Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 61 – NBA Blog

Some possible 2013 Christmas day NBA matchups

The Knicks and Nets willl both play on Christmas, but Santa Claus isn’t gifting New York an inter-city match up.

A league source told the Daily News that the Knicks are tentatively scheduled to host Kevin Durant and the Thunder on X-Mas, the same day Brooklyn plays the Bulls at the Barclays Center.

The official NBA schedule won’t be released until next week.

The Knicks and Nets, according to a source, are slated to face off on Martin Luther King Day – one of four match ups between the division foes next season.

Reported by Frank Isola and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets officially add Alan Anderson

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard/forward Alan Anderson, General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are pleased to add Alan to our roster,” said King. “He is a versatile player who will add flexibility to our rotation.”

Anderson, a four-year NBA veteran, averaged career-highs in points (10.7 per game), rebounds (2.3) and assists (1.6) in 65 games (two starts) last season for the Toronto Raptors. Undrafted out of Michigan State, Anderson began his career playing the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, appearing in 53 games (seven starts). The Minneapolis native spent the next four seasons pursuing a successful career abroad with teams in Italy, Russia, Israel, Croatia, China and Spain, highlighted by being named the Croatian Cup MVP in 2009 and the MVP of the Spanish Cup in 2011. The 30-year-old holds career NBA averages of 8.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 135 NBA contests (21 starts).

Doc Rivers says Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett still have game

Rivers said both unquestionably have something left.

“I think obviously Paul’s younger and in tune to play more minutes than Kevin,” Rivers said. “But I think they’re still at the top of their games. I think Paul is still one of those guys who can go off for big nights and still have big scoring nights. Kevin is a culture change. He won’t play but 20 to 25 minutes a night and there’ll probably be nights when he doesn’t play but his presence there alone will absolutely change the culture of Brooklyn. There’s no doubt about it. I think for some of the young guys, even some of the veteran stars, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, will learn and understand what a winner is and looks like and professionalism and being prepared.

“That’s what I was most impressed with Kevin, how every game he prepared himself for games. That’s what I told our young guys that I just wanted them to watch him prepare for games. It was why he was so consistent. I thought it was that important.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Blog)

Nets agree to deal with Alan Anderson

The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to a deal with swingman Alan Anderson, continuing their busy offseason.

Agent Mark Bartelstein says Friday that Anderson is getting a two-year deal, with the second year a player option.

Anderson averaged a career-high 10.7 points last season for Toronto.

Reported by the Associated Press

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