Anthony Bennett is hoping to salvage his NBA career with the Nets this season. In an interview with Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders, Bennett addressed his individual goals for the season, telling the scribe, “I just want to come in and become a part of the Nets family. My work ethic is something that I want to speak for itself. I want to show my ability to lead by example, a skill I got through playing with Team Canada. This year, one of my goals is to have fun with the game again. And I want to represent the city of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Nets the best I can on and off the court.”
In response to a question about why he believed Brooklyn would be a good fit for him, Bennett told Maroney, “Our mix of youth and experience is something that makes us unique. We have good chemistry, everybody seems to be unselfish and is playing the game the right way. I just want to fit in the best I can with the team, starting with my defense and rebounding. My offensive game will be an extension of those things.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony was reportedly never a fan of Jeremy Lin‘s when the two were teammates. When asked about Lin potentially becoming the face of the Nets franchise, ‘Melo may have taken a veiled shot at the point guard, Ian Begley of ESPN.com writes. “What do I think about it? … He is the face of that franchise, believe it or not. He came up, they paid him and now the ball is in his hands,” Anthony said. “So now he’s one of the franchise players over there. What do you want me to say about that? I’m happy for him, excited for him to see how it’s going to work out, turn out over there.” The wording in question is the “believe it or not” portion of the statement, Begley adds. It should be noted that during the same interview, Anthony said that he’d love to have Line back with the Knicks.
- Given the current economics around the NBA, it should come as no surprise that Kyle Lowry intends to opt out of his deal with the Raptors at season’s end, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The scribe also classifies the point guard as a “young 30-years-old,” given that he was a reserve for a large portion of his career.
- Avery Bradley has made his name in the NBA as a tenacious defender, but the Celtics guard wants to change the perception that he’s limited offensively, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. “I want people to see me as a two-way player,” said Bradley. “A defensive player and an offensive player. It’s fun, man. That’s what the game is supposed to be about: always wanting to get better, be the best you can be. I hold myself to that every single summer, every single year. I’m just trying to improve. I love the game of basketball so much. I have a lot of goals for myself. I want to make sure I compete every single day.“