Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 61 – NBA Blog

Paul Pierce hopes to create new legacy for Nets

The franchise, basically forgotten by the NBA during its final few seasons in New Jersey, suddenly has become a force — something new Net Paul Pierce, is still trying to come to grips with.

“You’re definitely surprised, because since I’ve been in the NBA, when you’ve looked at the Nets, you always looked at them as bottom-dwellers,” Pierce said Thursday. “They have only put a couple of winning teams out in the last 10-15 years since I’ve been in the league, [and] nobody really respected them.

“Now they’ve got new owners, now they’ve got a new building, now they’ve got a new attitude. … You can definitely see a change in what’s going on, and I can see this organization really rising to the ranks of the respectability of the Lakers, of the Knicks, of the Celtics. That’s what they’re trying to build, but in order to do that you have to have the players, you have to have great management and you have to have great owners, and that’s what I see in place here in Brooklyn.”

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

J.R. Smith says the Knicks are still the marquee team in New York

J.R. Smith isn’t too worried about his knee, but he might be a bit concerned about the Nets.

The Knicks shooting guard addressed the media at a charity golf tournament in Lakewood, NJ on Thursday, seeming pleased with his progress since his knee surgery and eager to get back on the court, especially after Brooklyn’s offseason push to win the battle for New York.

“It’s an unbelievable move for J Kidd to have a team like that to start off with in his first year. I think they’ve got a great chance to compete for a title, but I think we’re still the marquee team in New York,” Smith said. “A lot of people are counting us out just like they did last year. We’ve got a lot to prove. I think we’re going to come out with a lot of edge and hopefully put it to positive use on the court.”

Reported by Stephen Lorenzo of the New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets are spending big money to compete in 2013-14

During negotiations to create its current collective bargaining agreement, the NBA did its best to limit the amount of money its teams would be able and willing to spend on their rosters by implementing a much more punitive luxury tax system, one that officially goes into effect this season.

But that more punitive system wasn’t enough to prevent the Nets from shelling out millions of billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s personal fortune this offseason.

Between completing their blockbuster draft night trade with the Celtics, re-signing Andray Blatche and signing Andrei Kirilenko, Shaun Livingston and Alan Anderson, the Nets sent their payroll soaring to more than $100 million for the coming season, which means they’ve also committed to paying a massive luxury tax bill of roughly $87 million next year.

“I would say it’s no secret that we went into collective bargaining seeking a hard cap,” NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver — one of the main architects of the current CBA and who will replace David Stern as commissioner when Stern steps down Feb. 1 — told The Post Wednesday after speaking at the league’s Rookie Transition Program in Florham Park.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

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