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Tag: Mikal Bridges

  • Sixers offseason rewind: After breakout season, team trades Mikal Bridges, misses out on LeBron James in 2018

    Sixers offseason rewind: After breakout season, team trades Mikal Bridges, misses out on LeBron James in 2018

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    The 2017-18 NBA season ended in heartbreak for the Sixers when they fell to the rival Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, but after a 52-win season, it was clear that Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and co. were ready to become a long-term force in the Eastern Conference.

    • PREVIOUS REWINDS
    • Sixers offseason rewind: Summer of 2016 changes everything as new era begins
    • Sixers offseason rewind: Bryan Colangelo swings trade for Markelle Fultz in 2017 as team ramps up pursuit of contention

    However, right before a crucial offseason began, there was a changing of the guard within the team’s front office. General Manager Bryan Colangelo was forced to resign after a stunning scandal involving a network of “burner accounts” posting sensitive information about the team on social media. Without enough time to search for, hire and install a new traditional head of basketball operations, the Sixers put head coach Brett Brown in charge of personnel on an interim basis.

    The team had little time to worry about the embarrassing nature of what had taken place: there were bigger fish to fry, as the team had a chance to surround Embiid and Simmons with the requisite pieces to become a sustainable championship contender.

    NBA Draft

    The Sixers’ enormous collection of draft assets paid dividends in 2018, when the team entered the night owning 10 percent of the entire pool of picks. The team had two first-round picks (No. 10 overall and No. 26 overall) along with four second-rounders.

    For months, it seemed like a no-brainer that if they could, the Sixers would use the No. 10 pick on Villanova wing Mikal Bridges. The ideal 3&D wing in today’s NBA, Bridges seemed like a perfect fit in every conceivable way: he grew up a Sixers fan and played many college basketball games in the Wells Fargo Center, not to mention that he owned a skillset tailor-made for someone playing alongside Embiid and Simmons. Bridges’ mother even worked for the team. 

    It was a match made in heaven. When the Sixers were on the clock with the local product still on the board, they helped Bridges realize his dream by selecting him. Bridges donned a Sixers cap, shook NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand and began his first press conference as a Sixer. He had no idea that while he was speaking, the team was reaching an agreement to trade his draft rights to the Phoenix Suns.

    In a stunning move, the Sixers traded Bridges’ rights to Phoenix for the No. 16 pick and an unprotected 2021 first-round pick belonging to the directionless Miami Heat. At No. 16, they selected a wing prospect out of Texas Tech by the name of Zhaire Smith. Smith’s potential was clearly off-the-charts — he was arguably the best athlete in the draft class as well as one of its youngest players — but he was considered to be far away from contributing to a good team. The Sixers had picked up what many believed to be one of the single most valuable future draft assets in the NBA, but in the process went from adding a surefire rotation contributor to a long-term developmental project.

    You know what happened next: Bridges established himself as one of the league’s most promising young players — unlocking his potential as a perfect role player on the wing while also becoming a considerably better scorer than anybody had anticipated him being. Smith logged 13 NBA appearances in two years before being unceremoniously traded to the Detroit Pistons, who promptly waived him. His rookie season was derailed by a traumatic allergic reaction, giving him even less time to develop in an organization desperate for production from young players. 

    The Sixers were able to receive some immediate production from their rookie class, however, because at No. 26 they selected Wichita State sharpshooter Landry Shamet, who almost instantly became a trusted piece of Brown’s rotation. Shamet was putting together an extremely impressive rookie season before the Sixers swung a deal for Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris. The two assets that enabled the Sixers to acquire Harris in a contract year: Shamet and the 2021 Miami pick acquired in the Bridges-for-Smith deal. But Shamet failed to build off his excellent rookie season, and has fallen out of favor in the NBA. Shamet remains a free agent more than six weeks into the 2024 offseason.

    Rather than selling extraneous second-round picks again, the Sixers traded the No. 38 and No. 39 overall picks for a collection of three future second-rounders with actual value. They then packaged the No. 56 and No. 60 overall selections to move up and grab the No. 54 pick. There, they selected a long combo guard out of Southern Methodist University whose draft stock had fallen after a shaky NBA Draft Combine showing: Shake Milton. Milton spent his rookie season on a two-way contract, but spent the following four years on a standard NBA deal for the Sixers. He gave the team plenty of significant contributions, including a lengthy stint as its starting point guard. Milton’s run as a viable NBA contributor may have come to an end in 2023-24, but he has already massively outperformed his draft slot.

