Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting on the Brooklyn Nets, who on Wednesday lost at home to the Chicago Bulls:

The Nets have now dropped four straight games, and the holiday season only grows more desperate from here. After one gimme at home Friday against Milwaukee, they embark on a three-game road trip to Indiana, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. So you can put them down right now for seven losses in eight games and a probable 10-22 mark, as they fade even faster than the Knicks. The Nets are free-falling into such a deep hole right now that Kidd has begun to look and sound as defeated as his team, rarely getting off his chair anymore to rally the disheartened, inert troops.

Kidd has now scolded his players many times for their performances, to no avail. He has benched guys. He has tried to simplify the offense. He’s euphemized all the slumps as “a process.” He has demoted Lawrence Frank, the defensive specialist. He doesn’t appear to have any tricks left. If Mikhail Prokhorov finally threatens to replace his coach, you get the feeling Kidd might quote Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca”: “Go ahead and shoot. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

The rout on Wednesday was all too remindful of what happened last spring, when Chicago came to Brooklyn and stole Game 7 in the playoffs. That defeat resulted in the firing of P.J. Carlesimo and the mortgaging of the team’s future for a core of Celtic players who were supposed to transform the Nets into something much tougher and meaner than this.

The Brooklyn Nets are 9-18 and have had a very tough season. In their defense, injuries have played a big factor in their struggles. Still, the team is under-performing. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting:

A day after Jason Kidd blasted the Nets as being comfortable with losing, Kevin Garnett acknowledged they were a team without an identity – another depressing admission about a third into the season — but stopped short of seconding his coach.

“I wouldn’t agree with that. Personally, I can only control myself and I’d never step on the floor if I never was going to accept anything less than (wanting to win),” Garnett said ahead of Brooklyn’s Christmas noon showdown against the Bulls at Barclays Center. “I’m not built like that, and I don’t think my teammates are built like that. Obviously we’re going through a tough time. That’s (Kidd’s) assessment. I don’t think it’s true.”

Garnett, 37, again reiterated that his lack of production this season is a result of his reduced role, not a personal struggle or a decline in his game.

Still, he admitted — somewhat stubbornly — that might have to change with the season-ending injury to Brook Lopez. Garnett is averaging just 6.7 points while shooting 37.5% in 22 minutes per game – career lows, by far, if sustained.

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.

In 11 games this season, Shengelia is averaging 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game. In 17 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.9 points and 2.1 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

In 10 games (all starts) with the Armor during the 2012-13 D-League season, Shengelia averaged 24.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 36.6 minutes per game. In eight games (all starts) with the Armor last season, Taylor averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 37.5 minutes per game.

Both players were previously assigned to Springfield during the Armor’s training camp and will join the team in advance of their game on Saturday at 7:00 pm against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The Brooklyn Nets have put together a few wins lately, losing on Friday in Detroit but winning their three previous games before that. Here’s ESPN New York with an update on the rotation:

Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd said that small forward Paul Pierce will continue to come off the bench.

“For right now, yes,” Kidd said Sunday.

Pierce has come off the bench since coming back from a broken bone in his right hand. Over that three-game span, he’s averaging 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.7 minutes, while shooting 36.8 percent from the field.

“[Paul]’s selfless,” Nets point guard Deron Williams said. “That shows what kind of person he is. He can be a guy that says, ‘I’m Paul Pierce, I’m a starter in this league,’ you know? Like some guys have done. He’s just worried about winning right now, and he’s trying to get back healthy and get back into a rhythm and I think he’s doing whatever the team needs right now.”

Here’s the New York Post on Booklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, who remains out with no clear return date in sight:

He can’t get on the floor, unfortunately for him and the Nets, managing just 51 minutes across four games this season.

Since going down with back spasms prior to a preseason game against the Pistons on Oct. 12, Kirilenko has been in and out of the lineup with one reoccurrence after another.

After missing the remainder of the preseason, as well as the season-opener, with his initial bout of back spasms, Kirilenko returned to play in the Nets’ home-opening win over the Heat. Then, after playing in a loss to Orlando and a win over Utah, he played the first half of the Nets’ overtime loss in Washington before his back seized up on him again.

He hasn’t played since.

Here’s ESPN New York on the Brooklyn Nets, who will be without small forward Paul Pierce for 2-4 weeks due to a broken bone in his finger:

Pierce has struggled this season, shooting only 36.8 percent overall and 26.8 percent from behind the 3-point arc, while averaging 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. Pierce rarely looked comfortable and was trying hard to find his way with the Nets. That process is now put on hold, and things might run a bit smoother for the team. Let’s make it clear: I am not saying the Nets are better without Pierce. No way. But Pierce will even admit that he was trying to find his comfort level and that was a struggle.

The Nets have to find a way to replace Pierce’s offense (he’s a proven scorer who was a late-game option) and ability to get to the line when he’s aggressive.

Alan Anderson will be the beneficiary of Pierce’s absence. He will probably start, like he did against Memphis, and Jason Kidd likes his energy and hustle. The Nets are going to rely even more on Joe Johnson for offense, perimeter shooting and to carry the load with the second unit. Brook Lopez will remain a focal point.

Mirza Teletovic should continue to see steady playing time, and Tornike Shengelia might even see some more minutes than normal. The Nets could sure use Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry back, though. Kirilenko could ease the blow of Pierce’s injury big time.