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Tom Dowd

Brooklyn’s Patty Mills has been named the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award and will receive the Joe Dumars Trophy honoring a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

As the Nets wrapped up practice Friday afternoon at HSS Training Center, Mills was presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy in recognition of the honor. The trophy is composed of a solid crystal basketball featuring the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched in its center.

“I think it was a cool moment at practice today,” said Mills. “Again, another one of those recognitions that you don’t really set out to achieve in a lifetime. You just go about your day-to-day business I guess and be who you are. But the recognition is cool. I think the coolest thing about it is it’s your peers, your teammates, the players that you play against, who vote and knowing that is pretty cool. It’s a credit to my family and my parents, my upbringing, my culture specifically, and all the values that I have been taught growing up and now in a position to be able to inspire others to love the game, respect the game, and go about it in a manner that is respectful, so yeah, it’s cool.”

Earlier this season, Mills received The Don Award, Australian sports’ highest honor, after leading the country’s men’s national basketball team to its first Olympic medal, with a bronze medal finish in Tokyo. Mills, representing his country in his fourth Olympics, scored 42 points in the 103-97 win over Slovenia that clinched the medal. Australia’s only loss in the tournament came in the semifinals against the United States.

At the start of the Olympics, Mills became the first Indigenous member to carry the Australian flag at the opening ceremony. Nets teammate Ben Simmons, also a native Australian, has known Mills since childhood.

“He’s a genuine person,” said Simmons. “He always does the right thing. He wants to be a great leader and a great teammate. That’s something he always preaches. Throughout his whole career he’s been like that since I’ve known him as a kid. It’s being Patty. That’s who he is as a person. For him to win, it’s not a surprise. But it’s big.”

Mills is in his 13th NBA season and his first with the Brooklyn Nets. The 33-year-old guard averaged 11.4 points while playing in 81 of 82 games and making a career-high 48 starts. He ranked fifth in the league with a career-high 227 3-pointers made, also the second-highest single-season total in franchise history.

“The award Patty received is great because it’s voted on by his peers,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “The players voted him the sportsmanship player of the year. We see it every day, but for the opposing teams to see it is definitely a testament to Patty and his character. He has such an incredible character and spirit about him, what he brings in here every day with his work ethic and his team-first attitude. His motives are so pure and it goes beyond just his game and the team. He really wants all facets of our group to thrive, and he puts time and effort into all of that.”

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Brooklyn Nets' Patty Mills Receives NBA Sportsmanship Award

When a season ends too early, even a shortened offseason can go by too slowly. The agonizing Game 7 loss to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks started the clock on the countdown to the 2021-22 season for the Brooklyn Nets that will have the superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving in place from day one.

We’re getting closer to that moment, with the latest mile-marker on the trip the annual pre-camp media session from general manager Sean Marks. Marks had an active summer reshaping the roster around Durant, Harden, and Irving, and on Tuesday at HSS Training Center, joined by head coach Steve Nash, he discussed the offseason transactions and looked ahead to the upcoming season.

Here are three key points Marks addressed on Tuesday:

There’s no point downplaying this, and Marks won’t bother. Even with a roster that was in progress throughout the 2020-21 season, even with Durant, Harden, and Irving playing a total of eight games together during the regular season, the Nets had the most efficient offense in NBA history, setting a record for points scored per 100 possessions. When the trio took the court together in the first-round playoff series win over Boston, they blew those regular season numbers out of the water.

Pair that otherworldly offensive potential with the reinforcements Marks added — playmaking backcourt depth in Patty Mills; the return of center LaMarcus Aldridge; veteran forwards Paul Millsap, James Johnson, and DeAndre’ Bembry — and the expectations for the new season are at the highest level.

“I think our goal is to be the last team standing,” said Marks. “There’s probably, my guess, six, eight, 10 teams that have that same similar goal and a realistic one. For us, it’s about owning that and not shying away from it and doing everything we possibly can putting people into place, whether it’s staff members, players, rounding out the roster, in order to try and accomplish that. I think we’ve also got to take into account that it’s a long season. Anything can happen as we’ve seen just over the course of last year. The ability to stay flexible and be able to pivot, this year, the previous year and years in the past has always been important and we’re going to have to do the same thing here. You just never know what’s just around the corner. I give our scouting department a heck of a lot of credit, our draft department and our coaches. The work that these guys have put in over the summer with our players has given us the best shot at being exactly that, the last team standing.”

