Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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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.

Kevin Durant should return in near future for Nets

The Nets will likely have Kevin Durant, out with a leg injury, back in action in the near future. Via the New York Daily News:

Durant’s return is near, and the Nets hope the cautious approach will pay dividends in keeping him on the floor for their playoff and championship run. The team’s All-Star captain has missed the last 21 games with an injury he got in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. He is the most critical piece to a championship jigsaw puzzle: A two-time Finals MVP averaging 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game, but has only appeared in 19 games this season.

“Him missing significant time, we miss him. We can’t wait for him to get back, literally,” Kyrie Irvng said. “But we’re all staying patient. We know what he brings to the table. We know the respect that he garners from all of us in terms of a leader on our team, but we’ve got to figure it out, game-to-game, until he’s back.”

The Nets are 33-15 this season, which is the best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Durant at 29.0 points per game in 19 games played, Irving at 28.2 ppg, and James Harden at 26.1 ppg.

Nets get even stronger, sign LaMarcus Aldridge

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge (6’11”, 265) has appeared in 1,024 career NBA games (980 starts) across 15 seasons with Portland (2006-15) and San Antonio (2015-21), averaging 19.4 points on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 81.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 34.2 minutes per contest.

Per the New York Post, “granted, the 35-year-old’s Aldridge’s defense has become something of a weakness the past few seasons, and he was bought out by the Spurs. But he overlapped with [Nets GM Sean] Marks, who was San Antonio’s assistant GM in 2015, when they signed the big man to a four-year, $80 million deal. Aldridge won’t make that with the Nets, and shouldn’t be viewed as having the same potential. But after the Nets signed [Blake] Griffin before the buyout market even started, the signing of Aldridge is just the latest example of their drawing power and ability to lure accomplished veterans serious about competing for a title.”

A seven-time NBA All-Star (2012-16, 2018-19), Aldridge most recently saw action in 21 contests (18 starts) for the Spurs this season, averaging 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.9 minutes per game. The Dallas native is a five-time All-NBA selection, taking home second-team honors twice (2015, 2018) and third-team honors on three occasions (2011, 2014, 2016). Among active NBA players, Aldridge currently ranks third in field goals made (8,034), fifth in rebounds (8,454), sixth in points (19,887), eighth in blocks (1,129) and ninth in games played (1,024). The 35-year-old, who helped lead San Antonio to the conference finals in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, has appeared in the postseason nine times in his career, averaging 20.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 82.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks in 37.1 minutes per game in 72 total contests (all starts).

The second overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Aldridge played collegiately at the University of Texas for two seasons (2004-06), appearing in 53 career games (all starts) for the Longhorns and averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game. Following his final season in Austin, Aldridge was named First-Team All-Big 12 and the conference’s defensive player of the year.

Nets without Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin against Jazz

The Nets were missing the majority of an All-Star team-level starting lineup tonight. Via the New York Post:

The Nets’ Big Three was officially pared down to a Big Zero, with James Harden a late scratch from Wednesday’s game at NBA-leading Utah.

After suffering a neck injury in Sunday’s win, Harden had been listed as questionable and very much in doubt right through pregame warmups Tuesday in Portland before suiting up and leading the Nets to a come-from-behind victory. But questionable again a day later, he sat against the Jazz.

The team is also without Blake Griffin tonight. And of course, guard Spencer Dinwiddie also remains out for the season.

The starting Nets lineup tonight against the Jazz wound up as Tyler Johnson and Bruce Brown at guard, Joe Harris and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at forward, and Jeff Green at center.

Nets will be without Kyrie Irving for upcoming road trip

A Nets team playing at full strength continues to be an elusive endeavor. Via the NY Daily News:

Kyrie Irving will not accompany the Nets on their three-game road trip and instead will tend to a family matter, the team announced on Monday. He will miss the team’s back-to-back games in Portland against the Trail Blazers and in Utah against the league-best Jazz. He will also miss Friday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, a team that has proven difficult for Brooklyn to overcome.

The nature of the family matter is not immediately clear, and his absence is precisely why the Nets should fortify their back court and add another point guard to the roster.

Irving has been electric for the Nets at the shooting guard position, averaging a career-high 28 points on shooting percentages that could land him in the vaunted 50-40-90 club. But if the best ability is availability, Irving has not been at his best in his two seasons in Brooklyn.

The Nets are 29-14 this season, which is the second best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Kevin Durant at 29.0 points per game (in just 19 games played), Irving at 28.1 ppg (in 31 games played), and James Harden at 25.4 ppg (in 29 games since being traded from the Rockets to the Nets).

Nets sign forward Alize Johnson to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson (6’7”, 212) joins the Nets after most recently playing 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 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 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.

James Harden is having yet another amazing season

James Harden, traded by the Rockets to the Nets in mid January, continues to prove that he’s the rare type of superstar who can move mountains on a basketball court. Via the New York Post:

Where would the Nets, who are tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference, be without trading for Harden? Durant hasn’t played since Feb. 13 but the Nets are 12-1 without him as part of an extended 14-1 stretch. Irving was on a personal leave of absence when Harden was acquired and he has sat out three games during the recent surge, including Wednesday’s win over the Pacers, due to various shoulder and groin injuries.

“James is so elite he’s able to make the big plays that very few people can make down the stretch,” Nash said after coaching Harden through his 11th triple-double (40 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) in 42 minutes on Wednesday. “When he plays that many minutes, he stuffs the stat sheet. I could go on and on about James and the nuances of what he does all night, but he definitely is a winner, a leader, and an elite, elite performer.”

The Nets are 28-13 this season, which ties them with the Sixers for the best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Durant at 29.0 points per game (just 19 games played), Irving at 27.6 ppg, Harden at 25.7 ppg, and Joe Harris at 14.7 ppg.