Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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Nets hire David Vanterpool as an assistant coach

The Brooklyn Nets have named David Vanterpool as an assistant coach on Head Coach Steve Nash’s staff.

Vanterpool comes to Brooklyn after serving the past two seasons (2019-21) as the associate head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the previous seven seasons (2012-19) as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. Additionally, Vanterpool spent two years (2010-12) in the Oklahoma City Thunder front office as director of pro personnel. Prior to beginning his NBA coaching career, Vanterpool spent three years (2007-10) as an assistant coach with CSKA Moscow, helping lead the team to three Russian League championships and the 2008 EuroLeague title. Vanterpool also previously served as an assistant coach with the Canadian Men’s National Team.

Vanterpool spent part of one NBA season (2000-01) with the Washington Wizards during a 12-year professional career in which he played in Italy, China, Russia, the Continental Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association. As a member of CSKA Moscow, Vanterpool won a EuroLeague title in 2006 and was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2003-04 while playing for Italian champion Montepaschi Siena. He also won the 2000 CBA Championship with the Yakima Sun Kings. Vanterpool played collegiately for four years (1991-95) at St. Bonaventure University, where he was named First Team Atlantic-10 and is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

In G League, Long Island Nets name Adam Caporn new head coach

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have named Adam Caporn as the fifth head coach in franchise history.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Adam and his family to Long Island,” said Long Island Nets General Manager Matt Riccardi. “Adam’s accomplished record of developing players and driving culture on the international, professional and amateur levels has prepared him well to lead the Long Island Nets. We look forward to seeing how his extensive knowledge of the game and focus on individual development will shape the team’s promising talent on and off the court.”

Caporn joins the Nets after spending the last seven seasons (2014-21) as head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, the country’s leading player development program. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Australian National Team, a position he has held since 2017, and will help lead the Boomers in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Australian native previously served two years (2014-16) as head coach of Australia’s U19 National Team and was an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s College of California for four seasons (2010-14). He also spent one season (2010-11) as a scholarship assistant coach at the Centre of Excellence, one season (2009-10) as head coach of the East Perth Eagles in Australia’s NBL1 and one season (2007-08) as an assistant coach for the Willetton Tigers in Australia’s NBL1 while still in the midst of his playing career.

Prior to pursuing coaching, Caporn played two collegiate seasons (2001-03) at Saint Mary’s and six professional seasons in Australia and New Zealand’s National Basketball League with the Illawarra Hawks (2003-06), Wellington Saints (2004) and Perth Wildcats (2006-09).

Nets’ James Harden upgraded to Doubtful for Game 5 against Bucks

Will the Nets have James Harden available tonight? The answer could change between now and tipoff. But here’s the latest, via the New York Post:

With Brooklyn facing a desperate Eastern Conference semifinal Game 5, injured James Harden has been upgraded from out to doubtful Tuesday vs. Milwaukee.

“I don’t know if (he’s out) or not. I might have to wait,” Nets coach Steve Nash had said Monday. “He’s working out, so I have no idea if that means he has a chance for (Game 5) or not. I think there’s a plan behind the scenes that I don’t totally know what the deal is and then they’ll give us an update. But he’s working out.”

Harden went down just 43 seconds into this second-round series with what has been deemed right hamstring tightness. The Nets won the first two games without him at Barclays Center, but proceeded to drop the next two in Milwaukee to see the Bucks level the series and steal the momentum.

Nets know they must step up vs. Celtics in Game 4

The Nets’ Game 3 loss to the Celtics suggests they better take Boston even more seriously than ever in Game 4. Via the New York Post:

The Nets weren’t physical enough Friday against the Celtics. They were not gritty enough or aggressive enough in getting roughed up at TD Garden in Game 3 of this first-round playoff series.

They know it’s only going to get tougher in Game 4 on Sunday. And they’ll have to get tougher, too.

“We have to play better as a unit, and we will [in] Game 4,” James Harden said. “This thing isn’t going to get easier for us. It’s going to be difficult. We expect that. Next game, it’s going to be a lot more fans, so we’ve got to take upon the challenge.

“So, learning experience for us. We’ll take [Game 3] on the chin and get better and ready to go for Sunday.”

They had better be. They took it on the chin, in the face and everywhere else in a 125-119 loss.

Game 4 is Sunday at 7PM ET on TNT.

Nets sign Mike James for remainder of season

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Mike James for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

James (6’1”, 195) signed his first 10-day contract with Brooklyn on April 23, followed by a second 10-day contract on May 3. He has appeared in 11 games (one start) for the Nets, recording averages of 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game. In 47 NBA games over two seasons with Brooklyn, New Orleans and Phoenix, he holds career averages of 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 18.7 minutes per contest.

James joined the Nets after playing nine professional seasons (2012-21) overseas in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain and Russia and in the NBA with Phoenix and New Orleans. In 36 games (10 starts) split between the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017-18 season, James recorded averages of 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 19.1 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old most recently spent two seasons (2019-21) with CSKA Moscow in Russia and appeared in 41 games (23 starts) during the 2020-21 season in VTB United League and EuroLeague play, recording averages of 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. James spent the 2018-19 season in Italy with Olimpia Milano, leading the team to the Italian SuperCup title and winning the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy for averaging a league-best 19.8 points to go with 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 34.0 minutes per contest in Milan’s 30 EuroLeague games (all starts). He previously won consecutive Greek League titles in 2017 and 2018 and the 2017 Greek Cup title with Panathinaikos B.C. in Athens and helped lead Spain’s Baskonia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2016.

The Portland, Ore., native played two collegiate seasons (2010-12) at Lamar University, appearing in 56 games and averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.7 minutes per contest. As a senior in 2012, James earned First Team All-Southland honors and was named the Southland Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also spent two seasons (2008-10) at Eastern Arizona College prior to transferring to Lamar.

