Dirk Nowitzki says he may take a ‘significant pay cut’ to woo big time free agents (Ball Don't Lie)
The News For the second consecutive summer, the Dallas Mavericks could have significant salary cap space on hand if they choose to pass on re-signing some of their free agents. And, for the second straight year, this is in spite of Dirk Nowitzki’s much-deserved but massive individual contract, something that paid him nearly $21 million this season and nearly $23 million in 2013-14 .
After being passed over by Deron Williams and left wanting in Dwight Howard trade negotiations, he Mavericks did well last year to put together what felt like a good enough roster to make the playoffs. The team acquisitions (O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kamen) all came through with up and down seasons, though, while Elton Brand sadly was a bit of a non-factor. The biggest problem above all was the loss of Nowitzki to a knee injury to start the season. Dallas competed for a playoff berth towards the end of the campaign, but with Nowitzki taking to nearly the season’s midpoint to start playing like the superstar he is, the Mavs just didn’t have a chance.
Now Dirk is talking up the future. He wants Dwight Howard. He wants Chris Paul. He wants to part of the draft decision-making process. And he wants some pizza, dammit.
Five Point Guard Prospects the Utah Jazz Should Get to Know (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News COMMENTARY | Since they traded Deron Williams a little more than two years ago, the Utah Jazz have struggled to properly man the point guard position.
The Atlanta Hawks? Gone till November (Ball Don't Lie)
The News With every season that ends, for the playoff teams at least, we felt it right to take a look ahead. TNT already has the rights to "Gone Fishin'," and because we're sure that someone, somewhere, still likes that Wyclef song, we're going with "Gone Till November." And, yes, we know the season starts in October. Today? The Atlanta Hawks.
The last time the Atlanta Hawks decided to clean house, its intentions were obvious, and the results were brutal. The team dealt for Al Harrington and traded for Antoine Walker’s expiring contract before the 2004-05 season in an attempt to remain competitive and intriguing to local fans while punting away a season, and that mishmash only gave the Hawk faithful 13 wins out of 82 tries. Atlanta then watched as their league-worst record only allowed the team the second overall pick, a place that saw general manager Billy Knight pass on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams to select Marvin Williams.
In the offseason, the team decided to throw drafts picks (draft picks that were later turned into Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez) Phoenix’s way in order to secure a sign-and-trade deal for Joe Johnson. Johnson was a player that the Hawks could have just signed outright, but Knight wanted to give the scoring swingman Bird Rights-styled money that the Phoenix Suns were not offering him. The move drew a wedge between the team’s warring ownership factions, resulting in a court case, and it still was the second-worst contract Atlanta ever signed Joe Johnson to .
Nets beat Bulls 95-92, force Game 7 (The Associated Press)
The News CHICAGO (AP) -- Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson each scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets again avoided elimination, beating the short-handed Chicago Bulls 95-92 Thursday to tie their first-round series at 3.
The News CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Bulls looked like they were ready to eliminate Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets and move on to the second round of the playoffs.
NBA-Highlights of Monday's NBA playoff games (Reuters)
The News April 29 (Sports Direct) - Highlights of Monday's National Basketball Association playoff games. - - - - Nets 110, Bulls 91 Brooklyn upended Chicago to stay alive in their Eastern Conference first-round series, Brook Lopez with 28 points and 10 rebounds and Deron Williams adding 23 points and 10 assists as the Nets cut the Bulls' lead to 3-2. Game Six is on Thursday in Chicago. Nate Robinson scored 20 points and Jimmy Butler added 18 for the Bulls, who were outscored 33-18 in the final quarter. ...
The News NEW YORK - Facing elimination, Brook Lopez scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Deron Williams added 23 points and 10 assists, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a convincing 110-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinals Monday night at the Barclays Center.
Nets pull away late from Bulls, force Game 6 (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Nate Robinson couldn't save the Bulls in Game 5 as Deron Williams and Brook Lopez helped extend the series in a 110-91 win. Robinson finished with 20 points and Carlos Boozer added 18 in the loss.
Hinrich quietly puts together impressive all-around performance (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Kirk Hinrich didn't need to put up big numbers in Game 4 to get praise. Just ask his coach and teammates who witnessed the defensive pressure he put on Deron Williams all game.
Williams disappears down the stretch (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Through 45 minutes Deron Williams was having the game of his playoff career. But when the Nets needed him most, Williams disappeared in Brooklyn's Game 3 loss to the Bulls.
Down 2-1, Nets try to avoid big hole against Bulls (The Associated Press)
The News CHICAGO (AP) -- Deron Williams is struggling. Joe Johnson is hobbled, and the Brooklyn Nets suddenly look as if they could be headed for an early playoff exit.
Gerald Wallace is frustrated: ‘I don’t have a clue what my role is on this team’ (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Gerald Wallace’s 3 for 15 shooting in the Brooklyn Nets' two first-round losses to the Chicago Bulls isn’t helping his team’s cause, but all those missed shots aren’t nearly as destructive as the dozens of other possessions the Nets run with Wallace on the court. For two games, the Bulls have been just about ignoring Wallace on the floor, an unfortunate end result in a season that has seen Wallace’s offensive game fall off the face of the earth .
Following the Nets’ tough Game 3 loss on Thursday, Wallace spoke to New York Daily News beat reporter extraordinaire Stefan Bondy , and shared his frustration with a gig gone wrong:
“I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you my role now,” Wallace said Friday at the team’s hotel in Chicago. “I don’t have a clue what my role is on this team.”
What’s striking about a line like this is that it doesn’t appear as if Wallace is complaining. He’s seemed genuinely frustrated and flummoxed by his current status, and the stasis is wearing on him. Wallace hasn’t been able to leak out in transition as he did so well during Saturday’s Game 1 win over Chicago (one that saw him put up 14 points on 5 for 7 shooting), and his attempts in the two losses since have either come on missed 3-pointers (he’s hit 1 of 6) or misspent drives into a closed-off lane.
To interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo’s credit, he handled the quote in stride. Here’s his discussion with Bondy :
The News CHICAGO (AP) -- Deron Williams is struggling and Joe Johnson is hobbling. Suddenly, the Brooklyn Nets look as if they could be headed to an early playoff exit.
Hinrich's defense a key to Bulls' Game 2 success (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Kirk Hinrich put the defensive clamps on All-Star point guard Deron Williams, holding him to just eight points on 1-9 shooting in the Bulls' Game 2 victory over the Nets.
Down 1-0, Bulls look to slow Williams on CSN (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Deron Williams has played like an elite point guard as of late, and the Bulls will need to slow down the Nets' star in Game 2. Coverage begins on Comcast SportsNet tonight at 6:30.
The News NEW YORK -- Deron Williams scored a team-high 22 points and had seven assists and Brook Lopez scored 19 of his 21 in the first half to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 106-89 rout of the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Saturday night at Barclays Center.
Nets crush Bulls in first playoff game in Brooklyn (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and the Nets turned the Brooklyn blackout into a blowout, beating the Chicago Bulls 106-89 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their playoff series.
Bulls throttled by Nets in Game 1 (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News The Bulls never led Saturday night in Brooklyn as the Nets held home-court advantage in Game 1 with a 106-89 win. Deron Williams had 22 points for the victors, while Carlos Boozer added 25 in the loss.
DeRozan scores 36 as Raptors beat Nets 93-87 (The Associated Press)
The News TORONTO (AP) -- Deron Williams crumpled up his stat sheet and threw it away in disgust. A loss to the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors meant his Brooklyn Nets had lost their chance at earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
The News Williams scored 33 points as the Brooklyn Nets secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 117-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Our View The Nets point guard is averaging 27.0 points on 51.8 percent shooting over the last five games.
The News April 12 (SportsDirect) - Highlights of Friday's games in the National Basketball Association: Nets 117, Pacers 109 Deron Williams scored 25 of his 33 points in the first half and matched a season high with 14 assists as visiting Brooklyn prevented Indiana from clinching the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez scored 24 points apiece as the fourth-place Nets pulled two games behind the Pacers with three games remaining. Williams made five 3-pointers and Johnson drained four as Brooklyn went 12-for-25 from 3-point range and clinched the No. 4 seed in the East. ...
