Brook Lopez leads all scorers with 20 points; With loss against the Hawks, the Nets fell to 8-29 overall and 7-12 at Barclays Center

“I think they’re playing excellent basketball, I think (they’re) an elite program in this league and this is one game where I’m looking at the opponent saying they’re pretty darn good.”

Those were the words of Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson at the post-game presser following a torching of the Brooklyn Nets by his former team, the Atlanta Hawks.

With the 117-97 loss to the Hawks, the Nets just lost its seventh straight game on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center. It must have been surreal for Atkinson, who last season, was an assistant coach with this up-and-coming Hawks team to now be the head coach of a team that is in the NBA basement.

“I wish we were a little more competitive, but again, I know I have an intimate knowledge of how they play and the players they have,” Atkinson said regarding playing his former team. “Again, we’re going to look at the tape and watch it to see if we can pick up some things. They set the bar high and we can look at it and say someday we’d like to strive to be a similar program, but we have a lot of work to do.”

Yes, the Nets do have a lot of work to do. The closest team Black and White came to the Hawks was in the first two minutes of the first quarter when twice the Nets were within one point. The Hawks held the lead throughout. The first stanza ended with a six-point spread, Hawks 35 Nets 29; and the Nets ended the first half with an 18-point deficit (61-43). In the Nets defense, they did try to turn things around, as they began the third quarter on a 15-7 run and pulled to 68-58 on Kilpatrick's bucket with 6:28 left. However, when the third quarter was over, the fruits from that run disappeared. The Nets ended the third down 16 points (86-70).

“They had more energy I think, especially the first half,” said a disappointed Nets center, Brook Lopez. “They just outworked us. The numbers clearly showed.”

“….we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and have to rebound better,” Atkinson added. “I did think in the third quarter we came out with a little more aggressiveness. We were more aggressive on the ball, I thought that helped us. We came out with more energy, so that was a positive considering we’ve struggled in the third quarter, so I’ll take that. And overall in the second half, better. But we have a lot of things to work on.”

Perhaps, muscle memory will kick in soon.

In the loss, Lopez scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting with two blocks in 32 minutes against the Hawks. Bojan Bogdanovic added 16 points and six rebounds, Sean Kilpatrick had 14 points and five rebounds, Caris LeVert chipped in 11 points, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.

For the Hawks, Dennis Schroder scored a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists. Dwight Howard contributed 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Paul Millsap had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Up next for the Nets is the New Orleans Pelicans at the Barclays Center on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Big 4th Quarter from Kyrie Irving sends Nets to 5th straight loss

Kyrie Irving hasn’t played since last year when he scored 32 points in a win against the Boston Celtics on December 29. Unfortunately for the Brooklyn Nets who hosted the “Super Friends”, Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, Irving showed no signs of rust.

The sixth-year guard picked up from where he left off and torched the young Nets in the second half. He scored 16 of his 32 points in the 4th quarter, leading the Cavs, alongside Lebron James to an entertaining 116-108 win.

Through the first three quarters, Irving struggled from the field. He entered the fourth quarter with 16 points but shot five of 17 from the field. But when it mattered, “Uncle Drew” showed up. The Nets cut what was an 18-point lead from the Cavs to six to start the 4th quarter, down 86-80, capped off by a three from Caris LeVert with 10 minutes left until the end of regulation. Irving then took over.

After two made free-throws, Irving would go on a 10-6 run all by himself. He drained a couple of threes in the eyes of the defense and capped off his run converting a tough contested reverse layup that put the Cavs up by 16, 98-82 with 7:36 left in the fourth.

“He (Irving) loves big moments,” James said post-game. “No matter if a team with a record that they have and the record that we have, games get close he’s going to step up to the plate and its always great to see him come through.”

Despite the Cavs lead the Nets continued to fight. After James connected on a turnaround bank shot that put the Cavs up by 12, 100-88 with 5:45 left in the quarter, Bojan Bogdanovic hit a three-pointer that pulled the Nets to within nine.

The Nets would cut the deficit to within seven on a running layup by Trevor Booker, 113-106 with 1:17 left but by then it was already too late. Despite the offensive success the Cavs enjoyed in addition to the win, Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson was satisfied with his team’s defensive effort.

