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  • Atlanta Hawks win season opener 120-116, host Charlotte on Friday

    Atlanta Hawks win season opener 120-116, host Charlotte on Friday

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    The Atlanta Hawks will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Hawks

    The Atlanta Hawks were back at State Farm Arena for the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

    Atlanta won the game 120-116 behind 30 points from Trae Young, 28 points from backup center Onyeka Okongwu, and 15 points from former New Orleans Pelican forward Dyson Daniels. The Hawks had their highest scoring quarter (37 points) when it counted the most: during the fourth quarter.

    Atlanta got off to a strong start, pulling ahead by nine points early in the first quarter before the Nets tied the game at 15 at the 4:51 mark. Okongwu led the way during the first half with 14 points and five rebounds. Okongwu scored several of his points on huge put-back dunks that brought the crowd to its feet.

    Though he had nine points during the first half, Young began the game 2-6 from the field. Nets forward Ben Simmons, who often had his best games against the Hawks early in his career as a Philadelphia 76er, nearly had a triple-double at halftime with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Nets managed to go into halftime with a 55-51 lead.

    East Atlanta’s own Gucci Mane performed at halftime. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Atlanta will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. The Hornets opened the season with a 110-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

    News and Notes:

    Gucci Mane performed at halftime.

    Hawks rookie and the league’s overall number one pick in this summer’s draft Zaccharie Risacher scored the first basket of his career on a three-pointer late in the first quarter.

    Wednesday was the first regular season game as a Nets assistant coach for Juwon Howard, the former head men’s basketball coach at the Univeristy of Michigan.


    Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell began his career covering sports and news in Atlanta nearly two decades ago. Since then he has written for Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Southern Cross…
    More by Donnell Suggs

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

    Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

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    In their penultimate preseason exhibition, the Sixers played host to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Joel Embiid and Paul George were out of commission, as Embiid continues to work on the management of his left knee and George begins recovering from his left knee bone bruise. Kyle Lowry was in street clothes as well, as the veteran point guard was given the night off. For Brooklyn, Ben Simmons rested as well.

    Here is what jumped out from the Sixers’ 117-95 win/loss in their second and final home preseason game on Wednesday night:

    First Quarter

    • After making a change to his starting lineup before Monday night’s game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he would alter his opening five again — and replacing George was KJ Martin, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond.

    Once again, Nurse is signaling that he prefers to use wing Caleb Martin — who was expected to start at power forward for the Sixers — in a bench role. Caleb Martin often thrived as a reserve during his successful three-year stint with the Miami Heat, and Nurse believes he provides what the Sixers need in their second unit.

    “[Caleb Martin] is going to give us some energy off the bench, which I thought we lacked in the previous games, so we’re trying to solve that equation a little bit,” Nurse said after Tuesday’s practice. “It splits up Kyle [Lowry] and Eric [Gordon], which is also part of the plan. Just kind of maneuvering through different looks. And I think it’ll be pretty fluid as we go for a while.”

    Ultimately, how many minutes each player receives — and which ones are on the floor at the ends of close games — are far more important issues than which ones start. Expect the situation to evolve throughout the season.

    • Speaking of Gordon, it is becoming extremely apparent why Nurse likes the idea of the veteran sharpshooter being in his starting five. Gordon is one of the most accomplished three-point shooters of all time, and his reputation as a willing launcher carries serious weight when opposing defenses gameplan for any team he is part of. Gordon knocked down a pair of triples within five minutes and change of tip-off, and what stood out on each one was his complete lack of hesitation. Unlike many players who boast similar shooting skills, Gordon is perfectly happy to fire away every time down the floor if the opportunities present themselves.

    Moments later, Gordon read Nets guard Cam Thomas’ eyes perfectly and stole what Thomas thought would be a simple pass. Gordon ignited a transition possession and finished at the rim.

    •  The best highlight of the first quarter on Wednesday: Maxey throwing a transition lob so appetizing that Oubre and KJ Martin both went up looking to hammer home an alley-oop dunk. Oubre ended up the winner, and essentially dunked on his own teammate. Brooklyn called timeout, and Oubre and the rest of KJ Martin’s teammates playfully mocked him for getting posterized.

    Moments later, though, KJ Martin was able to get in on the fun, throwing down an alley-oop pass from Maxey in a half-court setting. He caught Thomas sleeping and took off in the direction of the basket. Maxey found him instantly:

    KJ Martin is a remarkable athlete, and during his minutes with the Sixers last season his abilities to display that were limited. Asked about Nurse placing an emphasis on playing at a fast pace in the 2024-25 season after the team’s shootaround on Wednesday morning, the fifth-year forward lit up.

    “It’s fun for me,” Martin said. “I love running down the floor and being able to jump… Especially with Tyrese in the game, we talk a lot, trying to bring the pace of the game up.”

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Is KJ Martin more than a trade chip?

    Second Quarter

    • Oubre’s three-point stroke came and went for much of his first season in Philadelphia, as his accuracy from beyond the arc fluctuated wildly. His most reliable skill on that end of the floor is his ability to pressure the rim. His finishing once he gets near the basket is imperfect, but he is terrific at getting a downhill start towards the restricted area. That was on full display Wednesday, as Oubre attempted seven free throws in the first half. He had everything working offensively, and it all stems from his driving ability. After establishing that he could get to the rim at will, Oubre knocked down a pair of pull-up triple when a Brooklyn defender felt the need to sag off in preparation for a drive. 

    • Guerschon Yabusele has impressed in the preseason, but the overwhelming majority of his minutes have come at center. Yabusele said after Tuesday’s practice that playing the five was not part of the role the Sixers had pitched to him when he signed with the team, but that he was comfortable playing anywhere. Nurse admitted before Wednesday’s game that the arrangement has largely been used out of necessity, as Embiid has not appeared in the preseason (and will not do so). 

    Nurse said that while he has seen more than enough to be comfortable using Yabusele as a small-ball center, he wishes he had more of a sample using the French Olympic standout at power forward, his natural position. Nurse indicated that Yabusele would see time at the four on Wednesday, and he did spend just over two minutes playing alongside Drummond near the end of the first half.

    Yabusele ended the first half on a high note, intercepting an inbounds pass from under the Sixers’ basket and driving to the rim for a two-handed slam that just barely beat the buzzer.

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Can Guerschon Yabusele leave a mark in his second NBA opportunity?