The News BOSTON -- Deron Williams scored 29 points and dished out 12 assists, Brook Lopez added 21 points, and Joe Johnson added 20 points as the Brooklyn Nets overcame a sluggish start before pulling away from the Boston Celtics for a 101-93 victory Wednesday night.
The News NEW YORK -- The Nets will need point guard Deron Williams to be on top of his game every night once the NBA playoffs begin. However, it was fine that Williams took a bit of a breather Tuesday night, letting forward Reggie Evans and center Brook Lopez carry Brooklyn to a 104-83 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center.
Favors growing up as Jazz battle for playoff spot (The Associated Press)
The News SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Tyrone Corbin remembers the scared pup that arrived in Salt Lake City as part of the Deron Williams trade two years ago.
The News Deron Williams is playing with a sense of urgency as he and the Brooklyn Nets seek homecourt advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Favors growing up as Jazz battle for playoff spot (The Associated Press)
The News SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Tyrone Corbin remembers the scared pup that arrived in Salt Lake City as part of the Deron Williams trade two year ago.
The News Deron Williams is playing with a sense of urgency as he and the Brooklyn Nets seek home-court advantage in first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Favors growing up as Jazz battle for playoff spot (The Associated Press)
The News SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Tyrone Corbin remembers the scared pup that arrived in Salt Lake City as part of the Deron Williams trade two year ago.
Gerald Wallace: ‘My confidence is totally gone’ (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Gerald Wallace played 31 1/2 minutes on Saturday night without taking a shot. It didn't register as a super big deal at the time, because there was other stuff to talk about — namely, his current team (the Brooklyn Nets) beating his former team (the Charlotte Bobcats), point guard Deron Williams (32 points and six assists) continuing his post-All-Star surge , Reggie Evans posting his league-leading eighth 20-rebound game of the season and the Nets adding a half-game to their lead over the Chicago Bulls for the East's No. 4 seed (they added another on Sunday , thanks to the Detroit Pistons).
As has been the case for most of this Nets season, Wallace flew under the radar a bit in the immediate aftermath of the game, even though he'd clearly passed up some open looks en route to ending the game with just one point after splitting a pair of free throws. That changed a bit after the fact, though, as the 30-year-old small forward discussed the circumstances behind the rare gun-shy game — just the fourth time in nine seasons since becoming an NBA starter he'd failed to take a shot and only the second such game in which he'd played more than 12 minutes — with Tim Bontemps of the New York Post .
The oh-fer served as the nadir of a dreadful post-All-Star stretch for Wallace, and he pulled no punches in his self-assessment — he's flat-out shook when he gets the ball these days:
“My confidence is totally gone,” Wallace told The Post Saturday. “I’m just at the point now ... I’m in a situation where I feel like if I miss, I’m going to get pulled out of the game, you know what I’m saying? So my whole concept is just that you can’t come out of the game if you’re not missing shots.
“I think I lost the confidence of the coaching staff and my teammates. So my main thing is those guys can score, so instead of thinking about it so much, just trying to focus on defense, try to move the ball and get those guys shots.”
The News Williams had 32 points and six assists, and the Brooklyn Nets strengthened their hold on fourth place in the Eastern Conference by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 105-96 on Saturday night.
Our View Williams is averaging 28.7 points on 58.3 percent shooting over his last three games, 10.0 more than his season mark of 18.7.
Nets sweep Bobcats, increase lead for 4th place (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- The Brooklyn Nets know they will need more performances like Saturday's from Deron Williams if they have any plans of going deep into the playoffs.
Boozer, Bulls' resiliency earns them hard-fought win over Nets (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)
The News Carlos Boozer put up a monster game -- 29 points, 18 rebounds -- as the Bulls showed some resiliency in a hard-fought win over Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers are ending 2012-13 on a snippy note (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Kyrie Irving, for a few quick minutes on Wednesday night, was thought to have just about had it with Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott. Following Cleveland’s 113-95 thumping at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets, Elyria Chronicle-Telegram Cavs scribe Rick Noland sent this out:
kyrie on whether scott has lost players: "I think you should ask him. I'm not going to be the one to answer that."
— Rick Noland MG/CT (@RickNoland) April 4, 2013
And that got around quickly. I even re-tweeted it for Ball Don’t Lie’s Twitter account . Could Irving, stuck in a 22-52 season and headed toward the lottery two years running, be frustrated with his coach? Were the musings of The News-Herald’s Bob Finnan, who wondered on Sunday if Scott would be around in 2013-14 , correct? Eh, apparently not. Noland later apologized profusely for mishearing Irving, and confusing the word “him” for “them.” As in, “go ask Kyrie’s lacking teammates if they’ve quit on Scott.”
Still, the rancor rings. Irving came back from a painful shoulder injury on Sunday to join a Cavalier team that is in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, and the team appears to be getting no better. Already one of the league’s worst second half teams , the Cavs started Wednesday night down 30 points after the first two quarters to Brooklyn, with Irving ( who flourished in his first game back ) struggling with a 5-16 night . Hell, Deron Williams even dunked .
Deron Williams dunks! No, seriously! First time all season! (Video) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News The handle never abandoned Deron Williams — he's still had that lethal crossover all year — but for most of this season, persistent ankle problems have sapped his elevation, keeping him in pain and largely earthbound.
Well, let's ask the Cleveland Cavaliers how D-Will's feeling these days:
Welcome back, Deron. Three cheers for juice cleanses and cortisone shots , huh?
Before shaking Wayne Ellington to the studs and finishing with that emphatic throwdown, the Brooklyn Nets point guard's last slam dunk in an NBA game had come at the 9:30 mark of the third quarter of a then-New Jersey win over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 13, 2012 — just 10 days shy of a full year ago. So when he navigated past the perimeter and gained the lane, he must have been thinking about it, right?
“I didn’t really plan it,” a smiling Williams said after the game, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post . “It’s just something that happened.”
The News PHOENIX -- Brook Lopez scored 21 points and Deron Williams scored seven of his 20 in the final five minutes as the Brooklyn Nets blew a 16-point third quarter lead but regrouped to outlast the Phoenix Suns 102-100 Sunday night.
The News Williams had 31 in his first visit to Dallas since spurning his hometown team in free agency, leading the Brooklyn Nets past the Mavericks 113-96 on Wednesday night.
Our View Williams scored 26 in the second half as he showed controversial Mavs owner Mark Cuban what his game is all about. Cuban wasn't interested in Williams talk Wednesday. "That's old, old, old, old news," Cuban said before the game.
Williams has happy homecoming in helping Nets rip Mavs (The SportsXchange)
The News DALLAS -- Last season when Deron Williams led the Brooklyn Nets to a victory at the American Airlines Center, located about 15 minutes from where he grew up, he said the arena was one of his favorites in the league.
Lopez, Williams lead Nets past Mavericks 113-96 (The Associated Press)
The News DALLAS (AP) -- Brook Lopez scored 38 points and Deron Williams had 31 in his first visit to Dallas since spurning his hometown team in free agency, leading the Brooklyn Nets past the Mavericks 113-96 on Wednesday night.
The News DALLAS -- Deron Williams spurned his hometown team last summer as a free agent and burned them Wednesday night with a huge second half to lead the Brooklyn Nets over the Dallas Mavericks, 113-96.
The News AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Deron Williams had 31 points and five assists as the Brooklyn Nets handed the Detroit Pistons their ninth straight loss, 119-82 at The Palace on Monday.
Brook Lopez helps Nets beat Hornets, 108-98 (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Brook Lopez scored 26 points and had a big dunk over twin brother Robin, Deron Williams added 21 points and 13 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Hornets 108-98 on Tuesday night.
The News Like most twins, NBA centers Brook and Robin Lopez are very close. They share a bond that few people in this world will ever understand, and it's a beautiful thing. Yet, when they entered the league in 2008 and were drafted to different teams, they knew that they would sometimes have to face off in moments of intense conflict. They are locked in the basketball version of civil war, like a story in a particularly compelling arc involving two of their beloved comic book heroes.