ON CONTRACT EXTENSIONS FOR KYRIE IRVING AND JAMES HARDEN

Both Irving and Harden were hobbled during the playoff series against the Bucks, with Irving missing the last three games with an ankle sprain and Harden returning to push through those final three games after suffering a hamstring strain. Marks said on Tuesday that “they feel good, they look great.” The Nets have gotten Durant’s signature on a contract extension and while discussing that and other moves after Brooklyn’s summer signings, Marks expressed confidence that extensions would be finalized for Irving and Harden as well. Wishing to conduct talks in person and also give players some space over the summer, Marks said he’s “looking forward to sitting down with them over the course of the next week, two weeks, and furthering those discussions.”

“This is something those guys know exactly how we feel, and I think they’ve been vocal about wanting to be part of this and build this together,” said Marks. “I think we’ve got an opportunity to hopefully build something special here for the foreseeable future. The fact that they want to collaborate, they want to come here together, they want to build this together. I look forward to those discussions with Steve and myself and obviously ownership, who’s been incredibly supportive through this whole thing, and with the players. Just like any decision, it’s a partnership and it’s a collaboration.”

When the veteran center expressed his intentions of returning to the NBA this season, “I tried to talk him out of it,” said Marks. “I said, ‘Why? You don’t need this. Why would you come back?’ ”

Aldridge played five games for the Nets after his midseason signing last season before retiring after an episode with an irregular heartbeat, an issue he had been dealing with for years. His return to the Nets after receiving medical clearance is a massive addition to the Brooklyn frontcourt, just as it was when Aldridge was added last spring. He brings a distinct skill set with his ability to work out of the post, face up, and also distribute the ball, and his return alters Brooklyn’s frontcourt depth significantly.

“It’s not something that we take light-hearted, it’s not something he should, either, and he was very comfortable, wanted to be back here and stated, like several of our guys, that there was unfinished business here, so to bring him back in the fold, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him last season, and we all saw what he was capable of doing and the dynamic that he added to the team both on the court and off the court,” said Marks. “It gives Steve another very versatile big to play with, so after he had cleared those — the specialists had given him the green light — and he had come to terms with it on his own, he was fighting to come back. And I think that’s what you love to see in a player, that they want to be here. And he’s well aware of what’s at stake and so forth, which is to be that last team standing, and he wants to be a part of it.”

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Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks: Three Takeaways from Preseason Press Conference

First day as a Brooklyn Net, Mike James stepped right into things, playing 21 minutes in a win over the Celtics back on April 23.

It was James’ first NBA action since the 2017-18 season, having played abroad for three years, including a stint with CKSA Moscow up through this spring. But he’s been a steady part of the rotation since his arrival, and he’ll be around for the duration with Thursday’s announcement by the team that he’s been signed for the rest of the season after running through two 10-day contracts.

“It’s a big ask to play on a different team in a different country, league, for a different coach, different rules, to come back here and adapt quickly into a team that has big aspirations and clearly has some superstars and a hierarchy already set,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “We love his talent, we love his potential, there’s been some inconsistency in his play, which is really natural, considering all those parameters I expressed. He’s still been really valuable to us, and he’s added a lot to our team. So we understand that it’s not an easy and straightforward situation to jump into and he’s done really well.”

Through 11 games with the Nets, James has averaged 7.1 points and 3.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game, with a high of 15 against Portland on April 20. He drew his first start as a Net in Wednesday’s win over San Antonio and finished with 12 points and five assists.

“I think that’s one of my jobs for sure, coming in and trying to push the pace and trying to get us into the offense quick and quick hitters,” said James after scoring 11 points with seven rebounds and six assists in Tuesday’s win over Chicago. “When we play with pace and we’re unselfish, obviously we’re a talented team, we’re a good shooting team, besides maybe me right now, but you know, I think we play with pace and move the ball pretty good.”

It’s a complementary role that differs from what James has been doing abroad the last few seasons, where he shouldered a primary scoring role. But with James Harden out for the last month, the Nets needed a true point guard to run the second unit and keep things flowing in minutes without Kyrie Irving on the floor. While Harden returned on Wednesday night, Irving was out, but soon the Nets will be back at full strength with Harden and Irving both ready to go with Kevin Durant.

