Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 101 – NBA Blog

In case of lockout, Deron Williams looks into playing overseas

The potential lockout coming to the NBA has resulted in plenty of players considering alternatives should the world’s best basketball league take a break for a while so the millionaires and billionaires can figure out how to better divide their money.

It makes sense for players to glance at the idea of playing overseas. Can’t hurt. Any contract that an NBA star signed to play in Europe or elsewhere would surely have an immediate out clause the second the NBA resumed operations.

New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is doing what’s logical. Jared Zwerling of ESPN The Magazine reports:

Although the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement expires in nearly two months — July 1, to be exact — New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is already considering taking his talents abroad.

“I’m already looking into playing overseas,” said Williams, who was in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday taking part in an event featuring his favorite video game series, Call of Duty. “I haven’t looked anywhere in general; I’m just looking into the possibility of playing over there. But I’m not going to make a decision until after the CBA.”

Beyond that, D-Will had nothing more to say about the labor negotiations between the NBA owners and players.

“I’m not even going to talk about it,” Williams said. “I’m going to let that work itself out. I think a lot of people open their mouths and shouldn’t be talking about the CBA. Let the people handle it that need to handle it. I don’t know enough about it to be running off at the mouth.”

I still hope this all works out, and soon.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Nets begin single affiliation with Springfield Armor D-League team

The New Jersey Nets today began their single affiliation with their NBA Development League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, assuming full control of the Armor’s basketball operations. The Nets become the second NBA team, along with the Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), with such a partnership, also known as a ‘hybrid affiliation,’ and are now the fifth NBA team with a single-affiliated NBA D-League team.

“This is an exciting time for The Nets as we head into this new partnership,” said Nets General Manager Billy King.

In a structure similar to other minor leagues, this model allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing local ownership, which maintains responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations.

“The Nets now become the fifth NBA team to have a ‘one-to-one’ relationship with their NBA Development League affiliate for next season, which reflects our importance and success as a development engine for the NBA,” said NBA D-League President Dan Reed. “It’s a great time for the NBA Development League, and we’re looking forward to a very successful future for the Springfield Armor.”

After entering into a hybrid affiliation with the Houston Rockets prior to the 2009-10 season, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers have led the NBA D-League in Call-Ups the last two seasons, sending eight different players to the NBA 13 times. The other NBA teams that were solely affiliated with an NBA D-League team during the 2010-11 season were the Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends), Oklahoma City Thunder (Tulsa 66ers) and San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros). Both the Thunder and the Spurs fully own and operate their affiliates, while the Legends are owned by Mavericks General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson.

The Nets shared their affiliation with the Armor this season with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. The Sixers’ and Knicks’ new NBA D-League affiliations will be announced at a later date.

Nets make progress, have direction

Al Iannazzone of the YES Network blog reports:

It’s been a frustrating year, but it hasn’t been dysfunctional, and these things are certain: the Nets have direction, unlike last year, and many of their players want to stick around.

At this point last year, no one really knew if Rod Thorn would be back. It was well known Kiki Vandeweghe wouldn’t. So the Nets were going to need a coach and probably a general manager. They were undergoing an ownership change. They were praying they would win the draft lottery and get John Wall. They were formulating a plan of attack to use all the money they had to try to attract LeBron James and other members of the super free-agent class of 2010, believing Mikhail Prokhorov, Jay-Z and the eventual move to Brooklyn would be the ultimate appeals. There were so many ifs and so many unknowns coming off a 12-70 season.

Things didn’t go the way the Nets hoped. Thorn left. The Nets got the No. 3 pick and wound up spending about $70 million on Travis Outlaw, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar and Johan Petro.

But the Nets have much more of a foundation now than last year, with Prokhorov in charge of the team and Johnson and King running the basketball departments. You see where this team is headed.

Deron Williams has wrist surgery

New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams underwent successful wrist surgery today, April 11, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The surgery, performed by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Weiland and Nets team orthopedic Dr. Riley Williams III, involved the removal of loose bodies (three bony fragments) and scar tissue from William’s right wrist.

“The bony fragments and scar tissue taken from Deron’s wrist today were interfering with this ability to flex his wrist,” said Dr. Williams. “We expect a full recovery and a return to basketball-related activities in approximately 6-8 weeks.”

Williams’ wrist will be encased in a soft splint for two weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation. He is expected to fully participate in training camp for the 2011-12 NBA season.

The two-time NBA All-Star was acquired from the Utah Jazz on February 23 in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations.

Williams played in 12 games for the Nets, averaging 15.0 points and 12.8 assists.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Nets sign Mario West for remainder of season

The New Jersey Nets have signed guard Mario West for the remainder of the season, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

The fourth-year veteran out of Georgia Tech has appeared in five games, three starts, for the Nets while averaging 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 20 minutes. He tallied a career-high 13 points in his Nets debut on 4/1/11 at Philadelphia.

West has appeared in 161 career NBA games, including nine starts.

Nets sign Mario West to 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Mario West to a 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

West, 6’5”/ 210, is a fourth-year NBA veteran with career averages of 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 156 games with Atlanta. The Georgia Tech product went undrafted in 2007 and signed with Atlanta as a free agent on October 1, 2007.

West has appeared in 42 games, all starts, with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League this season. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting .526 from the field and .365 from 3-point range. Last season with the Hawks, West appeared in 39 games, including one start, while averaging 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per contest.

West will wear No. 6 with the Nets.

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Nets waive Quinton Ross

Quinton Ross

On NBA bubble

The New Jersey Nets have requested waivers on guard/forward Quinton Ross, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Ross played in 36 games for the Nets this season, making four starts, and averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game. Ross missed a total of 24 games due to injury throughout the season, including 15 of the last 16 games with a lower back injury.

In seven NBA seasons, Ross holds career averages of 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

Knicks edge Nets in MSG thriller

The AP reports:

Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points for the second straight game, including the tiebreaking jumper with 1:08 left, and the New York Knicks rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the New Jersey Nets 120-116 on Wednesday night.

Chauncey Billups added 33 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points for the Knicks, who have won two in a row after a six-game losing streak and trimmed their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to three.

Anthony scored only two points in the fourth quarter after a 20-point third, but it was the basket the Knicks needed in the first meeting since they beat out the Nets in the race to acquire the All-Star forward.

Deron Williams had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in his return from a six-game absence with an injured wrist, but was short on a potential tying jumper in the final seconds and appeared hurt again after going down trying to chase down his miss.

Anthony Morrow scored a season-high 30 points to lead the Nets. Brook Lopez added 26 points and Kris Humphries finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, but New Jersey came up short in a game it desperately wanted to win.

Rockets beat Nets by 25

Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the Houston Rockets moved within two games of the final playoff berth in the Western Conference with a 112-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.

Kevin Martin added 20 points as the Rockets (39-35) posted their sixth win in seven games and inched closer to idle eighth-place Memphis (41-33) with eight games left in the regular season.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Rockets won the rebounding battle 56-42 and the assists category 30-20… For the Nets, Brook Lopez shot 10-of-16 for 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Kris Humprhies shot just 3-of-10 for six points but did grab 13 boards. Jordan Farmar scored 12. Deron Williams did not play.

Nets G Sundiata Gaines suffers fractured hip

Nets point guard Sundiata Gaines has suffered a fractured right hip, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Gaines was injured in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game at Cleveland. Gaines will be on crutches for six to eight weeks, after which time he will begin rehabilitation.

The 24-year old from University of Georgia has appeared in 10 games with the Nets this season, averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 assists in 14.6 minutes.