    • An interesting note: Brooklyn attempted 31 three-pointers in the first half, a gargantuan total. In the 2023-24 regular season, the Celtics led all NBA teams with 42.5 three-point attempts per game. 

    Third Quarter

    • It felt as if the Sixers left some meat on the bone in terms of attempting corner threes last season, but they did knock down a pair of corner triples early in the third quarter. On the team’s first offensive possession of the second half, Yabusele freed himself up in transition and drilled a shot from the right corner. A few moments later, Ricky Council IV connected from the opposite corner off of an assist from Jared McCain.

    After a strong preseason debut, Council has struggled as far as impressing during these exhibitions. It seems far-fetched that the second-year wing will be in Nurse’s regular rotation to begin the season, but the potential that exists with the fan favorite remains obvious. 

    • Speaking of McCain, the rookie first-round pick received first quarter minutes on Wednesday — and given Gordon’s apparent status as a starter, if George misses any time in the regular season, McCain being part of Nurse’s second unit seems increasingly likely. It does not sound like George is at risk of missing a considerable amount of games to begin the season, but he certainly is not a lock to be on the floor on Oct. 23 when the Milwaukee Bucks come to town.

    MORE: Sixers say Paul George has bone bruise but no structural damage, will be re-evaluated in approximately one week

    • Two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. entered to open the second half and had a few strong flashes of self-creation. 

    Dowtin is a serviceable shooter, not a great one, and only has okay burst, but manages to thrive in isolation opportunities thanks to an interesting mix of dribble moves and changes of pace. 

    Fourth Quarter

    • McCain returned to the game to begin its final frame with an opportunity to serve as the Sixers’ primary ball-handler. He knocked down a picture-perfect triple, and on the next possession drove to the basket and kicked it out to two-way guard Lester Quinones for a three of his own.

    • Far and away the best highlight of the second half came a few minutes into the fourth quarter. McCain got beat off the dribble, but his draft classmate Adem Bona came to his aid with a stellar block of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder. Dowtin led the Sixers in transition and dished out a gorgeous no-look dime to rookie two-way wing Justin Edwards for an easy slam. It was about as exciting of a play as you will find in the fourth quarter of a preseason game.

    • All in all, this was a strong showing for much of the Sixers’ roster — including depth pieces like Dowtin, Quinones, Edwards and Bona outperforming many of Brooklyn’s regular rotation players who remained in the game down the stretch. But the night ended on a bit of a sour note, when McCain took a hard fall and appeared to be in an immense amount of pain. After a moment, McCain was able to sit up, and after another minute he was on his feet being helped to the locker room.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • The 2024 Met Gala had no shortage of stars with Philly ties

    The 2024 Met Gala had no shortage of stars with Philly ties

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    Every year, stars and celebrities spend the first Monday in May with hairdressers, makeup artists and stylists in preparation of the annual Met Gala in New York City.

    The dress code for this year’s event was “The Garden of Time.” It coincided with the opening of Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibit, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” on famous fashion looks too fragile to wear. The Met Gala serves as a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute. 

    MORE: ‘Superman’ director reveals first glimpse of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel

    A number of stars with ties to the Philadelphia region were on the guest list, including singer Sabrina Carpenter, basketball star Ben Simmons and actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph dressed head to toe in couture. Two of them, actor Colman Domingo and actress Amanda Seyfried, even earned nods in Vogue’s best dressed list. 

    Here’s what they each wore:

    Simmons, the maligned former 76ers player, sported a plaid-on-plaid suit by Thom Browne and a clock briefcase to match the event’s theme.

    Seyfried glittered in a silver Prada gown with a headpiece and jewelry from Chaumet. Seyfried, who was born in Allentown, recently went on a ride-along with Philly police as part of her preparation for her role in an upcoming TV show based on a Temple University professor’s book. 

    Randolph, who won an  Oscar earlier this year, made an appearance in a Zac Posen gown made of Gap denim. The Mt. Airy native is in talks for a role in a new movie about Pharrell Williams. 

    Domingo hit the carpet in a cream Willy Charvarria suit featuring a cape and floral embellishment, our newsroom’s favorite look of the night. Domingo, who grew up in Philly, is set to star in a Michael Jackson biopic and a Nat King Cole movie musical. 

    “Barbie” actress Hari Nef, who was born in Philadelphia, styled a sequined white dress with a large bow detail from H&M. 

    Lancaster County native Jonathan Groff appeared in a Simone Rocha suit with floral details. 

    Carpenter, who spent her early years in Bucks and Montgomery counties, wore a floor-length Oscar de la Renta gown. 

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    Michaela Althouse

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  • Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie stepping up as distributor in Ben Simmons’ absence

    Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie stepping up as distributor in Ben Simmons’ absence

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    For much of the season, Spencer Dinwiddie’s role with the Nets was undefined.

    The veteran began the 2023-24 campaign as Brooklyn’s starting shooting guard, ceding the point guard position he primarily played last spring to a healthy Ben Simmons.

    When Cam Thomas kicked off the season with successive offensive outbursts, the 22-year-old quickly emerged as the Nets’ top backcourt scoring option, further clouding Dinwiddie’s situation.

    But in the three weeks since Simmons re-injured his surgically-repaired back, there’s been no question where Dinwiddie fits. Dinwiddie stepped right back in as Brooklyn’s ball-distributing point guard — a role he continues to thrive in.

    Dinwiddie recorded a game-high 11 assists to go with 14 points in Saturday night’s win over the Heat, giving him his second consecutive double-double. Saturday marked his eighth straight start at point guard in place of Simmons and his fourth time in five games tallying at least seven assists.

    “We had talked about Spencer finding his niche with the group, and we’re still not whole yet, so they’re still going to have to get to a different place once we are whole,” coach Jacque Vaughn said after Saturday’s game.

    “Right now, he’s taken advantage of really commanding the basketball, getting us in our spots, calling the right plays, seeing who’s touched the ball, who hasn’t touched the ball, a lot of things that you need to do, responsibility-wise, as a point guard.”

    Dinwiddie is no stranger to being the floor general. He excelled as a passer after returning to Brooklyn in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas last February, averaging 9.1 assists in 26 games. Simmons only appeared in four of those games before a nerve impingement in the right side of his back ended his season after 42 games.

    Dinwiddie led the NBA with 146 assists last March, averaging 9.7 per game for the month. He was even better in April, averaging 12.0 over four regular-season games.

