HoopsHype.com Rumors

Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries may have to undergo an MRI after experiencing issues with his abdominal muscles, coach Avery Johnson said Monday. "He didn't feel great today," Johnson said. "(Trainer) Tim (Walsh) is gonna send him over to our doctors to get him checked out. He said he feels worse." ESPN.com

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries 

Kris Humphries was summoned into Avery Johnson's office before the Nets' 95-92 win over the 76ers Sunday, and the coach delivered some sobering news to his usual starting power forward. "He just said he was starting Gerald [Wallace] and it was going to be inconsistent for me for a while," Humphries said. "I really didn't know it was going to be a DNP, but you've got to be ready to handle anything in the NBA. "Anybody wants to start and play as much as possible, so you are obviously frustrated. But it's about more than one player." Newsday

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries 

I asked Avery Johnson if he's concerned about losing his job. His long answer: "Let me give some real rocket science right now Bondy. Listen to this: at some point, after I signed on as a coach, when I signed on the dotted line, a couple of things are going to happen at some point: 1, I’m going to get fired, 2. I’m going to resign. 3. I’m going to get re-assigned. One of those three things happens to every head coach in this league. As soon as you sign your name on that dotted line. And a lot of times, one of those three we know what’s going to happen because we’re in control. Two of those three we have no control over. So what we do is we continue to do our jobs. I think the best thing about jobs is when we have adversity, we have setbacks, as a coach we continue to lead with passion. …At the end of the day for every coach, one of those three things are going to happen. So right now, what I’m really concerned about is us playing good basketball. So until ownership tells me otherwise I’m going to continue to do my job." Sulia

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching 

Rod Boone: Avery doesn't seem concerned about his job status. Said he knew when he signed on the dotted line that 1 of 3 things would happen. #Nets Twitter @rodboone

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching 

Rod Boone: Avery said he knew when he took job that either: "One, I’m going to get fired. Two, I’m going to resign. Three, I’m going to get re-signed." Twitter @rodboone

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching 

But Kidd, who clashed with Johnson during their short tenure together in Dallas, said Williams’ struggles this season aren’t about play- calling. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the coach,” Kidd said Thursday. “I think it’s just a matter of getting comfortable making shots. Also, he has new teammates. He’s got to get used to a new crew. It’s always a growing period. “He’s a grownup. He’ll figure it out. All things don’t go well right away sometimes. He’s just going through a struggle shooting the ball, but he’s one of the best at what he does, so he’ll work through it.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams 

With the belief in the organization that the Nets have enough talent to be a top team in the East -- straight from the top, straight from Mikhail Prokhorov -- it's easy to see that this will land at Avery Johnson's feet if it doesn't get fixed. The coach always goes before the unhappy star in this sport, and that's especially true with the Nets, whose multi-billion-dollar business plan all hinged on acquiring him from the Jazz against his will and then persuading him to stay. CBSSports.com

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Mikhail Prokhorov 

Playing in Avery Johnson’s isolation-heavy system instead of Sloan’s pick-and-roll attack, the three-time All-Star is shooting a career-worst 38.8 percent this season. Asked if the Nets’ offensive system was better, Williams again didn’t hesitate with a negative answer. “No,’’ Williams said. “It’s just more 1-on-1 isos. I grew up ... in high school, my coach wasn’t one of those guys that just let us just throw out the balls and play. We were a system team. We had a staple of plays that we relied on for good execution. “In college [at Illinois], we ran a motion offense, a lot of cutting, a lot passing, a lot of screening and making the extra passes. I’m used to just movement. So I’m still trying to adjust. It’s been an adjustment for me. But it’s coming along.’’ New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams, Jerry Sloan 

An Eastern Conference scout noted that Johnson never ran the U.C.L.A. sets when he coached in Dallas and that he seemed to be using them now for Williams’s benefit. Williams made his remarks on Monday after Johnson had already spoken to reporters, so the coach was not available to respond. New York Times

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

“Nothing is mechanical,” Johnson said. “He’s had a few balls that’s gone in and out. Nothing’s wrong with his game. Everything is going to be fine.’’ New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

As for Johnson's job security, a person with knowledge of the thinking of Nets' management who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue told USA TODAY Sports there's still faith in Johnson at this early juncture and a feeling in the front office that some peaks and valleys are to be expected. As general manager Billy King has said before, though, the expectation is that the Nets not only make the playoffs but are in a position to make an impact once they get there. USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching 

