Erik Slater Articles - Page 31

It remains to be seen whether the Nets will give Kevin Durant a tribute video when he returns to Barclays Center on Wednesday. However, after an underwhelming tenure that ended with two trade requests, the two-time MVP made it known he doesn’t want one. “Please don’t, the night will be better without it,” Durant said in […]

After a three-month layoff, Ben Simmons had no issues re-acclimating to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The three-time All-Star provided an instant spark during a 147-114 blowout versus the Utah Jazz, posting 12 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and zero turnovers on his way to a plus-27 in 18 minutes. The Nets, who had posted […]

Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who was ruled out vs. the Utah Jazz on Monday, will also miss Wednesday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns. The multi-game absence comes after the veteran wing sprained his ankle during Saturday’s win over the Houston Rockets. Finney-Smith snapped out of extended offensive struggles vs. Houston, posting 19 points, seven […]

Kevin Durant will make his much-anticipated return to Brooklyn when the Nets host the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 31. While Durant is the best player ever to don a Nets uniform, it’s unclear what kind of reception the two-time MVP will receive after his tumultuous tenure. Durant’s complicated exit has sparked a conversation about whether […]

Dariq Whitehead, the 22nd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, will undergo season-ending surgery on a stress reaction in his left shin. It will mark the shooting guard’s third lower leg surgery in the last 18 months. Whitehead, the nation’s No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2022 per ESPN, saw […]

“A win is a win.” The Brooklyn Nets put that saying to the test Saturday during their 106-104 victory over the Houston Rockets. Once again, they put themselves in a position through three quarters to coast to a sizable win. And once again, they showed their unique ability to melt down in the fourth. After […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons is expected to return Monday versus the Utah Jazz after a three-month absence due to a back injury. Simmons will rejoin an ailing Nets team that has plummeted to 11th in the Eastern Conference amid a 4-17 stretch over their last 21 games. Despite the lengthy absence, the three-time […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons, who has been sidelined for three months due to a nerve impingement in his back, is expected to return Monday vs. the Utah Jazz, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. Simmons participated in scrimmages with a combination of Nets players and coaches earlier this week. He then practiced with […]

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, the Brooklyn Nets are mired in a 4-17 cold stretch that has dropped them to 11th in the Eastern Conference. After trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at last year’s deadline, general manager Sean Marks faces a laundry list of questions surrounding his new-look roster as […]

The Brooklyn Nets are optimistic that Ben Simmons, who has been sidelined for nearly three months by a back injury, will return to the lineup next week, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. Simmons will practice with Brooklyn’s G-League affiliate in Long Island on Saturday. “He will play Saturday hopefully with Long Island. That’ll be […]

The Brooklyn Nets have made a habit of blowing leads during a brutal 4-16 stretch. As a result of these last 20 games, the Nets have plummeted to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. Another instance of a blown lead came in Tuesday’s 108-103 loss to the New York Knicks. Up by nine points entering […]

The Brooklyn Nets are destined for a shakeup ahead of the NBA trade deadline amid a 4-16 stretch that has dropped them to 11th in the Eastern Conference. Among the team’s most sought-after players will be veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith. Finney-Smith has established himself as a high-level rotation piece over eight NBA seasons due to […]

Barclays Center may as well have changed its name to “Madison Square Garden South” for Tuesday’s Brooklyn Nets-New York Knicks matchup. The black and white court decals were the only reminder that you weren’t at a Knicks home game during the Nets’ 108-103 loss to their crosstown rival. The Nets turned in an impressive performance […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons has been ruled out for the team’s next three games, head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters Tuesday. Simmons has been sidelined for nearly three months due to a nerve impingement in his surgically repaired back. The three-time All-Star does not have a timetable for his return. However, Vaughn said […]

The Brooklyn Nets need offensive upgrades amid a 4-15 stretch that has dropped them to 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The team ranks 26th in offensive rating during that span while posting the NBA’s third-worst effective field goal percentage. Brooklyn has been linked to Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, with Atlanta motivated to move him […]

The Brooklyn Nets appeared to be turning a corner during Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. After a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, which snapped a rut that saw the team lose nine of its last 10 games, Brooklyn led by 15 points entering the fourth quarter against the NBA’s […]

Cam Thomas has had no problems scoring at an elite level throughout his basketball career. The Nets guard set the all-time leading scoring record at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy before leading all college freshmen in scoring during his lone season at LSU. However, his shortcomings as a passer and defender led him to drop […]

The Brooklyn Nets desperately needed a morale boost amid a 3-14 stretch entering Friday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. They received it in the form of a Cam Thomas scoring explosion during a 130-112 victory over LeBron James and the Lakers. Thomas scored a game-high 33 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field and […]

The Brooklyn Nets are among the teams reportedly interested in acquiring Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray ahead of the trade deadline. That list also includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks are intent on moving Murray and are asking for two first-round picks in […]

The Brooklyn Nets have been searching for scoring during a 3-14 stretch over their last 17 games. The team ranks 26th offensively during that span while struggling to find consistent backcourt production. The Nets got a taste of the scoring punch they’ve been missing during Wednesday’s 105-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. In his […]