“I think just cause my role’s a little bit different, that’s kind of hurt me scoring wise, but I don’t really know how to explain it,” said James. “I think just because we have so many different scorers, it’s made me a little tentative at times, which is probably horrible to be, but you know, it’s a work in progress. I think the more I play and the more comfortable I get out there I’ll play better. It’s not like I’m playing bad, I just can’t make a shot in general, but I made free throws today, so it’s better. But I think Steve just wants me to be aggressive. He just wants me to push the pace and play defense. And obviously Kyrie’s a point guard, James is a point guard. It’s not a lot of minutes for me to go around, so I shouldn’t save any energy when I’m out there, I should probably just give everything I’ve got and you know, hopefully if I play super well, maybe I’ll play more than 10 minutes, 15? Something like that. You know. That’s what happens when you’re on a championship team, especially like I did super late. So I’m just happy to be in the rotation right now and be able to play.”

As for those superstars and the hierarchy that Nash referred too, James knows he’s landed with a team built for big things.

“Just super talented,” said James. “I think I’ve been trying to figure out my role specifically just because I’m used to being a heavy scorer, and obviously with the people who are on this team, I’m never gonna be a heavy scorer. So just trying to figure out everything, but I think super talented. Really, we have a good ability to play defense when we really lock in, when we’re really all on one accord. And I think really when we all play together, the sky’s the limit.”

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Nets Notes: Mike James Signs on for the Season

James Harden said he was “very confident” that he would be back for the start of the NBA Playoffs in a post-workout media session on Thursday afternoon, with the Brooklyn Nets slated to play the Dallas Mavericks in the evening.

“The plan is to hopefully get an opportunity to play a couple games before the postseason,” said Harden. “We're just taking one day at a time. And I'm gonna leave it at that.”

Harden has been traveling with the team during this five-game road trip to continue his rehab on a hamstring strain that has kept him out of 17 of Brooklyn’s last 18 games with an abbreviated four-minute stretch on April 5 his only action since March 31.

“I feel like my voice is very, very important to the team,” said Harden. “Obviously on the court, it's a lot better. But while I'm not active and able to play, I think my voice can be very, very impactful. It's trying to help guys -- give guys nuggets here and there on what I see. And ultimately, to help our team be better. And I think my communication can go a long way. So, just trying to stay involved as much as I can while I'm not physically out there to be on the court. But, you know, it's been tough. It's been very difficult. Just being out for the longest I've been my whole career. So, I just try to stay involved, try to keep that positive energy and you know, keep my voice involved.”

The Nets have six regular season games remaining beginning with Thursday night’s game at Dallas. After playing Saturday night in Denver, the team has two days between games followed by a road-home back-to-back next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Nets then close the regular season with a back-to-back at home on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, May 22.

In 34 games for the Nets after being acquired in a mid-January blockbuster, Harden has averaged 25.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for both February and March, each of his first two full months with the team. Despite the missed time, Harden is still tied for 13th in the NBA this season with 31 double-doubles and is third with 12 triple-doubles.

Brooklyn went 26-7 in the games Harden played between Jan. 16 and March 31. Since April 1 — including a win over the Knicks in which Harden started but left after four minutes — the Nets are 10-8, including losses in their last three games.

“We've had a number of opportunities to win games that we didn't win,” said Harden. “And it's because of the little things that we're not doing consistently. Which maybe it's because of practice time, maybe it's because of schedules and we’re playing games every other day. But we've had some really good film sessions these last few days on the small detail things, the boxing out, the screening offensively, just possessions like that to where we can control. And ultimately, that's going to get us over the top as far as winning games. But as far as me individually, everybody knows what I bring to the table. And so, I'm just patiently waiting to get back on the court and help the guys and ultimately reach what we're trying to accomplish.”

Harden’s absence has coincided with the return of Kevin Durant from a hamstring strain. Durant, who missed 23 games, returned on April 7. As a result, the trio of Harden, Durant, and Kyrie Irving has played a total of seven games together, with one of those games featuring a limited 19-minute appearance from Durant due to health and safety protocols. In the six full games they’ve played together, Brooklyn is 5-1.

