The Brooklyn Nets will be without their starting shooting guard Caris LeVert. This news may come as a surprise to many, but he is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to a right thumb sprain. According to CBS Sports, the injury occurred during the second quarter of the game against the Phoenix Suns.
Without realizing the severity of the injury, Caris LeVert continued to play through it. This is not to say that he is going to miss an extended amount of time. Within the next few days, Caris LeVert will undergo an MRI in which more information will be revealed.
This is a significant loss for the Brooklyn Nets as Caris LeVert is having a strong start to the season. He’s been poised for a breakout season for some time now. He’s averaging career highs in minutes, points, 3pt FG percentage, and rebounds. Caris LeVert has been a big part of Brooklyn’s success when they’ve had it through the first nine games.
He is the second-leading scorer in points (16.8ppg) after newly acquired Kyrie Irving. He is also one of Brooklyn’s better defenders on the perimeter.
Players who look to benefit from the newly free minutes are probably Dzanan Musa and David Nwaba. Both play similar positions as him and should bring the defense (Nwaba) and scoring (Musa) that the Brooklyn Nets will need to replace the absent Caris LeVert.
The Brooklyn Nets are in dire need of a bounce-back game after getting burned by the Phoenix Suns. After a day in which they get to travel and rest, they will get that opportunity in Salt Lake City as they match up with the Utah Jazz.
The Utah Jazz are currently on a two-game win streak that featured championship-contending teams (the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks), so this may be an excellent chance to see how the Brooklyn Nets stack up in the bigger picture of the Eastern Conference. The Jazz also play tonight, so they’ll be coming into their game with the Brooklyn Nets off back to back. Brooklyn must take advantage of this.
With that being said, here are some things to look at going into tomorrow’s game:
Turnovers
The Brooklyn Nets turn the ball over at the second-highest clip in the NBA so far this season at a little over 18 giveaways a game (18.3). That is entirely too many. For a team that is 26th in defensive rating, the Brooklyn Nets cannot afford to give opposing teams extra possessions.
On a more optimistic note, the Utah Jazz are ranked 25th in the league on converting turnovers into points. But the Brooklyn Nets are ranked 27th in points allowed to opposing teams off turnovers. Come Tuesday, one of these stats will have to give way to the other.
But as always, the turnover game is very crucial to the Brooklyn Nets’ chances of winning. It is almost criminal for a team that ranks in the Top 5 of virtually every offensive statistical category to give up the ball and force itself to defend while it is a horrendous defensive team.
Style Clash
The Brooklyn Nets and the Utah Jazz are polar opposites as far as basketball teams go. The Brooklyn Nets are one of the fastest-paced teams in the league, while the Utah Jazz are one of the slowest. Brooklyn averages about ten more possessions a game than Utah (112.4 to 102). How fast the game is played holds extra weight with one team playing back to back. If Utah can keep the game at a slow pace, they can stave off the effects of playing a game the night before. If Brooklyn can push the tempo, however, they can make Utah commit sloppy play (23rd in turnovers) while weakening a defense that may be operating on heavy legs.
Containing The Spider
In his third season, Donovan Mitchell has career highs in almost every statistical category that matters. His points, FG percentage, 3pt FG percentage, rebounds, free throw attempts, and steals are all career highs through his seven games of play. As their franchise building block and leading scorer, keeping him from dominating the game is easier said than done. Brooklyn guards will have their hands full with him. This might be a game where David Nwaba can make a significant impact and showcase his need for more minutes.
Don’t Settle
For the first time since his rookie year, Rudy Gobert is averaging less than 2bpg (1.1). He is still known and feared for his shot-blocking ability, but that hasn’t quite been there as of yet. Some of that is solely because it’s early in the season. Some of that is because of the improved perimeter defense. Regardless of those factors and others, he is a big part of the NBA’s stingiest defense. The Brooklyn Nets cannot settle for jumpers all night. Attack Rudy Gobert and get him into foul trouble early. This should soften up a defense that allows less than 100pts a game and hasn’t allowed more than 104pts at home (only two teams have hit the 100pt mark when facing the Utah Jazz at home).
