The Brooklyn Game – Page 95 of 654 – Nets Basketball, NBA News & Analysis

Lopez, Mozgov

Nets

Stein: Nets asking for two first-round picks in deal for Brook Lopez

By Benny Nadeau

LeBron

Nets force Cavaliers to see the fourth quarter out, but fall 116-108

By Benny Nadeau

VIDEO: LeBron James erupts on Mirza Teletovic after flagrant foul as Teletovic laughs at him

Nets

TBG’s Quest for the Herringbone Contest

By Benny Nadeau

Korver

Nets

First place Cavaliers take on last place Nets

By Adam Hayes

Late game push not enough to cover for third quarter Nets in Indiana

By Justis Doucet

Thaddeus Young

Nets

The Nets look for first win of New Year against the Pacers

By Andrew Hughes

Bridges

Nets’ pick swap continues to fall, but who could they target?

By Benny Nadeau

Atkinson

Nets

Greenberg: Nets are bad, but they’re playing like a playoff team

By Benny Nadeau

Nets welcome back Joe Johnson, but stumble on another fourth quarter hurdle

By Benny Nadeau

1. Joe Johnson (3 seasons, 231 games) Joe Johnson has been close to very good, and for the Brooklyn Nets, that’s enough to be the best. Throughout injuries and moping and 141 wins and low-impact playoff runs and four coaches and general disappointment, Joe has been the main reason that it’s not that bad here. While his stats have been as pedestrian as his name—15.5 points on 43% shooting, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals per game—he has been the closest thing to a superstar the Brooklyn Nets have had for the most cumulative minutes. Deron Williams had a few games, Brook Lopez had a few games, Paul Pierce had his moments, Andray Blatche a few quarters. But Joe Johnson looked the part more often than anyone else. He was the most important player in the Brooklyn Nets' only playoff series win to date, where he beat up on Toronto's young wings like an older brother dominating pool basketball on a summer afternoon. He had the stretch of games in January 2014, starting with the OKC nail-biter that kickstarted Jason Kidd’s redemption run and prevented that second season from becoming too much of a disaster. In general, preventing the Nets from completely falling off has been Joe Jesus' main role. And for the most part, he's succeeded. The Brooklyn Nets are the Large Hadron Collider. I’m not sure what their purpose is, but the people involved claim they are important, and catastrophe always seems imminent. But Joe has been standing by, making sure every decimal point is in the right spot and everyone is wearing their safety goggles. Joe also hit a bunch of clutch shots after arriving in Brooklyn, cementing himself as the guy who kept getting the ball at the end of games. This is surely an anachronistic way to measure achievement (and a fairly nihilistic long-term strategy on the court), but it also says something positive about how the team has perceived Joe's talent and nerves. The guy who keeps getting asked to take the most important shots at the end of games is some sort of superlative, whatever that may be. While not the most advanced way of thinking, this gives Joe some "I know it when I see it" level of superstardom. And with the Brooklyn Nets' lack of actual superstardom, degrees matter. Spiritually, Joe Johnson has been the Nets true mascot—even before the Nets shipped the BrooklyKnight off to the big practice gymnasium in the sky. Coming to the Nets, Joe was couched in a stratospheric contract, six All-Star appearances and the promise of being the second half of a blue chip backcourt. This pedigree positioned him as a gaudy piece of Brooklyn's business model, but Joe ain’t gaudy. Despite his garish contract and any brash claims made by the Nets, Joe has been nothing but an efficient, consistent, blue-collar employee of the Brooklyn franchise. And this has been enough to make him the best player in Brooklyn franchise history. -Andrew Gnerre

Nets

Joe Johnson returns to Brooklyn, will receive video tribute tonight

By Jerry Kane

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Nets

New Year’s Resolutions for the Brooklyn Nets in 2017

By The Brooklyn Game

Nets stumble into the New Year with embarrassing loss to Wizards

By Benny Nadeau

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Nets

Happy Birthday, Kenyon Martin!

By Jerry Kane

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Nets get walked off on this time, lose via Jimmy Butler buzzer-beater

By Benny Nadeau

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Nets

Without Jeremy Lin, Nets must move on against the Chicago Bulls

By Michael Gorwtiz

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Randy Foye buzzer-beater wins it for Nets, but they lose Lin to injury again

By Benny Nadeau

News from Around NYC

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Op-Ed | How public-private partnerships can fast-track subway accessibility

NY: State of the Borough Address

A place ‘where everyone belongs’: Brooklyn borough president touts housing, health care gains, highlights vision of equity in State of the Borough

little girl holding an inflatable beach ball that looks like the earth

New York Family

31 Earth Day Events and Activities Across NYC

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Schneps Podcasts

Michael Dowling, CEO emeritus, Northwell Health