    “It’s a natural position for him to be able to go in there and create plays from the point guard spot,” Nets forward Cam Johnson said Saturday. “He does a good job of it. He does a good job no matter where he’s put.”

    The Nets offense looks much different with Dinwiddie at point guard compared to Simmons. With the tempo-pushing Simmons, the Nets are among the NBA’s best transition teams, scoring at least 20 fast-break points in each of his six starts.

    With Dinwiddie, the Nets run less frequently and operate more out of their halfcourt offense. Four of Dinwiddie’s assists Saturday led to buckets at the basket for center Nic Claxton, including two alley-oops. On four of his other assists, Dinwiddie found teammates for three-pointers.

    “Assists are a thing that happen when your teammates make shots, so [I’m] very thankful for them,” Dinwiddie said.

    Now in his seventh season with the Nets, Dinwiddie moved into fifth place on the team’s all-time assists list last week. His 1,784 assists with Brooklyn entering Sunday trailed only the totals compiled by Jason Kidd, Kenny Anderson, Deron Williams and Darwin Cook.

    Dinwiddie is one of three Nets ever to record at least 1,500 assists and make at least 500 three-pointers, along with Kidd and Vince Carter.

    “It just means I’m old,” said Dinwiddie, who, at 30, is the oldest player on the Nets’ roster by a few weeks.

    Simmons, who is now dealing with a nerve impingement in the left side of his lower back, only recently resumed light individual court work, meaning Dinwiddie should remain the Nets’ point guard for at least the foreseeable future.

    The Nets have also been without Thomas, their leading scorer, since Nov. 8 due to a sprained ankle, though he’s expected to be integrated back into team activities this week.

    “I can’t replace Ben,” Dinwiddie said Saturday.

    “I try to fit into whatever role happens. Tonight we were making shots, so just trying to find people. It’s pretty much that simple. When those guys come back, we’ll see what happens.”

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    Peter Sblendorio

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  • The Nets’ next step is figuring out how to beat the NBA’s elite

    The Nets’ next step is figuring out how to beat the NBA’s elite

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    The Nets have mostly handled their business when they’re supposed to.

    Through 13 games this season, the Nets boasted a 3-0 record against opponents with losing records and picked up two more wins against teams that came in at .500. They won in decisive fashion against an upstart Orlando Magic team that entered that game 5-4.

    Wins against the NBA’s elite, however, have repeatedly eluded them.

    Brooklyn began the season with back-to-back losses to the Cavaliers and Mavericks, who are both expected to compete for solid seeding in their respective conferences. The Nets are a combined 0-4 against the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers, whom many consider the top three teams in the East.

    Their other loss through Wednesday came against the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat. It all added up to a 6-7 record.

    The Nets, armed with depth and versatility but lacking a clear-cut superstar, believe they’re capable of more, but know they need to clean up some things if they’re going to compete with top-tier teams.

    “It’s a discipline,” coach Jacque Vaughn said at Nets practice Tuesday. “It is leaning more into ‘always’ instead of ‘sometimes.’ We have been, sometimes, pretty good in possessions. We need to shift that always.”

    He continued, “Whether that is always defending and being in our right position; whether that’s always kicking the ball ahead and having multiple ball-handlers; whether that’s always playing with pace once we get a rebound, that’s our challenge as a group. When you play the better teams, it just gets emphasized even more, because if you don’t do it, you’re gonna lose.”

    The Nets hung close in many of their losses. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Dallas’ Luka Doncic made three-pointers with under 30 seconds remaining in those games to pull ahead for good. Brooklyn’s first loss to Boston was still a one-point game a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Nets’ 129-125 loss to Milwaukee was tied with less than 1:30 remaining.

    One of Brooklyn’s wins came against the Heat, who fell to 1-4 at the time but rebounded with a seven-game win streak that included a victory over the Nets in a rematch last week. The Nets also beat the star-powered Clippers, who are still finding their chemistry after adding James Harden to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook late last month.

    But the Nets looked overmatched in recent losses to the Celtics, Heat and 76ers, the latter of whom dealt them their most lopsided defeat of the season at 121-99.

    Miami pulled ahead for good on Nov. 16 with a 14-0 run going into halftime. The Sixers closed the second quarter of Sunday’s game on a 20-5 run.

    “We gotta dance in the storm,” said Nets guard Lonnie Walker. “There’s times, you know, the game’s all about runs, and you get punched in the face. Instead of us backpedaling, we gotta continue to fight. We can’t put our heads down or be upset. Don’t think about the last possession, just keep on moving forward. I think it all starts with trying to be more defensive-minded, including myself. Not let our offense dictate our defense, let our defense dictate our offense.”

    The Nets have been incomplete for much of the season. They lost a pair of starters — forward Cam Johnson (calf strain) and center Nic Claxton (ankle sprain) — for an extended stretch after both suffered injuries in the season opener. Starting point guard Ben Simmons (lower-back nerve impingement) and leading scorer Cam Thomas (ankle sprain) are now out with injuries.

    Those absences interrupted the progress of a team that added four key players in Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith last February in the midseason trades that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix and Kyrie Irving to Dallas.

    The Nets’ new core doesn’t still doesn’t have much experience playing together compared to some of the NBA’s top teams that have been in place longer.

    That includes Miami, which advanced to NBA Finals twice in the past four years behind Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. The Nets face their next litmus test against a championship contender Saturday night when they host the Heat at Barclays Center in their third meeting of the season.

    “The better teams have been together for a while, just because it’s second nature to them and [they] know where everybody’s gonna be at,” Bridges said. “I think we’re just not there yet. There’s nothing wrong with that, just because we haven’t been here that long, but just gotta figure it out.”

    Still, Bridges doesn’t use injuries as an excuse.

    “Obviously, we’d like to have our team, but nah, I think we’ve got good enough players where we can go out there and win,” Bridges said. “Just gotta execute and be on the same page.”

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    Peter Sblendorio

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  • Mike Lupica: In a brutal New York sports season, the Nets might end up being the most interesting team in town

    Mike Lupica: In a brutal New York sports season, the Nets might end up being the most interesting team in town

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    You know how the sports year has gone around here since the basketball season ended last spring. The Yankees and Mets didn’t make the playoffs, Buck Showalter barely made it to the Mets’ last game, the Yankees didn’t actually get interesting again until the other day, when Brian Cashman didn’t just play the part of a profane and professional victim, and made you think, for the first time, that he doesn’t have a job for life if the Yankees aren’t a real contender again in 2004.