Brooklyn Nets‘ Kyrie Irving has become a media hot take for the media now more than ever in his NBA career. They say any publicity is good publicity, and if this is the case, then Kyrie Irving is fortunate because the media hasn’t been exactly fond of him as of late.
Recently, Kyrie Irving was the topic of conversation in a piece written by Jackie MacMullan. Jackie MacMullan covers the Boston Celtics. Over the last two or so years, it would be a fair assumption to say she’s seen a lot of Brooklyn’s new star acquisition. She is an extremely credible source. That is obvious. But out of her lengthy piece about the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie, the excerpt that everyone seems to want to focus on is the “mood swings” aspect of it.
But why? Why focus on that sole part? I doubt that is what Jackie MacMullan wanted when she put this piece out. Well, I believe it is to contain Kyrie Irving in a box. To keep him trapped within the problematic narrative, he’s held ever since he wanted to escape from the shadow that comes with playing with Lebron James. He’s more or less been the problem child ever since, and the media seems to like it this way.
Paul Pierce is another member of the media trying to maintain this Mr. Hyde’s image of Kyrie Irving. Shortly after the Jackie MacMullan piece, the Boston Celtics legend was very critical of Kyrie Irving.
…this is the attitude that tells me you’re a front runner. Because when things are good, you hear him in the media talking about his teammates, hanging out with them, going to dinners. When things are bad and things have not started off pretty good as a team wise in Brooklyn, now all of a sudden these reports are coming back. That just sounds like a front running mentality to me.
Before I respond to this, I would like to point something out. Paul Pierce used to be known for his clutch play on the court. His nickname, “The Truth,” was given to him off such dynamic play. That is no longer the case. Paul Pierce is now known for horrendous sports takes.
Do me a favor and open up Youtube. Type in ‘Paul Pi.’ What do you see? Because when I did it to look for the clip that contained the quote above, the first suggestion was his name, but the second suggestion was ‘paul pierce saying dumb stuff.’ He also has a multitude of completion videos of his bad takes on Youtube. That, along with him being a die-hard Boston Celtics supporter, are clues that his words should be taken with a grain of salt.
But going back to his words, what does the slow start in Brooklyn have to do with something that occurred in the preseason? The alleged “mood swings” happened while the Brooklyn Nets were in China. How can does mood swings be indicative of how Kyrie Irving feels about the slow start in Brooklyn?
And even this “slow start” isn’t all that slow. It is a team that had a pretty substantial roster overhaul. Outside of maybe the Indiana Pacers game, and we were even in that game for much of it, every game has been within reach. Two of them (vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies) came down to one play. The Brooklyn Nets are roughly two plays away from being 5-2.
Another thing Paul Pierce said was, “People see these things, they’re around him every day.” I’m going to put this on the back burner, but keep this in mind.
Around the same time as the Paul Pierce clips, Chris Carter of First Things First gave his own two cents of Kyrie Irving. His addition on the Mr. Hyde narrative was that:
And I know, through talking to NBA teams, that this is the intel they had about Kyrie. Alright, a lot like Allen Iverson. He’s not gonna take care of his body. He’s not gonna spend any extra time as far as getting ready to play that night. He’s going on pure ability. But that will only carry you so long. He doesn’t take care of his body and once his body starts to fail him, what the juice taste like then?
Hot take alert. Kyrie Irving has drawn comparisons to Allen Iverson throughout his career for his ability to handle the rock in ways few can mimic. This is the first time we’ve heard him being compared to Kyrie Irving due to his work ethic. Never before, to my knowledge, has Kyrie Irving ever been seen as a player who doesn’t work hard or take care of his body. Yet we have Chris Carter telling us that NBA teams have told him this is the case with the Brooklyn Nets point guard.
Earlier this week, I wrote a piece showcasing many of the Kyrie Irving defenders of the mood swings (see here). Stephen A. Smith, Kenny Atkinson, DeAndre Jordan, as well as others have come to Kyrie Irving’s defense.