On Tuesday night, Robin's New Orleans Hornets traveled to Brooklyn to face Brook's Nets. With around four minutes left in the third quarter, Brook took a pass from point guard Deron Williams, dribbled down an open lane, and elevated for a dunk. Robin, somehow forgetting the presence of a person with whom he shared the same womb, was late to challenge and became the victim of a brutal posterization. Brook, to his credit, did not celebrate, presumably because he knew that he had hurt his brother.
The Nets went on to win 108-98 , but the significance of this play extends well beyond the final score. After the jump, please consult the long history of Brook-on-Robin conflict.
The News Like most twins, NBA centers Brook and Robin Lopez are very close. They share a bond that few people in this world will ever understand, and it's a beautiful thing. Yet, when they entered the league in 2008 and were drafted to different teams, they knew that they would sometimes have to face off in moments of intense conflict. They are locked in the basketball version of civil war, like a story in a particularly compelling arc involving two of their beloved comic book heroes.
On Tuesday night, Robin's New Orleans Hornets traveled to Brooklyn to face Brook's Nets. With around four minutes left in the third quarter, Brook took a pass from point guard Deron Williams, dribbled down an open lane, and elevated for a dunk. Robin, somehow forgetting the presence of a person with whom he shared the same womb, was late to challenge and became the victim of a brutal posterization. Brook, to his credit, did not celebrate, presumably because he knew that he had hurt his brother.
The Nets went on to win 108-98 , but the significance of this play extends well beyond the final score. After the jump, please consult the long history of Brook-on-Robin conflict.
The News NEW YORK -- Brook Lopez scored 26 points and Deron Williams added 21 points and 13 assists, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 108-98 victory over the New Orleans Hornets Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.
The News Two weeks ago, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the last-place New Orleans Hornets thanks in large part to a clutch performance from Deron Williams.
The News Williams made an NBA-record nine 3-pointers in the first half, finished with 11 and scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
Our View Williams made his first eight shots behind the arc, became the first player in a decade to match the opposing team's score in the first half, and was one shy of the NBA record of 12 3-pointers as the Nets opened a huge early lead and coasted.
Williams' 11 3s, 42 points lead Nets past Wizards (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams already had five 3-pointers in less than five minutes when he pulled up in transition well behind the line, just to see how hot he really was.
Deron Williams torches Wizards as Nets cruise to easy victory (The SportsXchange)
The News NEW YORK -- Deron Williams might have had a stretch earlier this season where his outside shot wasn't falling, but that certainly wasn't the case for the Brooklyn Nets point guard Friday night.
The News NEW YORK -- Deron Williams connected on his first eight attempts from 3-point range and scored 23 of his game-high 42 points in the first quarter to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Washington Wizards Friday night at the Barclays Center.
Williams' 11 3s, 42 points lead Nets past Wizards (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams made an NBA-record nine 3-pointers in the first half, finished with 11 and scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
Deron Williams hits record 9 3s in first half (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams has set the NBA record with nine 3-pointers in a half in the first half of the Brooklyn Nets' game against Washington.
The News CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Joe Johnson scored 22 points and Deron Williams scored 20 as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-78 on Wednesday night.
Deron Williams did a juice cleanse during All-Star break, thinks he can dunk again (Ball Don't Lie)
The News This hasn't exactly been the most fun year for Deron Williams. While he's finally back to winning after two seasons in the lottery following his trade from the Utah Jazz, the 28-year-old point guard has found it difficult to live up to the $98.8 million maximum contract he inked this summer to lead the Brooklyn Nets due, in part, to injuries.
Williams said before the season that he might need surgery this summer to repair his left ankle, which he hurt while representing the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and with which he's had problems dating back to his days in Utah. He missed practices and received an injection in the ankle before the Nets' first game, also battled a persistent right wrist injury and struggled to subpar shooting marks during the season's first two months. (To hear Deron tell is, though, some of the problems might have stemmed from discomfort with then-coach Avery Johnson's system .)
His stroke sharpened considerably after P.J. Carlesimo replaced the ousted Johnson , with his accuracy increasing five percentage points overall and 11 from behind the 3-point line as the Nets ripped off a 13-5 record in Carlesimo's first 18 games. Things took a turn before the All-Star break, though, as the ankle pain returned, his accuracy dipped and he missed a pair of games . After resting through the break, though, Williams has ( some missteps aside ) come back looking like a new man ... thanks in part to quick health kick, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News :
The Nets point guard revealed Tuesday that he used his extended All-Star break to go through a three-day juice diet cleanse, detoxifying his body and dropping weight at the same time his fitness was called into question. He also said the latest injections into his inflamed ankles (cortisone and platelet-rich plasma) were “finally in the right spot.”
He had two previous rounds of cortisone shots into his ankles since training camp, with less effect.
"I feel a little better," Williams said. "I can actually go up and down stairs. I can run around with my kids. I can go to the playground with them. I don't hurt every time I take a step." [...]
“He’s really made a strong move addressing diet,” interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “I remember we were at a dinner the other night and he was drinking that cleanse stuff. He’s lost some weight in the week off, close to a week off. I think it helped him.
Williams' late-game heroics lift Nets past Hornets (The SportsXchange)
The News NEW ORLEANS -- After struggling in the final 30 seconds of a close loss to Memphis on Sunday, Deron Williams decided it was time for him to take command down the stretch for the Brooklyn Nets.
Williams, Lopez lead Nets past Hornets, 101-97 (The Associated Press)
The News NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Deron Williams scored 33 points, Brook Lopez added 20 points and four blocks while playing against his twin brother, Robin, and the Brooklyn Nets snapped a two-game skid with a 101-97 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night.
The News NEW ORLEANS -- Deron Williams scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the first half and nailed a decisive 3-pointer from the left wing as part of an 11-point offensive flurry in the final 1:24 left to power the Brooklyn Nets to a 101-97 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night at the New Orleans Arena.
Allen's late defense pushes Grizzlies past Nets (The SportsXchange)
The News NEW YORK -- Shortly after the Grizzlies won their seventh straight by holding off Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets 76-72 Sunday, Memphis guard Tony Allen flooded his corner of the locker room by accidentally knocking over a large container of ice water.
The News NEW YORK -- Tony Allen made a big block on Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets and then followed with two free throws, all in a span of seven seconds in the waning moments, as the Grizzlies won their seventh straight, defeating Brooklyn, 76-72, on Sunday night at the Barclays Center.
Nets hang on to beat the Bucks 97-94 (The Associated Press)
The News MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Deron Williams scored 23 points and Brooklyn escaped with a 97-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night after Monta Ellis missed a chance to tie the game with three foul shots in the final seconds.
The News MILWAUKEE -- Deron Williams scored 23 points as the New Jersey Nets rallied and held off a late comeback attempt by the Bucks for a 97-94 victory over Milwaukee Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Joe Johnson forces overtime, follows with the game-winner to beat the Bucks (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News As one of the disappointing cornerstones of the Brooklyn Nets, Joe Johnson has received his fair share of negative criticism this season, and not just after being dragged into ridiculous arguments about LeBron James. Yet, despite his 42.7 percent mark from the field and a PER of 14.6, Johnson has had a flair for the dramatic in his first season as a Net, hitting several game-winners to help the team to a 32-22 record. If nothing else, he's made sure that a few of his less-than-stellar games haven't ended in defeat.
On Tuesday night, Johnson added two more big shots to that ledger. With the Nets down 105-102 to the Milwaukee Bucks and 6.7 seconds left on the clock, Johnson threw an inbounds pass to Deron Williams, ran off a Reggie Evans screen around the free throw line, and received the pass back from Williams at the top of the three-point arc. He elevated for the shot in time to beat a late-closing Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and tied the game with 1.3 seconds left. With no timeouts, the Bucks' Brandon Jennings could only manage a desperation heave at the buzzer, and the two teams went to overtime.
Johnson wasn't finished. After the jump, check out his OT buzzer-beater to give the Nets the win.