    The Giants? They’re in the midst of one of the great freefalls in their history, like it’s the ’70s all over again, to the point where you wonder if they might win another game before next season. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for just about everybody involved, the general manager, the coach, the quarterback, the shine coming off all of them at record speed.

    The Jets? They still have a shot, though it looks like more of a longshot every time they try to move the chains, to make the playoffs. But if the Raiders do to them on Sunday night what they did to the Giants last Sunday afternoon, then you can stick a great big fork in the Jets, too, as Jets fans start pondering what kind of future they really have if it’s built around a 40-something quarterback coming off an Achilles injury.

    We no longer care that the Jets are going to win the Jersey state football championship. But now that it is basketball season again, it is very much worth talking about whether it’s going to be the Knicks or the Nets winning the city basketball title.

    That is good basketball talk right there, even about whether the Nets could end up being better than the Knicks this season if they can ever stay healthy. That means even after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and everybody, seemingly, except Julius Erving last season; whether the Nets might turn into the most interesting team in town. Nobody would have thought that could be possible this close to the immediate rebuild after Durant and Irving were gone, and Sean Marks, who runs the show at Barclays Center, had to admit in front of his own fans and in front of the world that the big shot he took with not just Durant and Irving but James Harden, as well, had gone bust.

    But guess what? The Nets are suddenly young and deep, with talent at all of their rotation spots. On top of that, they are fun to watch again now that they are no longer the drama kings of the National Basketball Association. You want to start someplace, start here:

    Raise a hand, at least if you’re not a Nets fan, if you know that the leading scorer in basketball New York right now, either side of the river, is a 22-year old kid from LSU named Cam Thomas. That is, however, exactly what Thomas was through the first eight games his team has played, 26.9 a game, until he rolled his ankle the other night and it was announced that he was going to have to miss two weeks just when he was running this hot.

    The Nets’ record sat at a modest 4-5 after getting boxed around by the Celtics in Boston Friday night. Nobody is saying that they are going to end up with a higher seed than the Knicks come playoff time, or that they could be the city team even getting one of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference. Still: When you watch them play, when they are pushing the ball and Thomas and Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie and Nic Claxton (when healthy) are sharing it, it’s hard not to see the possibilities, especially as well coached as they are by Jacque Vaughn.

    Even Ben Simmons has shown signs of life this season, managing to score five baskets in a game twice and being in double figures in rebounds (high of 15) in five of his team’s first eight games.

    Think back to what we all thought had become of the Nets when Durant was on his way to Phoenix and Irving was on his way to Dallas and that experiment has ultimately failed the way Durant-Irving-Harden had failed in the end after it felt like the three of them had been together for about three games total. Then look at where they are right now, with all these young guys getting after it the way they are. It sometimes seems that it has taken Marks about half-a-season to do what it has taken Leon Rose years to do at the Garden.

    The Nets are never going to be the big game in New York, just because the Knicks are always going to be that. The Knicks are coming off a season during which Jalen Brunson became a star, and Knick fans will always wonder how Knicks vs. Heat would have played out in the end of Brunson had any help at all in Game 6, when he scored 41 points, which was more than Julius Randle and RJ Barrett and Josh Hart combined.

    You see how good they can look when Randle still looks like an All-Star. We are told now that Randle started the season hurt, and there is no reason to think that he wasn’t, just off the numbers he was putting up early. But there is also no reason at this time, and this far into his Knicks career, to believe Randle will ever stop being this consistently inconsistent.

    And Barrett? There is still no way of knowing just exactly where his ceiling is, no matter how many times we want to give him the game ball when he looks as great as he did against the Spurs the other night at the Garden.

    Somehow, after everything that happened to the Nets and with the Nets a year ago, it is the Nets who seem like the deeper team of the two right now. Marks tried it the modern NBA way, you bet, with big stars, and the Nets came up short, even if it happened the way it did one Game 7 night against the Bucks because Durant’s sneaker was about a couple of inches too long. Now Marks tries things differently on his side of the river.

    We don’t get the first Knicks vs. Nets game of the season until Dec. 20, at Barclays. If both our teams stay reasonably healthy, and remain where they are in the middle of the pack in the conference, that will be something else to talk about, a game to watch in what we very much need to be season to watch in basketball New York.

    If not, we might need the Rangers carrying us all the way to baseball this time.

    BELICHICK AND BRADY BY THE NUMBERS, CASHMAN OWES AN APOLOGY & JETS DIDN’T HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN …

    OK, here are your fun football facts for today from my pal John Labombarda of the Elias Sports Bureau (they know everything):

    Bill Belichick’s won-loss record when Tom Brady has been his quarterback in regular season games — 219-64.

    Belichick’s record without Brady, first in Cleveland and now New England — 81-95.

    Brady’s regular season record without Belichick — 32-18.

    Belichick’s postseason record with Brady — 30-11.

    His postseason record, Cleveland and New England, without Brady — 1-2.

    Brady’s postseason record in Tampa Bay after he left the Patriots — 5-2.

    Now obviously they needed each other over all those years with the Patriots, they were as formidable a coach/quarterback team as their sport has ever seen.

    And, to be fair, it was Belichick who saw enough in Brady to give him the ball, and a chance, in the first place.

    But you have to say, all in, that Touchdown Tom doesn’t miss the hoodie guy nearly as much as the hoodie guy misses him.

    Right?

    My friend Barry Stanton points out that the Texans sure have done better taking C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick than the Jets did with Mrs. Wilson’s son, Zach.

    Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was in a rock-and-hard place with Jim Harbaugh — and his merry prankster of a sign stealer — even before Petitti suspended Harbaugh from coaching Michigan’s last three regular season games.

    But in the end, and no matter how many high-powered lawyers Michigan sends after him, Petitti had the high ground here.

    And, I’m sorry, if you believe that Harbaugh had no idea what this guy Connor Stalions was doing on his tour of Big Ten stadiums, you believe that Brian Cashman’s Yankees really were victims of life’s circumstances, as opposed to a series of wrong-headed decisions.

    Speaking of which?

    Cashman did a significant disservice to himself, and to the Yankees, with that hour-long meltdown in front of the media in Arizona the other day.

    And if he couldn’t see his way to apologizing afterward, the owner of the team should have done it for him.

    In the end, Cashman performed about as well as his baseball team did last season.