Sarah Kustok of YES Network is now in the same shoes that Jackie MacMullan was in the last few years as far as observing Kyrie Irving. She has front row seats to see the in and outs and up and downs of his NBA life. She appeared on First Things First about a week after Chris Carter spoke those words to shed the aspersions that have been placed on Kyrie Irving. When asked about all the rumors concerning Kyrie Irving and his behavior Sarah Kustok had this to say:
I’m there everyday. I’m there at practice. I sit through the open gyms. You’re there at game, you talk to the teammates. You know the players, many of them who you’ve known for many years. And there’s been no issue. And that’s not to say, we’ve all been through the course of an NBA season. The highs and lows, you’re traveling with people, you’re around people, things come up, and things happen. But to this point and I know that it stemmed from, Jackie MacMullan, who I respect more than anyone on the planet. I don’t think that was the purpose of her article and sometimes we pull one thing out of there and that’s where the mood swings had come up from. I think anytime a guy comes to a new situation and he’s still relatively young in his career, 27. A fresh slate and it’s a different group. And as Nick said it’s a different set of personalities on this Nets group which have embraced Kyrie, Kyrie has embraced them. He has got a high level of compete. He is intense and he brings a whole other level of mentality of trying to win a championship to a group. However, I think that’s something that’s been a positive for this team.
Remember that Paul Pierce quote? People see these things. Are they around him every day? Well, Sarah Kustok echoed that exact sentiment of her own experience with Kyrie Irving as she gave him a glowing review. The same thing goes for all of Kyrie Irving’s teammates as well as his coach, Kenny Atkinson. Kyrie Irving, a human first, has been nothing but Dr. Jekyll this year, and the people around him continue to paint that picture. But for whatever reason, the majority of the media seems as if they want to force him into a Mr. Hyde role. He continues to defy their attempts to box him into their narratives and might be under attack for it.
As of November 6th, the Brooklyn Nets are sporting a 3-4 record, good enough for the eighth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. As the near .500 record might suggest, the early season has been filled with ups and downs. And when this is the case, things that would he mere whispers in winning situations, are booming voices in erratic situations.
Roughly a week or so ago, Jackie MacMullan delivered a piece concerning the Brooklyn Nets. More specifically, Kyrie Irving. It detailed a variety of different aspects. From how Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, and Kevin Durant all decided they would play together to Kyrie Irving’s relationship with his new teammates. What was the main topic of conversation was the following excerpt from that piece:
Yet Irving’s infamous mood swings, confirmed by his ex-teammates which followed him from Cleveland to Boston to Brooklyn, are the unspoken concern that makes Nets officials quite queasy. When Irving lapses into these funks, he often shuts down, unwilling to communicate with the coaching staff, front office, and sometimes, even his teammates. Nets team sources say one such episode occurred during Brooklyn’s trip to China, leaving everyone scratching their heads as to what precipitated it.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, this was no ordinary trip to China for NBA teams this Preseason. There was a lot of political weight and discomfort behind it, thanks in no small part to Houston Rockets GM, Daryl Morey. On top of this awkward and stress filled situation, Kyrie Irving had signed with childhood favorite team this offseason. I’m sure that was very emotional for him and probably only starting to truly sink in for him as he prepared to play actual games with teammates.
Perhaps him getting injured early on in the preseason helped contribute to a mix of complex emotions. And even more importantly, the anniversary of his grandfather’s passing was roughly two weeks away. I’m sure he had that on his mind as well. And we all should be well aware of what that caused for Kyrie Irving with the Boston Celtics. Not to say any of this is the case. I don’t want to put my thoughts of what could be the case in the same light as indisputable facts, but to call it a simple mood swing doesn’t seem fair to Kyrie Irving or his emotions. This is the same world that is constantly telling men to be more open with their emotions. With all that said, it was good to see so many people in his corner.
Brooklyn Nets coach, Kenny Atkinson, dispelled the reports adding on that Kyrie Irving has been an A+ as far as spirit. Fellow Brooklyn Net, DeAndre Jordan, went the sarcastic route where he jokingly said negative things about his friend almost as if to figuratively scoff at the report.
