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Brooklyn Nets: Why the Media Continues to Breakdown KD to Nets Decision

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Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

If you are a Brooklyn Nets fan in the Tri-state area, you are most likely in the minority. The majority of people in Manhattan are Knicks fans. Even the majority of people in their 20s in New Jersey are Knicks fans since many of their parents were Knicks fans, and many former NJ Nets fans swore off the franchise after their move to Brooklyn. It is 100% a fact that MSG is the Mecca of basketball and the Knicks are a more popular franchise, both now and historically than the Brooklyn/NJ Nets. These facts make it extremely difficult for Knicks fans and the NYC media to fully accept Durant’s choice to play for the Nets over the Knicks.

It has been close to 10 months since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s announcement to sign with the Brooklyn Nets. While this shocked the entire NBA community, it had a lasting effect on New York Knicks fans and the local NYC sports media. Reasons were spun as to why KD chose the lesser popular franchise of the two; Durant and Irving couldn’t handle the spotlight at MSG, they didn’t want to take on the Knicks challenge, Kevin Durant is too sensitive, the list goes on. At the time, this was all conjecture as to why the Knicks whiffed on superstars (again). With all the information we know now, let’s break down the practical reasons as to why Durant might have chosen Brooklyn over NYC.

3 Reasons Justifying Durant’s Decision to Sign with Nets

The Ineptitude of the New York Knicks

In a recent interview with The Athletic, former Brooklyn Net Jared Dudley said that “if the Knicks are run halfway decent, they get KD and Kyrie. Like, (the Nets) literally had to do everything right and they got them.” (full article here) Dudley’s simplistic explanation makes perfect sense on the surface; the Nets, in the past 2-3 years, have been a better run organization than the Knicks. Coming off a surprising 2018-19 playoff appearance, the Nets appeared to be on the rise and growing a winning culture. The Knicks were coming off one of their worst seasons in franchise history, with no real leadership, both on the court and in the front office. Many Knicks fans will argue that no matter how messed up the front office is, the aura of the Knicks is still greater than 95% of other franchises in the NBA, but this decision proved that just being “the Knicks” will not bring in superstar level talent.

Kyrie Made the Decision (for KD) To Play in Brooklyn

Weeks before the decision, a report came out that James Dolan and the Knicks would not be interested in just retaining the services of Kyrie Irving, but would only want to bring him in if Durant joined. There were never any reports from the Nets claiming to be unhappy if they just signed Kyrie. Many feel this led to Irving’s dismissal of the Knicks and ultimately persuaded him to sign with Brooklyn. The media also felt that, because of Durant’s quiet disposition in the off-season, that Kyrie was the real decision-maker in the process. This assumption seems misguided since Durant is the more accomplished player out of the two. I believe he had had just as much of a desire to play in Brooklyn as Irving did, and he wouldn’t allow another player to make such a significant decision for him.

Durant’s Achilles Injury in 2018/19 Finals

According to Ian Begley of SNY, “some people in touch with the Knicks said members of the organization expressed confidence that Durant would have signed with New York if he hadn’t suffered the Achilles injury in the NBA Finals.” (full article here) What has never been explained, is how did the injury completely change his decision on where to sign? The Nets have boasted one of the better training and medical staffs in the league, so obviously from that standpoint, it makes sense a player coming off a serious Achilles injury would choose Brooklyn. But as to why members in the Knicks organization felt so confident Durant would have signed with NYK barring his injury, my question is why? How did they know that? The Nets had a roster that was much closer to championship aspirations than the Knicks did.

Final Verdict

There are several other reasons one can list to justify Durant’s decision, including Deandre Jordan’s negative experience with the Knicks, and eventual signing with Brooklyn shortly after KD and Kyrie made their announcement. Durant has expressed publicly that he did not give the Knicks much consideration in free agency and I find this to be the toughest pill for the New York media and Knicks fans to swallow, as stories continue to arise that support the contrary. At the end of the day, only Kevin Durant knows the real reasons as to why he chose to play for the Nets fans instead of the Knicks. And if you are Leon Rose and the Knicks, you have to ask yourself, how do we prevent this from happening again in the future?

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Three Positions the New York Jets Could Target In 1st Round

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The New York Jets have the 11th pick in the draft. It’s a solid spot to grab a blue-chip prospect. There are three spots the Jets desperately need to improve in the draft. With the opportunity to grab a cornerstone piece at 11, the Jets will target one of these three spots.

