NBA Atlantic

If Jacque Vaughn's first game as head coach without an interim title attached is any indication, there are good things ahead for the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn cruised to a 112-85 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Barclays Center and improved to 5-7 on the season. Kyrie Irving missed the game because he is still suspended for promoting an antisemitic film on his social media accounts, but Kevin Durant provided more than enough star power to emerge with a win.

The 12-time All-Star spearheaded the effort with a triple-double of 29 points, 12 assists, 12 rebounds and two blocks. He came out on fire as both a scorer and facilitator, and the home team never looked back.

Social media had nothing but praise for the team's overall effort:

Nets just playing beautiful basketball right now

— kuz (@kylekuzma) November 10, 2022

when you need a bucket, you know who to call pic.twitter.com/I1eXJlZ0dO

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 10, 2022

THIS SEQUENCE pic.twitter.com/pd6ogrmCAi

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 10, 2022

Death, taxes, and the Nets beating the Knicks in the Kevin Durant era.

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) November 10, 2022

One thing that has been fairly obvious throughout Kevin Durant's Brooklyn tenure:

He does not like the Knicks

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 10, 2022

Kevin Durant tonight:

29 Points
12 Rebounds
12 Assists
2 Blocks

MY 🌟 pic.twitter.com/hC88HFn3MT

— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) November 10, 2022

Kevin Durant making more history 🚨

KD (27 points) has scored 25+ points in each of the Nets' first 12 games of the season.

He's the first player to score 25+ points in a team's first 12+ games of a season since Michael Jordan (16 straight - 1988-89).

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 10, 2022

One thing I've noticed over the years is that Kevin Durant loves playing against the Knicks. Seems like he really buys into the rivalry. It's fun.

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) November 10, 2022

It's official: The Nets are a totally different team

— Doug Norrie (@DougNorrie) November 10, 2022

The Nets are generating good looks every time down the floor.

They’re creating advantages early in the possession, and then playing drive-and-kick until they get a good look.

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) November 10, 2022

https://twitter.com/RealCodyMallory/status/1590512547295526915

While Durant was the star, it was far from a solo effort.

Edmond Sumner's initial outside shooting helped set the tone, and Seth Curry's smooth stroke from beyond the arc was responsible for six three-pointers. He and Ben Simmons provided a spark off the bench, with the latter impacting the game by creating multiple turnovers and battling for boards even though he is largely an afterthought as a scorer.

The role players were key in keeping the Knicks at bay after the Nets dominated from the start while building a 25-point halftime lead, but Durant was the main story with everything running through him.

The scoring is always there for the future Hall of Famer, but his ability to find open teammates when the Knicks collapsed on him added another dimension to the offense and took the pressure off others.

He and the Nets will look to keep things rolling on the road when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Wally Szczerbiak, a former NBA player and current New York Knicks analyst on MSG Network, is not a big fan of Brooklyn Nets power forward Ben Simmons.

"Most overrated player is Ben Simmons. It's not even close," he said on MSG Network Monday night (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News). "The guy couldn't even play in the playoffs two years ago. Then he was scared to get on the court all of last year. The guy is scared to shoot. He's the first pick in the NBA draft and you can't even get him on the basketball floor."

Szczerbiak wasn't done there.

"He's supposed to be a good defender," he continued. "He was playing for the Nets and they were giving up 125 points per game and they got their coach [Steve Nash] fired because they couldn't stop anybody. Simmons is so overrated you can't even put him in the game anymore. It's a little bit of a shame."

It's been a struggle for Simmons in his first on-court action for the Nets this season.

He fouled out of two of his first three games. Left knee soreness kept him out of four games. His return from that injury on Monday night didn't go well, as he posted only two points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, while Luka Doncic went off for 36 points.

"I'm my harshest critic, so I think terrible," Simmons told reporters when asked to assess his performance. "There's a place I want to get to. I got to keep working, I got to keep pushing myself and adapting, so I'll get there."

Overall this season, Simmons is averaging only 5.6 points on 5.3 shots per game. Offensive aggression has been an issue for him throughout his career, but in Brooklyn, he's taking less than half his career average in shots per game (11.4).