Even Stephen A. Smith went to bat for Kyrie Irving.
This guy is not just about basketball. There are other things that are affecting him, that’s clear. But to sit up there and act like that makes him a problem, is something that I have utterly ridiculous. He hasn’t been in Brooklyn for two damn weeks in the regular season. Two damn weeks and we talking about what kind of a problem…people are out there leaking stuff about him as if he’s a problematic dude… Just because folks don’t act the way you want them to act or doesn’t act the way everybody else wants them to act, does not make them a bad person or a problem.
I’m not sure if someone could have articulated any better. Well, outside of the man Kyrie Irving himself. Following the loss to the Indiana Pacers, Kyrie Irving said:
It’s ok to be human. I don’t have to be perfect for anyone here, nor do I have to be perfect for the public. I am not here to dispel any perception, I’m just here to be myself.
I think this shows such growth and acceptance of self with Kyrie Irving. This is a real showcasing of maturity from a man many did not believe was capable of leadership.
Well, we’re not going 82-0. This team has underachieved and we should riot outside of Barclays. No, but seriously, if you were lucky enough to watch the home opener, boy was it something special. Obviously you want to win every game you possibly can, but this might be the most content I’ve been with a bad outcome with the Brooklyn Nets. What we witnessed was something special. So let’s recap the special moments of the night.
Kyrie’s Heartfelt Moment:
Could we have asked for a player more in love with being here than Kyrie Irving? That’s been his thing from the moment of interest with the Nets. He wants to be here. He loves New York. He loves the Nets. He loves the fans. And him getting a little emotional about it is what you love to see. I’m not sure there’s anything that makes you fall in love with a player more than seeing that said player genuinely wants to be on your team.
"Oh man, I'm sorry it's just hitting me right now."
I don’t know if it was just me or if it was because I missed Nets basketball so much, but man oh man was I hype watching our team get introduced in the home opener. Like everything seemed great! The video, music selection, lighting effects, everything! I almost couldn’t have dreamed it up better. If you missed it, here it is.
3. The Third QTR:
The Brooklyn Nets came out the gates a little slow. The second unit wasn’t exactly the strength it was expected to be heading into the season, but it’s ok. Probably first game jitters, but boy did the shooters come alive in the third. Taurean Prince, who was held scoreless the first half, really lit it up in the 3rd. He came out the gate with a quick score and a steal directly after. He set the tone in the 3rd as he was able to pour in 15 in the quarter.
Within the third, the Nets were able to battle back from a double digit deficit and from that point on, both teams would be trading punches.
The 4th QTR:
The truth is, this is why we brought him here. Get it? No? Well regardless, this is a big reason why Kyrie Irving demands the money he demands, the fourth quarter. Irving poured in 13pts on 50% shooting in the fourth, hitting HUGE shots along the way.
His heroics and the Nets efforts overall were enough to allow for an overtime quarter that probably wasn’t deserved by the T-Wolves.
OT Slip Up
One heck of a rollercoaster came down to one shot. These are the moments that define careers and Kyrie Irving has had plenty of them, many of them on much grander stages. Down 1, shot clock off. Kyrie one on one, what he does best… and he slips! And even with the slip, Kyrie is that elite of a player to maintain his handle and find away to still get a good look. It just didn’t drop for him.
MAN, the rush everyone must’ve felt. The way Nets fans world wide must’ve felt as their hearted dropped into the pits of their stomachs as Irving lost his footing and dropped to the floor. The renewed hope and confidence in our new franchise player as he still found a way to get that shot up. Listen, if he found a way to still hit that, it would’ve been beyond legendary! I mean the night in itself was historic, but man! Just one more shot!
BROOKLYN NETS – Let me start of by saying I love The Fro. He’s come a long way since we drafted him and I appreciate what he does on the floor. The rebounds, the screens, the blocks. Let me tell you about the blocks. He had FIVE of them in the home opener loss to the Timberwolves. “One, two, three, four, FIF” to quote the great Dave Chappelle. And with all the great things he does, I can promise you I’ve never once said, “I need Jarrett Allen with the ball in his hand in the closing moment”. It’s just not something I want to see and this is the second time I can remember seeing it.
