Erik Slater Articles - Page 34

After securing the third pick in the NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers’ eyes aren’t on Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller but rather on a trade for a win-now piece alongside Damian Lillard. “Speculation is already widespread that a package of the third pick and Anfernee Simons might be used to snag an elite small […]

The Brooklyn Nets have several veterans who could be packing their bags this summer. Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie should all have trade value to contenders, and depending on the direction Brooklyn takes, could be on the move. O’Neale increased his trade value the most out of those three during the 2022-23 campaign. […]

For the second consecutive year, the Brooklyn Nets are entering an offseason of uncertainty. Last summer centered on trade requests from superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With both out the door, the questions now surround which direction the Nets take with their younger, yet still experienced core. Do they push their chips in and […]

Ben Simmons has been cleared to take the next step in the rehabilitation process for his injured back, which could mean expanded on-court activities in the coming weeks. “Ben has been cleared to progress to his next stage of his rehab and is progressing really well,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told the New York Post’s […]

The most anticipated NBA draft lottery in 20 years ended with Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French unicorn that NBA scouts have been salivating over for two years, heading to San Antonio. The Spurs secured the first pick in the draft with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets rounding out the top four. […]

Nets owner Joe Tsai is under fire from Brooklyn fans after announcing the Barclays Center will host a showing of “38 at the Garden,” a documentary of Jeremy Lin’s breakout 2012 season with the New York Knicks. A film about a thrilling Knicks moment screened in the Nets home? https://t.co/thfNpJdZOn — Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May […]

The Brooklyn Nets are hiring Jay Hernandez as an assistant coach to Jacque Vaughn’s staff, league sources told HoopsHype. Hernandez spent the last five seasons as an assistant for the Charlotte Hornets. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Orlando Magic, where he briefly worked under Vaughn in a player development role. The hiring […]

Nic Claxton was not named First or Second Team All-Defense despite a breakout season anchoring an improved Brooklyn Nets unit. Claxton finished third in the center voting behind Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. BKN’s Nic Claxton and Mikal Bridges received votes for the NBA All Defensive teams: […]

The Brooklyn Nets quickly became the title favorite when they acquired James Harden to star alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2020-21. While those championship aspirations never came to fruition, a new quirk in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement would have prevented that deal from happening. Bookmark the term “second apron” because you’ll be […]

The Brooklyn Nets have a sizable coaching void after parting ways with three assistants earlier this week. They appear to already have their eyes on replacements with former Hornets head coach James Borrego being mentioned within league circles: “Borrego is drawing interest from several teams to return to the bench as a top assistant,” league […]

Ben Simmons‘ return to the court may come sooner than expected. The three-time All-Star last appeared in a game in February, with the Brooklyn Nets later shutting him down due to a nerve impingement in his back. However, Australian national team head coach Brian Goorjian said there’s a “strong chance” Simmons will play in the […]

The Brooklyn Nets kicked the tires on the 2023 offseason, parting ways with three members of their coaching staff. The move could be the first of many as the Nets enter the summer with a litany of question marks following the midseason trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With that, I took some questions […]

Nic Claxton didn’t mince words when looking back on his 2022-23 campaign: “This year I kinda kicked the door down,” Claxton said. “Just showed everybody that I’m here and put my name on the map.” The 23-year-old’s numbers back up that assessment. Claxton averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds 1.9 assists and 2.5 blocks, all career-highs. […]

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 […]