In most years and for most organizations, Simmons' struggles would be the primary storyline. On these Nets, the firing of head coach Steve Nash and Kyrie Irving's ongoing suspension have overshadowed him. As the season progresses, however, Simmons' struggles will become a greater worry if they persist.

Simmons is supposed to be the Nets' third star behind Kevin Durant and Irving. While he deserves some benefit of the doubt since he missed the entire 2021-22 season, he hasn't looked like anything closely resembling a star yet this year.

The New York Knicks have a stockpile of eight first-round draft picks, and the team is reportedly being patient with how those picks will be used to bolster the roster.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday that executives around the NBA believe the Knicks are "kind of hoarding those first-round picks just waiting for that next megastar to become available" in a potential trade.

The Knicks made three trades during the 2022 draft to secure three future first-round picks and create $18 million in cap space. New York chose not to use its draft capital to pull the trigger on a trade for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who wound up being sent from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for three players, three first-round picks and two pick swaps.

"For whatever reason, they did not believe that Donovan Mitchell was a guy they wanted to go fully, fully all-in on. ... You choose that you'd rather keep all the picks and all the flexibility," Charania said. "And you have to give [team president] Leon Rose credit for this: They've built up those assets necessary to when whoever that megastar is [available], they'll be right there for him."

Exercising patience isn't something the Knicks have been known for historically, as there have been instances in which the franchise sacrificed future assets in exchange for minimal immediate gain. While the regime under Rose and general manager Scott Perry should be commended for not falling into that trend, the New York fanbase has been starved for a superstar player since Carmelo Anthony was traded in 2017.

Through the early part of the 2022-23 season, the Knicks are a middling team with a 5-5 record. Julius Randle leads the team with 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds, while prized free-agent signing Jalen Brunson is averaging 19.7 points and a team-high 7.3 assists.

The Knicks will look to get above .500 when they visit the Brooklyn Nets (4-7) on Wednesday night.

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly had interest in hiring suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka to replace Steve Nash and fill the team's head coaching vacancy.

But a number of factors led the Nets to bypass Udoka and instead hire Nash's assistant Jacque Vaughn for the role, per a report from Shams Charania and The Athletic:

"The Nets changed course from their initial plan to hire Udoka due to several factors, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the decision-making told The Athletic. These factors include an investigation and due diligence process by the Nets into the suspended coach taking longer than initially expected, the outcry after word of their plan became known to people outside and inside the organization and the short- and long-term question marks around the team's ability to contend in the Eastern Conference as a result of the indefinite suspension of Kyrie Irving."

Vaughn, 47, had served as the interim head coach since Brooklyn fired Nash last week and also operated in that role in 2020 after Kenny Atkinson was let go. However, rumors persisted that the Nets had eyes for Udoka.

Per The Athletic, the Nets "began direct communication on the potential to hire Udoka 24 to 48 hours before the franchise fired Nash last Tuesday, including receiving permission from the Celtics and engaging in initial discussions."

It would have been a controversial hire. Boston suspended Udoka for the 2022-23 season after he engaged in a romantic relationship with a female member of the organization.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization and my family for letting them down," Udoka said in a statement to ESPN's Malika Andrews in September. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

The Celtics replaced Udoka for the season with assistant Joe Mazzulla.

Vaughn, who has been on the Nets coaching staff for the past six seasons, inherits a team in flux.

Brookly has suspended Irving after he promoted an antisemitic video on Twitter and failed initially to apologize for his actions. He is suspended for at least five games without pay, the Nets said he is "currently unfit to be associated" with the team, and he must complete a "series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct" before he can return.

Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:

- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022

The Nets have started just 4-7. While Kevin Durant has played well, the team's third key player, Ben Simmons, has struggled when he's been on the court and has missed four games with left knee soreness.