Colangelo clarifies remarks on Williams' fitness (The Associated Press)
The News HOUSTON (AP) -- Jerry Colangelo said Saturday he never said Deron Williams was unfit to play in the Olympics, only that the point guard wasn't in great shape when the U.S. men's basketball team began training last summer.
Colangelo: Williams out of shape during Olympics (The SportsXchange)
The News USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo told the New York Daily News on Saturday that Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams is injured because he out of shape last summer for the Olympics.
The News The Brooklyn Nets used a team effort and some production from an unexpected source to survive their first of at least two games without Deron Williams.
The News Williams will miss two games this week after getting treatment on his ankles. The Brooklyn Nets guard won't play Monday night at Indiana or Wednesday at home against Denver. He is expected to return after the All-Star break next weekend.
Our View The Nets say Williams has synovitis, which is inflammation of the ankle joint linings, and received platelet rich plasma treatment on both ankles Monday. Williams has battled a number of minor injuries during a below-average season for the two-time Olympian, but he has missed only one game. He is averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 assists in 50 games.
The News Williams had 15 points and six assists in Tuesday's 92-83 loss to the Lakers.
Our View He limped off the court with an apparent ankle injury late in the first half of a 93-89 win over Chicago on Friday, but he was back to start the third quarter.
Deron Williams’ new $15.8 million Manhattan penthouse seems nice (PHOTOS) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News After signing a five-year, $98.8 million contract to run the point as the franchise player of the Brooklyn Nets this summer, it became clear that Deron Williams was going to be sticking around New York for a little while. All that was left was for the 28-year-old triggerman to find a place that his family could call home for the long term; as you might expect in the world of New York real estate, putting down roots can come at a pretty steep price.
[Also: NBA players union places exec director Billy Hunter suspended ]
The damage in this case, according to Jennifer Gould Kiel of the New York Post : a cool $15.8 million, which is a little more than a million less than he's making this year . (Then again, the spot was initially listed at $16.9 million , so really, this is a total bargain.)
So what's $15.8 million buy these days? According to the Post, 6,800 square feet of penthouse livin' — in a pad once checked out by Diddy , so you know it's cool — just across the Brooklyn Bridge in Tribeca, which sounds pretty cozy:
The six-bedroom, 4 1/2-bathroom residence in the Merchant’s House condo conversion, a building that dates back to 1905, also features a sprawling 3,000 square feet of outdoor space.
The unit includes a modern great room with 17-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a skylight. Other highlights include sliding glass doors that open onto a Zen-like Japanese garden and a floating staircase. The “restaurant-grade” stainless-steel kitchen comes with a commercial range and dishwasher plus two industrial refrigerators, and there’s also an “oversized climate-controlled wine room.” And if Williams feels like driving back and forth from Barclays Center, the residence comes with two garage spaces.
And if he doesn't, his new place is like a 20-minute ride away from Barclays on the Q . Easy peasy!
Nets dispel Magic to get back to winning ways (Reuters)
The News (Reuters) - The Brooklyn Nets used a dominant fourth-quarter display to power away from the struggling Orlando Magic for a 97-77 victory on Monday. Deron Williams had 20 points and nine assists, Brook Lopez added 16 and the Nets (27-18) gave P.J. Carlesimo a welcome victory after suffering consecutive defeats for the first time since he took over from the fired Avery Johnson last month. "We played two bad games. We know we didn't play the way we're capable of playing," Brooklyn reserve Keith Bogans told reporters. ...
UPDATE 1-NBA-Nets dispel Magic to get back to winning ways (Reuters)
The News * Magic lose sixth straight * Nets within 1 1/2 games of Knicks Jan 28 (Reuters) - The Brooklyn Nets used a dominant fourth-quarter display to power away from the struggling Orlando Magic for a 97-77 victory on Monday. Deron Williams had 20 points and nine assists, Brook Lopez added 16 and the Nets (27-18) gave P.J. Carlesimo a welcome victory after suffering consecutive defeats for the first time since he took over from the fired Avery Johnson last month. "We played two bad games. We know we didn't play the way we're capable of playing," Brooklyn reserve Keith Bogans told reporters. ...
NBA-Nets compound Orlando misery with 97-77 win (Reuters)
The News Jan 28 (Reuters) - The New Jersey Nets powered away from struggling Orlando with a dominant fourth quarter to thrash the Magic 97-77 on Monday. Deron Williams had 20 points and nine assists, Brook Lopez added 16 and the Nets (27-18) ended their first two-game losing streak since P.J. Carlesimo took over for the fired Avery Johnson late last month. Playing in front of their home crowd, Brooklyn took a 56-40 halftime lead and ended firmly to hand the Magic a sixth straight loss. ...
The News NEW YORK -- Deron Williams had 20 points and nine assists and Brook Lopez added 16 points, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 97-77 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night at the Barclays Center.
Nets rout Magic 97-77 for 8th straight home win (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams had 20 points and nine assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Orlando Magic 97-77 on Monday night for their eighth straight home victory.
Jerry Stackhouse totally pwns Nets fans/haterz on Twitter (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Just about everything's been going the Brooklyn Nets' way of late — they've won nine of their last 10, they're 12-2 since firing Avery Johnson , they've made multiple improvements on both sides of the ball under P.J. Carlesimo and they've drawn to within a half-game of the New York Knicks for first place in the Atlantic Division. Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries ... it seems like every player in black and white's got an extra spring in his step and some extra snap on his jumper.
Everyone except Jerry Stackhouse, that is. In 17 appearances under Johnson, the 38-year-old veteran had been a surprisingly effective option off the Brooklyn bench, scoring 6.4 points in 17 minutes per game and hitting an above-league-average 36.1 percent of his 3-pointers, including a 43.9 percent (18 for 41) mark on corner 3-pointers. Since Carlesimo's Dec. 28 takeover, though, Stackhouse has been bumped down the depth chart, making nine appearances and averaging just 10 minutes per contest, and he hasn't given Brooklyn much, shooting just 19.2 percent from the floor, 14.3 percent from 3 and missing nine of his 10 corner tries.
As the team has risen, Stack's stock has fallen, and when some Nets fans let him know as much on Twitter on Wednesday, the 18th-year pro decided to fire back. From Nets Daily :
Jerry Stackhouse totally owns Nets fans/haterz on Twitter (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Just about everything's been going the Brooklyn Nets' way of late — they've won nine of their last 10, they're 12-2 since firing Avery Johnson , they've made multiple improvements on both sides of the ball under P.J. Carlesimo and they've drawn to within a half-game of the New York Knicks for first place in the Atlantic Division. Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries ... it seems like every player in black and white's got an extra spring in his step and some extra snap on his jumper.
Everyone except Jerry Stackhouse, that is. In 17 appearances under Johnson, the 38-year-old veteran had been a surprisingly effective option off the Brooklyn bench, scoring 6.4 points in 17 minutes per game and hitting an above-league-average 36.1 percent of his 3-pointers, including a 43.9 percent (18 for 41) mark on corner 3-pointers. Since Carlesimo's Dec. 28 takeover, though, Stackhouse has been bumped down the depth chart, making nine appearances and averaging just 10 minutes per contest, and he hasn't given Brooklyn much, shooting just 19.2 percent from the floor, 14.3 percent from 3 and missing nine of his 10 corner tries.
As the team has risen, Stack's stock has fallen, and when some Nets fans let him know as much on Twitter on Wednesday, the 18th-year pro decided to fire back. From Nets Daily :
Williams clutch as Nets snap slide against Hawks (The SportsXchange)
The News NEW YORK -- With the outcome of Friday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks still hanging in the balance in the final minute, the Brooklyn Nets made sure that they got the ball in the hands of their point guard, even if he had missed his last nine attempts from the floor, because Deron Williams hasn't missed a free throw in what seemed like a lifetime.
The News NEW YORK -- Deron Williams scored 18 of 24 points in the first half and made four clutch free throws in the final minute, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 94-89 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at the Barclays Center.
Nets beat Hawks 94-89 for home-and-home split (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams scored 24 points, making four free throws in the final 43.4 seconds, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 94-89 on Friday night to earn a split of a home-and-home series.
