Everyone is back from their time off in places that are warmer and sunnier than Brooklyn has been. Now, they must face the 44-10 Cleveland Cavaliers
Ladies and gentlemen…. We are officially in the second half of the NBA season. Okay the final third. You know what we mean.
As we get back into the flow of things after the All Star break, the Brooklyn Nets have changed up things (not so much, but kind of), featuring the addition of Long Island guard Killian Hayes and the relinquishing of all hope for forward Bojan Bogdonovic, officially out for the season. We also still have our shooter in Tyrese Martin, who signed a standard contract Thursday that will permit him to play at night. His two-way ran out.
Tonight, the Nets will be taking on the first seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who have not shown any signs of slowing down since the start of the season. At 44-10, they are tied for the best mark in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder, five and a half games ahead of the defending national champion Boston Celtics. Who knew?
Cleveland has won four straight, but Brooklyn has been doing their own thing as of late as well. They come into the matchup with three straight wins under their belt and six of the last seven. Tank’s End. Can the Nets continue their streak and pull off an upset of the NBA elite? It doesn’t hurt to keep a positive attitude.
Where to Watch
Catch the action at 7:30 PM on the YES Network and NBA League Pass.
Injury Report
No Cam Thomas, Noah Clowney, or DeAnthony Melton. Dariq Whitehead, Reece Beekman, and Tosan Evbuomwan will be in Long Island. Will Killian Hayes be available? We’ll find out. Big news on this front: CamT will go 5-on-5 today for the first time since he went down on January 2 with hamstring woes. Thomas has only played two games since November 27, 19 on the season.
Dean Wade (knee injury) will be out for the Cavs while Isaac Okoro (shoulder) and Ty Jerome (calf) are listed as questionable. Javonte Green, the veteran Pelicans wing, may be join the Cavs Thursday. He reached a buyout agreement with New Orleans Wednesday and is headed to Cleveland, per Shams Charania.
The Game
Against Eastern Conference opponents, the Cavs are 29-7. The record makes a lot of sense when you realize their three All-Stars make up most of their starting five. With one of the best backcourts in the league, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, they will want to hit the ground running.
They will rely heavily on Evan Mobley who will have to battle with Nic Claxton, who had a monster 13 point 11 rebound double double against the 76ers. Former Net Jarrett Allen will be making a return to Barclays. Allen, who is averaging a double double for the season, will probably have a nice ovation from the crowd as he is loved by Nets fans.
While you watch the game, make sure to not sleep on Brooklyn’s backcourt as they have been balling, but quietly. D’Angelo Russell has continued to be the floor general and lead guard while Cam Thomas sits out with injury. Keon Johnson has been contributing a bunch in the last 10 games, averaging 15 points in his efforts. Yes, the Cavs definitely will overmatch a Nets team without most of its roster. But at this point, you can never underestimate a Jordi Fernandez-led team.
Then, of course, there’s Kenny Atkinson who has left no doubt about his feelings towards his former employer. Although the official press release announcing his departure back in March 2020 said the decision was mutual, Atkinson has made it clear he was fired, using that word repeatedly in discussing his time in Brooklyn. Last week in talking with Barbara Barker of Newsday, he spoke about how word was he couldn’t handle superstars. (At that point, the Nets had only one active.)
Player to Watch: Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell, an New York native — Elmsford in Westchester County to be specific, is averaging close to 24 points on 45% shooting from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. Mitchell is having a great season on an even better team, which has helped solidify himself as a bonafide top shooting guard in the league if he wasn’t already one. With elite athleticism combined with a soft shooting touch, Mitchell is on a quest to make his mark in the playoffs, something he could not do when matched with the mighty Celtics. But we still have some months from that, so let’s just enjoy what he can do now in his home city.
From the Vault
The other day, I found myself watching a brilliant interview Cam Johnson did with JJ Redick a year back. One of the segments featured a highly detailed conversation about the art of shooting, something in which both Johnson and Redick know something about. They have the 66th and 18th best 3-point shooting percentages all-time after all. During the discussion, Johnson and Redick mention Donovan Mitchell for his shooting prowess and strong base. Enjoy!
More reading: Fear the Sword and SBNation NBA.
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers Game Notes – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cavaliers ride latest win streak into meeting with Nets – NBA
- Nets face the Cavaliers on 3-game win streak – AP
- Nets to get boost on shooting front with Cam Thomas’ imminent return – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Here’s what to look at for as season of change looms for Nets in second half – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- 3 things to watch for Nets in second half of season – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News