Left Tackle

The premier offensive line prospects are a great group. Tristan Wirfs is a spectacular athlete. He’s a great offensive lineman and very agile. Mekhi Becton is a FREAK athlete and very agile as well. Andrew Thomas has the highest ceiling and could be the best of the group. Jedrick Wills is an elite pass protector with incredible potential but would have to transition to left tackle. As long as one of the top 4 guys are there, Joe Douglas seems inclined to add an offensive lineman. There have been rumblings about another position, but, with two weeks to go, I’d say this pick will be a big man. If the Jets trade back, look to Josh Jones of Houston and Austin Jackson of USC to be targeted.

Wide Receiver

The receiver class is more loaded than any in recent memory. There are three key guys who could be targeted at 11 if the Jets target receiver. Henry Ruggs is the dynamic speed demon who lit up the combine. Jerry Jeudy is your prototypical receiver 1 and a crisp route runner. CeeDee Lamb is a little bit of both. Lamb has been the most connected to the Jets and wouldn’t be a surprise per Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller. Lamb and Jeudy are both can’t miss talents. Lamb can be the Hopkins to Darnold’s Watson and potentially be his key playmaker. With that said, I’d love a receiver here, but with the depth in this class at the position, Darnold could use someone at 11 who can protect Sam and give him time to throw. If the Jets trade back, the Jets could grab Justin Jefferson or Jalen Reagor, two-speed demons who could fit well in the Jets offense.

Edge Rusher

This came down to two spots for me. Edge rusher or corner. Pierre Desir and Bless Austin have a lot of potential as a corner duo for next season. I am a big Desir guy, I think he’s incredibly underrated. If they can add another corner in the later rounds then they’d be in a decent spot for the time being at corner. Edge rusher is rough. Jordan Jenkins and Tarell Basham are the projected duo heading into next season. Jenkins and Basham are not the long term duo. Jenkins is on a prove-it deal and Basham isn’t proven. The Jets could use their next star edge rusher. Chase Young will be gone at 11, but K’Lavon Chaisson is a phenomenal talent. He’s dynamic and quick, but with so many other needs, he may not be worth the pick this high or at all with the other needs. If the Jets trade down, AJ Epsensa, Zack Baun and Yetur Gross Matos would all be great targets at the edge spot.

New York Jets: Fake Sports Center account fools media over Colin Kaepernick signing

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New York Jets

The world of misinformation strikes again. Today the New York Jets were tied to a situation that ended up trending nationwide. A Twitter account called SportsCenter with the real username being @SuperToughScene posted a tweet today stating, “JUST IN: The New York Jets have signed free agent QB Colin Kaepernick to a 1 year / $9 million contract.”

They even credited Adam Schefter on the story and used the old NFL graphic for new signings that featured the old Jets logo. The story then got picked up by a few local media outlets nationwide and ended up gaining significant traction. I then received multiple texts of people asking, “Woah, the Jets signed Kaepernick”. I then had to fact check this and within seconds I had my answer. So, to set the record straight, Colin Kaepernick is NOT a New York Jet and is still a free agent.

Where Is Kaepernick?

Colin Kaepernick was at a low point in his career following the 2014 & 2015 seasons. The 49ers went through a drastic change in their front office and coaching staff and Kaepernick was coming off 3 surgeries. They were beginning a season with their third coach in three seasons. Kaepernick became blacklisted after kneeling for the Star-Spangled Banner.

Since that moment Kaepernick has been one of the most controversial football players in the modern era. Kaepernick lost his job after Kyle Shanahan took over the team following the 2016 season. Kaepernick then ended up being released and he has remained a free agent since then.

His controversial actions, legal battles with the NFL, and tryout went wrong have made him an unattractive QB for most teams. Although some people think he’s still the Kaepernick they saw play in the Super Bowl in 2012, he’s now 32 and was heading downhill when released.

The fact is, political beliefs aside, the Jets would not make this move from a football standpoint. Nor would any team. Kaepernick would want A LOT of money when at best, he’d be a camp body competing for a backup job. His asking price won’t come down and teams around the league don’t want to pay him an immense amount of money to sit on the bench and draw boatloads of media coverage that could divide their fan base.

Brooklyn Nets: Gilbert Arenas, The Man Who Knows No Chill

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Brooklyn Nets, Sean Marks

Remember Gilbert Arenas? The super cocky, all-NBA scoring point guard who tore it up for Washington in the mid-2000s and then watched his career come crumbling down at just 28 years old due to a combination of injuries and, of course, being suspended an entire season as a result of the infamous locker room firearms incident with Javaris Crittenton? Well, if you think his years of reflection during his early retirement have humbled him, you’d be dead wrong. Arenas, or @no.chill.gil on Instagram, has his own podcast and twitch stream, and he is STILL relentless when it comes to talking trash. I wanted to break down his two recent moments of Trash Talk: Friendly Trash Talk and Verbal Warfare.

