Erik Slater Articles - Page 30

Kevin Ollie faced the daunting task of optimizing a struggling Brooklyn Nets roster after replacing Jacque Vaughn as head coach. Among the top questions relating to that assignment was how he would deploy Ben Simmons. Ollie started with a direct message to the three-time All-Star about driving more. “Most of it’s with pace. We know […]

The Brooklyn Nets were seeking a spark under newly hired interim head coach Kevin Ollie coming out of the All-Star break. “Energy-generating behaviors” had been Ollie’s focus during his first two practices upon taking over. However, the majority of EGBs during his first game Thursday came from the Toronto Raptors as they blew the Nets […]

The Brooklyn Nets could be welcoming a high-profile minority owner, with Joe Tsai in talks to sell a 10 percent stake in the team’s parent company, BSE Global, to billionaire Julia Koch, according to Sportico and Bloomberg News. BSE Global also owns Barclays Center, and the WNBA’s New York Liberty, among other sporting assets. Julia, […]

The Brooklyn Nets dominated headlines Monday with their abrupt firing of Jacque Vaughn. While Vaughn’s status was in question amid an 8-23 stretch that dropped the Nets to 11th in the Eastern Conference, the timing of the change came as a surprise, so much so that Cam Thomas said he thought it was a prank. […]

Kevin Ollie led his first practice as Brooklyn Nets interim head coach on Tuesday. His promotion follows an 8-23 stretch that has dropped the Nets to 11th place in the Eastern Conference, resulting in general manager Sean Marks abruptly firing Jacque Vaughn. For a team hoping to attract stars in the coming seasons, the recent […]

The Brooklyn Nets filled their final two-way roster spot Tuesday, signing rookie swingman Jaylen Martin to a two-year contract, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Martin, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, passed on offers from Florida, Ole Miss, Wake Forest, Texas Tech, and Georgetown, among others, to play in […]

Stability and continuity have not been defining characteristics of the Brooklyn Nets during Sean Marks’ time as general manager. After firing Jacque Vaughn on Monday, Marks is expected to hire his fourth head coach this offseason, a rarity for any GM in today’s NBA climate, especially one with one playoff series win in eight seasons. […]

Kevin Ollie will take over as Brooklyn Nets head coach Thursday against the Toronto Raptors after the team fired Jacque Vaughn. Following an 8-23 stretch that has dropped the Nets to 11th in the Eastern Conference, the former UConn head coach will attempt to lead a playoff push over the final 28 games of the […]

The Brooklyn Nets have an opening at head coach after dismissing Jacque Vaughn on Monday. Following a 13-10 start to the season, the Nets have lost 23 of their last 31 games, dropping them to 11th in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn is expected to hire an interim head coach in the near future. With the […]

The Brooklyn Nets have dismissed head coach Jacque Vaughn, the team announced Monday. The decision follows a 50-point loss to the Boston Celtics Wednesday, the second-worst in franchise history, after which Mikal Bridges didn’t hide his feelings about Brooklyn’s coaching. “We’ve got to know what we’re doing. We’ve got to come as a team, as […]

The most positive sequence of the Brooklyn Nets’ 136-86 road loss to the Boston Celtics Wednesday came with 55 seconds remaining. Leading by 50 points, the Celtics dribbled out the shot clock, sparing the Nets from tying or beating their worst loss in franchise history, a 52-point defeat to the Houston Rockets in 1978. The […]

After struggling to crack the Brooklyn Nets’ rotation during his first two seasons, Cam Thomas has established himself as the team’s lead-scoring option alongside Mikal Bridges in 2023-24. The 22-year-old is averaging 21.5 points per game on 44/37/84 shooting splits. Much of that offensive success earlier in the season was a product of Thomas’ ability […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will not play Wednesday vs. the Boston Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. The three-time All-Star, who sat the first night of a back-to-back early last week, said the night off is precautionary as he reacclimates from a three-month absence due […]

The Brooklyn Nets fell 118-110 to the Boston Celtics Tuesday before a sellout crowd at Barclays Center. Here are three key takeaways from the Nets’ fourth loss in five games. Ben Simmons struggles in halfcourt offense Entering Tuesday, Ben Simmons had impressed over five appearances after returning from a three-month absence. The three-time All-Star averaged […]

The only Brooklyn Net left on the injury report is nearing his return. After missing the team’s last eight games due to left adductor tightness, Cam Johnson is expected to play Wednesday vs. the Boston Celtics. The extended absence is one of several lower extremity injuries the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter has battled this season. After signing […]

The Brooklyn Nets are receiving more reinforcements Tuesday vs. the Boston Celtics, with Day’Ron Sharpe set to return following a month-long absence due to a hyperextended knee. Sharpe was one of the Nets’ most pleasant surprises early this year before he was sidelined. After struggling to crack the Nets’ rotation during his first two seasons, […]

There isn’t an NBA reporter busier on trade deadline day than ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The veteran insider has dominated the intel market over the last decade. However, the rush to break news on deadline day can lead to mix-ups, and Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. was caught in the crossfire on Thursday. Wojnarowski reported […]

The Brooklyn Nets’ swap of Spencer Dinwiddie for Dennis Schroder didn’t make headlines at this year’s trade deadline. However, for a Nets team whose offense had fallen off a cliff with Dinwiddie’s eye wandering toward his next destination, it was just what they needed. “He’s a player that we’ve focused on and followed for years […]