“I know the score looks high, but I think for the pace, our defense was much better, much better than last night so I’m happy with that,” Atkinson said post-game.

Like Irving, Kevin Love struggled early as well. At the end of the third, Love scored 14 points on four of 12 shooting but it didn’t matter. Irving caught fire and James added a sneaky team-high 36 points which included several signature James dunks to wow the crowd.

Whether it’s James or Irving or even Love, the Cavs’ big three are too much for just about anybody.

“It’s pick your poison you know,” Atkinson said. “They just spread you out with their shooting and obviously they’ve got two excellent “iso” players in Irving and James.”

As for Brooklyn, LeVert enjoyed a career night. The rookie out of Michigan who missed summer league and struggled to stay on the court through training camp, due to a left foot fracture scored 19 points on 58 percent shooting from the field. He hit some big shots to keep the Nets competitive late in the game and even guarded James on occasion, welcoming the defensive challenge.

“I love competition,” LeVert said post-game. “I’m from Ohio as well, so I grew up watching them (Cavaliers) play a lot, so that’s someone that I’ve wanted to play against since I was younger, so I just wanted to compete.”

On offense, LeVert said that he tried to stay aggressive the whole game and was encouraged by his coaches and teammates to do so.

“I felt like Caris really stepped it up there and made some really good plays,” said Atkinson on the rookie’s play.

Other than Caris, Booker added a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Bogdanovic scored a team-high 23, Brook Lopez added 17 and Isaiah Whitehead added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

It’s difficult to find the good in any loss but against the Cavs, the play of the younger pieces on the Nets was encouraging to see and even still, Lopez believes the Cavs are just one of 30 teams that the Nets will have to treat equally.

“It’s important to treat every game like that,” Lopez said post-game. “I know it’s easy to prepare and get ready for a game like this and get up for a game like this when you’re playing the premier players in the league, but you have to treat every game like this. Our next one is just as important. We have to take it one game at a time.”

The Brooklyn Nets closes out its preseason with an eye on progress, development, and improvement

Instead of starting this article at the beginning, I am going to start at the end of the first half of last night’s Brooklyn Nets’ preseason game against the New York Knicks.

The Nets ended the first half leading the Knicks by two points, with a score of 57-55. If you have watched the Nets in previous seasons since coming to the Barclays Center, you probably noticed a different style of play on the floor. The Nets under new management, general manager Sean Marks, and head coach Kenny Atkinson, have mandated and are stressing a new culture of “team” over “I” or “me” translating into unselfishness. Watching the Nets during the last two games, the team’s buy-in to the new system is apparent. Guys were playing unselfishly, the ball moved around, it was definitely team ball. In addition to the two-point lead at the half, the Nets led the Knicks in most of the measurable metrics that matter: field goal percentage 52.6 vs the Knicks 48.9 percent; three-point shots 46.7 vs the Knicks 20 percent, and the Nets made 91 percent of their free-throws compared to the Knicks 64 percent. However, the Knicks did outscore the Nets on rebounds; by half-time, the Knicks out-rebounded the Nets 20-18, which was a sign of things to come.

So, where did the Nets breakdown happen?

The Knicks took a nine-point lead in the third quarter on fast breaks, gaining 49 percent field goal shooting over the Nets’ 46 percent. The Knicks also out-rebounded the Nets; ending the third with a rebound score of 38-24, picking up 18 rebounds in the third quarter to the Nets’ four.

This was not lost on Atkinson.

“I think I said it before, I think rebounding is an issue right now and I think transition defense is something we need to work on, Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said at the Nets post-game press conference. “They had a fair amount of fast break points so those are some areas we have to get better at.”

#Truth.

Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin led all scorers with 24 points and 10 assists. However, unlike the Knicks, the Nets only had two starters in double digits; the other being center Brook Lopez who supplied 12 points.

The Nets other double-digit scorers came from the bench Joe Harris scored 15 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 12 points, and Justin Hamilton chipped in 11 points.

Carmelo Anthony led Knicks scorers with 21 points. Starters Courtney Lee dropped 15 points and five rebounds; and Joakim Noah supplied 12 points and six rebounds.

Both benches contributed 59 points; coming off the Knicks bench in double digits were Justin Holiday with 14 points, Kyle Quinn added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas chipped in 10 points.

