NBA Atlantic

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant praised Memphis Grizzlies cornerstone Ja Morant as the "face of our league going forward" before the teams' meeting Monday night, which ended in a 134-124 Memphis win.

Durant clarified the remark, saying there's some competition for that top spot in the NBA, but he noted Morant is "doing some stuff that we've never seen before."

Morant recorded 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 34 minutes for the Grizzlies, and KD was asked whether the point guard reminded him of anyone.

"Nobody really," Durant said. "He's a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there. Body type reminds you of somebody like—well he's taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player ... but he's an incredible player, man."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XZ89ztzmw

The 23-year-old Murray State product started to show signs of reaching his full potential last season, earning his first All-Star selection and the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

It's only a four-game sample size, but the early returns suggest he may take his game up another level in 2022-23. He's averaged 35.3 points, 7.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 threes while shooting 54.8 percent from the field during the team's 3-1 start.

Backcourt running mate Desmond Bane is also playing at an All-Star pace in the early going, including 38 points of his own in Monday night's victory.

As a whole, it's given the Grizzles the look of a serious threat after finishing second in the Western Conference last season, and it all starts with Morant.

"He's an incredible athlete," Nets point guard Ben Simmons said prior to Monday's matchup. "He pushes the pace, gets his team going, shares the ball. He's relentless at the rim, so we just got to be physical."

Morant and Bane combined for 56.7 percent of the Grizzlies' points (76 of 134) against the Nets in what became a dual of superstars. Durant and Kyrie Irving put together a similar performance for Brooklyn, combining to score 74 points.

Memphis will look to continue its early-season surge when it opens a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings.

Ben Simmons' return to the court after he missed last season is not going as he hoped, and he took out some frustration on the officiating after the Brooklyn Nets' 134-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

"It's frustrating. It's not a foul," Simmons told reporters when discussing his sixth infraction. "That was bulls--t. It's frustrating because it's late-game. You're in the fourth quarter. It's a physical, close game. It's the NBA; it's not college, not high school."

Ja Morant seemingly baited Simmons before the whistle for his sixth foul. The Grizzlies point guard looked toward his bench, and Simmons pressed up and put his left hand on Morant before Morant tried to escape:

Ben Simmons fouled out on this play...

Do you agree with the call? 🤔 https://t.co/9FkWVqZygv

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 25, 2022

"A lot of it was bulls--t calls if you ask me," Simmons said.

He also ended his news conference with a smile and said, "I just don't want to get fined."

Monday marked Simmons' third game of the season, and he has fouled out twice, scoring 17 points and committing 14 fouls. The Nets are 1-2 and don't look capable of challenging the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics or others at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Simmons' return to the lineup made Brooklyn one of the biggest wild cards of the NBA this season, as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are quite the one-two punch on the offensive side. If Simmons can rediscover the form that led to two All-Defensive nods and three All-Star selections during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team would have a much higher ceiling.

He has not found that form in the early going, and his five turnovers against the Grizzlies counteracted eight assists.

The LSU product was expected to be rusty after he missed last season and as he adjusts to a new team, but this has been far from an ideal start.

There may be a fine coming as well after he was openly critical of the officiating.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons was off the basketball court for a year prior to his return this season, so early growing pains were expected. But what he's shown so far has become concerning.

Simmons was ineffective on offense in Brooklyn's 134-124 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. He finished with seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, adding eight assists, three rebounds and five turnovers in 28 minutes before fouling out for the second time this season.

Through three games, Simmons has not shown any signs of progress. He has yet to score eight points and has been a detriment to the team at times.

Fans on social media were not happy with Simmons after another dud, and they didn't hold back:

Ben Simmons is hurting Brooklyn more than he’s helping them. He has no desire to be aggressive and assertive on offense.

— Rafael Barlowe (@Barlowe500) October 25, 2022

Ben Simmons won’t even pretend to be aggressive offensively

— 500 🏎 (@Kameron_Hay) October 25, 2022

With respect to all my Ben Simmons apologists—wherever you may be—hear me out…

Maybe he’s just not…good anymore…?

— Gabe Kuhn (@G_Kuhn71) October 25, 2022

The extent to which the Grizzlies aren't guarding Ben Simmons is hilarious. Santi Aldama had to work harder on defense in the Patriot League.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) October 25, 2022

Either play Ben Simmons at center or pull him. This offense can’t continue.

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) October 25, 2022

Ben Simmons just be running around the court, man.