    By the way?

    If it wasn’t analytics that got Cashman to give Aaron Hicks a 7-year contract, what was it — he thought Hicks looked really good in pinstripes?

    You want some analytics?

    The Yankees have won one World Series in the last 23 years.

    It is worth asking, and not for the first time, how the Jets didn’t have a real quarterback in place behind Zach Wilson when this season started.

    They had a back-up to Rodgers, no question.

    Just no back-up plan.

    How’s that working out for Joe Douglas?

    Seriously: Did they really think that nothing could ever possibly happen to Aaron Rodgers, who turns 40 in December?

    The news isn’t really getting much better for the mayor or New York City, is it?

    Maybe even Angel Reese was impressed with Caitlin Clark putting 44 on Virginia Tech the other night.

    The world was a much simpler place when it didn’t seem as if we had a tracking device on a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

    Chris Kreider continues to prove that you really can never go wrong with a Boston College man.

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    Mike Lupica

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  • Nets to face the ultimate litmus test against undefeated Boston Celtics

    Nets to face the ultimate litmus test against undefeated Boston Celtics

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    The circumstances surrounding Saturday’s game against the Celtics couldn’t be tougher for the Nets.

    Fresh off a four-game road trip ending Friday in Chicago, the Nets will be playing on the second night of their first back-to-back of the season. Boston, meanwhile, comes to Barclays Center fresh, having last suited up Wednesday.

    The Nets are still nursing key injuries, with the calf strain Cam Johnson suffered in the first game of the season set to be re-evaluated next week. Nic Claxton, who sprained an ankle in the season opener, also hasn’t played since.

    That’s not to mention the reloaded Celtics are really, really good. They’re a legit 4-0 with their margin of victory increasing in every win — most recently with a 51-point blowout of the Indiana Pacers.

    It all adds up to Saturday being the ultimate early-season stress test for the new-look Nets.

    Now 10 months removed from the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era, the superstar-less Nets have largely lived up to their manta of competing with effort and depth. They hung close in losses to the playoff-contending Cavaliers and Mavericks; cruised to a convincing win over the less-talented Hornets; and had unlikely heroes emerge in a comeback victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat.

    Boston is a different animal, boasting superstar talent at the top and enviable depth to supplement it.

    Jayson Tatum is off to another stellar start, averaging 29.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Fellow well-rounded wing Jaylen Brown is also playing at an All-Star pace, averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and a team-leading 1.5 steals. Both are plus defenders, as is battle-tested point guard Jrue Holiday, the five-time All-Defensive Team selection whom Boston acquired right before the season.

    The Celtics’ other All-Star addition over the offseason, Kristaps Porzingis, has also made an immediate impact. The matchup-nightmare center is averaging 18.8 points and sank a game-winning three-pointer against his original team, the Knicks, in Boston’s season opener.

    How the rebuilt Nets, even in their undermanned state, hold up against the juggernaut Celtics will say much about their work-in-progress identity and how they measure up against the East’s elite.

    Kristaps Porzingis was one of the Boston Celtics’ big additions over the offseason. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    Can they make life difficult for standout scorers like Tatum and Brown, who excel at getting to the basket and are both shooting above 40% from three? Throughout the preseason, the Nets preached their potential as a lockdown defense, with the lanky Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith among those capable of guarding multiple positions.

    They’ve struggled thus far against opposing All-Stars, however, with Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scoring 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting and Dallas’ Luka Doncic exploding for 49 points on 16-of-25. Both dominated down the stretches of their games and finished off victories with go-ahead three-pointers. Brooklyn fared better against Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who put up 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting and was held scoreless over the final four minutes.

    Can Cam Thomas deliver another offensive outburst? The 22-year-old sensation scored at least 30 points in each of the Nets’ first three games but came back to Earth against defensive-minded Miami, struggling to find any rhythm in an ugly 13-point effort on 4-of-19 shooting. It only gets harder against Holiday and company.

    The 6-3 Thomas’ defense could also prove a liability against capable backcourt scorers in Holiday and Derrick White.

    Will the Nets have an answer for Porzingis? They certainly didn’t against another uniquely talented — albeit very different — All-Star center in Miami’s uber-athletic Bam Adebayo, who scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds. The Nets repeatedly rolled out a small starting lineup without the 6-10 Claxton, with the 6-7 Finney-Smith suiting up as the de facto center. That won’t cut it against the 7-3 Porzingis, who is shooting 45% from three.

    Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum plays against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 3, 2023, in Boston. (Michael Dwyer/AP)
    Jayson Tatum, pictured here in the Boston Celtics’ March 3 game against the Nets last season, is off to another strong start. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

    And can Bridges rise to the occasion and keep up with Boston’s stars? Bridges, who last season averaged 26.1 points in the 27 games after the Nets acquired him in the Durant trade, saw that mark drop to 20.8 through the first four games of this season.

    Bridges has spoken about his desire to emerge as the Nets’ go-to guy. After being held scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Dallas loss, Bridges stepped up as Brooklyn’s closer in the win over Miami, scoring nine of the Nets’ final 11 points and assisting on the other two.

    The schedule-makers did the Nets no favors to start the season, between the early four-game road trip and a downright brutal upcoming stretch in which they host the Celtics on Saturday, the Bucks on Monday and the Clippers on Wednesday before traveling to Boston for another bout with the Celtics next Friday.

    “I want us to embrace that,” Nets coach Jacque Vaugn said last month of the tough schedule. “It’s extremely important for us to be ready to play at the beginning of this year to kind of set an avenue, a tone, for us going forward.”

    Saturday marks his team’s greatest litmus test yet.

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    Peter Sblendorio

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  • Week In Review: October 8, 2023

    Week In Review: October 8, 2023

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    More.

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  • How the NBA’s new player participation policy affects the Knicks and Nets

    How the NBA’s new player participation policy affects the Knicks and Nets

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    Julius Randle and Ben Simmons are “star” players under the criteria set by the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy.

    Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges are not — though that could change the instance either earn their first All-Star or All-NBA nod.

    This is how the league is tackling its widespread load management issue, with new rules that penalize teams for sitting star-level players without just cause.

    Teams with two such star players — that is: a player who has been named an All-Star or made an All-NBA team in any of the previous three seasons — are not allowed to rest both players in the same game.