“I was proud of our guys at the end,” Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said about his secondary line. “They ended up putting their starters back in I think with a nine or 10-point game and when they went out it was eight points.”

Even in the loss, Atkinson complimented his players, as he should have.

“I complimented them on their effort and despite the record, I think we’ve made progress,” Atkinson told the media. “And that’s going to be our message all year, progress, development, improvement. We obviously have areas we have to improve in but again, 10 new players and I like a lot of stuff I see. I think where we are right now is be a little bit more consistent. And that’s the tough part in the NBA over a 48-minute game, to do it longer than the other team. So that’s the overall positive message.”

The Brooklyn Nets are now focused on the regular season. The Nets first regular season game is against the Boston Celtics in Boston on Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. The Nets open up at home at the Barclays Center against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Perhaps, the fans will give Thaddeus Young a warm welcome when he hits the hardwood for the Indiana Pacers.

The Nets dealt Young to the Pacers on NBA Draft night for Caris LeVert, the No. 20 overall pick and for a future second-round pick. Levert did not play last night because he is out with an injured left foot.

General Manager Sean Marks and Head Coach Kenny Atkinson presented Jeremy Lin, Anthony Bennett, Trevor Booker, Caris LeVert, Justin Hamilton, and Joe Harris

The long-awaited press conference to meet Jeremy Lin and the other new Brooklyn Nets players finally took place today at the HSS Brooklyn Nets Training Facility.

Yes, that’s right “Linsanity” is coming to Brooklyn. And, truth be told, it has already started.

By coming to the Nets, Lin is reuniting with Kenny Atkinson, his old coach during the Knicks Linsanity era. With Atkinson as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, Lin must have a comfortability level about his future with the Nets.

“That’s a huge thing for me because in free agency I kind of said I want to see how great I can become,” Lin said. “I’ve played a lot of different roles, I’ve sacrificed for a lot of teams I’ve been on in the past. I’ve taken smaller roles to try to help the team succeed. Now I have that chance to take a much bigger role and be a much bigger part.”

Judging by the media’s movements, Lin was the guy, but that’s not to say there was no interest in the other players. Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft was certainly on the minds of many. The Nets will be Bennett’s fourth team in four seasons.

However, Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson known for developing young players knows he has a project on his hands when it comes to Bennett.

“I think because he’s been torn down a little bit and lost his confidence, I think in his case we’ve got to build him up again,” Atkinson stated. “Really narrow down what his role is going to be and then build his confidence back up.”

What’s on Bennett’s mind?

“Every year has been a learning experience,” commented Bennett. “It’s a business. You just got to be on your ‘A’ game every day, pretty much, or else someone’s going to take your spot.”

Are the Nets done with looking for more players to add to the roster?

“I don’t know that we’re ever done,” said Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks. “We’ll obviously listen and see what else is out there. We’ll continue to scout and scour and see what other teams are doing, other leagues around the world are doing, how the Olympics are going.”

Brooklyn Nets Sign Anthony Bennett, Joe Harris, Randy Foye, Caris Levert, Luis Scola, Greivis Vasquez, and Justin Hamilton

It is NBA free agency signing season and the Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forwards Anthony Bennett and Luis Scola, and guards Greivis Vasquez and Randy Foye. Additionally, the Nets have signed to multi-year contracts, guard/forward Caris LeVert, and free agents guard Joe Harris and center Justin Hamilton.

“Justin is an energetic big with the ability to stretch the floor,” said Nets’ General Manager Sean Marks. “He is coming off a successful season in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues and will add depth to our frontcourt rotation.”

“We are pleased to welcome Joe to the Nets family,” said Marks. “We are confident that Kenny and his staff will continue to create an environment in which Joe and our other young players will develop and thrive.”

Regarding Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Marks stated, "We have been excited to watch Anthony's progress this summer with his national team, and look forward to the opportunity of having Kenny (Nets head coach) and his staff work with him to continue his development.”

In consideration of Randy Foye who has been with the NBA for 10 seasons, Marks is focused on backcourt depth, “He is a veteran guard who will provide us with additional scoring and depth in our backcourt.”

Marks is also big on culture and leadership, which is demonstrated with his selection of Luis Scola and Greivis Vasquez.

