Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

Mason Plumlee getting less playing time lately

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the 23-32 Brooklyn Nets, who are mostly trading wins with losses lately and have won five of their last ten games:

When the Nets acquired Thaddeus Young last week, coach Lionel Hollins switched to a smaller, quicker lineup.

While that decision made sense on several levels, and seems as if it’s going to benefit most of his roster, Hollins basically decided Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee will not play together anymore. So the two big men are splitting the 48 available minutes at center while surrounded by perimeter threats.

So far, Plumlee has found himself on the short end of that equation. Such was the case in Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans, when he finished scoreless and with just three rebounds in 13:37, while Lopez finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 34:23.

Here’s the New York Post reporting on a guy at the end of the Nets bench getting to stand up, leave the bench and play some basketball:

Everyone on the Nets has gotten an extended shot at playing time at some point this season.

Everyone, that is, except for Markel Brown.

The rookie guard, taken by the Nets with the 44th pick in last year’s draft out of Oklahoma State, has spent most of the season watching from the sidelines. Before Friday’s game against the Lakers, Brown had played in just 17 of the first 51 games — and had played more than 10 minutes just three times, all in blowout losses.

But after the Nets traded Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young at Thursday’s trade deadline and coach Lionel Hollins opted to go to a smaller lineup, Brown played 15 minutes in Friday’s win, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in 15 minutes, a performance that could lead to more playing time.

Deron Williams struggling for Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are 21-31 this season and getting 12.9 points (38.4% FG) and 6.1 assists in 30.7 minutes per game from point guard Deron Williams, though the veteran’s contributions have been less than that lately. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

Though fans have been down on Williams for a long time, he was playing well early in the season, and the team was performing significantly better with him on the court than off it.

But after coming back from fractured rib cartilage that kept him out for virtually all of January, Williams has been a shell of himself, averaging 7.3 points in 28 minutes per game in the final six games before the break. He was shooting 15-for-51 (29.4 percent) and 4-for-17 (23.4 percent) from 3-point range in that span, and ducked out of the locker room in Memphis without speaking to reporters in the final game before the break.

If the Nets are going to make a run at a playoff spot, they absolutely have to get Williams going again. He’s easily the best 3-point shooter on a team without many options from deep, and gives the Nets another creator and scorer on the perimeter. But when he’s playing as he is now, he doesn’t give them much of anything.

The Brooklyn Nets have been in need of a serious boost, and they got one in the form of Deron Williams Monday. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

Deron Williams made his return for the Nets on Monday night, coming off the bench after missing almost the entire month of January with fractured rib cartilage.

Williams played for the first time since playing just a few minutes against the Celtics. Jan. 7, before missing the next 11 games as the Nets went a dismal 3-12 in January.

But despite the lengthy layoff, it looked as if Williams had never left the court, as he finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench, giving the Nets another creator on the perimeter and, more importantly, another 3-point threat for a team lacking them.

“It was good to be out there, but it was better to get a win,” Williams said after the 102-100 victory over the Clippers. “We didn’t get a win in all of January at home, so this one felt really good.”

Mirza Teletovic health update

The following is a statement from Brooklyn Nets team physician Dr. Michael Farber:

“Mirza was diagnosed with pulmonary embolus on January 22 and started on the appropriate medications for this condition. Diagnostic testing was arranged and he was then observed until testing showed that he reached the expected therapeutic range. We are pleased to say that he reports no symptoms at this time and that he will be discharged to return home today.”

“This was a true collaborative effort between our medical team and training staff and the local physicians at the Los Angeles hospital where Mirza was treated. I am really pleased with how Mirza has progressed. We will evaluate him upon return, personally review all of the testing he had done, and arrange for further testing if necessary.”

Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletovic was taken to a local Los Angeles hospital after experiencing shortness of breath during last night’s game versus the Clippers. Following a series of tests including a CT scan, Teletovic was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary embolus (multiple blood clots in the lungs). He will remain hospitalized in Los Angeles to undergo further diagnostic testing and to begin treatment, which includes blood thinners being administered. Due to the nature of blood thinners, Teletovic will be unable to play for the remainder of the season. Once he is cleared for travel, he will return to Brooklyn. Further updates on his condition will be provided as necessary.

In 40 games this season, Teletovic posted averages of 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. Over 165 career games (11 starts), the third-year pro holds averages of 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 16.9 minutes per game.