    Randle is a two-time NBA All-Star (2021 and 2023) and a two-time All-NBA honoree (2021 Second Team, 2023 Third Team). Simmons is a three-time All-Star, though his last All-Star appearance was in 2021. If he does not make an All-Star team this season, he will not qualify as a star for the Nets next season.

    As a practical example, the Los Angeles Lakers deciding to sit both superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the same game without prior approval from the league would trigger a league investigation this season.

    Under the NBA’s new player participation policy, star-level players must appear in all nationally-televised games – and they must appear in all of the league’s upcoming In-Season Tournament games, as well.

    The Knicks play 25 nationally-televised games in the 2023-24 season, 20 if you exclude games broadcast on NBA TV. And now that Durant and Irving have orchestrated trades out of Brooklyn, the Nets have seen their national exposure nosedive: just five games this season set to air on either ESPN or TNT and six more on NBA TV.

    This new set of rules, however, also triggers the moment a player earns star status.

    So if Brunson were to become an All-Star this season, the NBA would fine the Knicks for resting both Brunson and Randle in the same game unless both were justifiably hurt or excused by the league for a pre-approved absence.

    These exceptions to the rule include multigame absences for bona fide injury, personal reasons, rare and unusual circumstances, roster management of unavailable star players, and end-of-season flexibility

    The Nets would need to seek similar approval should Bridges earn his first All-Star nod this season, a likely outcome given his exceptional play representing Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.

    Mikal Bridges’ standout World Cup game marred by late miss

    The Player Participation Policy features five key rules teams must comply with to avoid the stiff financial penalties for sitting star players: No more than one star player can be unavailable for the same game; star players must be available for nationally-televised and In-Season Tournament games; if a player is going to miss games, the league prefers the games be missed at home; teams can no longer shut down players for long stretches of games without league approval; and healthy players who are resting a game must be on the bench and visible to fans.

    Failure to comply with any of these rules will now trigger a league investigation, with a team’s first PPP infraction set to trigger a $100,000 fine — not to the player but levied upon the team.

    The second infraction of the player participation policy prompts a $250,000 fine, and the third activates a $1.25 million penalty. Every subsequent violation triggers a fine worth $1 million more than its previous penalty.

    This fine structure would have crippled the Nets during the Durant, Irving and James Harden era, where the Big 3 only appeared in 16 games as a trio. It would have also hurt the Nets last season, when Simmons appeared in just 42 of a possible 82 regular-season games.

    Nets rule Ben Simmons out for season with goal of rehabbing back

    WHAT ABOUT BACK-TO-BACKS

    Teams must now seek pre-approval to rest stars in either night of back-to-back games, and if one of those games is a nationally-televised, the rest must occur for the other game.

    For example, the Knicks travel to Boston on April 11 for a matchup against the Celtics set to air on TNT. The following night, they host the Nets at Madison Square Garden in a game that will air locally on MSG Networks.

    Under the new rules, barring verifiable injury or excused absence from the league, Julius Randle must play against the Celtics. If the Knicks wanted to rest him for any game of that back-to-back, they would need pre-approval from the league to sit their star forward against the Nets.

    This would become complicated, however, if Brunson were to also receive his first All-Star nod this season as teams cannot rest both star players in any single game. Both would be required to play against the Celtics, then only one would be eligible to rest the ensuing night.

    The Knicks have three other instances of nationally-televised games occurring on one leg of back-to-back: Oct. 27 at Atlanta and 28 at New Orleans (NBA TV); Oct. 31 at Cleveland (TNT), then Nov. 1 at home against the Cavaliers; and Nov. 12 hosting the Charlotte Hornets before Nov. 13 at Boston (NBA TV).

    In each of these instances, the Knicks would need pre-approval to rest Randle in the non-nationally-televised leg of the back-to-back, though Brunson wouldn’t apply to this rule because he is not yet an All-Star.

    The Nets host the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in a nationally-televised (NBA TV) game on Dec. 22, then host the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 23. Under new league rules, Brooklyn would need to seek pre-approval to rest Simmons against the Pistons – though given his injury history, they should have no problem securing such approval; nor should they have any issues with the fashionable Simmons appearing on the bench in games he is resting.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The Nets, however, have a nationally-televised back-to-back: Feb. 5 against the Golden State Warriors in a game that airs on NBA TV, then Feb. 6 against the Dallas Mavericks in Kyrie Irving’s return to Brooklyn – a game that will air on TNT.

    According to the new rules, the Nets would need to seek prior approval for a player to rest one leg of a back-to-back if both games are nationally televised or In-Season Tournament games.

    The Nets have two more back-to-backs that feature a game aired on national television: March 9 at Charlotte and March 10 at Cleveland (ESPN); then March 16 at Indiana before March 17 against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, a game set to air on NBA TV and, surprisingly, be played at a neutral location.

    These games will be played after the All-Star break, meaning if Bridges earns his first career All-Star nod, both he and Simmons will be ineligible to rest one leg of each back-to-back.

    Nets’ Ben Simmons ‘as healthy as he’s ever been’ since last season in Philly’: report

    EXCLUSIONS TO THE RULES

    According to the release issued by the league, the exclusions to the player participation policy include injuries, personal reasons and pre-approved back-to-back restrictions based on a player’s age, career workload or serious injury.

    Under these rules, the Nets should have no issues seeking rest time for both Simmons and Bridges, as Simmons has a verifiable back injury history that must be monitored to prevent aggravation.

    Bridges, due for an All-Star nod, played in 83 combined regular-season games for both the Suns and Nets last season, then played more minutes than any player not named Anthony Edwards for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup. Should he qualify for star status, the Nets could easily point to his workload over the past calendar year as just cause to rest him in the second half of the season.

    Despite Bridges’ miracle, Canada eliminates Team USA in bronze-medal game

    That will be difficult to pull off, however, if they are actively load-managing Simmons’ back.

    For the Knicks, both Brunson and Josh Hart played into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs then played regular Team USA minutes in the FIBA World Cup. Hart does not qualify as a star under the new rules, but a case can be made for workload management for both.

    Cam Johnson also represented the Nets for Team USA but should have fresh regular-season legs after spending most of the World Cup watching from the sidelines.

    WHAT ABOUT THE AGE AND WORKLOAD EXCEPTION?

    The NBA has created an exception to the rule for appearances in back-to-back games for players who are 35 years old on opening night or have career workloads of 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 combined regular-season and playoff games, according to ESPN.

