells Fargo Center. Brooklyn entered the series with an 0-4 record against Philadelphia in the regular season, struggles that translated to Saturday’s playoff opener. Here are three takeaways from Brooklyn’s Game 1 loss […]

When debating the most hostile playoff environments in sports, the City of Brotherly Love is at the forefront of the conversation. Yet one day ahead of Game 1 between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t anticipating anything that Brooklyn hasn’t seen before. “As hostile as Philly is just […]

When evaluating the areas in which the Nets must excel to upset the 76ers, none are bigger than three-point shooting. Head coach Jacque Vaughn acknowledged the importance of Brooklyn’s efficiency from beyond the arc ahead of the first-round matchup: “It’s been a part of our message as a group,” Vaughn said. “I think overall we […]

Nic Claxton has put the league on notice during a breakout 2022-23 campaign. However, with the Brooklyn Nets facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Nets big man’s biggest challenge is still ahead of him: MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid. The Sixers center just turned in the best season of […]

Once upon a time the top storyline of the new-look Brooklyn Nets meeting the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs would have been Ben Simmons. However, the former number-one pick’s dynamic in a Philly playoff setting is a moot point since Brooklyn shut the big man down for the rest of the season due to a […]

The Brooklyn Nets are heavy underdogs in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether by seeding, betting odds, or public opinion, the Nets are a long shot in the eyes of everyone but their own. “I don’t think we really look into it too much like that,” Joe Harris said regarding Brooklyn’s underdog status. […]

Mikal Bridges developed his game growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The breakout Brooklyn Nets forward was a diehard 76ers fan, frequently attending games at Wells Fargo Center, then called the Wachovia Center. He went on to play at Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, where he would earn All-State honors and a […]

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is no stranger to strategy meetings ahead of a playoff series. Brooklyn’s first-round matchup with Philadelphia will mark the team’s fifth consecutive year in the postseason. Vaughn, who spent six years with the Nets as an assistant before being promoted this season, has played a role in the preparation for […]

Doc Rivers sat down at the podium ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ regular-season finale Sunday in Brooklyn. He candidly joked about the irrelevance of the game given both teams would rest their top players ahead of the upcoming first-round matchup. The conversation shifted to a more serious tone when the head coach was asked how […]

Cam Thomas has made one thing abundantly clear during his second NBA season with the Brooklyn Nets: he can score at an elite level when called upon. With the Nets resting their entire rotation in their season-finale against Philadelphia Sunday, Thomas exploded for a career-high 46 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 […]

Following a 52-point outburst in Boston Tuesday during which he shot 20-of-25 from the field, Joel Embiid has cemented his status as the MVP favorite over Nikola Jokic this season. Steph Curry and Damian Lillard recently pointed to the Philadelphia 76ers big man as their pick for the award, and Sixers head coach Doc Rivers […]

The Nets locked themselves into a first-round matchup with the 76ers with a win Friday. Brooklyn will face off with Philadelphia in Sunday’s regular-season finale but is expected to rest nearly the entire rotation. Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale and Seth Curry have already been ruled out. Nic Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris and […]

The Brooklyn Nets are heading to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. With their 101-84 blowout of the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center Friday, Brooklyn clinched the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed and a first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Expectations never shifted within the new-look Nets following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie […]

Day’Ron Sharpe found himself on the outside looking in when the Brooklyn Nets established their rotation early this season. Much was made of Brooklyn’s decision to bench the second-year big man, a move that left the team with a glaring hole behind breakout center Nic Claxton. Following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, […]

The Brooklyn Nets converted two-way guard David Duke Jr. to a standard NBA contract Friday ahead of the playoffs. The move comes after the team decided not to re-sign center Moses Brown following the expiration of his second 10-day contract. Duke Jr. signed a two-way deal with Brooklyn after going undrafted out of Providence in […]

Two months after rejoining the Brooklyn Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie traveled to Detroit on the night before his 30th birthday with a chance to pull the Nets within one game of clinching a playoff birth. The veteran answered the call, dishing out a career-high 16 assists in a 123-108 win over his former team. .@SDinwiddie_25 was […]

The Nets are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive season. Brooklyn defeated the Detroit Pistons 123-108 Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena, bringing their magic number to secure the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed down to one. A 47-34 first-quarter advantage propelled the Nets to victory in the Motor City. Brooklyn’s […]

Mikal Bridges stepped into a situation unlike any he had experienced during his NBA career when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. With two generational scorers in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out the door, the 26-year-old was tasked with shouldering a heavy offensive burden for a Brooklyn team that still held playoff aspirations. […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 107-102 to the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday in a key matchup as they battle to clinch the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed. Spencer Dinwiddie had one of his best games since rejoining the Nets, scoring a game-high 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting with six assists. However, the floor general’s brilliant performance will be […]

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn faced a monumental task following the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With his top two scorers out the door and four new players entering the starting lineup, he had to decipher the winning formula for a new-look Brooklyn squad that still held playoff aspirations. On the court, a […]