It remains to be seen whether the Clippers will aim to run it back next season with the same cast on the court. On the sideline, well, they’re already guaranteed to have a different look. Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is close to agreeing to terms with the Golden State Warriors to serve as one of…
Report: Warriors to add Clippers assistant Kenny Atkinson to their coaching staff — Pasadena Star News
Are you ready for the least surprising Kyrie Irving news of all time? The Brooklyn Nets on Saturday “mutually parted ways” with head coach Kenny Atkinson. And Irving, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Vincent Goodwill, did not like Atkinson, and in fact prefers current Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue, whom he played for while with…
NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving ‘Soured’ On Kenny Atkinson, Prefers Tyronn Lue — NESN.com
KENNY ATKINSON FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On what intangibles were present for the Nets tonight: “I think I said it before the game, our compete level, our intensity level has to be three levels higher than them to have an opportunity to win the game. I thought our physicality, the things we were missing in the last two games against them, I thought we just raised that. We wanted it bad. The execution wasn’t perfect, but our will to win was at a super-high level. That’s why we came out with the W.”
On how big it has been to have balanced scoring: “I think – I don’t know how many turnovers we had – we took care of it. Against this team, you have to take care of it. You have to limit their transition points, and we’re starting to get some chemistry with the guys and it’s flowing better on both sides of the ball. Tonight was really a story about our defense. Going into the All-Star break, I know we have 30-something games left, but we’re a top 10 defensive team. Obviously, offensively we have a ways to go. But that’s a nice — you know I said, what was our identity? That looks like our identity right now if you say pick one thing that the Nets are doing well, and I think our defense will probably be top eight after this game. So we have to continue that and then shoot the ball a little better on offense.”
On if he feels like the Nets are turning a corner by being able to go toe-to-toe against teams with winning records: “I think we understand that there’s potential to see these teams down the road in a more important scenario, so it’s important that we play well. It’s important that we get this information against a really good team if you have to face off against them in the playoffs. Obviously, this wasn’t a playoff game, but it gave us good information. I think when we’re healthy and we have our whole roster intact, we’ll be pretty good. Let’s see how this stretch after the All-Star break goes. It’s important. We really want to gain some momentum, be playing well at the end of the season. That’s the goal right now.”
BROOKLYN NETS POSTGAME QUOTES
JOE HARRIS FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On the team’s defensive mentality since the last Toronto matchup: “I think the process has been right. Sometimes you get a little fortunate, teams are off. I thought tonight and especially against Indiana we just did a better job contesting every shot. We did a good job scrambling around. A lot of times defense gets broken down, but it’s about the second effort, closing out still getting contests. You know, we just talked about trying to be the more aggressive and assertive team on both ends. Especially when you play against quality teams. That’s usually what dictates the game, who is able to establish as the aggressor early on.”
On the team’s growth, ability to go toe-to-toe with quality teams: “It’s definitely a step in the right direction. Especially going to Indiana getting a win there. I don’t think we’d beaten any teams over .500 on the road all year, so for us to go on the road and have a big win like that is just good in terms of confidence going forward. Obviously we’re going to have a lot of tough games after the All-Star break. I don’t think anyone’s looking too far ahead. The biggest thing right now is making sure some guys recover but also some guys getting enough work over the break. Last time we had a few days off (after the holidays) we turned around and were 3–13. So I think a lot of guys are still trying to stay locked in. Take advantage of the time off that we have, rest, recuperate, get our bodies right and make sure we finish off this second half of the year strong.”
On ramping up effort with the possibility of playoffs: “Yeah, I think at the end of the day all you really want is just to be playing quality basketball. We started sharing the ball better. Guys are starting to find their rhythm in terms of shooting. And then the effort, the focus defensively I think it’s just been, we’ve been more cohesive. Whether it’s a testament to the focus, locking in with the preparation or whatever it might be. I think we knew how important this stretch was going into the break. It’s just a testament to guys locking in and staying focused and we just need to continue to do that moving forward.”
BROOKLYN NETS POSTGAME QUOTES
JARRETT ALLEN FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On what the energy is like in the locker room after a big win like tonight’s: “It’s a great win. Especially snapping that 15-game win streak. It’s a big mark for us.”
On how much sharing the ball offensively has been a point of emphasis: “I wouldn’t say it’s been a point of emphasis. We’ve been working on our defense and you always hear defense goes to offense.”
On if their recent wins against teams with lower records helped them get into a groove to win against teams with winning records: “It definitely does. Everybody talks about momentum in this league and that’s definitely what it is. Coming into these two games, these last three games before the break, tough schedule. Toronto, Indiana and then back to Toronto, we definitely had a good momentum coming in to this.”
On if teams like Toronto bring the intensity out of the Nets or is it a conscious mentality that they bring into the game: “It definitely has to be a conscious mentality. There have been games before where we came in not with the best mindset and got blown out. I’ll take Milwaukee for an example. They blew us out. But today, you could just feel the energy when we came into the locker room, we had shoot around before. Everybody was pumped up ready to play.”