The first was in the playoffs against the 76ers. I believe it was Game 4. D’Angelo Russell had been our closer all year. He had hit a big three not to long before the moment in question. Russell got a pick from Allen, Allen rolled and Russell passed. Allen got the ball a little below the free throw line. He was mauled and lost his balance as well as the ball. Soon after we’d lose the game. I’m not here to argue whether or not it was a bad no-call by the refs. The game is long gone in our rearview mirror and the league’s Two Minute Report already admitted it should’ve been called a foul. It was the good “basketball play” to make, but for me it wasn’t a good play.
My uncle always told me, “You have to know your personnel”. So understanding my team and its players, I know Jarrett Allen isn’t really used to being in that situation. That’s strike one against him. He isn’t the strongest big. That’s strike two. He doesn’t really have a good handle and can be a little clumsy, yet got the ball around the free throw line. That’s either two steps immediately or at least a dribble. Strike three. And although he is a solid free throw shooter for a big, he is by no means a great one (keep this in mind). This is not the ideal situation for The Fro to succeed.
Fast forward to today, we’re in a similar situation. Kyrie has been carrying us all game. Countless big shots, he had 13pts in the fourth quarter. Then on a drive he sneaks a pass in to Jarrett Allen who gets fouled. Now we’re relying on Jarrett Allen to make two free throws at the line for the win. He only needs to hit one. His rookie year, Jarrett Allen shot 78% from the charity stripe. Last year, he shot 71%. Yesterday, in the clutch (so two free throw attempts) and in the game in general (four free throws total), Jarrett Allen shot 0%. I know these are rare occurrences, but we cannot allow ourselves to be at the mercy of Jarrett Allen on the offensive end of a close game. That being said, the free throw critique does not stop at Jarrett Allen. The team as a whole shot a tick under 58% from the stripe. That cannot happen. Ever! Five of the seven players to attempt free throws shot 50% or below. The Brooklyn Nets were 24th in free throw percentage last season at 74.5% and that needs to change for the better sooner rather than later.
A couple of days ago, Stefan Bondy spoke on former Boston Celtic and newly acquired New York Knick, Marcus Morris, and his thinking on why the locker room dynamics will be the difference in Madison Square Garden vs. TD Garden.
“The teams are different. We don’t have that one guy where it’s like, okay, he’s first,” Morris said. “It’s a team thing. No knock on Ky, but obviously he’s a superstar, he’s first. Sometimes his emotions were put in front of the team. I think here, we’re all transparent with each other. We can all go up to each other and be honest with each other. That’s the biggest thing, when you can go out and speak to your brother.”
Morris feels that there will be no special treatment, and that will create ease in any tension when trouble arises. Players will be acknowledged and more comfortable to call out.
That may have been one of the problems with the Boston Celtics locker room, but I don’t expect that will be the case for Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
A big reason for this is the man in question himself, Kyrie Irving. Over the past few months, Irving has acknowledged many things. He admitted he has high expectations, expectations he didn’t exactly live up to last season. He was candid in his assessment of himself as a leader. He told us of his internal struggles with personal issues, while not giving himself an out as an excuse. Kyrie has said a lot of the right things, whether in concerns to himself, the team, or the tensions between the league and China. I don’t believe he’s had a misstep yet. These are all signs of a man who has done soul searching and has grown with the lessons that life has given. Also, he was there in the Boston locker room to see first hand what happened and what part he played in all of it. If anyone can keep history from repeating itself there, it’s him.
The other person that comes to mind in all of this is Coach Kenny Atkinson. Through the years in Brooklyn, Atkinson does not seem like the kind of coach to let players get much if any special treatment. Before Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant blessed the borough of Brooklyn with their presence, we didn’t exactly have an abundance of star/superstar players while in the Kenny Atkinson Era.
Well, that was until last year when D’Angelo Russell fully emerged. But even being a top 3 pick in his draft, D’Angelo Russell should’ve had some pull that most players did not. He was probably the consensus best talent on the team, which is why he’d be a top 3 pick. But all that did not matter to Kenny Atkinson. Russell had to work long and hard for every minute of playing time he was given.