    Free agency

    Entering free agency, the Sixers had one goal in mind: sign LeBron James. The man who would go on to become the league’s all-time leading scorer appeared dead-set on leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, and while the Los Angeles Lakers were considered the clear favorites to land James’ services, whispers about the Sixers’ viability in those conversations persisted leading up to the start of the negotiating period.

    The Sixers did reportedly earn a meeting to pitch James on coming to Philadelphia, and spent their first 24 hours of free agency singularly focused on nailing their presentation. We later found out that James himself was not present at the meeting; the Sixers merely spoke with his representation. James inked a long-term deal with the Lakers, and suddenly the Sixers’ top target — along with many of their other preferred options — was off the board.

    One could argue that the Sixers should not have wasted their time trying to convince James to come to Philadelphia, but they just about maximized their ability to build a strong roster after missing out on James and plenty of other notable targets in the first day of free agency: the team brought JJ Redick back on another one-year deal — this time worth $12.25 million — and Amir Johnson on a veteran’s minimum deal. They absorbed veteran wing Wilson Chandler into their remaining cap space, receiving two second-round picks from the Denver Nuggets in the process as Denver looked to duck the luxury tax threshold.

    Later on, the team packaged disappointing first-round pick Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot with Justin Anderson in a three-team deal that netted them a stretch big from the Atlanta Hawks: Mike Muscala. The Sixers also sent young center Richaun Holmes to Phoenix in exchange for cash considerations, clearing the way for the team to sign Jonah Bolden, a draft-and-stash big they selected in the second round the year prior.

    The only other losses the team suffered were the departures of Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, two veterans who dramatically improve the team’s floor spacing in the second half of 2017-18 after coming to Philadelphia via the buyout market.

    Results

    The roster the Sixers ended the 2018-19 season with did not look at all like the one they had crafted during the offseason leading up to it. In November, they dealt Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and Jerryd Bayless to the Minnesota Timberwolves for disgruntled star Jimmy Butler. In February, they swung the deal for Harris that also included Chandler and Muscala heading to the Clippers while bringing the Sixers a quality stretch four off the bench in Mike Scott and an interesting backup center in Boban Marjanović.

    The Sixers lost their first playoff game, a disastrous home contest against the upstart Brooklyn Nets, before dismantling the far inferior team for four straight games. They went on to face Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in an epic seven-game series that ended with Leonard’s iconic quadruple-bounce, buzzer-beating game-winner. The Raptors went onto win the NBA Finals, and the Sixers were by far their toughest test during their run to glory.

    Suddenly, a team believed to be set up for sustainable success was at a crossroads: were they willing to re-sign two free agents in Butler and Harris in order to keep an excellent team together, even if it jeopardized the team’s long-term outlook? Their eventual answer would drastically alter the course of the franchise.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Sixers Eastern Conference preview: Will the Mikal Bridges trade make the Knicks a championship-caliber team?

    Sixers Eastern Conference preview: Will the Mikal Bridges trade make the Knicks a championship-caliber team?

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    With much of the Sixers’ 2024-25 roster locked in more than a month removed from the start of a franchise-altering free agency, the time has come to evaluate their opposition in the Eastern Conference: of last season’s playoff teams in the East, which ones pose the biggest threats to the Sixers, and how do the teams match up with this new-look team?

    Up second is the team who eliminated the Sixers from last year’s playoffs: the New York Knicks.

    Sixers Eastern Conference preview: The Celtics aren’t going anywhere

    The Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs last year after being absolutely devastated by injuries. Julius Randle missed the last multiple months of the regular season and the entire playoffs while OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson missed plenty of time in both the regular season and the playoffs and Bojan Bogdanovic went down during the first round. By the time the team was eliminated, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were both hurt as well.

    Committing to their brand of collecting former Villanova Wildcats, the Knicks traded Bogdanovic along with five first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and more — an absolutely gigantic collection of assets — to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Mikal Bridges.