The Brooklyn Nets are searching for a spark to break them out of a 3-14 rut over their last 17 games. Wednesday’s loss to a 10-29 Portland Trail Blazers team without Shaedon Sharpe and DeAndre Ayton won’t help. The Nets led by nine points entering the fourth quarter, but as has been the case during […]

With the February 8th trade deadline approaching, an extended cold stretch has plummeted the Brooklyn Nets to 10th-place in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Jacque Vaughn’s squad has lost 13 of its last 16 games, ranking 26th in offense and 21st in defense during that span. Brooklyn’s growing struggles have led many to believe general […]

The Brooklyn Nets have fallen to 10th place in the Eastern Conference amid a 3-13 stretch over their last 16 games. With the Feb. 8. trade deadline approaching, the team is expected to field trade offers for sought-after veterans, namely Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. The Cleveland Cavaliers have presented themselves as a suitor for […]

The Brooklyn Nets are searching for a solution behind Nic Claxton after emerging center Day’Ron Sharpe went down with a hyperextended knee. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has opted to roll with Dorian Finney-Smith as a small-ball five in the team’s two games following Sharpe’s injury. Without Sharpe, the coach’s traditional center options are minimum signing […]

Much was made of the Brooklyn Nets’ lack of offensive firepower entering the 2023-24 season. Without a high-usage star, head coach Jacque Vaughn devised a clear offensive strategy: His team would take threes, and plenty of them. The plan worked initially. Through 19 games, Brooklyn ranked sixth in offense while posting the NBA’s second-best three-point […]

The Brooklyn Nets are 1-7 since head coach Jacque Vaughn removed leading scorer Cam Thomas from the starting lineup. The change came amid a 2-6 stretch during which Brooklyn had posted the league’s third-worst defensive rating. However, it has done little to quell the team’s struggles. The Nets led by 14 at halftime Monday vs. […]

The Brooklyn Nets are a team to “keep an eye on” in trade negotiations for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “I know that the Lakers and Hawks have talked… I know the Knicks have been tied in. I would keep an eye on the […]

The Brooklyn Nets attempted to re-ignite their struggling starting lineup before the new year, removing leading scorer Cam Thomas in favor of Dorian Finney-Smith. Head coach Jacque Vaughn’s decision came amid a 2-6 stretch, during which the Nets had posted the NBA’s third-worst defensive rating. The change has had little impact on the team’s struggles. […]

The Brooklyn Nets are in need of a shakeup midway through the 2023-24 season. Head coach Jacque Vaughn’s squad has lost 12 of its last 15 games while showing little signs of life over the last month. Brooklyn ranks 25th in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating during that span. The Nets have a […]

The Brooklyn Nets have a hole in their rotation amid another extended absence for an emerging contributor. Day’Ron Sharpe will be sidelined for at least two weeks after hyperextending his knee during Sunday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The injury comes amid a breakout campaign for the third-year center after he cracked Brooklyn’s rotation […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons spoke to the media following Wednesday’s practice in Paris for the first time in two weeks. Simmons has been sidelined for over two months due to a nerve impingement in his back. “It’s good. I’m getting there,” he said of the injury. “Just progressing every day, so I’ll be […]

The Brooklyn Nets are no strangers to foreign environments during the franchise’s 56-year history. Thursday’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris will mark the team’s 24th game outside of the United States, the most of any NBA team. After competing for Team USA alongside Nets teammate Mikal Bridges in the FIBA World Cup this […]

Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks, the team announced Tuesday. After suffering what the team initially called a knee sprain during Sunday’s overtime loss to Portland, Sharpe received an MRI on Monday. The 22-year-old’s knee buckled while landing after contesting […]

The phrase “living and dying by the three” becomes more applicable to the NBA each season with the league shifting towards a fast-paced, perimeter game. While the term typically refers to offensive strategy, it has also applied defensively for Jacque Vaughn and the Brooklyn Nets this season. Brooklyn reinvented its defense in 2023-24 after ranking […]

The Brooklyn Nets may have lost another rotation player for an extended period Sunday, with emerging center Day’Ron Sharpe suffering a knee injury during a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old’s knee buckled while landing after contesting a layup. Sharpe was in clear pain and needed to be helped to the locker room. […]

The Brooklyn Nets solidified the back end of their roster Sunday, fully guaranteeing the contracts of Trendon Watford and Harry Giles. Jan. 7 is the last day NBA teams can cut players before their contracts become fully guaranteed. Watford has been productive in limited playing time after leaving the Portland Trail Blazers this summer to […]

The Brooklyn Nets are waiving two-way guard Armoni Brooks, the team announced Saturday. Brooks, who made 74 NBA appearances (16 starts) for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors from 2020-22, played in 10 games with Brooklyn this season, averaging 4.2 points on 32.6 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent from three. The 6-foot-3 […]

Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons’ return to the floor remains up in the air amid a two-month absence. The three-time All-Star, who has missed the team’s last 28 games due to a nerve impingement in his back, began on-court workouts with coaches but does not have a timeline for his return, according to head […]

The Brooklyn Nets garnered heavy criticism after they rested nearly their entire rotation during a Dec. 27th home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The league office was among those to take notice, fining the Nets $100,000 Thursday for violating the NBA’s player participation policy. Head coach Jacque Vaughn defended the team’s decision following the loss, […]