There were a lot of games where Russell watched his team in the fourth quarter. There were a lot of games where D’Angelo was seated next to Kenny as he watched his teammates fight the good fight.
Now I’m not saying D’Lo is a star on the level of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant but based off what we’ve seen from Kenny Atkinson. I can’t see him allowing the locker room to fracture or players to feel alienated because his team feels that he favors a player too much. But we’ll see throughout the season now, won’t we?
The off-season slowly comes to an end along with summer and Brooklyn Nets Basketball is around the corner. September 27th brought news of the Nets signing a Brooklyn born player and bringing him into the fold. No not that guy, but Lance Thomas.
Many of you will know Lance Thomas from his for the last four and a half seasons he’s spent with that other team in New York. His time with the Knicks was by far the most he’s had with any team thus far in the league. The terms of the contract haven’t been released as of yet, but here’s what the Nets newcomer brings to the team.
Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets love players who are true professionals. That cannot be argued with Lance. Marks can sleep relatively easy and not worry about any issues with him as his 8 years in the league have are pretty much spotless. He will be someone the younger plays can lean on for wisdom and mentorship like much of the roster. Another mature player in the locker room will be a great help.
Lance Thomas also brings the Nets another trustworthy shooter from 3. Coming into the league Lance wasn’t much of a shooter from beyond, but since coming to New York State, he’s shot a terrific percentage. Out of the four and a half (let’s just say five) seasons with the Knicks, Lance shot 40% or more three times. One of those times he shot a tick under 45% (.447%). He’s coming off a season shooting below 30%, but nothing was going well for the Knicks last season.
At 6’8″, 240lbs, Lance Thomas can play the small forward and power forward position. With Wilson Chandler out for a big chunk of the season and the question marks around Rodions Kurucs, Lance Thomas fills a position of need for the Nets.
Now, this signing isn’t exactly what Nets fans asked for, but it was something. I’m sure there were critics who were not fond of another ex-knickerbocker coming into the Nets fold, but there was no real push back. What did not go well with the fans out in Brooklyn, was how much Lance Thomas seemed to gush about his former team. Now I get as a native New Yorker, growing up there was only the Knicks. I get him being a fan of the team due to that. No one was asking him to trash his former team now that he’s a member of the Nets. And even some of his compliments of Knicks management can be excused. I love players candor, but you have to be careful. Him saying “I’ll always be a Knicks fan” might not be something you say on Nets media day. Maybe saying how much you wanted to be brought back vs how much you wanted to come to Brooklyn isn’t the first impression you want to leave with the fans.
But as the former captain of the Knicks for the last few seasons, Lance Thomas has the ability to win people over. Let’s hope he can do so in Brooklyn and he does his best to contribute and help bring New York it’s a first chip for either organization since the 70s.
This summer, the Brooklyn Nets were able to get the 2 superstar free-agents that the New York Knicks coveted. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to sign with the Nets over the Knicks. Knicks fans were too confident that they would land at least one, if not both. But, that was not god’s plan.
Now that those two are in Brooklyn instead of New York, does this intensify the rivalry? Is the Knicks-Nets rivalry bigger than ever now?
Well, it should be. But, it isn’t.
Some fans of both teams will saw say there is always a rivalry and rightfully so. The ‘Battle of Borough’ does mean a lot to basketball fans in New York. It is a sibling rivalry. It is fun and there is something extra to play when these two teams meet, regardless of their records.
However, the rivalry does not mean as much unless both teams are good and/or contenders. This season, and for the duration of the Durant/Irving tenure, the rivalry does not carry as much weight unless the Knicks are good.
Regardless of what player went where, the Nets made the playoffs last year and were the better New York team. The Knicks had the league’s worst record, enough said. Therefore, the rivalry meant nothing, well to Spencer Dinwiddie it allegedly meant everything.