Ben Simmons if he'll have to manage his knee going forward: "As an athlete your whole body you have to manage, even with my back, something I continue to work on. Coming back there's gonna be different quirks like that with my body that I have to maintain & stay on top of." #Nets

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) November 7, 2022

Add the trade request Durant made over the summer and Irving's uncertain future heading into free agency this summer, and the Nets have been a constant source of drama.

Hiring Udoka would have intensified the spotlight on the team. Instead, the Nets stuck with Vaughn, seemingly in an effort to avoid further controversy.

Jacque Vaughn is the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn announced on Wednesday that Vaughn, who was acting as interim head coach, will remain at the helm for the rest of the season.

The Brooklyn Nets have named Jacque Vaughn as head coach. pic.twitter.com/sgQZ4OtFNA

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 9, 2022

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Vaughn's promotion comes with a contract throug the 2023-24 season.

The position became open after the Nets announced they parted ways with Steve Nash on Nov. 1. Vaughn was named the acting head coach for the game against the Chicago Bulls that day, but it didn't take long for other names to appear as potential replacement candidates.

As for Nash, he thanked the team for an "amazing experience" in a statement after he was let go:

pic.twitter.com/GUGhBtHKUL

— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) November 1, 2022

Nash went 94-67 as the head coach, losing in the second round of the playoffs in his first season and the first round in his second.

That second season didn't go anywhere near according to plan, as Kyrie Irving missed significant time because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, Kevin Durant dealt with injury concerns, and James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ben Simmons came over in the Harden deal but didn't play last season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic then reported in August that Durant met with Nets governor Joe Tsai and gave him an ultimatum to either fire Nash and general manager Sean Marks or trade him.

The 34-year-old ultimately stayed, but it was quite the tone heading into a new campaign.

After Nash was fired, Charania reported Ime Udoka of the Boston Celtics was a "strong front-runner" for the position. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted the team was also expected to explore hiring former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder.

Yet general manager Sean Marks told reporters at the time the team hadn't decided on its next head coach.

The Nets ultimately decided to stick with Vaughn, who is now in charge of leading a team that has the talent to potentially compete for a championship but is yet to come together and reach its ceiling.

Durant and Irving are quite the one-two punch on the offensive side, Simmons is a two-time All-Defensive selection, and the list of role players includes sharp-shooters Seth Curry and Joe Harris.

Whether Vaughn can figure out a way to mold that talent into a championship contender will shape the overall outlook of the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs.

The Nets (4-7) are 2-2 so far under Vaughn. Keeping him in the fold provides the team with some stability as it tries to get back on track this season.

Prior to Steve Nash agreeing to step down as head coach and part ways with the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 1, Kyrie Irving and other Nets players reportedly defied Nash on the court.

According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, an anonymous veteran advance scout said he witnessed Irving ignore play calls by Nash on 10 different occasions during an Oct. 29 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The scout added, "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Nash would call something, and he'd run the opposite. I've never seen anything like that."

Regarding a lack of respect for Nash as coach, the issue reportedly wasn't limited to Irving, as a source close to the team said the Nets players "did whatever they wanted" regardless of the game plans Nash came up with.

Another anonymous scout called the Nets "the most dysfunctional team I’ve seen [in years]."

Nash was aware of the issue, as Nets general manager Sean Marks said Nash told him the team was "not responding to me," per ESPN Radio's Alan Hahn.

The Nets hired Nash, who was a two-time NBA MVP as a player, in 2020 in hopes that he would be able to relate well to Irving and Kevin Durant. Brooklyn also traded for James Harden early in the 2020-21 season.

Brooklyn experienced a second-round playoff exit that year, however, and amid controversy last season, including Irving missing significant time because of not being vaccinated against COVID-19, the Nets fell well short of their goals again.

Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package headlined by Ben Simmons, and the Nets were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

There was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the team prior to the 2022-23 season, as Durant had requested a trade, there were trade rumors regarding Irving and it was unclear if Simmons would be healthy after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign.

The Nets moved forward with all of those pieces, but they didn't click under Nash, and he left following a 2-5 start.