    Despite Bridges being in the fold, the team prioritized Anunoby over starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Anunoby returned on a massive five-year deal, but Hartenstein departed for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    But the most significant move the Knicks made for their long-term health might have been convincing Brunson to sign a four-year extension at a rate considerably below his market value, which should enable them to eventually ink Bridges to a long-term deal along with Brunson and Anunoby, with the potential for Randle to stick around as well if he and the team can find a reasonable number to compromise at.

    Roster changes

    How exactly will the Knicks look different next year, aside from Randle regaining full health? Here is what Knicks President Leon Rose was up to in a busy offseason:

    Added: Mikal Bridges (trade), Keita Bates-Diop (trade), Pacome Dadiet (No. 25 overall pick in NBA Draft), Tyler Kolek (No. 34 overall pick in NBA Draft), Cam Payne (free agency)

    Retained: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa

    Extended: Jalen Brunson (four years, $156.5 million)

    Lost: Isaiah Hartenstein, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite

    Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Knicks at this point is how a returning Randle will fit alongside not just Bridges, but the full-fledged superstar version of Brunson that has taken the league by storm. Randle is an extremely ball-dominant player — and, to be fair, he has become a formidable offensive force — but he is not nearly the scorer or creator that Brunson is. In the era of the NBA’s punitive second apron, would the Knicks be better off simply not paying Randle when they already have multiple high-level offensive players?

    The most concerning departure, clearly, is that of Hartenstein, who established himself as a quality starting center thanks to excellent rebounding and rim protection, pristine touch around the rim and some impressive passing chops. Not only did the Knicks lose a terrific player who was integral to their success last year, but they now find their center depth to be shaky. Robinson is a good player when healthy, but is constantly battling injuries and is not quite as good as Hartenstein. The team was able to bring Achiuwa back to be the team’s backup center. 

    Depth chart projection

    The Knicks have seven players on their roster who are without question starting-caliber players. Bringing Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart off the bench is an unbelievable luxury, blossoming youngster Miles “Deuce” McBride is well on his way to reaching that status, and Achiuwa is a viable backup center. Former Sixer Cam Payne is a perfectly reasonable 10th man for any team, and gives the Knicks some additional ball-handling that they may need as McBride continues to grow as a creator. 

    PG SG SF PF C
    Jalen Brunson Mikal Bridges OG Anunoby Julius Randle Mitchell Robinson
    Miles McBride Donte DiVincenzo Keita Bates-Diop Josh Hart Precious Achiuwa
    Cam Payne Jericho Sims

    On a team full of quality rotation players, though, the center rotation sticks out like a sore thumb. Robinson has only played at least 70 games once in his career and has played fewer than 60 games in half of his professional seasons. Achiuwa has enough athleticism and defensive versatility to be an acceptable backup center in the regular season, but might be optimized as a change-of-pace sort of player like he was against the Sixers in the first round last year. Jericho Sims has continually failed to leave his mark and prove he is a rotation-caliber center.

    Matching up with the Sixers

    The Sixers and Knicks meeting in the playoffs again feels very realistic, perhaps in a second-round matchup where the winner goes on to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. It is surely a series that everybody would love to see again, particularly with Bridges and Paul George now added to the mix.

    But when teams prepare for a playoff series, their primary objective is often limiting the other team’s best player. So to me, the most intriguing storylines here are Brunson and Embiid, two superstars separated by nearly a foot and almost 100 pounds who each find ways to torment opposing defenses.

    The Knicks could be particularly vulnerable against Embiid moving forward, as Hartenstein was a major part of their schemes against the former NBA MVP. Robinson can do a stellar job against Embiid for moments at a time because of his incredible length, but he is far too foul-happy to be trusted in a big-minute role against someone as adept at inciting whistles as Embiid. They do have the requisite perimeter defenders to at least contain George and Tyrese Maxey, which is not something most teams can say.

    Meanwhile, the Sixers have added more pieces capable of being thrown at Brunson this summer. Kelly Oubre Jr. was outstanding while defending the Knicks’ All-Star point guard for the first two games of last season’s playoff series, but Brunson got the better of him later on (though at times Oubre stood his ground and Brunson simply made difficult shots). Caleb Martin is a tenable option against Brunson, and George might even be for moments at a time if his legs are fresh. If Randle does resume in his role with some sort of significant offensive workload, though, his bruising nature at the power forward position could also cause issues for a Sixers team lacking muscle at the four.

