Erik Slater
@ErikSlater_ • 15,800 subscribers
NBA/Brooklyn Nets reporter @ClutchPoints • Host @LockedOnNets • @NewhouseSU @LehighU Alum • Contact: [email protected]
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Mikel Brown Jr. on attempting the layup in the final seconds up one rather than pulling the ball out: “I did see the open lane, and I thought I had a layup, but the ball was kind of already slipping out of my hands, and PG was already coming towards my right side. So I felt like if I didn't go up with it, I kind of was gonna fall out of bounds. So that was my last resort, in all honesty, but I can't make an excuse. There's a lot of plays down the stretch that I messed up on, that I take full accountability for, and I'm gonna be better. Was it discussed before the play to dribble the ball out? “It was discussed to just try to get it in, and try to kill time. That definitely was discussed, but like I said, it's just mistakes down the stretch that I just can't make. I just can't do that."
Erik Slater246,158 Aufrufe • vor 2 Tagen
Jordi Fernandez on why Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Demin haven't played any minutes together thus far: “If you guys do your subs, like all the fantasy that you guys do, try to do it yourself. It's pretty hard to share minutes when it's on the bench, off the bench. I'm trying to work the groups and trying to have guys play together, but it's hard to do it in certain ways without breaking up the player's rhythm.” Does he expect Brown and Demin to share the court in the coming games? "I don't know. I'll try all the combinations, but again, it's harder when you come off the bench and you have a minute restriction to get all the combinations without messing up other players' minutes. Do I want to see them together? Yes. It's hard for me to predict right now. What I want is to find the right groups that can function together and be efficient."
Erik Slater114,621 Aufrufe • vor 7 Tagen
Asked MPJ what he feels is causing the Nets to struggle defensively: "The way we play at the level, when you have good passers that are able to hit the pocket, we are at a disadvantage on that back end. We want to get deflections and speed teams up, but we're at a disadvantage. So we have to be really on our horse to scramble and get to shooters and close out and try to take guys off the three-point line. Because a lot of times we are playing four-on-three, and we've got to get out of that situation and scramble a little bit better."
Erik Slater32,686 Aufrufe • vor 4 Tagen
![Keaton Wagler confirmed to me that he canceled his workout with the Nets: “I already worked out for the Bulls, and I was going to the Clippers. That’s 4 and 5. Hearing from them and knowing where I stood, I knew I didn’t need to work out for [the Nets]. But still meeting with teams and talking to them."](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2069107605717283057/amplify_video_thumb/2069107347633393664/img/Menqg-_veW4NkT5l.jpg)
Keaton Wagler confirmed to me that he canceled his workout with the Nets: “I already worked out for the Bulls, and I was going to the Clippers. That’s 4 and 5. Hearing from them and knowing where I stood, I knew I didn’t need to work out for [the Nets]. But still meeting with teams and talking to them."
Erik Slater855,093 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
![Michael Porter Jr. on why things didn’t work out for Cam Thomas in Brooklyn and Milwaukee: "There's a lot more to sticking around in the NBA than just [scoring]. For Cam, I think it was a mixture of him being frustrated with a lot of things and also his personality... He doesn't really socialize... He'll say like two words all day, all practice. He doesn't really talk to anybody. I don't think he does it in a way where he's trying to be a bad teammate. I just think that's him. But when it comes to a team being willing to pay you and make you a number one option, it comes with so much more [responsibility]. I don't know if he was willing to break out of his personality and be talkative and try to be a leader and try to bring guys together. I think that's kind of what happened here in Brooklyn." (Via Road Trippin’ Show)](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2052408659322311145/amplify_video_thumb/2052408471580995587/img/kLHJf9ImzunNUiJo.jpg)
Michael Porter Jr. on why things didn’t work out for Cam Thomas in Brooklyn and Milwaukee: "There's a lot more to sticking around in the NBA than just [scoring]. For Cam, I think it was a mixture of him being frustrated with a lot of things and also his personality... He doesn't really socialize... He'll say like two words all day, all practice. He doesn't really talk to anybody. I don't think he does it in a way where he's trying to be a bad teammate. I just think that's him. But when it comes to a team being willing to pay you and make you a number one option, it comes with so much more [responsibility]. I don't know if he was willing to break out of his personality and be talkative and try to be a leader and try to bring guys together. I think that's kind of what happened here in Brooklyn." (Via Road Trippin’ Show)
Erik Slater1,083,344 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Michael Porter Jr. on the Nets' 0-5 start and what can change throughout the season: “I think it starts with the point guard spot. We have a lot of rookie point guards who are going to be great in this league for a long time, but they're still rookies... I think the point guard position may be the hardest position in the game, and we have a lot of young guys playing that position. So it's really hard to win when that point guard spot isn't solidified. I think Ben is doing a great job picking things up and I think Egor, but they're still rookies. I don't think as a rookie I was ready to really contribute to winning. So I think it's going to be a work in progress."