“You’ve got three of the most elite basketball players in the game today and probably that’s ever played in the sense of skill-wise,” said Harden. “That’s not the problem. The problem is the detail things that I’ve talked about earlier, the things that we all as a group need to do and focus on. We know our roles. I know my role, I know what I’m supposed to be doing on the court and I think everybody on the team knows their role. I know that when I have Kevin and Ky and the rest of the guys on the floor I don’t have to score 30 points to win games. We’ve seen that all year. I can be a playmaker. I can do whatever’s necessary to win the game. I think everybody feels the same way. It’s not about scoring the basketball. It’s about the other things that probably won’t show up in the stat sheet that will get us wins. Once we get that it’s going to be tough for teams to beat us.”

Despite navigating those absences and more, the Nets remain in the race for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. They’re 43-23, two games behind first-place Philadelphia (45-21), and Harden is looking forward to what a full-strength Brooklyn squad is capable of.

“We’re sitting in, what, the second spot and we’ve had so many lineups, that right there tells you how great, or how good, or whatever you want to call it that this team is,” said Harden. “So once we, I think the most important thing for us going into the postseason is health, and this season has been so condensed. You see a lot of guys going down because of the amount of games, so I think for us, our mindset is, if we can come into this postseason healthy, we are right there and we’ve got a chance, and that’s it right there within itself, so finish these last 6 games out strong, focus on the things we need to focus on, things we can control, and go out there and have fun, and we’ll live with the results.”

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Brooklyn Nets' James Harden Eyes Return In Time For Playoffs

The Brooklyn Nets have added another piece to their frontcourt with the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge.

The 6-foot-11 big man is in his 15th NBA season, having spent nine seasons with Portland before signing with San Antonio as a free agent in 2015. Like new teammate Kevin Durant, he played his college ball at Texas, moving on to the NBA after his sophomore year, just before Durant arrived for his single season in Austin.

Aldridge has averaged 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game for his career with five All-NBA selections, the most recent in 2017-18. He’s also played in seven All-Star Games, mostly recently in 2019.

“He’s a great player,” said Blake Griffin. “I’ve had so much respect for him for a long, long time. Gotten to know him over the years, us both being Jordan (brand) athletes. I just have a ton of respect for him. He’s a basketball purist, loves basketball, loves to work on his game. I always align with that. I’m thrilled to have him.”

Always a strong mid-range shooter — he’s shot 41.8 percent from 10-16 feet and 42.5 percent on 2-pointers beyond 16 feet for his career — Aldridge has taken his game beyond the 3-point line more often the last two seasons. Through 13 seasons, he had never attempted more than 1.5 3-pointers per game in a single season. In 2019-20, he shot 38.9 percent on 3.0 attempts per game and this season he is shooting 36.0 percent on 3.6 attempts per game.

“He spaces the floor so well, he can hit midrange and even out to 3," said Griffin. "I don't know what percentage he shoots from midrange over the course of his career, but it has to be one of the best in that time. You know, that was always a thing for us when you're playing against him. But even now, even him being in the post, he's long, able to defend the rim and also rebound. So those are things we need. So he brings sort of a different dimension from a five that I don't think we have.”

Aldridge’s arrival adds to the options in a frontcourt that was thin earlier this season after Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince were included in the trade for James Harden. Nic Claxton returned in late February after missing the first 32 games due to right knee tendinopathy and has been an impactful rotation player. Blake Griffin was signed in early March and has played three games so far after a brief ramp-up period and Kevin Durant will be returning from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for Brooklyn’s last 18 games.

“It’s something that we’ll figure out as we go,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “First of all, something comes up every week this season. Your options always seem to be outstanding and then very quickly they’re limited. We’ll adjust and adapt as we go and do the best we can to put the team in the best position to win and to grow. What does that mean? I don’t know. But it’ll declare itself as we proceed and as we deal with all the different things that will be thrown at us the rest of the way.”

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LaMarcus Aldridge Signs On With Brooklyn Nets

Six Brooklyn Nets have been included among the finalists for the U.S Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. Twelve players will be selected for the roster to compete at the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo from July 23 to Aug. 8, rescheduled from the summer of 2020.

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin are among the 57 finalists, giving Brooklyn the most of any NBA team.

Durant, Irving and Jordan were all members of the gold medal winning squad at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Durant also won gold in London in 2012 and could become a three-time Olympian, which only three U.S. men’s players have done to date. In 2016, Durant led the U.S. squad with 19.4 points per game while shooting 57.8 percent overall and 58.1 percent from 3-point range. His career Olympic scoring average of 19.4 points per game is first all-time among U.S. men and his 59 3-pointers made are also first all-time. He is fourth in career 3-point percentage (54.6). Durant also won a gold medal at the 2010 World Cup, where he was named the MVP after averaging 22.8 points per game, third among all players in the tournament.

