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Nets make home preseason debut vs. Bucks

By Brian Fleurantin
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2021 Rookie Photo Shoot Photo by Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images

That looked like a good time. The Brooklyn Nets opened up the preseason with a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers. Brooklyn put on a show as they beat up the Lakers by 26. They’re back on the East Coast and they’ll be here until they hit the road to start the season. And where will they be on Opening Night...

They’ll be paying a visit to the defending champions! We know the Milwaukee Bucks real well around these parts and the champs are looking to fine tune some things as they prepare for their title defense. They started the preseason in Memphis and had their night cut short thanks to a fire alarm issue in Memphis. They lost the game, but they got some good ass Memphis BBQ, so they won the night.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. Tip off after 7:30.

Injuries

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Joe Harris, Blake Griffin, Patty Mills, and James Johnson got Sunday off. They figure to be making their preseason debuts tonight.

Kyrie Irving got Sunday off too, and now that he’s back in New York City, he gets the pleasure of dealing with COVID regulations since he’s unvaccinated and a frustrated team that’s wondering if/when he will be vaccinated. We won’t be seeing him tonight.

It’s preseason and I’m feeling a bit lazy, so here’s all the Bucks that sat on Tuesday

Some of em will be here. Most won’t. It’s the preseason, ya know?

The game

Kyrie Irving said he didn’t want to be a distraction, and from what we hear from the players, it sounds like they’re not distracted by his absence due to his non-vaccinated status. It’s got the fanbase worried as hell and the media is asking Steve Nash about it every day, so things will be reaching an endpoint soon enough. I wrote about the issue at large a few days ago, so give that a spin.

I’m sure we all have a million questions for Giannis Antetokuonmpo, so here he is to answer them!

The Finals MVP is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals, so he’ll be taking it slow as he works back to full strength.

We’ll be saying goodbye to one of the franchise stalwarts. Herb Turetzky is retiring after 54 years with the Nets, dating all the way back to their days in Long Island with the ABA. Living the good life.

Now that Sekou Doumbouya is elsewhere, that clears the rotation up a bit. DeAndre’ Bembry looks to be the big winner and he’ll get some more time to carve his role out. He’s only shot above 30 percent from three once in his five NBA seasons, so Steve Nash and friends won’t be counting on him for that. David Duke Jr. and Kessler Edwards will be battling it out as they try to break through and join the big club once preseason ends next Friday. A few good showings will go a long way for the rookies.

The Nets are holding Practice at the Park on Saturday afternoon at Brooklyn Bridge Park. I’ll be out there so if you see me, pull up and say what’s up.

Nicolas Claxton will get another evening to showcase his skills and make a push for the starting five. He didn’t have the best showing against the Lakers and figures to get some run against our old pal, Brook Lopez. LaMarcus Aldridge looked good in his return to action and figures to be out there for around 15 minutes again. With a shorter turnaround before their next game, we’ll see how the coaching staff manages his minutes.

Player to watch: Cam Thomas

Well alright. The Nets first round pick got off to a groovy start on Sunday as he scored 21 points in 22 minutes on a .500/.333/.857 split. The young boy has been soaking up game from the big three since the start of camp and is someone that will be key to Brooklyn’s present and future. Any time you have a player that can heat up in a hurry, he provides immense value as he’s guaranteed to pull you out of the doldrums if you’re in a slump.

Grayson Allen is one of the new guys in town for the Bucks. Everyone hates him thanks to his time at Duke, but he’s been a solid rotation player in his three pro seasons. For a team like the Bucks, having another scrappy, plus three point shooter will help with spacing and pose trouble for squads like the Nets and Lakers.

From the Vault

It’s playoff time in MLB, which means it’s the perfect time to remember one of the all time great stretches of pitching in baseball history, courtesy of our guy CC Sabathia!

More reading: Brew Hoop

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