Nets finally start LaMarcus Aldridge over Blake Griffin
The Nets have moved LaMarcus Aldridge into the starting lineup in place of Blake Griffin.
And it’s about time.
Aldridge has by far been the best big man in Brooklyn and has been a steady scoring force for the Nets off the bench. He is averaging 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game off the bench and will be an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year — if he finds his way back to a bench role.
That is unlikely, however, if Griffin continues to struggle. While he leads the NBA in total charges drawn (12), he has struggled to leave an impact on games in other ways. The six-time All-Star is shooting just 16% from downtown and 31% from the field altogether, on pace for the worst NBA season of his career by far.
At shootaround ahead of the Nets’ matchup against the Celtics on Wednesday, Nash suggested he would remain flexible with his lineups.
“It’s one of those things that I think we’ve got to stay flexible much like last year when we changed lineups very often,” he said. “That’s something that we have to be open to and just be able to do what’s best for the team on any given night.”
Aldridge’s insertion into the starting lineup could also mean more minutes on the way for rookie Cam Thomas. With Patty Mills starting in place of the injured Joe Harris and DeAndre’ Bembry starting in place of the injured Bruce Brown, moving Aldridge into the starting lineup depletes Brooklyn’s second unit.
Unless, of course, that means a more prominent role for Thomas, who is coming off a breakout game with 11 points in 12 minutes against the Cavaliers. Nash said Thomas’ performance earned the rookie more trust in the coach’s book.
“Sure, I think this is a process for a young player that is not easy,” Nash said, “So I was really proud of him for having an impact on the game the way he did, for staying focused on the details. So he earned some minutes there, and at the same time, you don’t want to lose sight of the long-term goal and the process of him reaching his potential.
“That’s No. 1 and then his impact on our team is something that probably is going to be up and down throughout the year. For young players, it’s normally that way. But he definitely took some strides in that last game.”
SHOTS FIRED
Shots fired, and not the type on the basketball court.
Ex-Knicks and current Celtics Turkish big man Enes Kanter launched a direct attack at Nets owner Joe Tsai on social media on Wednesday. It is one of the most outspoken and negative public comments a player has made of another team owner in NBA history.
“The owner of the @BrooklynNets @JoeTsai1999 is a coward and a puppet of the Chinese gov’t,” Kanter tweeted around noon on Wednesday, ahead of the Nets’ matchup against the Celtics. “Being anti-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) does NOT mean being anti-Asian. It’s possible to #StopAsianHate & to stand up against the CCP. Human rights are not ‘western’ values, they are UNIVERSAL values.”
Kanter concluded his tweet with: “Spineless Joe Tsai.”
The Nets, Tsai and BSE Global declined to comment.
This isn’t the first time Kanter has launched a verbal attack at an NBA fixture. He recently criticized LeBron James for his ties to the Nike LeBron line of sneakers being manufactured in China.
“Money over Morals for the ‘King,’ Kanter tweeted on Nov. 18 before his Celtics played the Lakers. “Sad & disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do ‘shut up & dribble’ when Big Boss says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
It’s unclear whether Kanter will face disciplinary action from the NBA for publicly criticizing a team owner.