    The Knicks seem like a much safer bet to win a ton of regular season games than the Sixers, in part because of their continuity and in part because they are less reliant on players with overly extensive injury histories. But if these two teams were to meet in a playoff series while at full strength… get your popcorn ready.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, raising the stakes for Sixers in pivotal offseason

    Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, raising the stakes for Sixers in pivotal offseason

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    An absolute stunner broke late Tuesday night, with fewer than 24 hours remaining before the start of the 2024 NBA Draft: the New York Knicks will acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a package including four unprotected first-round picks, a lightly-protected first-round pick and a future first-round pick swap, as was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    Already referred to by many as the “Villanova Knicks,” New York now has four former Wildcats set to be critical pieces of their rotation moving forward: Bridges, superstar guard Jalen Brunson, sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo and do-it-all wing Josh Hart.

    With the Boston Celtics firmly cemented as the Eastern Conference’s best for the time being, the Knicks have chosen Bridges as the piece worth cashing in the vast majority of their assets for in hopes of catching up to defending champions. And now, there is more than one team that is head and shoulders above the Sixers in terms of present day talent.

    Perhaps the most obvious ripple effects this move has on the Sixers are that there is another team in their conference with the potential to seriously contend for a championship, and that Bridges — seen by many as an ideal fit alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — is officially off the table.

    The intrigue of these four storied college teammates joining forces in the pros is fascinating, and the Knicks are filled with great players who are likable characters. But it is fair to wonder if four unprotected picks and several other assets for a player who has yet to make an All-Star team is the right path forward. Bridges is tremendous, and will fit like a glove in New York, but is he good enough to warrant a collection of draft choices like this? For what it’s worth, this archetype of trade has come back to bite the team acquiring the “star” more often than not.

    But, to be fair, with the Celtics not going anywhere, New York doing all they can to maximize their championship window now that Brunson has emerged as a full-fledged superstar is understandable, and to a degree, even commendable.

    Bridges, who the Sixers infamously drafted in 2018 before trading him to the Phoenix Suns during his introductory press conference in which he donned a Sixers hat, has become one of the most respected two-way wings in the entire NBA, and since being the centerpiece of the Kevin Durant trade that sent him to Brooklyn, he has made major strides as a scorer. He was overtasked as a go-to scorer in Brooklyn, and that will not be an issue anymore as he reunites with Brunson.

    The next domino to fall here is the status of soon-to-be Knicks free agent OG Anunoby. As recently as Tuesday evening, it appeared Anunoby had enough negotiating leverage to receive just about any contract he desired from New York this summer. Now, with Bridges in the fold, the Knicks are not exactly desperate to bring Anunoby back. 

    If the Knicks were to let Anunoby fetch offers elsewhere and contemplate leaving New York, the Sixers loom as a potential fit for the acclaimed two-way wing.

    Early indications are that the Knicks will prioritize reaching a deal with Anunoby in the near future, which would signal the exit of incumbent starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. But it is not difficult at all to imagine a world in which the Knicks —with DiVincenzo, Bridges, Hart and Julius Randle all under contract moving forward — opt not to give Anunoby the massive deal he is seeking and instead solidify their center position by bringing back Hartenstein.

    As for the Nets, this was the right move: Bridges is a tremendous player, but was not leading the Nets anywhere promising in the near future given his lack of support. Accumulating as many draft picks as possible and accelerating the team’s rebuild was always the right call, and they furthered those goals by promptly trading a few of Phoenix’s future picks to the Houston Rockets to regain some of the draft capital they sent Houston when they acquired former Sixer James Harden a few years back. Word quickly trickled out that Houston wants to offer those picks back to Phoenix to try to get Durant.

    We have reached maximum levels of chaos, and tonight I am grateful I do not cover the Brooklyn Nets or Houston Rockets.

