Category: Brooklyn Nets Blog

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Deron Williams happy with new Brooklyn arena

Deron Williams

As for playing in the arena itself, the players were happy with their new surroundings, including Deron Williams. After expressing frustration last season at times with the temporary situation the Nets found themselves in Newark, he is happy to be in Brooklyn and in a basketball-centric arena.

“They did a good job,” Williams said. “It’s built for basketball. It’s not built for hockey, it’s not built for soccer. It’s built for basketball.”

For the other half of the Nets’ All-Star backcourt, the team’s new home has a familiar feeling. Joe Johnson said the sloping of the seats behind the baskets creates a shooting backdrop that reminds him of Philips Arena in Atlanta, where he spent the past seven seasons, something that MarShon Brooks previously had mentioned.

“It is [like Philips],” Johnson said. “It kind of gives you that feeling … I guess that will be a good thing for me.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Nets want D-Will or Joe Johnson on court at all times

deron williams

“Brooklyn’s Backcourt” is so good, Avery Johnson thinks at least half of it always needs to be on the floor.

The Nets coach made sure his All-Star backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson played together in Friday night’s scrimmage. But he’s also trying to figure out how he’s going to deploy both of them in games this season with the idea of always having at least one of them on the court.

“We’ve made a concerted effort to have them playing together in practice, drills, scrimmages, and then we have to figure out which one of those guys we want to lead our second team — because we’re not going to play a true second team this year,” Johnson said after yesterday’s practice. “We don’t think we can have Deron and Joe out of the game at the same time, so that’s something else we’re trying to develop.”

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Nets forward Gerald Wallace not a big city guy

Gerald Wallace

Basketball fans know him as “Crash,” the small forward willing to give up life and limb for a loose ball — the player the Brooklyn Nets will match up against LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. But the Alabama product is so frightened of New York City that he refuses to drive over the Hudson River, let alone live close to the Barclays Center.

Trips into Brooklyn require a chaperone from his home in Fort Lee.

“I have a driver,” Wallace said. “If I’m going to the city, that’s pretty much how I’m getting in.”

Off the court, the Nets have been marketed as the gritty black & white urbanites, the vision of Bed-Stuy-born Jay-Z and Russia’s Mikhail Prokhorov. But there’s an unmistakable southern accent dominating conversations at the practice facility, whether it’s with Avery Johnson from Louisiana, Joe Johnson from Arkansas, Reggie Evans from Florida or Wallace from Childersburg, Ala.

The adjustment is probably most difficult for Wallace, a 30-year-old of few words with a voice so deep it has been mistaken for Barry White’s. While Joe Johnson says he’s “like a chameleon,” able to shift from Little Rock to his Manhattan home with ease, Wallace is more country than most.

“I’m afraid of New York City,” the 6-foot-7 forward said.

— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News

Deron Williams was frustrated last season

Deron Williams

Brooklyn Nets star Deron Williams called the 2011-12 campaign the toughest season he’s endured and called out teammates for not sharing his frustration.

On most nights, Williams was surrounded by an injury-plagued and talent-depleted roster as the Nets stumbled to a 22-44 record. As the losses mounted, his frustration began to show in the form of negative body language, so much so that coach Avery Johnson had to call him out on it.

But Williams believes he had every right to be frustrated because his teammates were joking around after losses. And that didn’t sit well with him.

“It was hard. I’ve never been in that position before,” Williams told reporters Tuesday, following his team’s first day of training camp. “So at times, I’ve showed frustration, but I think anybody would have. I think no matter who it is, if you were there every day and you saw what was going on in the locker room you’d be pissed off too sometimes. You’re getting your asses kicked and then you’re in the locker room laughing about the game afterwards.

“I don’t think that stuff is funny. That’s what we had to deal with last year. But I don’t think we’re going to deal with it this year, because just talking to the guys, that’s not what we’re about. We’re talking about not losing two games in a row. We were just trying to fight to win two games in a row last year.”

— Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York

Joe Johnson fighting jewelry-related lawsuit

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson insists … he’s no jewel thief — and now, he’s lashing back against a lawsuit that says he stole $125,000 worth of bling from an Atlanta diamond dealer.

Aydin & Company filed a lawsuit against Johnson earlier this month, claiming the NBA star entered into a purchase agreement back in October 2010 for $125,500 worth of jewelry.

The items in question — a white gold watch with diamonds, diamond beaded bracelet, black diamond stud earrings and a white gold bezel set rosary.