    Neither the Knicks nor Nets rosters feature a player who qualifies for this exception. Bridges has appeared in 392 regular-season games and 39 additional playoff games. Randle has appeared in 595 regular-season games and an additional 15 playoff games. Brunson has only appeared in 345 regular-season games plus 36 more playoff games. And after missing an entire season, then half of last season, while also missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Simmons has only tallied 317 regular-season games since 2017, plus 34 more playoff games.

    Chris Paul, Mike Conley, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan and James Harden are the only NBA players covered by this exception.

    Under these new rules, the Nets would have only been able to rest Durant, who met the 34,000 minutes criteria, in last season’s Dec. 10 matchup against the Indiana Pacers, where they won despite sitting Durant, Irving and Simmons.

    PLAYER PARTICIPATION POLICY

    NBA end-of-the-season honors now have updated criteria based on availability.

    In order to be eligible for Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player or Defensive Player of the Year, as well as any All-NBA or All-Defensive Teams, a player must appear in at least 65 regular-season games. They may appear in 62 games and still qualify for an end-of-the-season award if they suffer a season-ending injury and appeared in at least 85% of his team’s regular-season games prior to suffering the injury.

    Under this new rule, Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. would not have been eligible to win Defensive Player of the Year because he only appeared in 63 games.

    Julius Randle, who earned Third Team All-NBA honors last season, appeared in 77 games for the Knicks last season and would have remained unaffected had these new rules been implemented last season.

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    Kristian Winfield

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  • Athletes Respond To LeBron James’ Rumored Retirement

    Athletes Respond To LeBron James’ Rumored Retirement

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    “No one could outjump LeBron. I once saw him jump straight through the roof of a house, then he kept going, he went up about 100 feet and crashed into a bird. The bird plummeted to the earth. When LeBron saw what he’d done, he quickly reversed course, and willed himself to fall faster than the bird. By the time the bird was about to land, LeBron was already there, and he caught the bird softly in his palm. As the bird landed, it died, but as it died it laid an egg into LeBron’s palm. LeBron sat on that egg until it hatched, and he raised that bird—it was a cardinal—as one of his own children. A class act and fierce competitor.”

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  • The Megan Thee Stallion – Tory Lanez Trial Explained

    The Megan Thee Stallion – Tory Lanez Trial Explained

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    Even if you haven’t been paying attention over the past few years to the Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez beef, you’ve undoubtedly heard about this underlying national drama that’s slowly coming to a boil. On July 12, 2020, Los Angeles police reported a woman suffering from a foot injury and a man being arrested on a weapons allegation after the cops had responded to a call about shots being fired in the area.

    Prosecutors claim that Megan Pete – AKA Megan Thee Stallion – was shot by Daystar Peterson, known as Tory Lanez. Two long years and a glut of diss-tracks later, Megan is suing Tory for “great bodily injury” after shooting her in the foot. Lanez pleaded “not guilty” in November 2020…but oh boy does it only get messier from here.

    So. The trial began this week and a battle of he-said-she-said has commenced. If you’ve missed the past few days of drama and conflicting statements…don’t you worry.

    Here’s everything you need to know:

    • The defense, led by George Mgdesyan, is arguing that the altercation was caused by Megan’s jealousy of longtime former friend, Kelsey Harris.
      • Both Megan and Harris have had relationships with Tory Lanez
      • Lanez claims the women have always had jealousy issues…citing Megan sleeping with Harris’ exes Ben Simmons and DaBaby
    • Kelsey Harris and Tory Lanez both tested positive for gun residue
      • Harris is set to testify in support of Megan (at some point)
      • Defense seems to imply that Harris was the shooter
    • Prosecution, led by Alexander Bott, argues that Lanez shot Megan because she insulted his music abilities

    There have been many accusations from Lanez that Megan Thee Stallion is lying about being shot…despite X-Rays showing bullet fragments in her foot. Kelsey Harris also texted Megan’s bodyguard that morning “Help. Tory shot Meg.” So there’s that.

    Only time will tell what the verdict is…but we’re hoping this brings some closure for Megan Thee Stallion, who has been open about her mental health struggles amongst this chaos.

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    Jai Phillips

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  • ‘Proud’ Nash lauds Simmons’ bounce-back effort

    ‘Proud’ Nash lauds Simmons’ bounce-back effort

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    NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash said he was “proud of” Ben Simmons for the way the talented swingman bounced back in Friday night’s 109-105 win over the Toronto Raptors after a poor showing in the Nets’ season opener.

    “A step up for Ben,” Nash said after seeing Simmons score six points, grab 10 rebounds, dish out eight assists and block two shots in 32 minutes. “From the jump he was more aggressive. He got in the paint, every time he gets in the paint he causes problems. … He’s starting to show the player he can be, and I still think he’s got a ways to go, so really proud of him. He shook off the first night, and I thought he was much more aggressive in an important game for us.”

    Simmons struggled in Wednesday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring just four points to go with five assists and five rebounds and fouling out in 23 minutes. Simmons says he has been getting a consistent message from Nash for a while now.

    “Just attack,” Simmons said. “Just be me. It’s easy to say, but to go and do it, it’s tough. But that’s on me. Keep pushing myself.”

    Simmons’ teammates have repeatedly stood up for him publicly as he continues to find his rhythm after missing almost a year and a half from the NBA after waiting on a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers last season and then dealing with offseason back surgery. The Nets know they can be a completely different team when Simmons plays at a high level and is aggressive on the floor.

    “He just got downhill — he just played free,” Durant said of Simmons. “He didn’t think too much. I think we’re all a little anxious to start playing, start the season last game, so we had a better start to the game. … He impacted the game as much as he could tonight. … We need that from everybody, but I think we’re all a little [more] relaxed, even the coaches.”

    Simmons noted that his performance was “a little better” and said he remains confident his game will come back around over time.

    “I didn’t get fouled out, which is good,” Simmons said. “Less turnovers, so just keep building.”

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  • The five biggest questions surrounding the drama-filled Brooklyn Nets

    The five biggest questions surrounding the drama-filled Brooklyn Nets

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    The Brooklyn Nets gave the NBA offseason extended life. Every move the organization made — and didn’t — was examined; every whisper, every tweet broken down to the syllable as the league watched the turmoil unfold throughout the summer.

    Kevin Durant, who on June 30 requested a trade, then requested for general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash to be fired, now appears ready to start the season with the Nets.