Although Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans – two of Nets coach Avery Johnson’s best defenders – have already been first warned and then fined $5,000 under the league’s new anti-flopping rules, Johnson isn’t concerned it will impact the way either of them play. “Not at all,” Johnson said when asked if the fines would change the mentality of either player. “I think there was another warning given, and you’re gonna see more warnings with other teams. “We’re not getting picked on. We’re a good defensive team. Unfortunately, two of our guys have gotten fined, but both of our guys have guys that have gotten fined, Reggie and Gerald, it’s not gonna affect their play.” New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Reggie Evans, Referees 

Fair or not, the rap on Avery Johnson in Dallas is he was a type-A control freak, the kind of coach who demanded without compassion, and who could prompt Dirk Nowitzki to describe the tenure as “a little dictatorship.” “I’ve heard that,” Deron Williams says, cracking a smile. “At times, he likes to micro-manage the game.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Deron Williams 

The Brooklyn Nets' Avery Johnson and the Memphis Grizzlies' Lionel Hollins today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in October and November. Johnson led the Nets to an 11-4 (.733) mark in October and November, with the 11 wins tying for the most in the conference (Miami Heat, 11-3; New York Knicks, 11-4). The Nets, off to the best start through 15 games in franchise history, ranked second in the NBA in team scoring defense, holding opponents to 90.4 ppg. The Nets recorded their largest road win (107-68) in franchise history on Nov. 9 against the Orlando Magic. USA Today

Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Coaching, Lionel Hollins 

Rod Boone: Asked Kris Humphries if he's bothered #Celtics called him soft:"Nah, that’s their opinion. Avery Johnson is not calling us soft." Twitter @rodboone

Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries 

On Tuesday, Metta World Peace described for reporters (including Janis Carr of the Orange County Register) his role definition in the Los Angeles Lakers' system under new head coach Mike D'Antoni: "The coach said, 'Go do you.' I said, 'OK, no problem. That's not hard.'" So it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, then, when World Peace followed up a big fourth-quarter corner 3-pointer that drew his Lakers within one basket of the visiting Brooklyn Nets by offering Brooklyn head coach Avery Johnson — all 5 feet, 10 inches, and (we're guessing) roughly 185 pounds of homespun rambunction — a nice, playful ol' head rub on his way back down the court. That is, after all, a pretty Ron-Ron thing for Ron-Ron to do. Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Metta World Peace 

“The funny thing is, I wish he would be quiet on the floor and not call out your plays,” the Nets coach said in a bemused and complimentary tone Thursday morning prior to his team’s nationally-televised contest against KG’s Celtics. “He’s seen so much. We’ll call a play and he’ll say, ‘Joe is going over here and Deron is going here.’ It’s not funny anymore, OK? “As much as (Rajon) Rondo quarterbacks their offense, (KG) quarterbacks their defense. … I like every now and then when we’ll surprise him with something, and then maybe he’ll look at the bench and curse the other coaches out, not me.” ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Kevin Garnett 

Brooklyn Nets coach Avery Johnson was talking about practice. And he was talking about Nets center Brook Lopez. "He's had to raise the level of his practice habits because of the competition," Johnson said, referring to 2012-13 Nets additions Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche. It was a polite, non-inflammatory way of saying Lopez's practice habits in previous seasons were not what the Nets sought. "We want him to be a presence inside," Johnson said. USA Today

Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans, Brook Lopez 

In preseason Nets were talking titles and being best team in NYC. Now, this from Avery after 30-point loss to Heat: "Nobody said we're on Miami's level. Nobody ever said it," said coach Avery Johnson, either ignoring or unaware that Joe Johnson said the Nets can beat the Heat to win a title this season. "We're definitely not there after three games in the regular season. ...So we're not there yet. Sulia

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Joe Johnson 

Helping erase a 22-point deficit, the former All-Star helped complete a stunning second-half comeback with an all-around performance that was classic Kirilenko, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, as the undermanned Timberwolves won, 107-96. “Oh, he definitely was on our list. Oh, yeah,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said before the game. “That guy, with a skill set like that? I’ve always been a fan. He plays hard, he plays defense, he dives on the floor, he blocks shots, he goes back door, he’s improved his shot. ... When he was in Utah, I thought he was awfully good when he was healthy, so there was some discussion.” New York Post

Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Avery Johnson, Andrei Kirilenko