Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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Spencer Dinwiddie and Luka Doncic named NBA Players of the Week

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were named East and West NBA Players of the Week for gamesplayed from Monday, Nov. 18, through Sunday, Nov 24, 2019.

And this is fun: It’s the first Players of the Week award for either player.

Dinwiddie led Brooklyn to a 3-1 record on the week, recording averages of 25.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.3 minutes per game. Dinwiddie began the week by totaling 28 points, five rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 18. He followed up that performance by leading Brooklyn to the first of a season-best three straight victories, registering 20 points, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 37 minutes in a 101-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 20. Dinwiddie then posted 23 points, seven assists and two steals in 28 minutes in a 116-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 22. The six-year NBA veteran rounded out the week by registering his second 30-point game of the season, totaling 30 points, four rebounds, four assists and no turnovers in 35 minutes in a 103-101 win at the New York Knicks on Nov. 24.

Doncic (6-7, 230) led the Mavericks to a perfect 4-0 week with averages of 37.0 points (.554 FG%, .444 3FG%, .788 FT%), 8.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game and victories over San Antonio (Nov. 18), Golden State (Nov. 20), Cleveland (Nov. 22) and Houston (Nov. 24). He posted at least 30 points and 10 assists in all four games, becoming the youngest player in NBA history (20 years, 269 days) to record four consecutive 30-point, 10-assist efforts (the previous youngest was Oscar Robertson at 22 years, 34 days). He also led all players outright in scoring all in four games and led the Mavericks outright in assists in all four.

Nets waive Alan Williams

The Brooklyn Nets waived forward/center Alan Williams today.

Signed to a two-way contract on September 24, Williams played in 17 games for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, where he averaged 21.0 points and a league leading 14.7 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per contest. He did not appear in a game for Brooklyn this season.

The Brooklyln roster now consists of 16 players.

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson fined $25,000 by NBA

NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced this evening that Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has been fined $25,000 for verbally abusing game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection.

Atkinson received a technical foul and was ejected with 1:09 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Nets’ 114-106 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Dec. 21 at Barclays Center.

Nets: Dzanan Musa out with shoulder injury

Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Dzanan Musa on Monday was diagnosed with a left shoulder subluxation after sustaining the injury during Sunday’s Long Island Nets game. Musa will begin rehabilitation immediately, and updates regarding his status will be issued as appropriate.

Musa has played in 16 games for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, while on assignment this season, recording averages of a team-high 20.1 points with 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.4 minutes per contest. He’s also appeared in seven games for Brooklyn this season, averaging 1.7 points in 3.7 minutes per game.

Spencer Dinwiddie soon eligible for Nets extension

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has started zero of the 22 games he’s played this season, yet is 3rd in scoring at 16.0 ppg in 27.6 minutes per game for the 8-14 Nets. With the recent injury to Caris LeVert there has been even more pressure than expected on Nets guards, including Dinwiddie. But beyond that injury and focusing on the future more than the present, the Nets will soon have a huge decision to make. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

A week from Saturday, the Nets can give Spencer Dinwiddie up to a four-year, $47.5 million extension, and he hopes they do.

He prefers staying in Brooklyn to free agency. But even though the deal looks like a bargain for the Nets, it’s certainly no lock they make it.

“I’d love to have an extension. I’d love to be here for a long time. If I don’t get an extension, I’ll be looking forward to unrestricted free agency and going through the season trying to help the Nets win games as much as possible,” Dinwiddie said. “Either I’m going to sign an extension or I’m going to be an unrestricted free agent, simple as that. The ball is very much in [general manager] Sean Marks and the Nets’ court.

“Everybody knows what my extension number is: Four for $47 ¹/₂ million. … Can’t go above. It’s not like I’m really looking to go below. It is what it is. I’ll find out when you guys find out. We’ll either see something on the ESPN ticker that says ‘Spencer Dinwiddie offered $47 ¹/₂ million from the Brooklyn Nets,’ and then you guys will know how much money my bank account has at that moment in time.”

More: Full article

Billy King seeks return to NBA front office

Former Nets GM Billy King, an experienced basketball executive who also traded years and years of Nets first round draft picks away in a deal that never should have happened, reportedly seeks a return to an NBA front office. Here’s the New York Post with details:

Billy King knows he’ll always have to answer for The Trade, but the ex-Nets general manager would to answer for it if another NBA franchise will give him the chance.

King, now president of a startup television network, occasionally appears as a guest on NBATV but remains infamous for mortgaging the Nets’ future in what is considered the worst trade in NBA history. By some measures, it is the worst trade in sports history…

King was the GM who spearheaded the disastrous 2013 deal that brought Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn. In return, the Celtics received everything but the lighting fixtures.

Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans and Kris Joseph were sent to Boston, along with, most damagingly, first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, as well as swap rights in 2017.

King will have to work hard to overcome this, presumably by pointing to his other work spanning many years, and perhaps by sharing more about the mindset behind that big Nets deal, which even as it happened was obviously a very risky, massive gamble that came up craps. He certainly has the personality to win people over if given a shot.

He is a good guy. And has been fun to listen to as an analyst on TV.

But man… that trade.

Nets forward DeMarre Carroll undergoes ankle surgery

Brooklyn Nets forward DeMarre Carroll underwent right ankle arthroscopy today. The procedure was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

An estimate on his return date isn’t available yet.

Carroll appeared in 73 games (all starts) for the Nets during the 2017-18 season, averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per contest. Entering his 10th season, Carroll has appeared in 487 career games (331 starts) with Memphis, Houston, Utah, Denver, Atlanta, Toronto and Brooklyn, averaging 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.0 minutes per game.

Nets exercise contract options on Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen

The Brooklyn Nets have exercised the 2019-20 contract options for guard Caris LeVert and center Jarrett Allen.

The moves were expected, and likely a very easy decision for the Nets, as the two players are talented, still reaching their potential, and worth keeping around.

Allen appeared in 72 games (31 starts) in his rookie season, registering averages of 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.0 minutes per game. The 20-year-old was selected by Brooklyn with the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

LeVert has appeared in 128 games (36 starts) in his first two seasons with the Nets, recording averages of 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.2 minutes per contest. During the 2017-18 campaign, the 24-year-old recorded averages of 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. LeVert was originally selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers before being acquired by Brooklyn in a trade on July 7, 2016.

Nets sign Drew Gordon, waive Mitch Creek

Nets sign Drew Gordon, waive Mitch Creek

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Drew Gordon.

And in a related move, the Nets have requested waivers on forward Mitch Creek.

Gordon (6’9”, 245) joins the Nets after spending the 2017-18 season with BC Zenit Saint Petersburg. In 21 games (13 starts) in Russia’s VTB United League last season, he averaged 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per contest. Over six professional seasons, Gordon has played five seasons overseas in Serbia, Italy, France, Lithuania and Russia and spent the 2014-15 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers and their NBA G League affiliate, then the Delaware 87ers. In nine games with Philadelphia, Gordon posted averages of 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per contest. The San Jose, Calif., native played two collegiate seasons (2008-10) at UCLA before transferring to New Mexico for his final two seasons (2010-12). While playing for the Lobos, Gordon was named to the All-Mountain West first team as a senior and earned second-team honors as a junior, along with being named the conference’s newcomer of the year.

Creek originally signed with Brooklyn as a free agent on Aug. 20 and saw action in the Nets’ preseason contest against the Toronto Raptors in Montreal on Oct. 10.

Nets sign Shannon Scott and Tahjere McCall

Nets sign Shannon Scott and Tahjere McCall

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guards Tahjere McCall and Shannon Scott.

Preseason ends tonight, and the regular season begins Tuesday, so McCall and Scott probably won’t be Nets for long.

McCall (6’5”, 190) joins Brooklyn after playing last season for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate. In 37 games (31 starts) for Long Island, McCall recorded averages of 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.2 minutes per contest. On the collegiate level, McCall played two seasons at Tennessee State (2015-17) after spending his first two years at Niagara University (2012-14). While at Tennessee State, McCall earned All-Ohio Valley Conference first team honors twice and was the conference’s defensive player of the year in both seasons. The Philadelphia native saw action in 117 career collegiate games (93 starts), recording averages of 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals in 26.0 minutes per game.

Scott (6’1”, 185) joins the Nets after most recently appearing in seven games with Panteras de Miranda in Venezuela. He also played in 49 games (41 starts) for the Long Island Nets last season, averaging 7.9 points, 4.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per contest and finishing the year ranked second in the NBA G League in steals per game (2.3). Prior to joining the LI Nets, Scott spent the 2016-17 season with Doxa Lefkadas B.C. of the Greek Basket League and the 2015-16 season with the NBA G League’s Raptors 905, averaging 9.2 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 29.0 minutes per game in 48 games (37 starts). The Alpharetta, Ga., native played four collegiate seasons (2011-15) at Ohio State, where he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors as a senior and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors as a junior. Scott finished his collegiate career ranked second all-time in Ohio State history in steals (211).