Irving was also a World Cup MVP, for the gold medal winning U.S. team in 2014, averaging 12.1 points per game while shooting 56.3 percent overall and 60.9 percent from 3-point range. He was named the 2014 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He made his Olympic debut in 2016 and averaged 11.4 points per game.

Harden won gold medals with Durant on the 2012 Olympic team and with Irving on the 2014 World Cup team. He has a U.S. national team scoring average of 10.1 points per game between the two tournaments.

Jordan averaged 7.4 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 74.2 percent at the 2016 Olympics. Harris made his national team debut at the 2019 World Cup, averaging 8.0 points while shooting 51.1 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range while starting six of eight games. Griffin was previously named a member of the 2012 Olympic team but withdrew due to a knee injury.

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Six Brooklyn Nets Among U.S. Olympic Team Finalists

The Brooklyn Nets have signed Blake Griffin, bringing the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward with the All-NBA resume to Brooklyn.

Griffin fortifies a Brooklyn frontcourt that has quickly filled up, after the Nets regularly started four guards in the stretch before the All-Star break. Nic Claxton returned to action with four games before the All-Star break after missing the first two months, and rookie Reggie Perry is back from his month in the G League with Long Island. Kevin Durant last played on Feb. 13 and Jeff Green missed four of the last five games before the All-Star break. When all are back, head coach Steve Nash will have more options and flexibility up front than he’s had since the Nets sent out four players to acquire James Harden.

“I’m sure he wants to win. If he’s passed up more money to obviously stay in Detroit, he wants to win and he wants to have an opportunity to play meaningful minutes and I’m assuming that’s one of the reasons why he came,“ said James Harden. “Obviously, we know the athletic and high-jumping Blake, but as of these last couple years, he’s knocking down the three-ball a little bit better, the ball-handling is a lot better. He can be a great contribution to this team.”

Griffin played seven-plus seasons alongside Nets center DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, with the pair teaming with Chris Paul to front a Clippers resurgence that led to six straight playoff appearances. In his seven full seasons with the Clippers, Griffin was named to 2010-11 Rookie of the Year, went to five All-Star Games and earned four All-NBA selections while averaging 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

Traded to Detroit midway through the 2017-18 season, Griffin returned to the All-Star Game the following season while gaining his fifth career All-NBA selection, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists, shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range on a career-high 7.0 attempts per game in 2018-19. But he was limited to just 18 games last season and was averaging 12.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting over 20 games this year before agreeing to a buyout with the Pistons.

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Blake Griffin Signs With Brooklyn Nets

For the first time in franchise history, the Nets are sending three players to the All-Star Game.

James Harden was among the Eastern Conference reserves announced on Tuesday night, as selected by coaches. He’ll join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for the All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7. Durant and Irving were both selected as starters, with Durant leading the voting among Eastern Conference players to become one of the team captains for the game, along with LeBron James. He’ll make his Team Durant selections in a draft with James on Thursday, March 4.

This will be the ninth consecutive All-Star Game appearance for Harden since he made his All-Star debut in 2013, the second-longest active streak in the NBA. He’s previously been selected as a Western Conference starter for the last four All-Star Games, and six times as a starter overall. Harden has All-Star Game highs of 29 points in 2015 and 12 assists in 2017.

"The All-Star Game, that’s always a blessing," said Harden. "That means you’re doing something right, that means you’re playing extremely well up to that point. You never want to take opportunities like that for granted. So I’m blessed. I’m fortunate to be a part of my ninth All-Star Game.”

Since being acquired by Brooklyn on Jan. 14, Harden is averaging 24.9 points, 11.4 assists, and 8.3 rebounds in 18 games. He’s shooting 50.1 percent overall, 40.1 percent from 3-point range, and 87.8 percent from the free throw line. Harden has posted 16 double-doubles and five triple-doubles since joining the Nets.

“Clearly an All-Star, all-world player, has brought so much to our team,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “Leadership, playmaking and scoring the ball. He's been outstanding.”

The Nets have previously had multiple All-Stars on three occasions; 1994 (Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson), 2004 (Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin) and 2007 (Jason Kidd and Vince Carter).