Nets sign Mike James to another 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Mike James to a second 10-day contract.

James (6’1”, 195) signed his first 10-day contract with Brooklyn on April 23 and has appeared in six games for the Nets, recording averages of 6.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 17.2 minutes per game. In 42 NBA games with Brooklyn, New Orleans and Phoenix, he holds career averages of 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 18.8 minutes per contest.

James joined the Nets after playing nine professional seasons (2012-21) overseas in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain and Russia and in the NBA with Phoenix and New Orleans. In 36 games (10 starts) split between the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017-18 season, James recorded averages of 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 19.1 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old most recently spent two seasons (2019-21) with CSKA Moscow in Russia and appeared in 41 games (23 starts) during the 2020-21 season in VTB United League and EuroLeague play, recording averages of 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. James spent the 2018-19 season in Italy with Olimpia Milano, leading the team to the Italian SuperCup title and winning the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy for averaging a league-best 19.8 points to go with 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 34.0 minutes per contest in Milan’s 30 EuroLeague games (all starts). He previously won consecutive Greek League titles in 2017 and 2018 and the 2017 Greek Cup title with Panathinaikos B.C. in Athens and helped lead Spain’s Baskonia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2016.

The Portland, Ore., native played two collegiate seasons (2010-12) at Lamar University, appearing in 56 games and averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.7 minutes per contest. As a senior in 2012, James earned First Team All-Southland honors and was named the Southland Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also spent two seasons (2008-10) at Eastern Arizona College prior to transferring to Lamar.

Nets sign guard Mike James to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Mike James to a 10-day contract.

James (6’1”, 195) joins the Nets after playing nine professional seasons (2012-21) overseas in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain and Russia and in the NBA with Phoenix and New Orleans. In 36 games (10 starts) split between the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017-18 season, James holds career NBA averages of 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 19.1 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old most recently spent two seasons (2019-21) with CSKA Moscow in Russia and appeared in 41 games (23 starts) during the 2020-21 season in VTB United League and EuroLeague play, recording averages of 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. James spent the 2018-19 season in Italy with Olimpia Milano, leading the team to the Italian SuperCup title and winning the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy for averaging a league-best 19.8 points to go with 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 34.0 minutes per contest in Milan’s 30 EuroLeague games (all starts). He previously won consecutive Greek League titles in 2017 and 2018 and the 2017 Greek Cup title with Panathinaikos B.C. in Athens and helped lead Spain’s Baskonia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2016.

The Portland, Ore., native played two collegiate seasons (2010-12) at Lamar University, appearing in 56 games and averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.7 minutes per contest. As a senior in 2012, James earned First Team All-Southland honors and was named the Southland Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also spent two seasons (2008-10) at Eastern Arizona College prior to transferring to Lamar.

NBA postpones tonight’s Nets vs. Timberwolves game in Minnesota

STATEMENT FROM THE NBA

The National Basketball Association announced today that in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area yesterday, tonight’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed. The decision to postpone was made by the NBA after consultation with the Timberwolves organization and local and state officials.

Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Daunte Wright during this difficult time.

Nets sign Alize Johnson to standard NBA contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Alize Johnson to a multi-year contract.

Johnson (6’7”, 212) originally signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn on March 22 before signing a second 10-day on April 1. In six games with the Nets, Johnson has averaged 7.8 points on 65.7 percent shooting from the field to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.4 minutes per game. In his first game suiting up for Brooklyn on March 24 at Utah, Johnson registered team highs with 23 points and 15 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals in 33 minutes of action off the bench.

Prior to joining the Nets, Johnson played for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League during the 2021 season. In 15 games (all starts) for the 905, the 24-year-old averaged a double-double with 16.6 points and 13.3 rebounds to go along with 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. Johnson, who ranked second overall in the NBA G League in rebounds per game, helped lead the Raptors 905 to the top seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs with a 12-3 regular season record. Johnson was originally selected with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. In 31 career games over two seasons (2018-20) with the Pacers, Johnson averaged 1.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 5.9 minutes per contest. He also spent time with Indiana’s NBA G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, over the two seasons and averaged 19.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.7 minutes in 50 total games (all starts).

The Pennsylvania native spent his junior and senior seasons (2016-18) playing collegiately at Missouri State, appearing in 66 games (all starts) and averaging 14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. Johnson was named All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team after both campaigns. He began his collegiate career at Frank Phillips College in Texas before transferring to MSU.

Nets sign Alize Johnson to second 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets yesterday signed forward Alize Johnson to a second 10-day contract.

Johnson (6’7”, 212) signed his first 10-day contract with Brooklyn on March 22 and recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 33 minutes in his lone appearance on March 24 at Utah. In 32 career games with the Nets and Indiana Pacers (2018-20), Johnson has posted averages of 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per contest. Prior to signing with Brooklyn, he played for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. In 15 games (all starts) for the 905 during the 2021 NBA G League season, the 24-year-old averaged a double-double with 16.6 points and 13.3 rebounds to go along with 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. Johnson, who ranked second overall in the NBA G League in rebounds per game, helped lead the Raptors 905 to the top seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs with a 12-3 regular season record. Johnson was originally selected with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Pacers. He also spent time with Indiana’s NBA G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, over the two seasons and averaged 19.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.7 minutes in 50 total games (all starts).

The Pennsylvania native spent his junior and senior seasons (2016-18) playing collegiately at Missouri State, appearing in 66 total games (all starts) and averaging 14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. Johnson was named All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team after both campaigns. He began his collegiate career at Frank Phillips College in Texas before transferring to MSU.