— I’m Still Not Back (@CoryTownes) October 25, 2022

Santi Aldama is out playing Ben Simmons https://t.co/1MqWrWtAhW

— Bryce Hayes (@nxtprodigy) October 25, 2022

Ben Simmons in three games this season:

• 17 points
• 14 fouls 😬 pic.twitter.com/GmAUp6Jqzv

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 25, 2022

Ben Simmons fouled out on this play...

Do you agree with the call? 🤔 https://t.co/9FkWVqZygv

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 25, 2022

Ja just baited Ben Simmons into committing a really silly foul, his 6th so he's done for the night.

Fouling out twice in three games is a great start to his Nets career.

— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) October 25, 2022

Ja Morant just put on a IQ clinic and got Ben Simmons fouled out. Wow.

— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) October 25, 2022

Nets better with Ben Simmons off the court. I can only comment on what I’m seeing

— 500 🏎 (@Kameron_Hay) October 25, 2022

So far this season 😳

James Harden: 107 points and 39 assists

Ben Simmons: 17 points and 21 assists pic.twitter.com/191g4aFX4I

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) October 25, 2022

Ben Simmons is a waste of offense

— 𝓦𝓮𝓮𝔃𝔂 🦅 (@BlurzzIssues) October 25, 2022

Sixers won the Ben Simmons trade

— mev 🏀🧸🌹 (@mevvybear) October 25, 2022

Prior to his infamous mishap in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals while he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons was a force on both ends of the floor who could control a game with his playmaking and outstanding defense. The three-time All-Star has not been able to put it all together this season, but it's too early for Brooklyn to give up on him.

The Nets will have to remain patient with Simmons, but it'll be hard to keep him on the court if he continues playing like this.

Brooklyn will look to bounce back when it returns to action Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Rapper Kanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye, has been in the spotlight again after repeatedly making antisemitic remarks, but Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown said Monday he will not part with West's marketing agency.

West formed Donda Sports, which is a marketing agency geared toward off-field endeavors that signed Brown and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donda Sports does not represent Brown as agents, as the Boston forward remains with Jason Glushon when it comes to NBA contracts.

"First, I don't condone any hurt, harm, or danger toward any group of people or individuals whatsoever," Brown said, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. "I've been a member of my community, trying to uplift my community, and I'm going to continue to do that."

While he pointed out he doesn't "agree with everything that everybody does" when it comes to West, he said he is remaining with the agency the rapper created for reasons outside of any individual relationship.

"A lot of time goes into creating an entity or organization," he said. "The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption, it represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that. A lot of people that I work with, work with their families, build love and respect for, spending time in the summer. A lot of people involved."

According to CNN's Lisa Respers France, West's Twitter account was suspended after he posted a since-deleted antisemitic tweet. He was also seen wearing a shirt that said "White Lives Matter" at a fashion show, which is a phrase classified as a "hate slogan" by the Anti-Defamation League.

According to Justin Tinsley of Andscape, SpringHill Company CEO Maverick Carter said an episode of The Shop in which West made an appearance was canceled because he used the show "to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes."

Creative Artists Agency ended its relationship with the 45-year-old.

"He's someone who's obviously dealing with a lot of adversity that's in front of him right now and everybody can see it and it's public," Brown said of West. "But a lot of people in the world are dealing with adversity and things that are going on that's in front of them and they need help. It's a lot going on right now."

Brown has been a prominent voice in the NBA when it comes to fighting against prejudice and systemic racism and has rarely hesitated to call for social justice. Perhaps most notably, he drove 15 hours to protest in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

He signed with Donda Sports in May, and that relationship will apparently continue despite West's actions.

Brooklyn Nets fans have begun to vote with their feet early into the 2022-23 NBA season. The New York Post's Josh Kosman and Brian Lewis reported Monday that the demand for Nets season tickets has fallen by more than 30 percent compared to last year.

According to the report, Brooklyn sold between 8,000 and 9,000 season tickets in 2021-22, while the figure sits at around 5,500 this season. That number was described as "dead last" in the league.

"The Nets declined comment," per Kosman and Lewis. "A source close to the team didn’t dispute the league-worst season ticket figures but said the club relies less on those sales to fill the Barclays Center than teams in other markets."

The Post cited cost as one factor behind the decrease. One courtside season-ticket holder told Kosman and Lewis the price to renew his package was $5,400 per ticket for each game, up from the $3,500 he had been paying.

There are almost assuredly other dynamics at play.