BROOKLYN NETS POSTGAME QUOTES
NICK NURSE FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On what his mentality is heading into the All-Star break: “I think when you look at it in totality, sitting where we are right now, I think we’re extremely pleased to get to this point. The good news is I think we’ll Marc Gasol back after the break. Norman Powell is pretty close as well. Obviously that’s what is most important, is to get our team back as a whole. I think our team really battled well with a couple of key guys missing. I think we’ve had a healthy team for two games this season, so we’ve done a nice job of plugging in and picking up. In the big scheme of things, you look at the overall of where you’re sitting and we have to be pleased with that.”
On what the makeup of this team is this year without Kawhi Leonard: “Well, I think that we’re hoping that some of these guys have taken some steps forward. Obviously Kawhi (Leonard) is a late-game closer on both ends of the floor. Pascal Siakam has to assume that role. Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol have kind of stepped forward to assume the secondary role to Pascal Siakam. Fred VanVleet continues to get better. Norman Powell, before he got hurt, was getting better. So probably it’ll be a little more by committee on both ends and trying to figure out matchups. Again, our team has played pretty well. We’ve got some growth to do and we need to do for sure if we want to make a run at it again.”
BROOKLYN NETS POSTGAME QUOTES
FRED VANVLEET FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On the win streak ending and what he saw tonight: “It is what it is, man. I just think we didn’t have enough juice to overcome some of the things that were going on tonight. So, just didn’t have enough juice. I thought we were a little flat early and just couldn’t really get it going after that. It is what it is. We weren’t going to win them all. The break has come at a good time. Everybody is going on break and take some time and come back and get one started again.”
On what the Nets did differently tonight compared to past matchups: “Give them credit, they went and won the game. I’m not going to disrespect those guys, but we didn’t really make it that difficult for them. I don’t know how much adjustments they made. They just kind of played a little harder, fought a little harder. They hustled more, made their shots and we didn’t make ours. I didn’t see too many gameplay switches from them, felt pretty similar out there. We just didn’t play well enough to win, and they did.”
On if it felt like there was any carry over from the two teams’ last matchup: “They played us tough last game. This is a good team. Anybody can lose any given night in the NBA. It wasn’t like we were overlooking them or anything. We know they’re a tough team, they’re a playoff team and they played us tough pretty much every time we play them, and tonight was no different. Like I said, we just didn’t have enough to get over the hump tonight.”
BROOKLYN NETS POSTGAME QUOTES
KYLE LOWRY FEBRUARY 12, 2020
On if the All-Star break comes at a bad time following a loss: “I’m glad to get away, we need separation. You’ve been grinding since September and you need this time to kind of mentally decompress, physically decompress, and have guys go live their lives. Then we come back together and have the kind of newfound excitement to see each other again. That’s the one thing about the break, it gives you that time away from your brothers. You love being around them. We have a great team, so we don’t mind being around each other. But you know when you get back together it’s kind of like alright fellas, good to see you let’s have some more fun.”
On where he saw game plan changes from the Nets after playing them this past weekend: “They made shots, they played well. We didn’t play too well. They stuck with their coverages, they stuck with their game plan, they stuck with their schemes. We played kind of like walking zombies. We didn’t play well tonight, simple as that. We missed shots, we weren’t aggressive, we just didn’t play well. Give them credit. They played their butts off and they beat us. It’s only one game.”
(23-28) BROOKLYN NETS, 118 VS. (39-14) TORONTO RAPTORS, 119 SCOTIABANK ARENA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2020
TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES
NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)
On running out of gas towards the end of the game … You’re right – we were, we didn’t make a three, I don’t think, forever, it seemed like there in the fourth. We had a couple of point-blank front- of- the-rimmers and we all knew it. We talked about it in a couple of the timeouts, man, we gotta gather everything we’ve got when we get it inside and try to finish, but we couldn’t quite do it. Big stop at the end, good job of pressing up and getting him disjointed down there.
On playing Matt Thomas for 15 straight minutes and continuously getting big performances from guys that never play … Our assistant coaches do a great job of keeping those guys ready. I think the mindset of you never know and stay ready maybe helps a little bit once in a while. When you don’t hit the scouting report because you haven’t played for a while too, so that is the other thing. He played great, man he came in there and like always every time he raises up you think it’s going in and he banged a bunch of them in. That was a big lift. That group was awesome, first half. They were incredible, they turned a lacklustre start to the game into an energetic game and they were great.
On starting Terence Davis … I just wanted the spacing, and he has been shooting the ball really well and I just wanted the spacing out there along with kind of considering Pat (McCaw) our backup point guard. I wanted him to be able to come in and sub for either him or Fred (VanVleet) and go from there.
On leaving the bench in the game with Brooklyn brought their starters back … I thought they were playing with great defensive energy, getting out on the open floor and they guarded great for about six straight minutes. They did their job, got it the down to about five and a half or something and we started filtering the guys. It was just based on their energy really, they had it going defensively and that was creating some offence for them.