Friendly Trash Talk

Recently, Richard Jefferson brought his former Arizona teammate Gilbert Arenas onto one of his live-streaming platforms. The two spoke in length about the season in which they went to the national championship together, eventually losing to Duke in 2001. Arenas playfully made jabs at Jefferson’s expense throughout their trip down memory lane. First, he voiced his disapproval of a highlight against Illinois someone had put up, since the person referenced that Arenas and Jefferson led the Arizona team that year.  Arenas said that in the highlight, he saw Jefferson score one bucket and that it was him (Arenas) who had carried that Arizona team with little to no help from Jefferson. Arenas led Arizona that year, scoring 16 ppg whereas Jefferson was the 3rd leading scorer with 11 ppg.

Jefferson attempted to come back at Arenas by bringing up Gilbert’s horrendous performance in the championship game, a game in which Jefferson had performed well on offense. Arenas then exclaimed “The only game you played well in, was the only game we lost!” and also brought up Jefferson’s inability to cover Michael Dunleavy Jr, who finished the game with 21 points to lead Duke. I found this whole conversation to be a great example of two former teammates throwing playful verbal jabs at each other. Watch the whole clip here:

 

Verbal Warfare

Jefferson and Arenas seem to have a much better relationship these days than Arenas and his former Washington teammate Nick “Swaggy P” Young. Recently, Young came out with a video on his Instagram, essentially blasting Gilbert Arenas, calling him a con artist and blaming Arenas for hurting Young’s career early on. Young recalls a story in which he and the other rookies on the team were wrongfully blamed for a Wizards loss against Boston, and that Arenas was heard on the sideline shouting to then-coach Eddie Jordan “if the motherf$$kers not ready, don’t put him in!” Young ends the video by saying that was the moment he knew Gilbert Arenas would “ruin his life” and that his career would trend downward after that. Watch the whole clip here:

View this post on Instagram

My life with @no.chill.gil 😂😂😂😂

A post shared by Nick Young (@swaggyp1) on Apr 3, 2020 at 9:49pm PDT

 

Arenas quickly addressed the Nick Young video with his own 13+ minute Instagram video, detailing his perspective of what went down in Nick Young’s rookie season. In the video, Arenas said that he was hyped on Nick Young, and was eager for the Wizards to draft him. Arenas mentioned that he envisioned a successful backcourt like the one he had with Larry Hughes earlier in his career in Washington. Arenas described training camp and preseason the same way that Young did, saying he thought Young had done a great job in preparation for the season. But when the season started, that’s where their stories differed.

Arenas pointed out that Nick Young was a negative in the +/- point differential in almost every game he appeared in as a Wizard. While Young recalls the Celtics game as the Arenas outburst, Gilbert claimed that it was a game against the Nuggets in Washington that prompted him to say something to Eddie Jordan. Arenas mocked Young for being a -17 that game and claimed he had been getting torched all night. That was then Arenas turned to coach Eddie Jordan and screamed close to exactly what Nick Young remembered.

Gilbert Arenas would go on to say that after that game, Young’s playing time declined drastically and the Wizards began to win basketball games again. He even went as far as to compare Nick Young’s game to a wrong Amazon order, implying what he thought he was getting from Young wasn’t what he received.  Arenas finished the video by saying “Nick Young I didn’t ruin your career” and listed several reasons why he thought Young was the only person to blame for his career not going as planned. Watch the whole clip here:

 

Moral of the story? Don’t get in a verbal jousting match with Gilbert Arenas.

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Brooklyn Nets: Three Reasons to Look Forward to 2020-21 Season

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Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

With the 2019-20 NBA season’s return looking bleak, I thought it would be appropriate for us to begin looking forward to next year. There is no team with more hype and uncertainty surrounding them than the Brooklyn Nets. Assuming the Nets don’t make any major moves this off-season (big assumption here) let’s break down 3 reasons that Nets fans should be excited for next year.