For the foreseeable future, the Nets will continue to play second fiddle to the New York Knicks in the Big Apple. And while the Knicks missed the playoffs last year, they made a big splash this offseason by signing Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks.

New York City is a massive market, which can be a double-edged sword. While teams have a massive pool of prospective ticket-buyers, the people who might consider coming to a game have no shortage of other entertainment options.

Some within the Nets fanbase have probably grown tired of the drama that has engulfed the franchise within the past year as well.

Kyrie Irving missed more than half of the 2021-22 campaign after declining to get the COVID-19 vaccine and was the subject of trade speculation for much of the summer. James Harden successfully sulked his way out of Brooklyn ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. Kevin Durant requested a trade this offseason but eventually backtracked and reaffirmed his commitment to the Nets.

So far, Brooklyn hasn't had trouble with attendance to open the new year. It's averaging 17,867 fans through two games, which is basically Barclays Center's maximum capacity.

After Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers told reporters earlier this week that Joel Embiid dealt with a foot injury during the offseason that impacted his condition, the five-time All-Star addressed the situation on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters following the Sixers' 114-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Embiid said he "hadn't done anything in like two months" coming into training camp due to plantar fasciitis.

"Still trying to work my way back, and hopefully, everything goes back to normal," he added.

In the wake of Philadelphia's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Rivers said Embiid got taken off of his conditioning program because of the injury.

Any injury to Embiid is going to be a cause for concern, especially one involving his foot. He missed the first two seasons of his career due to a broken navicular bone in his foot that took longer than expected to heal properly.

The fact that Embiid has been able to play in each of the first three games is a good sign about where the foot is at in the recovery process.

Embiid did struggle in Philadelphia's first two games of the season. He had 26 points and 15 rebounds in the opener against the Boston Celtics, but he also finished with a game-high six turnovers.

Things got even worse for Embiid against the Bucks. The 28-year-old had another double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but his offensive output came on 6-of-21 shooting from the field.

The 15 points marked Embiid's fewest in a single game since Dec. 1, 2021. He had a strong rebound performance on Saturday with 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes.

While the Sixers can feel better about Embiid after his showing against the Spurs, they have a lot of problems that need to be figured out quickly. They are off to an 0-3 start for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

If there's a reason to be optimistic going forward, Philadelphia finished that 2017-18 campaign as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 52-30 record.

Whatever the 76ers are going to do during the 2022-23 campaign, they need Embiid to play at the MVP level he's been at over the previous two years. Saturday was the first time he showed that form this season.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes suffered a right ankle sprain in Saturday's game against the Miami Heat and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.

The Raptors selected Barnes with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He won Rookie of the Year honors after putting up 15.3 points, 7.5 boards and 3.5 assists per game across 74 appearances during his debut campaign.

He entered Saturday's game averaging 16 points, five rebounds and five assists through Toronto first two games of the season. He's made 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 66.7 percent of his shots from deep.

Barnes dealt with a minor ankle injury during his time at Florida State but missed just one contest. He missed a few games with a thumb injury as an NBA rookie.

Precious Achiuwa and Thaddeus Young are among the forwards who figure to receive an uptick in playing time if the 21-year-old is forced to the sideline.

Barnes is a crucial part of the Raptors' reworked roster following the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry over the past couple of years since their 2019 NBA title run, so his absence will definitely impact the team's playoff chances.

It's not time to hit the panic button just yet, but fans have to wonder what is going on with the Philadelphia 76ers after they fell to the San Antonio Spurs 114-105 on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center to drop to 0-3 on the season.

Star big man Joel Embiid notched 40 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, and Tyrese Maxey finished with 25 points, three rebounds and six assists, but the remainder of the team's roster was largely ineffective.

Tobias Harris, James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr. and Georges Niang combined for just 40 points. Harden finished with a measly 12 points in the loss, though he put up nine rebounds and 11 assists.

The Spurs saw much more consistent scoring, with six players in double digits. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson led the way with 22 and 21 points, respectively.

Following the Sixers latest loss, NBA Twitter took aim at head coach Doc Rivers, insinuating that the franchise must part ways with him if it ever wants to get over the hump and win a title with the current unit:

Stop me if youve heard me say this before but the Sixers will never do anything significant with Doc Rivers coaching them

— Hoops Reference (@HoopsReference) October 23, 2022

https://twitter.com/HoodiDrew/status/1583974869678829568

The Sixers should fire Doc Rivers before he leaves the arena

— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) October 23, 2022

watching the doc rivers sixers pic.twitter.com/0WMGZiOVKD

— pepo (@meispepo) October 22, 2022

Its not 2008 anymore. Doc Rivers has no idea how to coach a team in the year 2022

— Hoops Reference (@HoopsReference) October 23, 2022

i don't know what doc rivers is seeing but this offense MUST change.