    Another question: how does all of this impact the free agency of Paul George? First the Sixers seemed like a very possible destination for the nine-time All-Star, then they were out, now there are conflicting reports regarding their interest in the star wing who has yet to strike a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Over the last few days, there was steam behind the idea of George forcing a sign-and-trade from the Clippers to a contending team without the requisite cap space to sign him on their own — perhaps using the threat of heading to Philadelphia as leverage to force the Clippers’ hand — but many speculated that destination would be New York. They are almost certainly out of those talks now (if they ever took place to begin with), which could reopen the George-to-Philadelphia door.

    If the events of late Tuesday night are any indication, nobody actually knows what is in store over the course of the coming days and weeks. But it is going to be madness, and the Sixers could end up being right at the center of it all.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Nets’ offense comes back down to earth as they fall to Steph Curry, Warriors

    Nets’ offense comes back down to earth as they fall to Steph Curry, Warriors

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    One night after hanging 136 points on the short-handed 76ers in Philadelphia, the Nets’ offense came spiraling back down to earth in Monday’s 109-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors, a game where Ben Simmons sat out for precautionary reasons.

    Buckets were hard to come by for both teams Monday night — especially from distance. The Nets held Golden State to 38.3% shooting in the first half and went into the locker room with a 49-43 advantage. But the Warriors, led by Jonathan Kuminga and Stephen Curry, quickly became the aggressors in the second half, outscoring Brooklyn 32-21 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead into the final frame.

    The Nets’ largest lead in the first half was nine points. Golden State made just two 3-pointers in the first half, both from Curry, and turned the ball over 10 times.

    Royce O’Neale did his best to keep the Nets in it down the stretch. He knocked down three 3-pointers in just over a minute to cut the Warriors’ lead to four with 7:37 left in regulation. But Curry responded with five straight points and suddenly Golden State was getting to the rim just about whenever it wanted. A Brandin Podziemski layup put the Warriors up 11 with 5:41 to play.

    The Nets’ frustration boiled over with 4:59 left, as Nic Claxton slammed Podziemski onto the hardwood while trying to prevent him from grabbing another offensive rebound. The play was reviewed. Referees found Claxton’s actions aggressive and unnecessary. He was ejected soon after, which spoiled a night where he tied a career-high with six blocks. Claxton was also Brooklyn’s most efficient scorer on Monday, converting on 7-of-9 attempts.

    The Warriors went 13-for-22 in the fourth quarter (59.1%) and outscored Brooklyn 34-28. Curry, who finished with a game-high 29 points, poured in 12 in the final frame. Golden State outrebounded them 60-38, including 10 on the offensive glass. The absences of Simmons, Day’Ron Sharpe and Dorian Finney-Smith were felt.

    Kumina added 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting for the Warriors. Cam Thomas led the Nets with 18 points but did it on a 4-of-21 clip (10-of-11 from the free throw line. Thomas, O’Neale, Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie shot a combined 17-for-60 from the field. It was ugly.

    The Nets (20-29) had won three of their last four games entering Monday night.

    Lonnie Walker IV left the game with 1:20 left in the first quarter and did not return. Left hamstring tightness was the initial diagnosis. He had missed 17 straight games earlier in the season because of a left hamstring strain.

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    C.J. Holmes

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  • Kevin Durant returns to Brooklyn and leaves with a victory as Suns top Nets

    Kevin Durant returns to Brooklyn and leaves with a victory as Suns top Nets

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    Kevin Durant, now in his first full season with the Phoenix Suns, explicitly stated that he did not want a tribute video in his return to Brooklyn. He did not think he deserved one. And in the days leading into Wednesday’s Nets-Suns matchup, many on social media debated whether the 14-time All-Star, who played just 129 games with Brooklyn, was with the franchise long enough to justify honoring him in that way.

    Former fan favorites such as Bruce Brown and Joe Harris got tribute videos in their returns to Barclays Center. James Harden did not. And it remains to be seen whether Kyrie Irving will get one when the Dallas Mavericks visit Brooklyn on Feb. 6.

    When the lights dimmed inside Barclays Center as Suns starters were announced, a tribute video is ultimately what Durant got despite his honest plea, about 24 seconds in length. The forward was greeted with cheers from Nets fans which quickly turned to boos each time he touched the ball on Wednesday night.