3 Reasons for Nets Fans to Look Forward to Next Season

3. THE DEVELOPMENT OF NIC CLAXTON – Claxton showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie season with the Nets, but unfortunately received limited time with the team and was held in the G-League for most of the year. Still, Nets fans are excited to see what this sophomore will be able to do when given the chance. Claxton’s lengthy wingspan of 7’2.5 and his ridiculous athletic ability makes him a viable future option for the Brooklyn Nets at the power forward position. While he may not be as explosive as a Jarrett Allen or Deandre Jordan, his agility is extremely impressive for someone his height and he can prove to be a nightmare on the boards paired with Allen or Jordan.

2. THE RISE OF CARIS LEVERT – Now in his 4th season in the NBA, Caris LeVert is finally starting to come into his own. As one of the primary scoring threats for Brooklyn down the stretch, LeVert was incredible, averaging 20.6 ppg in his last 10 games of the season. His notable moments this season consisted of putting up 51 in a win against the Celtics in one of greatest 4th quarter performances in recent memory and notching his 1st career tripe double in what ended up being Kenny Atkinson’s final game as Nets head coach. He also looked much more confident shooting the 3 balls this season, hitting 38% of his attempts, the highest % of his career. LeVert, who is known for doing most of his scoring off the dribble, will have to work on his off-the-ball game as he appears to be 3rd in the offensive pecking order behind Kyrie and KD. It will be fun to see how LeVert can do produce in this star-studded offense.

1. THE RETURN OF KEVIN DURANT & KYRIE IRVING – This is what many Nets fans have been waiting to see since KD and Kyrie made their announcement in July last year; the vision of one of the games greatest scorers of all time being paired with one of the elite scoring point guards in our game today. We saw what Durant was able to do playing with Curry and Thompson in Golden State, it shouldn’t be a stretch to think him and Kyrie can dominate the East in a similar fashion, especially if the supporting cast is able to buy-in. Kyrie and Durant will be a dynamic pairing for several reasons – both have the ability to create their own shot in any given situation, both have proven to be clutch in their career, and maybe the most important factor of all, both guys are out to PROVE something to the rest of the league. And both stars left their previous team with a sour taste in their mouth. Now the two have a chance to lead Brooklyn to a championship together.

Follow @firesidenets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your latest Brooklyn Nets news and listen to the Fireside Nets w/ Spen & Nick podcast!

Are the Cowboys Pursuing Trade For New York Jet’s Cornerstone?

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New York Jets, Jamal Adams

The Cowboys went down to the wire with the Jets at the trade deadline in negotiations for star safety Jamal Adams. The New York Jets wanted a 1st Round Pick and 2 Seconds. The Cowboys wouldn’t budge on their offer of a 1st and a day 3 selection. The Jets kept Jamal and after briefly being a cause of unrest among the Jets faithful, he went right back to bringing the energy to the defense and team as a whole.

Now, the New York Jets are in an offseason where they’ve spent a small amount of money on short term deals. They’ve invested in the offensive line and are seemingly going to invest a bulk of their draft picks into the offense as well. The Jets are preparing to rebuild this team into a contender in the future, not next season. This means they need to keep the talent they do have on defense for the long haul, so the Jets need to either lock up Jamal for the future or trade him and get compensation for him.

What Could A Deal Look Like?

I and many Jets fans would prefer he remains in Green and White, but the Cowboys are reportedly monitoring the situation between the Jets and Jamal and may be prepping to attempt a trade again. If the Cowboys did make an offer, it would likely include their 1st rounder, their 2nd or 3rd rounder and maybe another pick. The Jets would hypothetically then have a selection to add one of the top offensive linemen at 11 and add a receiver with the Cowboys selection. This would give them much more flexibility and help build for the long term with more guys on less expensive deals.

Is It Really Worth It?

Although some people discredit Jamal’s impact because of how the safety position is valued, he’s more than just a typical safety. Adams is an absolute monster on defense. He led the team in sacks last year with Jordan Jenkins. He’s also masterful in coverage and tackling. Adams is not just a force on the field but also in the locker room. Adams actively recruits players, is the voice of the team and the captain of the defense. He’s well regarded within the Jets community and the league as a whole. The Jets struck gold with Jamal Adams. No matter who they could add with the Cowboys picks, those players couldn’t have the same impact Jamal has had. Jamal Adams needs to remain a Jet, not just for now, but for a very long time.

Brooklyn Nets: Ian Eagle has one-on-one chat with Joe Harris on Instagram Live

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Brooklyn Nets, Joe Harris

Brooklyn Nets fans everywhere can rejoice knowing that Joe Harris is safe and sound in his Brooklyn apartment. The current Net, known to many as Joey Buckets, “sat down” with Ian Eagle at 3pm EST on Monday via the NBA’s live Instagram feed and the two chatted for about 15 minutes. Here are 10 takeaway from their brief conversation.