Mavs may be rounding into form, and just in time (The Associated Press)
The News DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks are finally playing like the team they thought they built after Deron Williams spurned them in the offseason.
The News Williams had 21 points in the Nets' 113-106 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday.
Our View The veteran point guard also added seven assists to help Brooklyn extend its season-high win streak to seven games. He is averaging 19.7 points with a 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio during the streak.
The News NEW YORK -- Brook Lopez scored 22 points, and teammates Joe Johnson and Deron Williams chipped in with 21 points each, leading the Brooklyn Nets to their seventh straight victory, a 113-106 decision over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.
Nets beat Raptors for season-high 7th win in a row (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Brook Lopez had 22 points and nine rebounds, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams each scored 21 points, and the Brooklyn Nets extended their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 113-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.
Deron Williams doesn’t think he deserves to be an All-Star this year (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Deron Williams will most likely be a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team next month. He's been the third-leading vote-getter among Eastern guards through all three rounds of All-Star ballot returns thus far, trailing only Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics; as of the last published returns, the Brooklyn Nets point guard led Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving by more than 41,000 votes for third. While the East squad's coaches could choose Irving as the top reserve guard due to his more productive and exciting play for a moribund Cavs team, Williams' reputation seems to make him a pretty sound bet to take another one of the East's bench slots for the midseason exhibition.
If it was up to Williams himself, though, he wouldn't be heading to Houston. Not because he scoffs at the honor of making his fourth All-Star appearance or anything; rather, as he told Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York in a bit of refreshingly honest self-reflection, he just doesn't think he belongs this year:
Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams is a three-time All-Star.
But he doesn't think he has done enough this season to merit a fourth selection.
"I just think there's people playing better than me," he said Tuesday.
The News PHILADELPHIA -- Deron Williams scored 22 points, and Reggie Evans grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds Tuesday night as the Brooklyn Nets routed the Philadelphia 76ers 109-89.
Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t sound excited about the Mavericks’ future (Ball Don't Lie)
The News In the immediate aftermath of their 2011 championship, the Dallas Mavericks took a gamble. With many key players — especially Tyson Chandler — set to become free agents, Mark Cuban and his front office decided to let most of them go. It was a calculated risk based on the hope that the Mavs could successfully woo a free agent superstar, hoped to be either Dwight Howard or Dallas native Deron Williams.
It did not work out, and the Mavericks are now an aging team 5.5 games back of a playoff spot with little hope of improving without a major move. Star Dirk Nowitzki, who's played in only seven games and is still recovering from knee surgery, isn't feeling so great about the team's future. From Tim MacMahon for ESPNDallas.com :
Nets drop Thunder 110-93 as Durant ejected (The Associated Press)
The News OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Joe Johnson scored a season-high 33 points, Deron Williams added 19 points and 13 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets snapped Oklahoma City's 12-game home winning streak by beating the Thunder 110-93 Wednesday night in a game featuring the first ejection of Kevin Durant's career.
The 10-man rotation, starring one possible legacy of Drazen Petrovic (Ball Don't Lie)
The News A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C : Punch-Drunk Wolves . I share this consideration of the relationship between Rick Adelman and Drazen Petrovic during their brief shared time with the Portland Trail Blazers two decades ago for two reasons. For one thing, I like thinking about Drazen Petrovic, who could do stuff like this and died way, way too young.
For another, though, it raises a really interesting question: Did Adelman's failure to recognize and utilize Petrovic's skills in Portland — which, while understandable given the talent-packed backcourt of those late '80s/early '90s Blazers teams, still seems like a waste of what instantly became an All-NBA-caliber player — spur him to open his mind to what foreign talents could accomplish in the NBA? Maybe not, but given how welcoming and innovative he's been with the international players he's coached with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and now the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's interesting food for thought.
PF : Silver Screen and Roll . How does a team with the league's sixth-most efficient offense and a just-south-of-middle-of-the-pack defense wind up a game under .500, three games worse than their statistically "expected" win-loss record and vacillating so wildly from world-beating to woeful? C.A. Clark's got a great read on the Los Angeles Lakers' maddeningly consistent inconsistency.
SF : The New York Times . With Deron Williams and his Brooklyn Nets mired in some serious struggles , interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo says he talked to his point guard and "I told him exactly what I needed him to be. I needed him to be Deron Williams." Howard Beck explains why that's not so simple these days.
Nets score franchise-record-low 5 points in 3rd quarter of blowout loss to Spurs (Ball Don't Lie)
The News On some level, it's fitting that the Brooklyn Nets capped their disastrous December by setting a franchise record for offensive failure.
After all, a month that began with boundless excitement over a red-hot 11-4 start — excitement that has completely disappeared thanks to a monthlong meltdown spurred by a foot injury to Brook Lopez, a complete devolution on both sides of the ball, the franchise point guard complaining about the offense , the super-famous power forward getting benched , the stalwart small forward calling out his too-casual teammates and a million other things that led to Avery Johnson's firing — has to end with a bang, doesn't it? Or, perhaps more accurately, with a brick. Eighteen of them, on 20 tries, over the space of 12 minutes on Monday that turned what had been a tight game at halftime into an absolute laugher before the fourth.
Playing without injured spark plug Gerald Wallace, the Nets scored five points in the third quarter in a 104-73 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on New Year's Eve. They missed seven of their eight tries at the rim, all six of their 3-pointers, and made just one of six midrange attempts; their shot chart for the quarter, captured by Devin Kharpertian at The Brooklyn Game , is a sea of red with one brief sliver of green. They turned the ball over seven times, leading to 12 Spurs points. Only one Net — point guard Deron Williams (2 for 6, all five points) — hit a shot in the third; seven Nets posted ohfers. On successive possessions midway through the quarter, Regge Evans (who had taken all of three shots from further than nine feet away all season) shot a midrange jumper that bounced over the backboard, Andray Blatche threw a scoop layup out of bounds and Deron Williams put a jumper off the side of the backboard. Yep: That bad.
It wasn't the lowest-scoring quarter in NBA history — the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors both have two-point frames in their record books — but it was the lowest single-quarter scoring output in the 46-year history of the Nets franchise. After the game's merciful end, interim coach P.J. Carlesimo looked back on his Nets' 10 percent shooting in that awful third quarter and told Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press , "I'm actually surprised it wasn't worse."
The News Williams was not particularly impressive on Monday, finishing with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting. He also recorded only one assist, his first game this season without more than one.
Our View Williams will likely be the object of increased scrutiny for the remainder of the season as his name was linked to the firing of Nets coach Avery Johnson last week.
Avery Johnson is out as Brooklyn Nets coach, as Deron Williams counts his alibis (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Much in the same way incumbent top assistant coaches rarely act as a new-and-improved voice when they take over for fired head coaches, former Brooklyn Nets coach Avery Johnson never had a chance with his team. He had the stink of Old Nets on him from Day One of the team’s first game in Brooklyn, a carryover from East Rutherford and Newark and those old red, white and blue uniforms. It didn’t matter that Deron Williams had been playing under him for 20 months by the time the team’s Brooklyn Era began, purely because Williams never took that time seriously.
Williams, unable to get out of that rebuilding rut with the same old voice on the sideline, began his first year in Brooklyn with a terrible two months of play. Johnson didn’t adjust, and as a result ( as first reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski ), the disappointing Nets have let Avery go.
Williams is the reason Johnson won’t be a Net into 2013. Williams' sub-40-percent shooting and inability to curb his insistence on chucking 3-pointers (despite a 29 percent mark from long range) did in the former Dallas Mavericks coach. But it’s also probably true that Avery wasn’t right for this job. Williams refuses to be the penetrator he was in Utah, that’s to be sure, but it was always going to take a different voice to pull something new out of the team’s most important player – and you can’t bide time for 67 games with Williams during a rebuilding project from February 2011 until April 2012 and expect the same voice and player to flip the switch once they get some free-agent help.
Deron Williams out for Nets (The Associated Press)
The News MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams will not play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night after aggravating his sore right wrist the day before.