Brooklyn has looked better under interim head coach Jacque Vaughn, posting a 2-2 record, with Irving missing three of those games because of a suspension for sharing the link of a movie that includes antisemitic views on his social media.

The dysfunction has seemingly continued even after Nash's departure, but there is still belief that the Nets could accomplish something big thanks to the top-flight talent they possess.

Based on how rocky things have been and the fact that Irving is in the midst of the final year of his contract, however, this season likely represents the final opportunity for the core of Durant, Irving and Simmons to go on a deep run.

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving had a "productive and understanding visit" with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Irving was suspended by his team for a minimum of five games after sharing an antisemitic film on social media and failing to disavow antisemitism.

Silver, who is Jewish, said in a statement last week that he planned to meet with Irving in person to discuss the situation.

"Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material," Silver said.

Irving later took responsibility for his actions in a post on Instagram, acknowledging that the film he shared featured antisemitic statements and narratives.

"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize," he wrote.

The apology was one of several tasks for Irving to complete before he could return to the Nets:

Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:

- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who is also a vice president for the National Basketball Players Association, said the NBPA takes issue with these imposed requirements and could appeal the suspension on behalf of Irving, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

The meeting with Silver could still be the first step toward making his way back to the court.

Brooklyn is 2-1 without the seven-time All-Star this season, but the squad still needs help after its 4-7 start to the season. Irving is averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game in eight appearances in 2022-23.

Welcome back, Joel Embiid.

The free-throw line missed you.

Embiid shot 16-of-16 from the charity stripe and led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 100-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Philadelphia snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-6 as the big man returned after missing the previous three contests with a non-COVID-19 illness.

James Harden was sidelined with a foot injury for the second straight game, but Embiid led the way with 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while using his ability to draw fouls to overwhelm Phoenix's frontcourt.

Social media had plenty to say about the five-time All-Star's showing:

https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1589794995196030976

Joel Embiid is locked in defensively tonight. He's been awesome.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) November 8, 2022

big fella's up to 18 points! 📈 pic.twitter.com/V8XtXgCxcx

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 8, 2022

Joel Embiid going 16-of-16 on free throws after 3 quarters pic.twitter.com/98ZK82CNA6

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) November 8, 2022

Sixers lead Suns 33-20 at the end of the first quarter

By far the best effort this season by Joel Embiid and the Sixers which are certainly correlated

— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) November 8, 2022

Probably the Sixers' best quarter of the season. Joel Embiid has been aggressive getting downhill tonight, not settling for midrange jumpers. Already 6 of 6 from the line.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) November 8, 2022

the feed from Embiid! pic.twitter.com/OaIrSw4ru3

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 8, 2022

Pretty clear that Joel Embiid was protesting the Sixers season starting before the Phillies season had ended

— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) November 8, 2022

Excellent opening quarter for the Sixers. Embiid looked damn good after the layoff, good bench minutes from Reed, Harris with a quick trigger from deep. And even some transition defense!

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 8, 2022

Continue to be baffled by how open Georges Niang is at times. Him and Embiid just carrying the Sixers in the fourth.

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 8, 2022

The game marked an opportunity for the 76ers to regain their form as presumed contenders against one of the top teams in the league, and they came out on fire. The home team built a 13-point lead by the end of the first quarter, and Embiid got to the free-throw line even though his shot was off (8-of-21 overall).

He also impressed on the defensive end, even locking up Devin Booker on one possession. Tobias Harris and Georges Niang scored 21 points apiece.

Booker played well on his way to 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists with more responsibility after Chris Paul was ruled out for the second half with right heel soreness. Booker did have a game-high six turnovers in 43 minutes.

Philadelphia will look to keep things rolling Thursday in a road game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Boston Celtics star and National Basketball Players' Association vice president Jaylen Brown weighed in on the Brooklyn Nets' suspension of point guard Kyrie Irving for his promotion of an antisemitic film and refusal to disavow antisemitism afterward.

Brown told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe on Monday (h/t Greg Dudek of NESN) the NBPA doesn't agree with Brooklyn's imposed requirements for Irving to return to the organization, and he expects the NBPA to appeal the suspension as well as the terms of his return.