— clipszn🩸 (@IVpointplays) October 22, 2022

Doc Rivers gotta go.. https://t.co/CtukhJAmB0

— Lil White (@RealLilWhite) October 22, 2022

It’s time we have a conversation about doc rivers with all due respect

— Mark Jackson’s Burner (@casualtakeking) October 23, 2022

Doc Rivers is public enemy number one

— ry (@NinjaBands) October 23, 2022

https://twitter.com/Jerryizbeast/status/1583979220199690240

Doc Rivers being a coach in the NBA in 2022 should teach you a lesson. There’s always hope for you in life, your dream of being an NBA coach isn’t very unrealistic!

— arj (@hooparj) October 23, 2022

The Sixers will start winning games once Doc Rivers is fired

— Colton Gnat (@ColtonGnat) October 23, 2022

The Sixers were expected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference entering the 2022-23 season, but they have been anything but through the opening week.

If Philly's slide continues, it wouldn't be surprising to see the franchise part ways with Rivers, who has been head coach of the franchise since the 2020-21 season.

The Sixers will look to get back on track on Monday against the Indiana Pacers before facing the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla will reportedly be given a fair chance to become the full-time head coach of the team.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the situation Friday night on NBA Countdown, saying Mazzulla will have "every opportunity" to take the job:

Wojnarowski added that Mazzulla getting the job may be a "likelihood" if he and the team continue to be successful.

Shortly before the start of the 2022-23 regular season, Mazzulla was elevated from assistant coach to interim head coach when head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire campaign.

Per Wojnarowski, the suspension stemmed from Udoka having an intimate relationship with a female Celtics staffer.

In his only season as an NBA head coach, Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 record last season and a trip to the NBA Finals, where they fell 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.

After spending time as an assistant coach at small colleges and in the NBA G League, Mazzulla served as the head coach at Division II Fairmont State for two seasons.

That led to his hiring by Boston as an assistant in 2019, and Udoka kept him in as part of the staff when Brad Stevens moved from the sidelines to the front office.

The 34-year-old Mazzulla has the reigning Eastern Conference champions off to a great start at 2-0 with victories over two of their biggest competitors in the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.

Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are performing at an MVP-caliber level through two games, while Grant Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart and Al Horford are pitching in significantly as well.

Wojnarowski reported Friday that the Celtics will not stand in Udoka's way if another team wants to hire him as a head coach or assistant coach while he is suspended.

That suggests the Celtics are comfortable with moving on, which means the front office likely has at least some degree of confidence in Mazzulla and his ability to keep Boston near the top of the NBA.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash praised the progress of Ben Simmons following Friday night's 109-105 win over the Toronto Raptors.

"A step up for Ben. From the jump he was more aggressive," Nash told reporters. "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 recorded six points (3-of-5 shooting) along with 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in 32 minutes against the Raptors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvp5CpFl-Wg

The largest number in the point guard's stat line in his Nets debut Wednesday was the number of personal fouls (six), so Friday's game certainly represented a step in the right direction.

Simmons was always going to have to play off some rust after sitting out the entire 2021-22 season. He initially stepped away from the Philadelphia 76ers to focus on his mental health and then suffered a back injury following his trade to Brooklyn.

His point totals are likely to remain modest playing alongside a pair of high-end scorers in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but his ability to impact the game as a defender, rebounder and distributor will be crucial to the Nets' success this season.

"Just attack," Simmons said of what Nash has told him. "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."

The three-time All-Star described his performance as "a little better" after staying out of foul trouble, which allowed him to play nine more minutes than he did in the season-opening 130-108 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I didn't get fouled out, which is good," Simmons said. "Less turnovers, so just keep building."

It's going to take a while to determine whether Brooklyn can emerge as a serious contender in the Eastern Conference after a couple of drama-filled years since the arrival of Durant and Irving, which included a trade request over the summer from Durant that was eventually rescinded.

That said, Simmons playing like he did Friday night was a promising sign, and he's still got plenty of room for improvement as he gets back up to full speed over the next few months.

The Nets are back on the floor Monday night when they visit the FedEx Forum for a clash with the Memphis Grizzlies.