Kris Humphries is benched by the Brooklyn Nets as they look to right the ship (Ball Don't Lie)
The News If Sunday’s close 95-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers was any indication, Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries isn’t just out of coach Avery Johnson’s rotation. He’s out of the scene entirely, set to rack up some Did Not Play – Coach’s Decisions, because of his struggles on both sides of the ball. A pretty steep freefall, to be sure, but is it one that’s deserved?
Johnson sat Humphries in favor of a forward pairing teaming up smallish forward Gerald Wallace and former shooting guard Keith Bogans. Both responded with fine outings – Bogans managed a very un-Keith Bogans line that included 13 points, and Wallace came through with nine rebounds, six assists, and 14 points in the win. Both combined for over 72 minutes of play, and that’s a lot, but the Nets (who had lost eight of 10 entering Sunday) had to do something.
Humphries, who reportedly only gets rattled when he’s being heckled by giant DJ decks , responded with a brah-ish sense of cool :
"He just said he was starting Gerald [Wallace] and it was going to be inconsistent for me for a while," Humphries said. "I really didn't know it was going to be a DNP, but you've got to be ready to handle anything in the NBA .
"Anybody wants to start and play as much as possible, so you are obviously frustrated. But it's about more than one player."
That is, perhaps, the most shocking but most understandable element of the demotion. Fewer minutes? Sure. A benching? That’s fine, I suppose. But a DNP-CD? No minutes at all, even as 6-9 forward Tornike Shengelia got to see three minutes off the bench? Tornike Shengelia is a thing, people.
Coach Avery Johnson was succinct in his summation :
"He's fine. He's healthy. He's not in the doghouse," Johnson said. "Hey, we just had to try something else . . . "
"We'll just see how it goes. At the end of the day, we've got to settle on something. Sixty percent of the league plays this way, and this also helps us on transition defense because we have smaller, quicker guys and the floor is spaced differently."
It is true that the modern NBA more and more often leans on smaller lineups that like to push forwards out past the three-point line. Bogans’ entire offensive arsenal comes from spotting up for and hitting less than a league average percent of three-pointers, surely his and Wallace’s 4-6 mark on Sunday from long range cannot be counted on game in and game out.
Then again, Humphries can’t shoot a lick from outside, and the Nets were put together to be an offense-first club. That’s part of the reason why his benching feels like a smokescreen of sorts, even if it wasn’t intended that way.
The Nets are currently ranked ninth in offensive efficiency, and 18th on the other end. That’s not too far off from what we expected of the squad entering the season, and asking more on the defensive end from a team featuring flat-footed players like Humphries, Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Reggie Evans would be ridiculous. These players neither have the instincts nor quickness to keep up with opponents.
Also, Andray Blatche is on this team.
For that group to be at 18, some would suggest, is an accomplishment. The real letdown is on offense, where it was assumed before the year that the Nets would have to be a top five or even top three offensive team if they wanted to compete. With the defensive end dragging them down that much, the squad had to shoot the lights out. And while number nine was good enough for John and Yoko , it can’t be counted on if the Nets want to hit the postseason looked upon as a force.
The Nets’ typical starting lineup of Williams, Joe Johnson, Wallace, Humphries and Lopez has played teams just about even on the year, and that’s the stuff of 41-win dreams. Not 59. The pairing of Humphries and Lopez was worrisome entering the year, and it’s possible that their stone-footed approach to defense and scoring acumen that only extends to the lines on the end of the paint could be a problem, but it’s also worth noting that the new lineup (with Wallace and Bogans raining in treys) only won by three last night.
Humphries’ production has dipped a bit since last season, but there are also more mouths to feed with Lopez’s return to health and Joe Johnson on board. Offensively, he’s the same player he’s always been – a big forward with no range that still manages to shoot a bad percentage on the inside while rarely getting to the free throw line. He’s a rebounder that sometimes dunks and still loves that pull-up jumper that seems good in theory but rarely falls.
Is he the biggest problem, though?
The five-man lineup Johnson previously rolled out was playing almost exactly average basketball, outscoring its opponents by only two points since the start of 2012-13. Deron Williams is still making fewer than 40 percent of his shots, though. Johnson is playing below average offensive basketball despite putting up strong per-game numbers due to his massive minutes and shot attempts (where have we seen that before?). Those two players combine to shoot nearly 11 three-pointers a contest despite making 33.9 percent of them. That’s just 11.1 points per 10.9 possessions. That’s awful, and it’s not something that would appear to be changing any time soon.
Maybe the real issue is outsized expectations. The Nets are full of very famous people with very large contracts. Williams and Johnson, though, are probably not worth the same maxed-out salary that other stars make. Same with Lopez, though we can understand the market constraints that led to his deal. If anything, the Nets should be banking on 66 future healthy games from Lopez, who has turned a corner (even if, for a center, he’s still – ahem – behind the curve) with his rebounding game. And a possible uptick in shooting percentages from Williams and Johnson.
Little of this is the fault of the team’s doofus power forward. Going small isn’t going to be a panacea. As it’s been, the onus is on Brooklyn’s smalls to help things done change. We’ll give them one more chance.
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NYC DJs trolled Kris Humphries with Kanye West songs (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries is famous because he once dated and was very briefly married to professional celebrity Kim Kardashian. No matter how much the general public comes to appreciate his rebounding, he will be the target of jokes, because he spent lots of time on several E! reality shows. At least Lamar Odom has a couple championships to balance out the bad publicity. This stuff is going to follow Humphries for years, possibly even beyond his playing career.
[Also: Two other prominent point guards chime in on Deron Williams’ Brooklyn woes ]
If you haven't heard, Miss Kardashian is now dating brash egotist and musical genius Kanye West. So, when Kris Humphries went out to a New York City club on Wednesday night, the DJs trolled him by playing a bunch of Kanye's hits. From the gossip blog of The New York Daily News , a.k.a. a reputable source (via TBJ ):
Two other prominent point guards chime in on Deron Williams’ Brooklyn woes (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Jerry Sloan’s system didn’t turn John Stockton into a Hall of Famer, because the former Utah Jazz coach’s plays had little to do with Stockton’s superior athletic gifts and expert timing. It didn’t make Deron Williams, fresh off a trip to the NCAA championship, into a young superstar. And his modified take on the UCLA or “flex” offense is neither ubiquitous nor unique. He was just a very good coach, perhaps the best of the last 30 years, who did well in leading the players he was charged with coaching.
Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams didn’t exactly fawn over the coach he badgered into retirement earlier this week when candidly praised the offense he played under with Sloan from 2005 until 2011 , but he did talk up how much he “loved the offense there” in a back and forth with reporters earlier this week .
And now, with the struggles of Brooklyn’s hopeful superstars starting to make waves, other point men have chimed in. Namely, current Jazz point man Mo Williams, and Knicks starting hybrid guard Jason Kidd. Williams, who worked under Sloan during his rookie year in 2003-04, spoke on Thursday about missing the offense after he left Utah :
"The biggest difference when you leave," he said, "is other players haven’t been at Utah, so they don’t know how that system really is. They don’t know, you can get frustrated at times in the sense that you wonder why guys don’t know how to play the ‘right way.’”
The 10-man rotation, starring Jeremy Lin and James Harden (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C : BBallBreakdown . Coach Nick breaks down the potential and possibilities behind a Jeremy Lin/James Harden backcourt.
PF : SB Nation . THE LAKERS SHOULD TOTALLY HIRE NICK SABAN YOU CABLE-WATCHERS GUYS.
SF : Newark Star-Ledger . Dave D’Allesandro, the finest writer in all of sports-dumb, absolutely nails it with Deron Williams.
SG : SB Nation . Justice B. Hill with a feature I’m in awe of, on former Harlem Globetrotter Ernest Wagner.
PG : HoopsAnalyst . Ed Weiland on the college-types that can make an NBA difference at small forward.
6th : SB Nation . Tom Ziller on the seven players that need to be traded NOW.
7th : Cowbell Kingdom . Marcus Thornton is working through quite a bit as he contributes to his Sacramento Kings.
8th : NBA.com . Shawn Marion, for the 49th season in a row, might be the NBA’s most underrated player.
