Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 45 – NBA Blog

Brook Lopez returns for Nets

Brook Lopez returns for Nets, who beat banged-up Thunder by 31

Playing at home in Brooklyn, the Nets on Monday destroyed the injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder 116-85 and now have a 2-1 record in the 2014-15 season, which began just last Tuesday.

Nets center Brook Lopez has had major injury problems in his career, and was out yet again recently, this time with a relatively minor issue. He played his first game Monday. All went well.

According to ESPN.com, “Lopez (right midfoot sprain), playing in his first regular-season game since Dec. 20, 2013, finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes, and the Brooklyn Nets rolled to an easy 116-85 victory over the injury-ravaged Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night in their home opener at Barclays Center.”

More from ESPN.com: “It felt good to be out there with the guys,” Lopez said. “It was a little frustrating personally because I got in some early foul trouble, but our guys kept playing. We were fantastic out there. We were great defensively; there were really no lulls. We moved the ball offensively and got what we wanted. We couldn’t have started off in a better way at home.”

Nets waive Casper Ware

Nets waive Casper Ware

The Brooklyn Nets have waived guard Casper Ware, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. This was an expected move, as there simply wasn’t room on the roster for Ware.

Ware, who was acquired on October 24th from Philadelphia, appeared in nine games for Sixers last season, where he averaged 5.3 points and 1.1 assists in 12.9 minutes per game.

The Nets’ roster now stands at 15 players, the maximum allowed for the regular season, which begins Tuesday. The team does not have to get rid of any other players if they don’t want to.

Nets trade Marquis Teague, pick to 76ers for Casper Ware

Nets trade Marquis Teague to 76ers for Casper Ware

The Brooklyn Nets have traded guard Marquis Teague, along with the 2019 second round draft pick that was obtained from Milwaukee this past June, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Casper Ware, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The pick the Sixers receive will be the more favorable of Milwaukee’s or Sacramento’s second-round selection in 2019.

Ware appeared in nine games for Philadelphia last season, where he averaged 5.3 points and 1.1 assists in 12.9 minutes per game.

Teague was acquired from the Chicago Bulls on January 21, 2014. Selected out of Kentucky in the first round (29th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by Chicago, Teague appeared in 40 games for the Bulls and the Nets last season, averaging 2.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11.1 minutes per game. In 88 career games, Teague holds NBA averages of 2.3 points and 1.4 assists per game.

Nets exercise contract options on Mason Plumlee and Sergey Karasev

The Brooklyn Nets have exercised the third-year contract options on forward/center Mason Plumlee and guard/forward Sergey Karasev, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Both players will remain under contract through at least the 2015-16 season.

Selected out of Duke in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft (22nd overall), Plumlee was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team following his first season with Brooklyn. In 74 games (22 starts) last season, Plumlee averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.79 blocks in 18.2 minutes per game for the Nets. He led all rookies in PER, Win Shares, Win Shares/48 Minutes, True Shooting Percentage, Field Goal Percentage and Dunk Rate and was second among qualifying rookies in blocks per game. This past offseason, Plumlee was selected as a member of USA Basketball Men’s National Team and won a gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in September.

Karasev, who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade on July 10, 2014, was selected by Cleveland in the first round (19th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft. The native of Russia averaged 1.7 points and 0.7 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game in 22 appearances with the Cavaliers last season.

Nets waive Willie Reed

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward/center Willie Reed, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Reed, who was signed to the Nets’ training camp roster on September 25, 2014, posted averages of 4.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in two preseason contests.

The NBA regular season begins Tuesday, October 28. The Nets on paper appear to have a weaker roster this season than last.

Brook Lopez out 10-14 days with foot sprain

The Brook Lopez health circus continues. Fortunately, this time, it’s a minor bump in the road — hopefully.

The Brooklyn Nets center sustained a mild right midfoot sprain in the first quarter of the Nets’ preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings on October 15th, Nets General Manager Billy King announced.

Statement from Nets Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III:

“Brook Lopez experienced right foot soreness after being stepped on during the pre-season game against the Kings Wednesday night. X-ray and CT scan studies done Thursday in New York reveal no fractures or bone injuries. Brook has been diagnosed with a mild midfoot sprain and is likely to be out for approximately 10-14 days.”

Andrei Kirilenko feeling tightness in back

The Brooklyn Nets 2014-15 roster looks weaker than last year’s edition. They need everybody healthy, and that includes Andrei Kirilenko, who may play an increased role from now on. But he’s not ready to go just yet, reports ESPN New York:

Brooklyn Nets small forward Andrei Kirilenko, who was working with the starters on the first day of training camp, has tightness in his lower back, which he believes could keep him out for the next 7-10 days.

Kirilenko missed 25 straight games early last season due to back spasms. Overall, he missed 37 games in 2013-14 due to injury.

“I mean I’m trying to be positive,” Kirilenko, who worked with the training staff to strengthen his back in the offseason, said Sunday.

Brooklyn Nets sign Willie Reed

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward/center Willie Reed, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Reed averaged 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the NBA Development League last season in 49 games with the Springfield Armor and Reno Bighorns. The Sacramento Kings signed Reed for the remainder of the 2013-14 season on March 28, before assigning the 6’10” forward/center to the D-League’s Bighorns and then recalling him on two separate occasions.

Undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft out of St. Louis University, Reed was selected in the second round (30th overall) of the 2012 NBA Development League Draft by the Springfield Armor. He earned All-NBA D-League Honorable Mention recognition after averaging 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 48 games (30 starts) with Springfield during the 2012-13 season before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In stints with Memphis and Sacramento, Reed has yet to appear in a regular season NBA game.

Brook Lopez now playing 5-on-5

Here’s ESPN New York with a Nets update:

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez said Tuesday he participated in his first few games of five-on-five over the past two days and felt just fine afterward. It’s yet another encouraging step for Lopez, who is coming back from offseason foot and ankle surgeries.

“It was great,” Lopez said Tuesday at a community event in Harlem. “I got my second day of five-on-five in today. It’s been going well. It feels good to be back out there with the guys. Everyone’s been out there, and everyone looks good. It’s been good seeing Mase [Mason Plumlee] out there being vocal, doing his thing and seeing how much he learned over the summer [playing with Team USA].”

As Lopez eases his way back into playing form, patience is going to be important. Nets GM Billy King told reporters Monday that the 26-year-old All-Star would likely not be participating in both sessions of two-a-day practices at the start of training camp (Day 1 is Saturday).

Brooklyn Nets sign Hamady Ndiaye

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent center Hamady Ndiaye, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Ndiaye most recently played for Senegal’s national team in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and spent part of the 2013-14 season with the Sacramento Kings. In 14 games with Sacramento, Ndiaye totaled six points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in 74 minutes of play. Ndiaye also played two games last season with the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns on assignment from the Kings, and after being waived by Sacramento in January, the 7’0” center spent 15 games with the D-League’s Delaware 87ers.

Selected out of Rutgers with the 56th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ndiaye was traded to the Washington Wizards on draft night. He played in 16 games for the Wizards in his rookie season in 2010-11, averaging 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in 5.0 minutes per game. Ndiaye also appeared in three games for Washington during the 2011-12 season. In 33 career NBA games, Ndiaye has averaged 0.6 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in 4.8 minutes per game. Over the course of his professional career, Ndiaye has also played in the NBA D-League with the Dakota Wizards (2010-11), Iowa Energy (2011-12) and Maine Red Claws (2011-12), as well as overseas with Guangzhou Liu Sui Whampoa of China’s National Basketball League (2012) and Tianjin Ronggang of the Chinese Basketball Association (2012-13).