10 Takeaways from Joe Harris & Ian Eagle Chat

  • Joe Harris WANTS to be a Net. Towards the end of the conversation, Eagle asked Joe the question if he wanted to play out his career in Brooklyn. Harris summarized that while he would love to be a Brooklyn Net for the rest of his career, he understands that this off-season will be a busy one for Sean Marks and that certain personnel decisions are out of his control. But his main message here was that, if possible, he would like to remain a Net as long as possible. Joe has been an integral part of the much improved culture that Marks has built with former Nets HC Kenny Atkinson since Harris arrived in Brooklyn 4 years ago.
  • Joe Harris is HEALTHY and looks fantastic. One of the first questions Ian Eagle asked, and rightfully so, was about Harris’s health, since 3 anonymous Nets players had been diagnosed with COVID-19 several weeks ago (they are all now symptom-free). Harris quickly assured Eagle and fans that he has been doing well during quarantine and that he is in fact, healthy. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t point out the fact that, for a guy who’s been stuck in his apartment for the last few weeks, Joe Harris is STILL one handsome dude.
  • The Nets gave Harris and other players a bike. For guys like Joe who live in apartments in either Brooklyn or Manhattan, access to a basketball court is darn near impossible. The Nets have provided stationary bikes to all players of the Nets homes. Along with shooting a basketball up in the air throughout the day, Harris has also been practicing dribbling workouts in his apartment and doing whatever he can to keep his skills sharp. He’s kept in touch with a ton of his teammates and even gave Spencer Dinwiddie a birthday shout-out during the video.
  • Grew up a Seattle Supersonics fan. Harris briefly touched upon growing up in the Midwest and rooting for the Sonics. While Ray Allen was his favorite player, he also enjoyed the Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf teams as well.
  • He confirms that his nickname is BUCKETS. Joe Harris confirmed with Ian Eagle that his nickname is in fact, Joey Buckets. Most of his teammates regularly refer to him as “Buckets,” despite the other nickname Richard Jefferson has tried to create for him, “Beef Jerky Buckets.”
  • Shouts out TOR and IND as toughest defenses to play against. When asked who the toughest player to score against was, Joe pivoted and mentioned that teams like Toronto, Indiana, and Milwaukee are all equally hard to score against because they are extremely organized and rarely get caught out of position on defense.
  • Favorite NBA Arenas to Shoot in. Harris said that there are certain arenas in which the lighting helps with his ability to nail shots. He mentioned his favorite arenas to play in are the Barclays Center (of course) and Madison Square Garden.
  • Comes from a family of athletes. Harris mentioned that his mother and all three of his sisters are excellent athletes. His sister Kaiti played college basketball and his sister Jaicee played college volleyball. Joe’s father was his high school basketball coach, and as Harris alludes to, they had a great balance of keeping their on-the-court relationship separate from their home-life.
  • Joe Harris makes a mean banana bread. Harris told a story in which he and his sister competed in a banana bread baking contest. While he finished the story by saying his mother came in and beat them both, I would still like to assume, based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever, that Harris did win the competition and that his banana bread was indeed delicious.
  • Has never seen any player take care of their body more than Lebron James. Harris played with Lebron in Cleveland during his first 2 years in the NBA. When Eagle asked if Harris was surprised by the elite level James is still performing at in Los Angeles, Harris shared that since when it comes to keeping the body in peak physical shape, he hasn’t met anyone do it better than Lebron James. My takeaway here? I guess Taco Tuesdays and the occasional glass of red wine do wonders for an athlete’s body.

I hoped you enjoyed my 10 takeaways from Ian Eagle’s Instagram live chat with Joe Harris. Follow @firesidenets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your latest Brooklyn Nets news and listen to the Fireside Nets w/ Spen & Nick podcast!

The New York Jets and Giants are embarking on a virtual NFL Draft experience in 2020

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New York Jets

The NFL is preparing to embark on a virtual representation of the Draft, and it’s going to be a wild experience. Especially for the New York Jets and Giants!

The 2020 NFL draft will be different than any other draft for the New York Jets and Giants and the NFL. Roger Goodell won’t be shaking Joe Burrow’s hand and taking a picture as he holds up the Bengals jersey. There won’t be a war room filled with GMs, scouts, and coaches; instead, Joe Douglas and Dave Gettleman will likely be on Zoom with their staff. This is a drastic change, but with the current state of the world, it’s not the least bit surprising.