Erik Slater2,253,783 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
David Adelman says the Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. trade was "good for everybody": “I thought we used him the right way. I’m sure he would disagree with me completely, which is ok. But we won a lot of games doing it that way. It’s cool to see him have more freedom under Jordi."
Erik Slater1,795,123 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Cam Thomas caught the grenade and said, "No, thank you." Jordi Fernandez subs him out after.
Erik Slater1,382,083 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Josh Minott says Karl-Anthony Towns “doesn’t like physicality” when asked about defending him tonight: “I played with KAT for 2.5 years. I know him like this, and he don’t like physicality. I love KAT, but he don’t like physicality. That’s my boy, too. I hope this angers him.”
Erik Slater1,065,764 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten
Cam Thomas on his decision to accept his qualifying offer: “I’d rather control my situation. As a player, that’s what you want… I’m just here to play my game and keep doing what I was doing. Really just enjoying my 5th year with the team that drafted me… We’ll see what happens, but I’m happy to be here. Happy to play in front of the fans again. I love playing here, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Erik Slater1,821,077 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Asked Michael Porter Jr. about his breakout with the Nets and David Adelman saying the Nuggets used him correctly: “I think whenever you have a team that talented, a championship-caliber team, there's going to be guys that sacrifice. Some of the shots and some of the ways they probably could have used me, we had enough good players to where we could create a good shot in a different way. I didn't need to come off of a screen and be high usage in that way and shoot some of the tough shots that I'm shooting here, which I can make, but over there those may not be considered the most highest percentage compared to what we could get. So, that's with every good team. But it is good to be able to kind of show what I'm capable of and kind of get some of the recognition. It’s tough as a player when you know what you can do and you are asked to do something different and then people criticize you for it. That can be tough. But it's part of the NBA, it's part of being adaptable, and it's part of being on a really good team for a lot of years. You just got to accept your role and do what the coach asks in whatever situation you're in.”
Erik Slater1,236,080 Aufrufe • vor 9 Monaten
Julius Randle on his impressions of Nets training camp thus far: “I'm in my 13th year in the league, and this is the training camp that ranks up there. I'm not going to get ahead of myself, but the first two days, just the structure, how we do things, the attention to detail, the communication within drills. And when we get to the live action, how we're competing, how we're talking, guys diving on the floor, offensive rebound, all those different things, little things that help us win games."
Erik Slater108,502 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Darius Acuff Jr. said he met with the Nets. What would he bring to Brooklyn? "Definitely a superstar point guard. I'll bring a lot of excitement to any city I go.” What does being a superstar mean to him? “A lot of accolades. Being on a winning team. It starts with the PG.”
Erik Slater520,655 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
![Mikel Brown Jr. will remain on a minutes limit on opening night, per Jordi Fernandez. That limit will need to increase above 24 minutes before the rookie can start: “If you play less than 24 minutes, it’s hard to start… We’re not there yet [with Mikel]. I need him to build the right way and impact the game. And as you're building and coming off the bench, I still have the luxury to finish games with him if I need to.”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2111158443491156029/amplify_video_thumb/2111157004651630592/img/WDbEu_oUAOucLREh.jpg)
Mikel Brown Jr. will remain on a minutes limit on opening night, per Jordi Fernandez. That limit will need to increase above 24 minutes before the rookie can start: “If you play less than 24 minutes, it’s hard to start… We’re not there yet [with Mikel]. I need him to build the right way and impact the game. And as you're building and coming off the bench, I still have the luxury to finish games with him if I need to.”
Erik Slater42,962 Aufrufe • vor 14 Tagen
I asked Mikal about his approach given analytics not favoring the mid-range shot in today's NBA: “I know the analytics with the threes and layups, but we’re basketball players at the same time, we work on our games. Sometimes you can’t get to the rim, you just can’t. There’s a lot of other space on the floor that you can get to. And if you work on it enough and you’re confident enough, those can be your layups.”
Erik Slater2,793,520 Aufrufe • vor 3 Jahren
![Mikel Brown Jr. told me he’s met with the Nets three times: “I’ve definitely built a relationship there. Talking constantly with Mr. Marks and Coach Jordi. The biggest thing [Marks] emphasized if I get selected there is building that relationship with Jordi. You gotta have a great connection there. So to be able to pick his brain on a lot of things and learn his system and come in and make an impact right away was big.”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2069111927763038586/amplify_video_thumb/2069111729422811136/img/ZKEkhy4tCdb0sr55.jpg)
Mikel Brown Jr. told me he’s met with the Nets three times: “I’ve definitely built a relationship there. Talking constantly with Mr. Marks and Coach Jordi. The biggest thing [Marks] emphasized if I get selected there is building that relationship with Jordi. You gotta have a great connection there. So to be able to pick his brain on a lot of things and learn his system and come in and make an impact right away was big.”
Erik Slater258,116 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