    The roller coaster continued, as guard Kyrie Irving dealt with questions about his own future in Brooklyn. While speculation about a potential reunion with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers took up the first week of free agency, no deal materialized.

    Irving, who played just 29 games last season because of his vaccination status and New York City’s mandate, could not come to terms with the Nets on an extension, announcing June 27 his decision to opt in to final year in his contract, a player option worth $36.5 million.

    Meanwhile, Ben Simmons, who was acquired just before February’s trade deadline from the Philadelphia 76ers, hasn’t played in over 16 months. After arriving in Brooklyn, Simmons missed the rest of the year while dealing with mental health concerns and a back injury that ultimately forced him to have surgery over the summer.

    As the Nets head into their preseason opener Monday against the 76ers, they appear to be on the same page for the first time in years.

    Here are the five biggest questions surrounding the Nets heading into the 2022-23 season:

    1. How will Durant respond to the Nets’ summer of discontent?

    Durant made clear after getting swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round last season that he had “no regrets” about the way the year unfolded. “No time to feel regret or be too pissed off. It’s about how we can find solutions to get better, proactive as an organization to get better,” he said in April.

    What a difference a few months can make.

    As Durant vented frustration about last season and the way he believed some players weren’t being held accountable, he outlined exactly what he wanted to see moving forward after internal conversations within the organization.

    “It’s just a matter of team building,” Durant said. “… I just felt like that’s what great teams do. I feel like we don’t have any respect out there on the court, and that’s what I want for us. Respect amongst the NBA community as a team on how we play on both ends of the floor from GM [Marks] all the way down to the equipment manager.

    “I want that respect. I think you [get that] by how you work every single day and we skipped some steps in how we worked throughout that year last year because of the circumstances — vaccine mandates, people disgruntled, injuries. I felt like we could have just kept pressing forward, and that’s what I try to do as a player. I’m not preaching something that I don’t practice. I come in here, every rep matters to me, so I want everybody to feel the same way.”

    Since he signed with Brooklyn over three years ago, the organization has put Durant at the center of everything it does. That likely won’t change now, either — but how he approaches each day, with a team that mere weeks ago he appeared to not want to be on anymore, will set the tone for everything else that happens this season.

    2. Will Irving be a fully committed member of the team?

    Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated last season hung over everything.

    During the 2020-21 season, he took a leave of absence for personal reasons and was away from the team for two weeks. The hope within the organization, team sources said, is that without a vaccination requirement this season, and with the motivation of a potential contract extension hanging in the balance, Irving will rebound.

    “That first year he played more games than me and James [Harden],” Durant said at Nets media day on Monday. “So you can say he was more reliable than us that first year. And last year if it wasn’t for the vaccine he would have played. There’s not a vaccine mandate this year. The year I played with him before he was very reliable, so once the mandate was gone I figured he’s going to be here every day. And he loves to play. I shouldn’t even have to say that. We all know that.”

    When Irving is on the floor, he has shown he can still play at a high level, as evidenced by the 27.4 points he averaged over 29 regular-season games last year. but he has also shown, at times, that he can’t be counted on. “He understands that in order for him to be a free agent and get what he rightfully wants,” Marks said, “he’s going to have to show commitment out there.”

    3. Is Ben Simmons ready to play?

    While the Durant and Irving storylines drove most of the headlines the past few months, Simmons’ reemergence is arguably the team’s most critical variable if the Nets want to contend in the East.

    Simmons hasn’t played one minute of professional basketball since the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 7 loss against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals in which the point guard took a heap of criticism from the public and his own teammates for his passive play.

    Simmons was traded to the Nets the following season and after offseason back surgery and missing time last season to address his mental health, he must show he is still capable of playing at an All-Star level — and has to learn to play with a new team. For his part, Simmons said he is confident that both his body and mind will hold up all season.

    “I’m glad I got it done,” Simmons said of the back surgery. “It was much needed. I don’t think people really realize where I was at. That day I was supposed to play Game 4 [of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals], I woke up on the floor, I couldn’t move. I could barely walk. So I’m glad to be in this position, this situation. Rehabbed myself and got myself into a place where I can compete. So I’m excited.”

    play

    2:23

    Stephen A. Smith takes issue with Kyrie Irving’s lack of commitment to the teams he plays for.

    How he fits alongside Durant and Irving is one of the most intriguing questions in the league. How he handles adversity is just as important. Simmons was quick with a response when asked what it has been like practicing with both players over the past week.

    “Incredible,” he said.

    4. How does Nash respond?

    In the midst of a season-long 11-game losing streak in February, Steve Nash came into a training room after a shootaround in Salt Lake City and started to describe how the team would break it. He referenced how he’d carved out a career by finding a way through whatever obstacles appeared in his path — notably as an undersized guard out of Santa Clara University, far off the NBA map. “I love this s—,” Nash said with a smile.

    Nash has spent his professional life inside the NBA. He understands the scrutiny that can boil when losses mount and things go haywire — but he also earned a Hall of Fame induction and two MVP awards during 18 seasons in the league.

    “That’s pro sports, right?” Marks said, when asked about Durant’s offseason request that he and Nash both be fired. “I’m sure there are plenty of things that go on behind the scenes. [Nash and I] both lived on both sides of that locker room as well, so we know what happens inside the locker room, and that’s completely fair …

    “I totally understand [Durant’s] frustration. I don’t know if there was anybody more frustrated than the two of us. We’re all in on this. We all know what’s at stake here, what our ultimate goal is.”

    5. What are the Nets going to do at center?

    Nic Claxton is the only center currently on the roster who played rotational minutes (18.7 per game) last season. One much-talked-about option would be to use Simmons at the 5, where he played just 8% of the time in his four seasons in Philadelphia, per NBA Advanced Stats. Nash acknowledged this week that Simmons at center will happen.

    “If he’s the quote, unquote ‘lone big,’ that’s a role we would definitely play him at,” Nash said. “But he’s also our playmaker and point guard.”

    While Simmons at center is the headline, Nash noted that second-year big man Day’Ron Sharpe will have opportunities as well. After losing LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, Nash’s choices are limited — an issue perhaps best summed up by new addition Markieff Morris.

    Nash said the 13-year veteran “is a 5 for us.” While discussing his role a few minutes later, Morris said he was open to helping the team in whichever way he can but added:

    “I wouldn’t call myself a center. But if you want to put me there, Steve wants to call me a center, I’m a center.”

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