9th : CSNNW.com : Ian Karmel discusses a bit of Bobcats, and a whole bit of funny.
10th : You Made It Weird . Ian Karmel doesn’t talk about the NBA much in this podcast, but this will make you giggle. Download this, and enjoy your Friday.
Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at kdonhoops (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter .
Johnson scores 23 as Nets beat Raptors 94-88 (The Associated Press)
The News TORONTO (AP) -- After a first half to forget, Deron Williams gave his Brooklyn Nets teammates a quick pep talk before the start of the third quarter.
Jennings, Ellis lead Bucks in 97-88 win over Nets (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Brandon Jennings had heard all the talk about how Brooklyn's backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson was considered one of the best in the league.
Here are 5 uncool things about the Brooklyn Nets (Ball Don't Lie)
The News As part of the "Punch List" year-end culture roundup in its December 2012 issue, GQ magazine asked hip-hop icon Jay-Z to identify the five coolest things about the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA franchise of which he owns a small part and which he helped revamp and reboot, leaving far behind its sub-chic New Jersey past in search of blacker, whiter and (at the gates and concessions) greener pastures. As you might expect, Jay — who turns 43 years old on Tuesday, so happy birthday, Hov — identified the jerseys and logos he helped design, the team's unique herringbone-patterned home court , the rust-roofed but beautiful Barclays Center in which the Nets play, the swaggering borough in which it's located and, naturally, himself ("Me? Ha, I am Brooklyn").
While it doesn't include the fact that the Nets themselves are pretty cool right now — their 11-5 record gives them the East's third-best mark, they rank ninth in the league in points scored per 100 possessions and 12th in the league in points-allowed-per-100 (last year's swan-song version of the New Jersey Nets finished 23rd and 29th, respectively), they're winning despite neither member of the much-ballyhooed Deron Williams/Joe Johnson backcourt looking consistently sharp, and they've already beaten the crosstown rival New York Knicks in their inaugural intra-city meeting — it is a pretty good list. If you really wanted to, though, you could also pick a handful of things about the Nets that, deep down, in the places you don't talk about at parties (probably because you are not invited to very many parties), you all know aren't very cool.
Well, I really wanted to. Here's mine; feel free to weigh in with yours in the comments.
The News Williams finished with 10 points and 12 assists in a 102-89 loss at Miami on Saturday night.
Our View The assist total was fine but where were the points? That's what fantasy owners must be wondering after this subpar effort by D-Will - outshined by the Heat's D-Wade.
Johnson helps Nets beat Trail Blazers 98-85 (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams had 15 points, 12 assists, four blocked shots and three steals, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 98-85 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Dwight Howard says he doesn’t care if Deron Williams is still his friend (Ball Don't Lie)
The News About a year ago, back when it was assumed that Dwight Howard would leave the Orlando Magic as a free agent in the summer of 2012, the Brooklyn Nets were the odds-on favorite to land his services. Along with point guard Deron Williams, Howard would have given the Nets a championship-level two-star core. It didn't hurt that Howard and Williams were friends who had played together on the 2008 Team USA Olympic gold-medal winners in Beijing.
Then Howard and the Magic's long "will they or won't they?" process began, which made the Nets' choice to wait for Howard in perpetuity a difficult process. They moved on, added different players, and forged a different future. Unfortunately, that also spelled the end of the potential partnership between Howard and Williams. Would they remain friends? Could they, after such heartbreak?
Deron, for his part, says he's happy that things worked out well for Dwight with the Lakers. But Dwight says he doesn't care if Deron is mad at him. From Stefan Bondy for the New York Daily News (via SLAM ):
The News Deron Williams didn't re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets simply to get off to a promising start, which may be why he's not exactly celebrating the team's success to date.
Nets beat Rondo-less Celtics, 102-97 (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Joe Johnson made the tiebreaking basket with 3:03 left, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez each scored 24 points, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 102-97 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.
Williams, Johnson lead Nets over Cavaliers 114-101 (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Deron Williams had 26 points and 10 assists, Joe Johnson scored 25 points, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the road-weary Cleveland Cavaliers 114-101 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.
The News BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Joe Johnson snapped out of his early-season shooting slump by scoring 25 points and keying a big second-quarter run, and Deron Williams added 26 points and 10 assists, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 114-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
The News Brooklyn's Deron Williams has long been considered one of the NBA's elite point guards. Second-year pro Kyrie Irving is quickly making his claim for the same status with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
MRI reveals Nets' Williams has bone spurs (The SportsXchange)
The News Despite being diagnosed with bone spurs in his left ankle Thursday, Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams said the injury was "manageable."
Nets' Williams: Felton better PG than Lin (The Associated Press)
The News EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Brooklyn Nets All-Star Deron Williams said Saturday that Raymond Felton is a better playmaker than the point guard he replaced in New York, Jeremy Lin.
Nets' King says Williams told him not to wait on Howard (The SportsXchange)
The News In one of their summer conversations prior to free agency, Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams told general manager Billy King not to wait Dwight Howard.
The 10-man rotation, starring the Nets as they dump popcorn in MarShon Brooks’ car (Ball Don't Lie)
The News A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C : Instagram . Deron Williams gets a few things wrong when he discusses "Enjoying some popcorn out of the rookMarshon Brooks car." First, some grammar issues. Secondly, the idea that the popcorn-in-car-thing is still good to go. Third, but not last? MarShon Brooks has been in the NBA is most definitely not a rookie. There are others, but we'll let you guess them (start with Reggie Evans, shirtless).
PF : New York Daily News . Nets' GM Billy King seems awfully specific while talking the Miami Heat.
SF : National Post . Eric Koreen with a cool feature and Q&A with the Raptors' statistical guru.
SG : Blogabull . Destroying Sam Smith's attempts to defend the Chicago Bulls' offseason.
PG : Sports Radio Interviews . Stephen Curry discusses his slow comeback from ankle woes.
The News Williams says he would be "definitely open" to playing for the United States in the 2014 World Cup of Basketball.
Our View Williams, who helped the Americans win the gold medal in Beijing in 2008 and defend their title last month in London, says he loves representing the U.S. and wouldn't rule out returning for a third Olympics in four years, when he would be 32.
Nets' Williams open to 2014 basketball worlds (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Two-time Olympic gold medalist Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets said Monday he would be ''definitely open'' to playing for the United States in the 2014 World Cup of Basketball.
Coach Avery Johnson says the Nets are ‘not a championship team’ (Ball Don't Lie)
The News As we near season preview and prediction time, one of the things that makes sizing up the Eastern Conference so difficult is figuring out what to make of the new-look Brooklyn Nets. In accordance with a total organizational overhaul that saw shifts in ZIP code, color scheme and uniform, Brooklyn spent boatloads of cash to remake the Nets' moribund roster in the offseason. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov broke out his checkbook, authorizing general manager Billy King to trade for the $89.2 million remaining on the contract of former Atlanta Hawks All-Star Joe Johnson, then drop $98.8 million to keep franchise point guard Deron Williams in the fold, $60.8 million to bring back starting center Brook Lopez, $40 million for sparkplug small forward Gerald Wallace and $24 million to keep double-double forward Kris Humphries.
All told, the $340 million spending spree — keyed by Williams' decision to re-up rather than head home to the Dallas Mavericks — gives the Nets an infusion of talent that creates a deeper, better, more flexible roster than the team's featured at any point in the past decade. It's made them a team to be reckoned with, and one to be taken seriously. But has it made them a title contender? During a recent speaking engagement at a high school in Fort Worth, Texas, Nets coach Avery Johnson suggested such talk slow down.
From Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News :
"Deron was a big key to the whole puzzle," Avery Johnson said. "To be able to acquire some other talent through free agency or trades or re-signing some of our own guys, it's pretty exciting for us. We're not there yet. We're not a championship team. We got a lot of work to do. But at the same time, we have a much better talent pool than we've had the last two years.
"We're much more versatile than we've ever been. Right now, we look good on paper. Now we got to take it from looking good on paper and apply the work to go [forward]."