“Luis and Greivis are ideal fits for the team culture we are building in Brooklyn,” Marks asserted. “Both are terrific competitors who will provide leadership and veteran experience to our locker room. Luis adds toughness, scoring and passing ability to our frontline, while Greivis is effective from either backcourt position, both as a facilitator and a scorer.”

PLAYER BACKGROUNDS

Justin Hamilton

Hamilton (7’0, 260) joins the Nets after spending last season with Valencia in Liga ACB, Spain’s top division, where he earned All-ACB first-team honors after averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game in 40 games with the club. Prior to heading to Spain, the 26-year-old appeared in 49 games in parts of two NBA seasons with Charlotte, Miami and Minnesota (2013-15), registering averages of 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game. In the 2014-15 season, Hamilton appeared in 41 games split between Miami and Minnesota, averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game. He also saw action in 39 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League during the 2013-14 season, posting averages of 19.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 35.6 minutes per game en route to D-League All-Star, All-NBA D-League first-team, and NBA D-League All-Defensive first-team recognition. Hamilton began his professional career with stints in Croatia and Latvia during the 2012-13 season. The Alpine, Utah native was originally selected with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and was traded to Miami on draft night before being waived by the Heat in advance of the 2012-13 season. Prior to beginning his pro career, Hamilton spent his first two collegiate seasons at Iowa State and his third and final season at LSU, where he earned All-SEC second-team honors.

Joe Harris

Harris (6’6”, 219) has appeared in 56 games in two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-16), averaging 2.5 points in 9.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in six games during the 2015 postseason. This past season, Harris saw action in five games with the Cavs and 10 games with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, registering averages of 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game with Canton. The 24-year-old underwent right foot surgery in January before being traded to Orlando and waived by the Magic. Harris was originally selected with the 33rd pick (second round) in the 2014 NBA Draft by Cleveland after a four-year career at the University of Virginia. At UVA, the Chelan, Wash. native earned All-ACC first-team honors as a junior and helped lead Virginia to two NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, Harris garnered All-ACC third-team recognition while leading the Cavaliers to their first ACC tournament title since 1976, first outright ACC regular season title since 1981 and first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995. He finished his collegiate career second in school history in three-pointers made (263) and three-point percentage (.407)

Anthony Bennett

Bennett joins the Nets after spending the 2015-16 season with the Toronto Raptors. In 19 games, Bennett recorded averages of 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.4 minutes per game. In 128 games in three NBA seasons split between Toronto, Minnesota (2014-15) and Cleveland (2013-14), the 23-year-old holds career averages of 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. The Toronto native was originally selected with the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Cleveland, becoming the first Canadian ever selected with the top pick in the draft. Prior to the NBA, Bennett spent one season at UNLV, registering averages of 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game in 35 games (32 starts) en route to Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors, as well as Associated Press honorable mention All-American recognition. Bennett is a member of the Canadian national team.

Randy Foye

Foye (6’4”, 213) joins the Nets after splitting the 2015-16 season with the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. In 81 games, Foye averaged 5.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 20.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in 16 games in the Thunder’s run to the Western Conference Finals. The 32-year-old has seen action in 683 career games (393 starts) in 10 seasons with Minnesota (2006-09), Washington (2009-10), Los Angeles Clippers (2010-12), Utah (2012-13), Denver (2013-16) and Oklahoma City (2016), owning averages of 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 26.3 minutes per game. He’s also seen action in 27 postseason games. Foye finished in the top 10 in the league in three-pointers made in three consecutive seasons (2011-14) and is a career .369 shooter from three-point range. The Newark, N.J. native was originally selected with the seventh pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by Boston and began his career with the Timberwolves after a draft-night trade. Foye garnered All-Rookie First Team honors after he posted averages of 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 22.9 minutes per game in his debut professional season. Prior to the NBA, Foye spent four years at Villanova (2002-06), leading the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005 and an Elite Eight berth in 2006. In his senior season, Foye was named a consensus first-team All-American and the 2006 Big East Player of the Year.