FRED VANVLEET (29 points, six assists, two rebounds)
On tonight’s final minutes… Obviously it’s not a textbook way to close out a game, but when you have a long winning streak like that there will be different types of ways to finish it. We had a good idea they were probably going to give the ball to Caris (LeVert) in some sort of fashion and try to switch everything. I thought we did a good job of stopping their initial play that they were trying to give to Joe Harris for a pin down or something like that and then OG (Anunoby) was just great (with) one-on-one defence. We did give up an offensive rebound, he had a good look in the end, but it bounced out, so sometimes it’s good to be lucky too.
On the bench play… Those guys can play. I feel like we’ve had this conversation five to 10 times this year. It’s a good thing. Every time they step up and they play well people are surprised because they’re at the end of the bench, but you just have to wait for your turn (and) wait for (the) opportunity. Somebody like Matt (Thomas), who doesn’t’ really play on a consistent basis, stepped up there with a big first half, some key buckets. Obviously Terence (Davis) started tonight, but same thing with him. Those guys have been good for us all year; Rondae (Hollis-Jefferson), Chris (Boucher), and to do it on consistent nights … it’s special and that’s what we need out of those guys.
MATT THOMAS (15 points, six rebounds)
How much easier is it to get in a rhythm when you’re out there for an extended period of time? (For) any athlete when you get in the zone and you get in that rhythm, obviously it’s a lot easier. The game comes a lot naturally and you just play a lot more confident.
What is it about this team that makes everyone pretty comfortable with playing with different guys? I think it’s just a testament to how hard everyone works on the team. Everyone stays ready. We have a very deep and talented team and everyone is more than capable of coming in and making plays. Also, just shows the chemistry we have on this team. We’re all so good at playing off each other and everyone plays unselfishly and plays the right way.
BROOKLYN NETS QUOTES
KENNY ATKINSON (HEAD COACH)
In a game like that what stands out: the comeback or the deficit? Missed opportunities. On the road, I think 34, 33, 34 points is a lot to give up. It’s a lot to make up. The fourth quarter was fantastic. We held them to 19 points defensively. We obviously started to make some shots. That’s what got us back in it. I don’t think you can dig yourself a 20-point hole against a really good team like this.
How about DeAndre Jordan’s fourth quarter? He was our defensive anchor. I felt like we weren’t getting that resistance and he anchored our defence. He did a good job on (Serge) Ibaka, was patrolling the paint, he got us back in the game with his defence.
On the last possession… We wanted to go quicker. I think guys got into a little bit. You want to go as quick as possible. We wanted to get a good shot at the end of the day.
Did you want to them to get to the rim if possible? There were a couple of options on the play. They took away the first option. Joe was the second option coming off to stagger if we didn’t get him, and Caris went one-on-one
What do you think of the Raptors run? Incredible depth. Gasol is out, this guy is out, this guy is out. That’s a true sign of not only a good basketball team but a good program when you can have the injuries they’ve sustained and go deep into your roster. You’re going 11th man, 12th man. McCaw plays well. Boucher was really good tonight. They have young guys that are deep in their roster that have helped them win the game. That’s how you go on a long streak in this league. You can’t just do it with your top five or your top six, you’ve got to be deep. They are deep. They are playing great basketball.
On Caris LeVert’s progress… I said it when he wasn’t playing well, he’s going to catch his rhythm. He caught his rhythm and he’s doing it consistently now. It’s game after game after game. That’s kind of the all-star Caris we saw at the beginning of last year and the playoffs last year. It’s great to see and it’s great news for the Nets.
SPENCER DINWIDDIE (21 points, 11 assists, six rebounds)
What turned the game and allowed the Nets to get back in it? Finally in the fourth quarter we started getting stops. Obviously Caris was phenomenal offensively for us. Just our collective energy and effort beyond Caris’ offensive outburst was what got us back into the game.
Does the early deficit make this loss that much more disappointing? Definitely. If we had have played good defence the first three quarters – and credit Toronto, they are obviously a great basketball team, making shots and doing this to a lot of people – but 30-plus the first three quarters and then 19 in the fourth is tale of the tape right there.
Are there any positives to take from this loss? I don’t think we’re in the business of moral victories. We’re a playoff team as well. I think if you had asked me that two years ago we probably would’ve been like, “yeah, we played well. We fought. We’re a young group and we’re figuring it out.” We’re a playoff team. We need to figure out how to beat these teams that could be our first round matchup. We could play them, what, next week, four more or five more, six more times in the playoffs, right? You’ve got to be ready for that.
The Nets have played up and down to their competition over the past few weeks, losing five games in a row to teams with winning records and then coming out of a seven-game stretch against sub-.500 teams with a 5-2 mark. Two games against the Raptors — Saturday in Toronto and Wednesday at Barclays Center… […]
Nets’ Kenny Atkinson: Raptors proving they’re more than Kawhi Leonard — Akahi News
The view from left field 