    Durant, in superstar form, played like he still owned the place, too, pouring in a game-high 33 points with five rebounds and eight assists in Phoenix’s 136-120 win. Their victory snapped a two-game winning streak for the Nets (19-28), who have now lost 12 of their last 16 games.

    Size mattered on Wednesday night. Ben Simmons was ruled out hours ahead of the game because of a left knee contusion suffered late in the fourth quarter of Monday’s win over the Utah Jazz, which was his first appearance in an NBA game since Nov. 6. The Nets were already without two rotation bigs in Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain), which left them thin in the frontcourt entering Monday’s matchup.

    Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkić took advantage, scoring virtually all 28 of his points at the rim. The Suns outscored Brooklyn 56-50 in the paint and dominated the glass 42-27. They shot 68.6% on two-point field goals and went 14-of-28 from deep.

    Sparingly used forward Harry Giles III, 6-foot-10, did not get off the bench until the 1:26 mark in the third quarter. At that point the Nets trailed by 15 points. Unable to slow down a surprisingly lethal two-man game of Durant and Nurkić, Brooklyn was outscored 42-26 in the third quarter after trailing by just three points at halftime. The game was tied at 75 with 7:31 left in the third quarter.

    And the Nets, who had 11 turnovers which led to 17 points for Phoenix, failed to make up much ground down the stretch, though they did cut their deficit to 10 points with 2:25 left in regulation.  Allowing an opposing team to shoot 62% for the game is already difficult to overcome. It becomes even tougher when you foul 24 times, which led to 24 points at the free throw line for the Suns.

    Six Nets players finished in double figures, led by Cam Thomas who had 25 points in his third consecutive start. Mikal Bridges added 21 points and six 3-pointers, the third time he has made at least six in his last five appearances.

    The Nets will return to action on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. It is unknown at this time whether Simmons or Finney-Smith will be available to play. Wednesday marked 24 days since Sharpe first suffered his knee injury against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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    C.J. Holmes

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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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  • Trae Young and Mikal Bridges’ epic overtime battle ends with Hawks’ 147-145 win over Nets

    Trae Young and Mikal Bridges’ epic overtime battle ends with Hawks’ 147-145 win over Nets

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    On the eve of Thanksgiving, the Nets’ Mikal Bridges and the Hawks’ Trae Young both feasted in an instant-classic, back-and-forth overtime battle.

    In the end, Young emerged as the holiday hero.

    The 6-1 Young’s stepback jumper over 6-10 Nets center Nic Claxton with 18 seconds remaining in the extra period proved to be the game-winner in the Hawks’ 147-145 victory in Atlanta.

    Young’s 19-foot shot put the Hawks up, 144-143, marking the biggest basket in a 43-point explosion by the two-time All-Star. It was enough to spoil a similarly dominant outing by Bridges, who tied his career-high with 45 points – including 25 after the third quarter.

    Bridges scored 11 points in overtime. Young had 14. An exhilarating four-possession stretch during the final 1:11 saw one of them score each time down the floor, with the lead changing every time. There were 27 lead changes in the game.

    “In basketball, there’s one winner and one loser,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said afterward. “That’s just part of it every night.”

    The Nets had multiple chances to tie or win the game in overtime. With eight seconds remaining and Brooklyn down one point, Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu blocked Bridges’ driving lay-up attempt. Then, with 2.2 seconds to go and the Nets down two, a busted play led to an inbound pass to Lonnie Walker IV, who was far away from the basket and ultimately failed to get a shot off in time.

    “Last possession was for Mikal,” Vaughn said. “Pretty good look. They switched the last screen that we had, which brought Lonnie to the basketball.”

    Both teams, meanwhile, could have iced the game in regulation. Cam Johnson put the Nets ahead, 131-130, with 3.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter when he tipped in a missed lay-up by Bridges.

    Young responded by drawing a foul on Spencer Dinwiddie, giving the Hawks star a chance to clinch the game with two free throws. But Young, an 89.7% free-throw shooter, missed the first before making the second, tying the score, 131-131. Atlanta began the game 20-for-20 from the free-throw line before Young’s miss.