If the Knicks are able to become something like what the Nets currently are, then it will grow. The Knicks will have to be contenders. It might not be next season, but they are on the right path to make that happen. Or, if the Knicks are able to get a big name free-agent next season, or trade for one, then the rivalry will be huge. As long as whatever they do turns them into competitors.
There was no competition last season, or the year before. The Nets were clearly the better team, so the rivalry was swept underneath the rug. Even when Durant comes back from his Achilles injury, the rivalry will not mean much unless the Knicks are competitive.
If both teams are in contention for the playoffs, especially being in the same division, the rivalry intensifies. The Knicks already have the ‘dog’ mentality ready to shock people with their play this season. Will that play be good enough to propel this rivalry into a another stratosphere? Or will the Knicks let the Nets try to take control of the city.
Now, this title isn’t to say by any means that Sean Marks hasn’t done a stellar job since taking on the mantle of the GM of the Brooklyn Nets. From bringing in D’Angelo Russell to his draft choices over the years to being able to attract marquee free agents this summer, Marks has had plenty of room for error yet made very few.
He’s been applauded for what he’s been able to do in one of the toughest positions in the league, if not the toughest, and he’s been applauded for the culture that he was able to build.
That culture was not easy to establish. It was not easy to build. It took a lot of time and effort and dark times to create. Today that culture takes another hit this off-season. First with a new member of the Brooklyn Nets, Wilson Chandler, who was handed a hefty 25 game suspension from the NBA for indulging in PEDs. Let me say that Chandler does claim that he and his doctor did not know the substance was an illegal one.
Now we hear the news that Rodions Kurucs was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. The news was broke from the New York Daily News.
Kurucs allegedly screamed, “I am going to kill myself!” He allegedly put his hand around the woman’s throat and choked her, then forced her to march to his bed.
The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward allegedly pushed her on the bed, slapped her in the face twice, bit her lip and then picked her up and tossed her on the bed hard enough to hurt her ribs, the sources said.
She also suffered bruising to her ribs and face, according to prosecutor Wilfredo Cotto during the arraignment. Cotto said there are no pictures of her injuries, and noted the then-couple went to Las Vegas the next day.
Now let me say outright, as the details are laid out, this situation is horrific, disgusting, and completely UNACCEPTABLE! Every story has 3 sides. Kurucs’, his girlfriend’s, and the truth, but it’s hard if not impossible to think of any story that can excuse or condone these actions.
What is noteworthy and what I think has been glanced over in all this is what Rodions Kurucs yelled. “I am going to kill myself!” Those are not words without significant weight. That is something serious within itself. I don’t know what caused the argument or what led to the altercation between the two parties, but could Kurucs be suffering from some kind of mental illness or troubles? Could he possibly be suicidal? And possibly how could he have been provoked.
Via Stefan Bondy, the Nets made the following statement concerning Kurucs Saga:
After learning of the allegations against Rodions Kurucs, we notified and are assisting the League Office as they begin the process of gathering more information. The Nets organization takes allegations of this nature with extreme seriousness. While the investigation is underway and as we continue to learn more, we will refrain from commenting further.
Now, on one hand, it is always good not to overreact and be at the mercy of the mob. It’s better to get things right vs to appease the mob for its desire for a public execution.
On the other hand, the lack of response to the Chandler situation may give fans and eyes across the league the wrong idea. Either way, these allegations are BIG. Especially towards a young player who was a fan favorite and had a bright future ahead of him.
I hope the legal system gets things right. I hope the young lady involved is ok, even if it turns out she was the one to ignite this whole thing. Even if she was, doesn’t mean she needs to be harmed physically, just needs to face the law as justice demands. I hope Kurucs gets the help he potentially needs if he is indeed mentally ill. This is a reminder to Nets fans everywhere on humility.
Lastly, Sean Marks, you have tough decisions ahead. I hope you make the right one. It’s hard to imagine him cutting a player so beloved by the fans and his teammates, a player who was such a big part of our success last year, but no amount of talent excuses you from wrongdoing.
Spoke to NYPD, they say Kurucs turned himself into police this morning. Kurds had an attorney with him. Police say Kurucs allegedly choked a 32 year old woman (that the Daily News says was his girlfriend)
