Mike

James

James, who played 13 games for the Nets at the end of the 2020-21 season, led AS Monaco to heights the club had never reached in 2021-22. Averaging 16.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, James led Monaco to its first-ever EuroLeague playoff appearance. His contract with the club runs through June 2024.

Anyone doubting Blake Griffin’s heart and hustle before tonight should probably send their apologies as soon as possible, as Blake’s flurry of hustle plays and fight was a big reason for the Nets’ victory tonight. His four 3-pointers were almost as many as the Bucks’ six as a team, and he’s clearly getting more long-distance shots already after not making a single triple in the five games against the Celtics in the first round. If Blake continues to play at a level anywhere close to this, no one is beating the Nets even without James Harden (hamstring), and the rest of the league should be frightened. Joe Harris helped the matter with 19 points and five triples, while Mike James got some extra minutes off the bench to finish with 12 points, seven boards and three assists in 30 big minutes.

James, who finished last season with the Nets after a stellar season with CSKA Moscow, has reportedly found a new home. James is headed to Monaco, where he’ll play in France’s top professional league and the EuroLeague (AS Monaco’s first-ever appearance in that competition). This news comes five days after James opted out of his contract with CSKA Moscow by mutual consent.

James averaged 19.3 points and 5.7 assists in 27 Euroleague games with CSKA, before heading back to the States. He finished the season in Brooklyn, where he averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 dimes for the Nets over 13 appearances. He had originally agreed to a deal to return to Russia but is now an unrestricted free agent once again.

A signing on any of these guys is not imminent, and the Lakers could elect to bring in more guys at training camp before they commit to filling one of these final slots, but they are reportedly looking for a PG and a wing. Collison hasn’t played since 2019, and while he considered a return in 2020, he ultimately decided against it, so it’s a bit surprising to see him called in for a workout. James seems the most NBA-ready, as he played well for Brooklyn this past season, but none of these guys would have fantasy value in L.A.

This news certainly not shocking, considering the Nets announced Monday that an MRI confirmed Irving was dealing with a sprained right ankle and was ruled out of Game 5. However, it’s disheartening for Nets fans, as Brooklyn will have their hands full beating a healthy Bucks squad without the uber-talented Irving. Fortunately for the Nets, James Harden (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable and reportedly plans to play Tuesday night vs. Milwaukee.

Kevin Durant is going to be asked to shoulder quite a heavy load on offense tomorrow night, and we might see Mike James get the spot start with more minutes falling to guys like Landry Shamet and Bruce Brown. Steve Nash said that he’s not going to rush James Harden (hamstring) back just because Irving is missing in action, but there’s no denying that these two injuries have put Brooklyn in trouble, and Nash also acknowledged he has “no idea” if Irving will be able to return for this series. We might see a historic performance from KD on Tuesday.

X-rays were negative and he’ll likely have an MRI once the team is back home in Brooklyn. Regardless of what the MRI says, it’s hard to imagine seeing Irving being healthy enough to play in Tuesday’s Game 5 and his entire playoffs are likely in jeopardy. Mike James and Bruce Brown are going to have to step up in Game 5, especially if James Harden can’t go.

Irving couldn’t put much pressure on his right leg as he limped back to the locker room, so it’s not surprising to see him ruled out for the remainder of the game, and it was Mike James who started the second half with Irving unavailable. If Kyrie needs to skip Game 5 on Tuesday, then Kevin Durant will be asked to shoulder a heavy load on offense while guys like James, Landry Shamet and Bruce Brown will be asked to step up. Stay tuned.

This is a brutal blow for Brooklyn and this just means that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will have to do some more heavy lifting, but no one can say quite yet if Harden’s absence will be longer than just this game. Even worse, this was the same hamstring that kept Harden out for much of the second half of the regular season, so maybe it lingered even longer than expected (as hamstrings tend to do). Per Jared Greenberg on the TNT broadcast, The Beard left the arena immediately to get an MRI on the hamstring as well. Mike James entered the game for him and may get more run than expected.