Johnson's frank roster assessment drew mixed reactions. Some, like many fans and commenters at the excellent Nets blog NetsDaily , registered displeasure with comments they perceived as either a wet blanket unnecessarily dampening offseason optimism or a preemptive excuse in the event that the move to Brooklyn doesn't pay immediate dividends in the win-loss column. Others, like Sekou Smith of NBA.com's Hang Time blog , viewed Johnson's brake-pumping as "sobering in this day and age of overnight contenders and super teams," an "uncommon-but-wise" dose of perspective reminding us all that championships aren't won simply by writing some attractive names on a depth chart.
There's merit to both arguments, I think.
Nets Season Preview: TV Schedule (Fan's View) (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News With the acquisition of Deron Williams, the New Jersey Nets were finally put back on national television. This season, the first for the Brooklyn Nets, will feature 17 games, broadcasted on networks of TNT, ESPN and NBA TV.
Deron Williams hangs, preppily and presidentially, with Bill Clinton (PHOTO) (Ball Don't Lie)
The News Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams is an avid golfer. Former President Bill Clinton is an avid golfer as well as an avid schmoozer. Both have made quite a bit of money in their lifetimes. Both have earned the right, based on this photo, for us to want to put together some sort of wrong-side-of-the-tracks ski competition or par-3 tournament to help save the ski lodge and/or clubhouse from the rule of the rich kids.
Or, at the very least, to keep our 41st President from serving as the newest cover model for the next Vampire Weekend album . Certainly after we spied the picture that Deron sent our way following his turn at the Barclay's Pro Am over the weekend.
From Deron's Instragram (of course) account :
Brooklyn Nets 2012-13 NBA TV Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2011-12 season with an overall record of 22-44. Deron Williams led the team with 21.0 points per game, Kris Humphries led the team with 11.0 rebounds per game, and Williams led the team with 8.7 assists per game. The Nets ranked 24th overall averaging 93.1 points per game while ranking 24th overall allowing 99.1 points per game.
U.S. find supersonic mode to crush Tunisia (Reuters)
The News LONDON (Reuters) - Tunisia slowed down the dazzling U.S. men's basketball team in the first half before the Olympic champions found supersonic mode to record a 110-63 win on Tuesday that ended the second batch of games in Group A. The Africans led 15-12 with less than three minutes to go in the first quarter when American coach Mike Krzyzewski sent a fresh crew of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams and Andre Iguodala on to the court. The new lineup then reeled off the last nine points of the quarter to turn the deficit into a 21-15 advantage. ...
Brooklyn Nets 2012-13 TV Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News After finishing the 2011-12 NBA season with a 22-44 record and fifth in the Atlantic Division, the Brooklyn Nets hope to succeed during the 2012-13 regular season with Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Gerald Wallace. This season, the Nets have 17 nationally-televised games, including nine games on ESPN, five on NBATV, and three on TNT.
Nets officially sign Watson to back up Williams (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- The Brooklyn Nets have signed C.J. Watson to back up Deron Williams at point guard. General manager Billy King announced the signing Monday without disclosing terms.
Wallace felt signing early was good for Williams (The Associated Press)
The News NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Gerald Wallace is convinced that re-signing with the Brooklyn Nets early in free agency helped convince Deron Williams to return to the franchise and play in its new home.
King says Nets a playoff team, but still need more (The Associated Press)
The News NEW YORK (AP) -- Re-signing point guard Deron Williams and acquiring shooting guard Joe Johnson have given the Nets an All-Star backcourt that can get the franchise back to the playoffs in its first season in Brooklyn.
After early offseason whiffs, Mavs acquire Collison, Kaman (The SportsXchange)
The News The Dallas Mavericks struck out on free agent priority Deron Williams, a loss that set back the franchise's hopes of contending for another title in the twilight years of Dirk Nowitzki's career.
Brooklyn bound: Williams inks five-year deal with Nets (The SportsXchange)
The News Deron Williams made his decision to stay with the Brooklyn Nets official at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, signing a five-year contract with the franchise on general manager Billy King's iPad and tweeting a photo of the proceedings.
Williams not caught up in Howard trade talk (The Associated Press)
The News LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Deron Williams and Dwight Howard talked about being NBA teammates four years ago during the Olympics. Now Williams knows there's speculation that it could happen soon.
LeBron, Kobe return to U.S. team for London Games (Reuters)
The News (Reuters) - Five members of the gold medal winning lineup at the 2008 Bejing Games were included in the 12-man U.S. Olympic basketball team announced by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo on Saturday. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams return for another bid for Olympic glory and will spearhead a potent roster in London where the U.S. are favorites. Colangelo announced the selections after two U.S. team training sessions in Las Vegas, though final approval is still required by the U.S. Olympic Committee. ...
US men's Olympic team set for camp, roster picks (The Associated Press)
The News LAS VEGAS (AP) -- LeBron James won a championship. Deron Williams became nearly $100 million richer. Kobe Bryant got Steve Nash as his backcourt partner.
NBA Roundup: Mavs eye Nash, Lin; Gordon agrees to terms with Hornets (The SportsXchange)
The News The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly pursuing point guards Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin, after Deron Williams spurned his hometown team to remain with the Brooklyn Nets.
Report: Teams interested in Nash (The SportsXchange)
The News The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly pursuing point guards Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin, after Deron Williams spurned his hometown team to remain with the Brooklyn Nets.
Report: Mavs interested in Nash, Lin (The SportsXchange)
The News The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly pursuing point guards Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin, after Deron Williams spurned his hometown team to remain with the Brooklyn Nets.
The News (Reuters) - Deron Williams will re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets, the point guard confirmed on his Twitter account on Tuesday, ending speculation that he would cross to the Dallas Mavericks. Williams, a three-time All Star, met with representatives from both teams this week and ultimately chose the Nets franchise that has moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn and will play in a new arena in the coming season. "Made a very tough decision today," Williams tweeted, before posting a link to the Brooklyn Nets logo. Williams would sign a five-year deal worth $98 million, local media have reported. ...
Our View A person with knowledge of the decision says Williams told the team Tuesday he was accepting their five-year ontract worth $98 million. Williams, the top free agent available, chose to stay with the Nets over signing with his hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Mark Cuban won’t meet with Deron Williams, will tape reality show instead (Ball Don't Lie)
The News In the lockout-prolonged offseason and very short free-agent period of 2011, the then-champion Dallas Mavericks had a choice. With several key players — Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson, especially — up for new contracts, the front office had to decide whether it would keep together its squad for another run or begin a reloading process and attempt to bring new core players into the fold in future free-agent periods.
Though the loss of those players (and by that I really mean Chandler) virtually assured that the Mavs wouldn't challenge for the title in 2012, it was nevertheless a reasonable decision to let them go. With an aging core, Dallas had to consider what they would look like in a few seasons. Plus, with Brooklyn Nets point guard and Dallas native Deron Williams on the market this summer, they had the chance to bring in a real live All-Star. They had a plan, and they believed in it for totally acceptable reasons.
[ Adrian Wojnarowski: Anthony Davis to likely miss Olympics after injuring ankle in workout ]
On Monday afternoon, the Mavericks will reach an important point in this plan when they meet with Williams in Dallas. Except, despite the importance of this meeting, highly visible owner Mark Cuban will not be present. Instead, he'll be filming a reality show. From Marc Stein for ESPN.com (via Ben Golliver ):
Report: Deron Williams meeting with Mavs, Nets on Mondayy (The SportsXchange)
The News Free-agent guard Deron Williams will meet with Dallas Mavericks officials and Brooklyn Nets officials on Monday as he begins to decide which team he will sign with, ESPN.com reported Sunday.
Rockets Cannot Steal Howard from Nets During NBA Draft: A Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The News The Philadelphia 76ers would appear to be the future of the Atlantic Division - presuming the Boston Celtics fall apart after they break up and that the New York Knicks never escape mediocrity. But Sixers fans like myself would have reason to fear the Brooklyn Nets, if Dwight Howard finally got there and talked Deron Williams into staying there. That possibility is still alive after the 2012 NBA Draft, despite speculation that the Houston Rockets would destroy it.
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