The Nets announced Thursday that Irving was suspended for at least five games for his "failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity" to do so. The team's announcement stated that Irving will not be allowed back with the team "until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct."

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Nets have laid out six items required for Irving to return to the team:

Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:

- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022

Irving is scheduled to meet with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday. Brown said he's been in contact with Irving and believes the checklist is too harsh.

"He made a mistake. He posted something," Brown told Washburn. "There was no distinction. Maybe we can move forward, but the terms in which he has to fulfill to return, I think not just speaking for me, speaking as a vice president from a lot of our players, we didn’t agree with the terms that was required for him to come back and we’re waiting for this Tuesday meeting to happen to see what comes of it. But we’ll go from there. That’s all I’ll say."

Irving's post was a link to a film that contains multiple antisemtic ideas, including falsely claiming Jewish people were heavily involved in the slave trade. When later asked to clarify his remarks, Irving refused to clearly state he didn't have antisemitic beliefs. He later apologized for his promotion of the film and his response in an Instagram post.

Brown further explained that the collective bargaining agreement doesn't have a clause addressing social media posts, so the punishment isn't fair in the eyes of the NBPA.

"The terms for his return, they seem like a lot and a lot of the players expressed discomfort with the terms," Brown said. "It was a violation of our CBA, we don’t have to going into details about that. But I’m expecting the NBPA to appeal and I’m expecting to see what comes out of this meeting on Tuesday."

Brown, who played two seasons with Irving in Boston, added that he doesn't believe Irving is antisemitic.

"He made a mistake. We understand from an outside perspective how important sensitivity is to not condone hate speech and not condone anything of that nature," Brown said. "It’s sensitivity to the dialect around that. We don’t want to stand up for somebody in order to not condemn hate speech, but I don’t believe Kyrie Irving is antisemitic. And hopefully the NBA feels the same way."

The Los Angeles Lakers were perceived to be a potential landing spot point guard Kyrie Irving if he was traded by the Brooklyn Nets, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Monday that the Lakers have "significant concerns about the prospect of adding Irving at any price and have not been focused on that scenario all season long." Irving is serving a suspension of at least five games for promoting an antisemitic film on social media.

This past offseason, Irving was the subject of substantial speculation as it appeared that the Nets were ready to move on from the controversial point guard. Jake Fischer, then of Bleacher Report, told NBA insider Marc Stein in June that Irving "definitely was considering taking the taxpayer mid-level exception to play for the Lakers" before he exercised his $37 million player option for the 2022-23 season.

Chris Haynes reported for Yahoo Sports in early July that Los Angeles and Brooklyn were "actively engaged in discussions" regarding a potential trade for Irving in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Those talks eventually fizzled, and after the trade request by star forward Kevin Durant was rescinded, Brooklyn moved forward without making significant changes to its core in hopes of contending for an NBA title this season.

However, that didn't end the chatter about Irving's desire to join the Lakers. Last month, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported that Irving doesn't plan on re-signing with the Nets when he becomes a free agent next summer and intends to sign with Los Angeles.

Stephen A. Smith: "This is their (Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) last season together. They're not re-signing with Brooklyn. Kyrie is not re-signing with Brooklyn. Kyrie is planning to go to Los Angeles.”

(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)

https://t.co/BZ46udCwvv

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 12, 2022

Prior to his suspension, Irving hadn't done much to improve his perception around the league. The 30-year-old had already caused tumult off the court for his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He became the source of even more controversy when he posted a tweet that featured a link to a film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.

As part of their announcement of Irving's suspension Thursday, the Nets said they "were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs." The seven-time All-Star later issued an apology with a statement on social media.

Kyrie Irving issues an apology amid antisemitism controversy that led to his suspension by Nets: “To all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize.” pic.twitter.com/QUXt1WtK2g

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) November 4, 2022

In eight games this season, Irving averaged 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists. The Nets were 2-6 with him in the lineup and have since improved to 4-6 heading into Monday's matchup at the Dallas Mavericks (5-3).