Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 18 – NBA Blog

Kyrie Irving named a 2021 NBA All-Star Game starter

The NBA announced today that Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and guard Kyrie Irving have been selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel to start in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, March 7, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Durant and the Lakers’ LeBron James will serve as team captains for the Team Durant vs. Team LeBron matchup and draft rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference. TNT will air the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft on Thursday, March 4, at 8 p.m. ET.

Irving has been named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career and has been selected as a starter for the fifth time. The 2014 All-Star Game MVP has averaged 28.3 points (seventh in the league and fourth in the East), 4.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 35.3 minutes per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from 3-point range and 91.8 percent from the free-throw line (seventh in the league) across 20 games.

Irving is currently on pace to become just the fourth player in NBA history to average 25.0 or more points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field, 40.0 percent shooting from 3-point range and 90.0 percent shooting from the free-throw line, which was previously accomplished twice by Larry Bird (1986-87 and 1987-88) and once by Stephen Curry (2015-16) and Durant (2012-13).

Irving is averaging career highs in points per game, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, offensive rating (121.6), net rating (8.2) and effective field goal percentage (61.0 percent), while tallying 25 or more points 16 times this season, including seven games of 30 or more points.

Durant and Irving are the fifth and sixth Nets to ever be selected as All-Star Game starters, joining Jason Kidd (2008), Vince Carter (2005), Kenny Anderson (1994) and Derrick Coleman (1994), and just the second pair of Nets selected to start an All-Star Game together, joining Anderson and Coleman, who were selected to start the 1994 All-Star Game in Minnesota.

Kevin Durant named a 2021 NBA All-Star Game starter and team captain

Durant has been named an All-Star for the 11th time in his career and an All-Star Game starter for the ninth time. He has been selected as an All-Star for the 11th straight season that he has played (2010-21), with the lone exception being the 2020 All-Star Game after he missed the 2019-20 season due to injury.

The only active player with more All-Star Game selections than Durant is LeBron James (selected for the 17th time tonight). A two-time All-Star Game MVP (2012 and 2019) who holds the second-highest scoring average in All-Star Game history (25.0 points per game), Durant has helped lead Brooklyn to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (18-12) while registering averages of 29.0 points (sixth in the league and third in the East), 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.8 minutes per game and shooting 52.4 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from 3-point range and 86.9 percent from the free-throw line across 19 games.

Durant began the 2020-21 season by scoring 20 or more points in 17 straight games, the longest stretch of 20-point games to open a season in his career and tied for the third-longest stretch at any point in a season in Nets history.

Durant averaged 30.6 points per game through his first 15 games this season, joining Wilt Chamberlain (1959-60 with the Philadelphia Warriors) as the only players to average 30.0 points per game through their first 15 games with a new team in NBA history.

Nets sign guard/forward Andre Roberson

The Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday signed free agent guard/forward Andre Roberson.

Limited by injury in recent seasons, Roberson recognized as a very good defensive player with limited offensive ability.

Roberson (6’7”, 210) spent the first seven seasons (2013-20) of his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, appearing in 302 games (269 starts) and averaging 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game. Returning from a left knee injury, the San Antonio native saw action in seven games in the 2019-20 season, recording averages of 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest.

An NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2017, the 29-year-old Roberson has also made four playoff appearances with the Thunder, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2016.

Roberson was originally selected with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by Minnesota before being traded to Oklahoma City on draft night. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Roberson spent three years (2010-13) at the University of Colorado, earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors twice (2012 and 2013) and garnering the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.

Nets waive center Norvel Pelle

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on center Norvel Pelle.

Pelle was signed by the Nets on Jan. 28, appearing in three games off the bench and averaging 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 9.3 minutes per game.

James Harden is the Nets point guard, says Kyrie Irving

As soon as the Nets traded for James Harden, the obvious question was if he’d be more of a shooting guard or if Kyrie Irving would play that role. And even though Harden was a shooting guard early in his career, he’s clearly proven to be an assist-producing machine. The obvious guess was that he should be the Nets’ PG, with Irving playing off the ball a bit more as a pure scorer. Well, Irving agrees. Via the NY Post:

The Nets offense is already excellent and should get even better as the season progresses, especially as roles get more clearly defined and chemistry further develops.

Nets forward Kevin Durant set to return Saturday vs. Warriors

The Nets are getting Kevin Durant back in time for tomorrow’s game against Stephon Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors. Via the NY Post:

The Nets are 15-12 this season. A record good enough for 3rd best in an Eastern conference with just four teams with records above .500 through Thursday’s games.

Nets fans can attend home games starting February 23, limited to 10 percent arena capacity

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that Barclays Center has been approved to reopen beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23, when the Nets take on the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Following State guidelines, the venue will be limited to 10 percent capacity until further notice.

Per BSE Global, who manage and operate Barclays Center and the Nets, “Barclays Center will employ robust health and safety protocols that have been developed in coordination with the New York State Department of Health, the National Basketball Association and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC). These protocols include: a negative PCR test for all patrons, administered within 72 hours in advance of the game; mandatory temperature checks; social distancing and use of face masks; and thorough cleaning and sanitation procedures. To help further ensure the safety of Barclays Center fans and employees, the venue will also continue to provide COVID-19 testing to all arena employees prior to each game. Barclays Center has achieved GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities.”

“Thank you to Governor Cuomo and his team at the Department of Health for collaborating with us in creating a robust health and safety plan that allows fans to return to our arena,” said BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi. “The Governor has played a tremendous role in getting New York businesses back on their feet and we are proud to announce that for the remainder of the season we are donating a portion of ticket proceeds to support vaccination efforts here in Brooklyn. We would also like to thank our fans for their support this season and we are looking forward to bringing their energy back to Barclays Center!”

Nets sign Noah Vonleh

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Noah Vonleh.

Vonleh (6’10”, 257) has played in 335 career games (171 starts) across six NBA seasons with Charlotte (2014-15), Portland (2015-18), Chicago (2018), New York (2018-19), Minnesota (2019-20) and Denver (2020), recording averages of 5.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. Vonleh’s most productive season was the 2018-19 campaign with the Knicks, as he registered career-best averages of 8.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.3 minutes per contest.

Most recently, Vonleh signed with the Bulls on Nov. 27, but was waived on Dec. 14.

The 25-year-old has also made three postseason appearances with the Trail Blazers (2016 and 2017) and Nuggets (2020).

Vonleh was originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by Charlotte after spending one season at Indiana. In his lone collegiate season, the Haverhill, Mass., native was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while also garnering All-Big Ten Third Team honors.

Kevin Durant removed from Raptors vs. Nets game due to COVID-19 contact tracing concerns

It was an unusual situation in Brooklyn tonight, centered around Nets star forward Kevin Durant.

Via the Toronto Star:

And the New York Post:

The entire world is learning to navigate through the the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s certainly a learning process for any event-based organizations, especially sports leagues. The NBA certainly has to examine exactly what happened today, and what to take away from this going forward.

Nets are much-improved in TV ratings department

The Nets are rising in the TV ratings department. Via the New York Post:

This isn’t a surprise. The Knicks are playing respectable basketball this season but are in a rebuilding state. While the Nets have three of the NBA’s best and most popular players, are still working out team chemistry, especially on the defensive end, but are focused on competing for the 2021 NBA championship and should certainly make the playoffs.