Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 61 – NBA Blog

No Knicks vs Nets games in 2013-14 preseason

The Nets released their preseason schedule yesterday, and two things stood out: the first trip back to Boston for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, and the absence of the Knicks.

The former Celtics are scheduled to make their first trip to Boston Oct. 23, a little more than a week after the players the Nets shipped to Boston in the blockbuster deal — Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans — make their return to Brooklyn Oct. 15.

But just as noteworthy is the fact the Nets won’t be facing their crosstown rivals during the preseason, something that hasn’t happened in recent memory. The two teams have faced each other at least once a year going back at least as far as 2002.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Brooklyn Nets 2013-14 preseason schedule

The Brooklyn Nets will open their 2013-14 campaign with a seven-game preseason schedule that includes three home contests played at Barclays Center, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

The preseason slate features a home-and-away set with the defending champion Miami Heat, who visit Brooklyn on October 17, while the Nets travel to Miami in the preseason finale on October 25.

The schedule is also highlighted by the return of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Boston on October 23rd. The former Celtics were acquired by the Nets on July 12th in an offseason blockbuster trade, and will host their former team at Barclays Center on October 15th.

Brooklyn tips off its exhibition schedule on October 8th against the Wizards in Washington, followed by a home tilt in Brooklyn against the Detroit Pistons on October 12th and a road contest against the division rival Philadelphia 76ers on October 14th.

Kevin Garnett has no interest in discussing his age

Brooklyn Nets GM Billy King welcomes critics who question whether Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are done being elite players at the ages of 37 and 35, respectively.

King believes Garnett and Pierce will prove those critics wrong.

When asked how much he still has left in the tank, Garnett responded, “Next question.”

Both Garnett and Pierce were less than pleased when reporters asked them about their age at Thursday’s news conference. “I’m 35. There are 50-year-olds and 60-year-olds in the house,” Pierce said.

Don’t look for KG to look to take over as the main leader on the team. Granted, that might change.

Garnett said this is Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson’s team.

Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Paul Pierce helped sell Kevin Garnett on Brooklyn

What started off as a casual phone call between good friends has quickly morphed into one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the decade.

Paul Pierce admitted it was he who first reached out to Kevin Garnett about coming to Brooklyn.

Pierce called Garnett in mid-June amidst rumors of a Boston rebuild — around the same time Garnett was denied a chance to play for the L.A. Clippers after David Stern nixed a deal that would’ve sent the 15-time All-Star and Doc Rivers to the Clippers.

“The deal didn’t go through, the Celtics were trading me, Doc was leaving, and so what was left for Kevin?” Pierce told reporters at Barclays Center. “It was one long phone call — probably like two hours.”

“Once Jason Kidd called me, I knew something was happening. Then my agent called me, asking me about Brooklyn and what I think. Once the Nets figured out they wanted to bring both of us in, that’s when I made the call (to Kevin).”

Reported by Chris Dell of the New York Daily News

Kevin Garnett thought about retiring from NBA

Garnett admitted that he thought deeply about retiring this offseason, and needed an hour-long conversation with Pierce before waiving a no-trade clause. Garnett’s first choice was to follow Doc Rivers to the Clippers, but a trade was blocked by the NBA because coaches can’t be included in player swaps.

“I don’t like change much. Once I commit to something, I like to go full throttle,” Garnett said. “It’s unfortunate. But when I saw the Doc Rivers situation, I kind of knew the writing was on the wall. I have my connections there. It was tough leaving (Rajon) Rondo and other things. But like I said, it’s a new chapter, new things to embrace. That’s what I’m doing.”

To leave Boston, it took a contender — and both future Hall of Famers were bullish about Brooklyn’s potential. The mentality, as they both illustrated, is title or bust in season No. 1.

“We’re not talking about Eastern Conference Finals, we’re not talking about best record,” Pierce said. “We’re talking about championship here, and that’s what the expectation is when you put together a unit like this.”

Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets are built to win now

Although they emerged champions, the Miami Heat looked vulnerable at times throughout their playoff run, and the Brooklyn Nets wasted little time in building a team that they feel can contend with, and possible dethrone King James and co.

The moves made in Brooklyn this summer have been nothing short of bold. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov has spared no expenses in the process of building the Nets back into a contender this offseason.

Prokhorov has repeatedly demonstrated that money is not an issue. The Nets will owe around $85 million in taxes after adding Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Andrei Kirilenko to an already impressive, albeit expensive, lineup which also includes Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez.

The result of all this off-season spending is a deep and talented roster that looks, at least on paper, like a serious contender to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Reported by Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com

Nets waive forward D.J. White

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward D.J. White, General Manager Billy King announced today. White was acquired from the Boston Celtics on July 12th in a trade that also netted Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry.

Over his five-year NBA career with Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Boston, White holds averages of 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 136 games (11 starts). Originally selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 29th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, White averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12 games with the Celtics last season.

Keith Bogans decision was key to big Nets-Celtics trade

One underrated aspect of the blockbuster trade between the Nets and Celtics was the fact that its fate rested in the hands of Keith Bogans.

In order to make the numbers in the trade work, the Nets had to get Bogans to agree to a sign-and-trade deal to go from Brooklyn to Boston – and, in the process, from a playoff team to what likely will be a lottery-bound one.

But after Bogans was taken care of by the Nets the previous offseason, when they re-signed him after he suffered a gruesome ankle injury five games into his stint with the Nets during the team’s final season in New Jersey, he was more than happy to return the favor and help the Nets bring a pair of future Hall of Famers to Brooklyn.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Blog)

Paul Pierce closes door on Boston

Paul Pierce came up with a unique way to salute the city of Boston yesterday.

Pierce publicly addressed the trade to the Nets for the first time yesterday afternoon when he announced on his Twitter account, “I’m going to share some of my favorite Boston memories on new Instagram account. #THANKYOUBOSTON”

For the next two hours, Pierce then posted 44 pictures chronicling his history in Boston, ending with a picture of him holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy at Fenway Park in 2008, with a message that read, “Boston, you’ve been my home for the last 15 years. Together, we’ve been through it all. I could not be more grateful for all of your support and Boston will forever be a part of who I am.”

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Coach Jason Kidd says Nets can hang with Heat

With the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry finally made official Friday, Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd wasted no time setting his team’s next target on the defending champion Miami Heat.

“They’re the blueprint, they’re the champs, they won it twice in a row, [and] they could have won it three times in a row,” Kidd said Friday. “They put that team together to try to win championships, and they’ve had a lot of success. So if you want to compete with them, you’ve got to have the horses. And I think we have that.”

Kidd spoke for the first time Friday about those high profile additions to the Nets’ roster after the league finally cleared the trade that sent Garnett, Pierce, Terry and D.J. White to Brooklyn, with the Boston Celtics receiving Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph and first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The Celtics also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Nets in 2017.

The deal was agreed to June 27, but was held up due to the league moratorium on player movement, as well as minor contract stipulations.

— Reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN.com