The NFL Trudges On

League personnel and many NFL analysts believe the decision to go forward with the draft is a heavily controversial one. Adam Schefter even said on ESPN that, “They are determined to put this on while there is carnage in the streets.” The league is determined to move forward and adapt to the continually changing conditions of our world and put on the draft. Now this year’s draft is less spectacle and more Fantasy Football. Let’s just hope nobody auto picks their draft.

In all seriousness, the NFL is providing a distraction for the country in these wild times, but at what cost? The players don’t get to celebrate with the commissioner and enjoy the recognition they’ve fought for so long to earn. The players can’t even enjoy the moment with extended family without disobeying CDC guidelines. The players are being deprived of the joy associated with achieving their childhood dreams of being drafted. It leads many to wonder if there would be more joy associated with the draft had it been postponed.

In the end, there’s going to be a draft. There’s going to be trades and the usual wall to wall coverage. The social aspect of the draft and the festival-like atmosphere that was prominent in Nashville last year is gone. Instead, the world will watch from home as Joe Burrow gets the call to achieve his NFL dreams from home, along with every other prospect as they celebrate while following CDC guidelines. 

New York Jets Resign QB David Fales

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David Fales has been a well-traveled backup for Adam Gase and the New York Jets. He’s followed Gase and now got to sit behind Darnold for a bulk of last year as both of the other backups going down last year. Fales is reportedly a high IQ guy and the former San Jose State product with good knowledge of the offense will return to fight for the backup job next season.

Career Numbers

Fales played two years at San Jose State as the starter. In those two years, Fales threw for 8,382 yards, 66 TDs, and 22 INTs. Although San Jose State is not a big school, those numbers are very impressive. Fales hasn’t gotten a lot of reps in the pros. He did get some legitimate reps in 2018 and he did ok. He had 265 yards, 1 TD and an INT in 2018. Fales is a backup caliber player. He may have untapped potential. At 29, time is winding down to tap into that potential.

How Does He Fit For Next Season

Fales will compete for the backup QB job. He doesn’t seem like the best guy to be the backup for Darnold. He can’t provide mentorship because he’s played less than Darnold. He does have knowledge of the offense and that is a favorable trait because of the presumed lack of preparation that the Jets will have due to COVID-19. Fales will compete, be given a shot to take the job, but he should not be counted on if Sam goes down. The New York Jets should bring in another body whether in the draft to develop into a good backup or bring in a vet to mentor Sam. Some guys who could be good guys are Joe Flacco, the former starter in Baltimore that struggled in Denver last year and Matt Moore a career backup with ties to Gase.

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant to Participate in players-only 2K tournament

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Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is back in action!  Well…not exactly. Durant will make his first appearance with the Brooklyn Nets on the virtual hardwood during a players-only 2K tournament hosted by the NBA. The tournament will consist of 16 players and take place over a 10 day period. The event will be available for fans to watch on ESPN and the date is to be determined. There are several other notable players that will be participating in the tournament, such as Donovan Mitchell, Andre Drummond, and DeMarcus Cousins.

Mitchell and Durant are two players who have tested positive for coronavirus, with Mitchell being cleared of the virus last week and Durant sending out a positive message to his fans shortly after he was diagnosed.

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Recently it was reported that the Chinese Basketball Association would further delay their return, which was originally scheduled for April 15th, to May at the earliest. Unfortunately, this is bad news for the NBA, who is watching these decisions closely in anticipation of salvaging their own season.

It is important for the NBA to stay active and connected with their fans during these troubling times, and this tournament is an excellent way to do so. Not only will we be able to hear from some of the athletes in quarantine, but we will also be able to watch them “play basketball” and candidly interact with each other, even if it is through a video game.

More leagues should come up with unique virtual events like this to engage with fans and help keep their brands active. Luckily for the NFL, they have their Draft coming up in April, so they are set content-wise for the time being. It will be intriguing to see how the MLB, a league that is often viewed not as progressive as the other leagues, stays engaged with their fans while their season is currently suspended.

My Prediction: Kevin Durant will win this tournament. Durant prides himself on being the best on the court, regardless if that court is real or animated. Being an elite scorer in real life will ABSOLUTELY translate to KD being a monster in 2k. I have the utmost faith in a guy who has probably had more practice on the sticks than anybody else in the last year.

Stay tuned for the date of the tournament to be announced. Follow @firesidenets on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your latest Brooklyn Nets news and listen to the Fireside Nets w/ Spen & Nick podcast!