Back-to-back, and back-to-back losses. The Brooklyn Nets made a visit to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. Technically it was closer, but the result was all the same as the Nets lost 105-86. It was their third straight loss.
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The opponent tonight is looking to bounce back. The Atlanta Hawks were home to take on the Miami Heat Friday night, but got demolished and lost by 31 points.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. WFAN on radio. Tip after 3:30 PM.
Injuries
Ziaire Williams is out for personal reasons, his second straight missed game. Ben Saraf and Josh Minott remain with Long Island as do the three two-ways.
Jonathan Kuminga is out.
The game
Atlanta won the first meeting.
Granted he didn’t mean as much as Dominique Wilkins did, but Trae Young was Mr. Hawk for most of his time in the ATL. The Hawks weren’t planning to offer him an extension, so they shipped him over to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Luckily for this era of Hawks management, this trade of a franchise icon isn’t as bad as the one that sent ‘nique over to the LA Clippers for three months of Danny Manning. From Wesley Morton of Peachtree Hoops:
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“Given the drama that surrounded his financials for half a season, the Hawks did do well to act early and turn the keys to the franchise over to Jalen Johnson. But frankly, they dealt Young at his lowest value and netted just so little in return (they couldn’t even muster one measly pick?).
Time will truly tell if the Wizards can build a consistent winner around Young. But without the benefit of hindsight, I’d have to say the team just barely passed this test — and certainly without flying colors.“
Time will tell.
The Hawks also shipped out Kristaps Porzingis for Kuminga and Buddy Hield. Kuminga is out, so we’ll get to him at a later date.
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In the meantime, Jalen Johnson continues to blossom in the ATL. JJ made it to his first All-Star Game last week, and the young fella acquitted himself well alongside the game’s greats. Johnson is a triple-double threat every time he’s on the court and he’s showing why he’s the key to their eventual turnaround going forward.
Michael Porter Jr played his first back-to-back set of the season, and MPJ filled up the box score while he was out there. He had 22/9/5/2 in 37 minutes, but his shot wasn’t where the team needed it to be. Porter Jr has shot under 40 percent in four out of his last five games. As it happens, all of those games have been losses for the Nets. It takes a lot of heavy lifting for the Nets to win these days, and they’re going to need a big effort from Porter Jr to come home with the W.
Nic Claxton is back, and he’s back in his old stomping grounds. Clax went to college at Georgia and is returning after being out for two games due to an ankle sprain. No word on a potential minutes restriction, but we know he’ll be jazzed up to compete in front of his friends and family.
Clax will battle with Onyeka Okongwu. OO is the last center standing as the Hawks have gradually moved on from Clint Capela and Porzingis throughout the 2020s.
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Player to watch: CJ McCollum
A familiar face in a new place. McCollum came over from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Young and has started to fit in to his new environment. As a Hawk, CJ is averaging 19 points on .460/.374/.729 shooting splits. He’s coming off the bench as the Hawks look to get their young players more runway. McCollum is a steady vet and someone who can provide some guidance as the team embarks on a new era.
Nolan Traore is fully comfortable in the starting five, and his growth throughout the year is evident. From our very own Lucas Kaplan:
“But when Traore is using a screen, then a re-screen, then finding an angle to attack, you see his prodigious speed in action. Of course, he looks so much more comfortable than he did at season’s beginning, putting defenders in jail and getting to two feet to pivot around. His assist-to-turnover ratio is nearing 2:1, and those jump-stops in the lane are a big reason why.
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Other than patience and poise, the big key for Traore is how far he can probe into the lane with a live-dribble. That was the most worrisome part of his prospect profile to me — here was a speedy, penetrating guard whose handle was suspect in tight spaces. Traore has done a much better job lately extending his dribble, though old habits still rear their ugly head from time to time.“
The Hawks allow 28 shots per game inside the restricted area, fifth most in the NBA this season. Look for Nolan to probe the Hawks defense and find his way to the cup early and often. He’s been one of the most intriguing players to watch on the team over the past two months, and as we head into the final two months, he’ll be someone we continue to watch closely.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for Robert Duvall.
More reading: Peachtree Hoops, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter
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