The injury-depleted Brooklyn Nets have much-needed reinforcements on the way amid a three-game losing streak that has dropped them to 11 games under .500. Dorian Finney-Smith and Lonnie Walker will return to the lineup Saturday vs. the San Antonio Spurs. Finney-Smith has missed the team’s last six games due to an ankle injury, while Walker […]

Unlike last year, when they upended the franchise by trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets made no seismic changes as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed. This year’s deadline, like most of the NBA, was of the quieter variety. The Nets found a stopgap replacement for disgruntled point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, swapping his […]

The depleted Brooklyn Nets could have much-needed reinforcements on the way. After missing the team’s last three games due to left hamstring tightness, Lonnie Walker might return for Saturday’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. Walker has been the Nets‘ most productive bench scorer this season, averaging 12.3 points […]

The Brooklyn Nets are finalizing a deal to acquire Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young from the Toronto Raptors for Spencer Dinwiddie, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Grading the deal for the Nets Dinwiddie was a fixture in trade rumors for weeks leading up to the deadline. The veteran point guard saw a rapid decline in […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie denied rumors that he may be bought out if the team cannot trade him ahead of Thursday’s deadline. “Lol I understand y’all mad at me right now. But this ain’t true,” Dinwiddie wrote in response to a report from NetsDaily. Lol I understand y’all mad at me right now. […]

The Brooklyn Nets will remain shorthanded Thursday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Cam Johnson (left adductor tightness) and Lonnie Walker IV (left hamstring strain) sidelined for the second straight game. Johnson and Walker exited during Monday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors and did not return. Head coach Jacque Vaughn said Tuesday that both players […]

The NBA trade deadline is less than 24 hours away. For the Brooklyn Nets, that means fielding calls on several veterans, and for rookie Jalen Wilson, it means a potential opening in the team’s rotation. Veteran wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale are among Brooklyn’s top trade candidates. The Nets have reportedly held firm on […]

Kyrie Irving returned to Barclays Center Tuesday for the first time since requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets one year ago. While the Dallas Mavericks star said “it felt like home” walking into his former arena, his homecoming could be characterized as forgettable. Irving did not receive a tribute video like his former co-star […]

The Brooklyn Nets are battling the injury bug entering the second night of a back-to-back Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks. Cam Johnson (left adductor tightness) and Lonnie Walker (left hamstring tightness), who exited Monday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors and did not return, were both ruled out. Their absences mean Jacque Vaughn’s squad will […]

The Brooklyn Nets couldn’t buy a bucket during a 109-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors Monday at Barclays Center. On a night where the Warriors shot just 4-of-22 from three (18.2%), Jacque Vaughn’s squad couldn’t build a convincing lead at any point, shooting 34-of-89 from the field (38.2 percent) and 13-of-42 from three (31 […]

The Brooklyn Nets have continuously signaled that they intend to keep Mikal Bridges past the February 8th trade deadline. With a stockpile of draft picks after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the team hopes to acquire a star to pair with Bridges in the near future, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “They are telling […]

Is Cam Thomas a part of the Brooklyn Nets’ future? It was a fair question to ask entering the 2023-24 season. The prolific scoring guard spent his rookie year on the bench in the shadows of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. That didn’t change late last season despite Brooklyn trading both stars at the deadline. […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons has been ruled out for Monday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors. The team labeled Simmons’ injury on the status report as “lower back – injury maintenance.” Brooklyn is on the front end of a back-to-back and will face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Simmons returned from a three-month […]

The moment the entire Philadelphia 76ers crowd was waiting for came five minutes into Saturday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets: Jacque Vaughn signaled to the bench, Ben Simmons ripped off his warm-up, and Wells Fargo Center suddenly came to life. It was Simmons’ third time returning to the arena since forcing his way off the […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons will return from a knee injury for Saturday’s road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. The three-time All-Star missed Wednesday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns after injuring his knee during Monday’s win over the Utah Jazz, his first game back from a three-month absence. Simmons underwent an MRI that revealed […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is probable for Saturday’s road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons missed Wednesday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns after injuring his knee Monday vs. the Utah Jazz, his first game back from a three-month absence due to a back injury. Head coach Jacque Vaughn said the three-time All-Star was […]

The Brooklyn Nets are expected to be among the NBA’s most active teams ahead of the February 8th trade deadline. Mired in a 6-18 stretch that has dropped them to 11th in the Eastern Conference, general manager Sean Marks faces decisions on several key players. At the front of that list are veterans Dorian Finney-Smith, […]

Cam Thomas struggled to find a role with the Brooklyn Nets during his first two NBA seasons. However, that didn’t stop the 2021 first-round pick from developing a close relationship with Kevin Durant. Known for his elite microwave scoring entering the league, Thomas spent two years picking the brain of one of the greatest offensive […]

Kevin Durant’s return to Brooklyn went as you would have expected, at least on the court. The Phoenix Suns superstar turned in a patented performance against his former team, posting 33 points, five rebounds, and eight assists on 10-of-16 shooting during a 136-120 victory. While the game played out predictably, the Nets’ handling of their […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is day-to-day after being ruled out Wednesday vs. the Phoenix Suns with a left knee contusion, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. The three-time All-Star suffered the injury while falling awkwardly after a block on his final play of Brooklyn’s 147-114 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday. Simmons […]

One game after returning from a three-month layoff due to a back injury, Ben Simmons is officially out for Wednesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. ‘Ben Simmons is out for Nets-Suns tonight due to left knee contusion. He returned on Monday after two-month absence, posting 10 points, 11 […]