    Bridges led a balanced Brooklyn attack in which four starters finished with more than 20 points. Dinwiddie scored 26 to go with 12 assists, while Claxton added a season-best 22 points along with 11 rebounds.

    Johnson, who missed seven games with a calf strain, scored a season-high 23 points and made a season-best five three-pointers. He did not play in overtime, however, with Vaughn saying afterward the sharpshooting forward began cramping at the end of regulation.

    “He should be OK,” Vaughn said.

    Bridges scored 14 fourth-quarter points. It was the fourth 40-point game of his career, with each coming after he was traded to the Nets in the February deal that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix.

    “We just had to keep fighting,” Bridges said. “That was everybody in the huddle. Coaches, players. We just got to keep going. There’s no quit. We just kept fighting, fighting, and almost had it.”

    A night removed from a 157-152 loss to Indiana, the Hawks didn’t look like a team playing the second game of back-to-back. Young got off to a torrid start, beginning the game 6-of-6 from three-point range during a 19-point first quarter.

    The Hawks scored 45 points in that opening period, marking the most points the Nets have surrendered in a first quarter this season. That included a 13-0 run by the Hawks, who scored 11 fastbreak points in the quarter.

    Atlanta finished with 18 fastbreak points to the Nets’ nine. Both teams entered Wednesday ranked top five in transition scoring, though the Nets’ production in that category has dipped considerably without tempo-pushing point guard Ben Simmons (lower-back nerve impingement) in the lineup the last two weeks.

    The Hawks entered Wednesday third in the NBA in scoring, averaging 122.4 points per game, but ranked 25th in allowing 120.9 points to opponents. The Nets – whose leading scorer, Cam Thomas (ankle sprain), missed his sixth straight game – took advantage of the Hawks’ porous defense, exceeding the 133 points they put up in Charlotte last month to set a new season-high.

    It wasn’t enough to overcome Young, who caught fire for the second night in a row. He scored 38 points on 13-of-17 shooting in Tuesday’s game against the Pacers, which marked the seventh time in NBA history both teams scored at least 150 points in regulation.

    Wednesday extended the Nets’ season-worst losing streak to three games. They fell to 6-8 and are now 3-1 against teams who entered with a losing record. The Hawks improved to 7-7.

    “We’ve got a good little chemistry,” Bridges said. “We’ve just got to figure out, defensively, what team we’re trying to be and figure out what we can do to not give up 147 points.”

    Next up for the Nets is a five-game homestand, which begins Saturday night when they host the Heat at Barclays Center.

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    Peter Sblendorio

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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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  • 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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  • Booker scores 44, Suns top Kings 122-117 for 5th straight

    Booker scores 44, Suns top Kings 122-117 for 5th straight

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    Devin Booker had 44 points, eight rebounds and six steals, and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five with a 122-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Devin Booker had 44 points, eight rebounds and six steals, and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to five with a 122-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

    Deandre Ayton added 17 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season for Phoenix, which has won six of seven.

    Booker closed out his second-highest point total of the season by knocking down a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds left after Torrey Craig secured an offensive rebound. He scored 49 points in a loss to Utah earlier in the month.

    Damion Lee scored 15 points off the bench, hitting three 3-pointers. Mikal Bridges finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He hit a three-pointer with just over a minute left to stretch the lead to 10.

    Malik Monk scored 30 points for the Kings, his fourth game over 20 points this season.

    Domantas Sabonis finished with 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. The Kings have lost three straight after a seven-game win streak.

    Kevin Huerter scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Huerter’s dunk with 35 seconds left cut the Suns’ lead to three.

    Keegan Murray scored 11 points. The rookie from Iowa had scored in single digits in the Kings’ last three games.

    The first half featured 16 ties and eight lead changes. Phoenix opened the second half on a 14-2 run after trailing by one.

    TIP-INS

    Suns: G Chris Paul missed his 10th consecutive game with right heel soreness. … Booker was given a technical foul with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

    Kings: F Trey Lyles was ruled out due to a non-COVID illness… Sabonis recorded his 12th double-double of the season, which is the second-most in the NBA. … The Kings have scored over 100 points in every game this season.

    UP NEXT

    Suns: Host Chicago on Wednesday.

    Kings: Host Indiana on Wednesday.

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