— Reported by TMZ.com

Nets are playoff team on paper, says GM

“I think we have a lot of talent,” Nets general manager Billy King said Tuesday at his preseason press conference at the team’s practice facility in East Rutherford, N.J. “I think we’ve got a good team. … I think we have a team that’s a playoff team on paper. I think we have a team that can withstand injuries, because we have depth.

“But, as I’ve always said, can we win a championship? Yes. But it takes luck in an NBA season to do that. You have to be healthy, for the most part. You’ve gotta get some breaks… the ball has to bounce your way sometimes when it doesn’t.”

Having a roster King thinks is a potential title contender is a far cry from the team he put together the past two seasons. But after trying to land first Carmelo Anthony, then Dwight Howard, waiting to see what Deron Williams would decide, and revamping the entire roster this summer, King admitted it’s a different feeling entering this season.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Brook Lopez confident injury is behind him

Brook Lopez confident injury is behind him

During the recovery process from his second foot injury last season, Brook Lopez was hesitant to say he was back to 100 percent.

But that, Lopez said Monday, was just a case of him being hesitant because he hadn’t played in any competitive game settings yet.

“It was being cautious,” Lopez said at the opening of the Nets team shop at Barclays Center. “And, honestly, I hadn’t played any 5-on-5 or competitive basketball, but now, being that I’ve been here for three weeks, I’ve played 5-on-5 with everyone on the team … we’ve got 15 guys going every day, and I’ve had no problems. I’m very confident in my foot.”

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

Russian billionaire Nets owner still expects championship within three years

When Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Nets two years ago, he declared the franchise will win a title by the end of the 2015 season.

After seeing his team’s roster dramatically overhauled this offseason ahead of the Nets beginning play in Brooklyn this fall, Prokhorov is standing behind that prediction.

“For me, there’s only one place: number one,” Prokhorov said Friday inside his team’s brand-new home, Barclays Center, in Brooklyn. “And I do my best to reach the championship.

“We’re moving on … slowly, slowly, step by step. It’s easy to make a strong team, but it’s very difficult to make a championship team. So we’re on the right way. And still, I’m expecting our championship within three years.”

Prokhorov was at Barclays Center alongside arena developer Bruce Ratner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other dignitaries to help cut the ribbon for the $1 billion arena.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Brooklyn Nets to be spotlighted on The Association on NBA TV

NBA TV’s The Association will spotlight the inaugural season of the Brooklyn Nets with the integrated and multiplatform behind-the-scenes series featuring new episodes on both NBA TV and NBA.com.

The first-ever series to go behind the scenes with a major American professional sports team throughout the regular season will tip off its fourth season on NBA TV on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 10:00 p.m. ET. The cross-platform series will include multiple shows on NBA TV and original webisodes on NBA.com throughout the upcoming NBA season. Previously, The Association spotlighted the Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11), and Denver Nuggets (2011-12).

“I think it’s great that the NBA will be documenting our inaugural season in Brooklyn as part of The Association,” said Nets’ three-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Deron Williams. “As we make history bringing a professional sports team to Brooklyn, fans will get to have an inside look. Our new home, the borough of Brooklyn, will provide a great backdrop for the series, and I think people are going to be pretty excited with their exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new arena.”

Featuring the dynamic ownership of Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z, veteran basketball leadership from General Manager Billy King and Head Coach Avery Johnson, and established NBA stars such as Williams and the newly acquired Joe Johnson, the Nets have been one of the most talked-about teams heading into their first season in Brooklyn.

“The Association is part of NBA TV’s commitment to deliver original programming, which provides fans with authentic access to all aspects of the game,” said Christina Miller, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital. “We’re thrilled to have the Nets involved this year, during an historic period for the franchise, and look forward to covering them through the journey of their inaugural season in Brooklyn.”

NBA TV’s The Association: Brooklyn Nets will deliver the riveting, behind-the-scenes coverage that has become a trademark of the series, providing access to the players and coaches in the locker room, on road trips, and off the court. The series continues its signature style, incorporating Brooklyn as a central character with special features about the city and its history and fans, featuring interviews with legendary Brooklyn Dodgers, as well as various celebrities from the borough.

“The Brooklyn Nets are honored to be selected by the NBA as the featured team in this year’s installment of The Association,” said Nets General Manager Billy King. “We are very excited about our first season playing in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, and this series will document superbly this historic move for the Nets’ franchise.”

NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first full-time TV network created by a professional sports league, had its most viewed and highest rated regular season in 2011-12.   The 24 hour network – available in 60 million U.S. households – airs more than 250 games a year as well as critically acclaimed, original programs such as The Association, Open Court and The Dream Team.