Luis Scola

Scola (6’9”, 241) joins the Nets after spending the 2015-16 season with the Toronto Raptors. Scola appeared in and started 76 games, averaging 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game. In nine NBA seasons split between Houston (2007-12), Phoenix (2012-13), Indiana (2013-15) and Toronto, Scola owns career averages of 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 26.2 minutes per game in 707 games (504 starts). He has also appeared in 48 career postseason games, recording averages of 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. The 36-year-old was originally selected with the 56th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by San Antonio but did not make his NBA debut until the 2007-08 season after his draft rights were traded to Houston. As a rookie, Scola earned All-Rookie First Team honors with averages of 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 24.7 minutes per game. Prior to the NBA, the Buenos Aries, Argentina native began his professional career in his home country with Ferro Carril Oeste in 1995-96 at the age of 15. He played three years in Argentina before moving to Spain, where he played nine seasons with three clubs, including seven seasons with Tau Ceramica (2000-07). Scola earned Euroleague First Team honors in 2005-06 and 2006-07, was named the MVP of the Spanish League in 2004-05 and 2006-07 and garnered Rookie of the Year honors in 2000. Scola is also a decorated player on the international stage. Representing his native Argentina, Scola will become a four-time Olympian when he competes at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He earned a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, as well as a bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Greivis Vasquez

Vasquez (6’6”, 217) has appeared in 398 games (157 starts) in six NBA seasons with Memphis (2010-11), New Orleans (2011-13), Sacramento (2013), Toronto (2013-15) and Milwaukee (2015-16), recording averages of 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game. He has also appeared in 24 career postseason games, averaging 6.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 18.0 minutes per game. This past season with the Bucks, the 29-year-old saw action in just 23 games due to right ankle surgery, registering averages of 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 20.0 minutes per game. The native of Caracas, Venezuela was originally selected with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies, becoming the first Venezuelan-born player drafted in the NBA. Prior to the NBA, Vasquez spent four years at the University of Maryland, helping to lead the Terrapins to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Vasquez earned All-ACC second-team honors as a sophomore and junior before completing his standout collegiate career by garnering ACC Player of the Year, All-ACC first-team and consensus second-team All-American recognition as a senior. Vasquez is a member of the Venezuelan team that will compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Caris LeVert

LeVert (6’7”, 205) played four seasons at Michigan and helped the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the National Championship game in 2013 and the Elite Eight in 2014. In 103 career games (70 starts) for the Wolverines, LeVert averaged 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. As a senior, the Pickerington, Ohio, native posted averages of 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 30.9 minutes per game while shooting .506 from the field and .446 from 3-point range in 15 games (14 starts) during an injury-shortened season. He earned 2014 All-Big Ten second-team and 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament team honors following his sophomore season when he averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 34.0 minutes per game in 37 games.

In addition to signing Jeremy Lin, Nets acquire draft rights to Caris Levert from Indiana

As expected and rumored all over the place, particularly after the signing of head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Brooklyn Nets signed free agent guard Jeremy Lin to a multi-year contract.

“We are excited to welcome Jeremy to Brooklyn,” said Nets’ General Manager Sean Marks. “He is a high character and competitive individual who will fit our culture moving forward, as well as the style of play that Kenny will be implementing. Jeremy is a proven veteran point guard with strong leadership qualities, who is an obvious fit in this system and city.”

The Nets also acquired the draft rights to Caris LeVert, the 20th pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, along with a future second-round pick, from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Thaddeus Young.

Young had been the subject of trade rumors for months leading up to the NBA 2016 trade deadline. When Atkinson was presented to the media on May 16, 2016, it seemed to be some assurances that Young would not be traded and that he, along with Brook Lopez and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would be the core that the Nets could build around. Obviously, that did not work out.

Young played in 101 games (93 starts) with the Nets after joining the team via trade from Minnesota on February 19, 2015, averaging 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 32.0 minutes per game. A nine-year NBA veteran, Young has appeared in 665 career games with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Brooklyn, holding averages of 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.6 minutes per game.

LeVert (6’7”, 205) played four seasons at Michigan and helped the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the National Championship game in 2013 and the Elite Eight in 2014. In 103 career games (70 starts) for the Wolverines, LeVert averaged 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. As a senior, the Columbus, Ohio, native posted averages of 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 30.9 minutes per game while shooting .506 from the field and .446 from 3-point range in 15 games (14 starts) during an injury-shortened season. He earned 2014 All-Big Ten second-team and 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament team honors following his sophomore season when he averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 34.0 minutes per game in 37 games.