NOTHING WAS THE SAME: The Return of Derek Baldwin (2023-2027)

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

NBA|CROSSOVER
Year of the Big Man in Brooklyn


Brooklyn's Nate Matthews (r) and Shareef O'Neal (l) have quickly come together to form one of the most dynamic post game duos in the NBA today

By MIKE MAZZEO April 11, 2026

SHAREEF O'NEAL JOINS AN ELITE GROUP OF PLAYERS, two of his teammates and his coach included, as he is announced this year’s MVP. He averaged a double-double this season with 17.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He led the league in rebounding for most of the season.

“He was nothing short of spectacular,” commented Derek Baldwin. Baldwin would like to attribute O’Neal’s successful season to having his own rookie to mentor, the league’s Rookie of the Year, Nate Matthews.

“It definitely made me step my game up,” said O’Neal. “I couldn’t let the new guy outperform me. We pushed each other all season.”

They pushed each other so hard in fact, that Matthews was also on the short list for MVP this season. He finished second in voting behind his teammate.

“I mean, I finished second last year behind Keith [Perkins] so maybe it’ll be Nate’s turn next year.”

O’Neal’s father, Hall of Fame center, Shaquille O’Neal was named Rookie of the Year in 1993 and won the MVP in 2000. Shareef is now two for three matching his father’s accolades. The only thing missing is an NBA Finals trophy. O’Neal won his first championship with the Los Angeles Lakers the same year he was named MVP. How closely will Shareef follow in his father’s footsteps?

“I try to carve out my own path, but if this season ends for me, the same way it ended for him, I wouldn’t be upset about that at all.

Nate Matthews isn’t bent out of shape by losing out on MVP as he received Rookie of the Year honors. It was a close race between himself and Washington’s Michael Wong. The two players were constantly flip flopping at the top of the list all season long.

“This is crazy. I just want to thank my teammates for helping me to be the best player that I can be. I want to thank the coaching staff for putting me in a position to be great.”

Matthews was a lottery pick out of LSU. Coming off of an NCAA Tournament championship, he was selected sixth overall by the Dallas Mavericks who then traded him to the Brooklyn Nets.

He and O’Neal have dominated the post all season. He also averaged a double-double in points and rebounds this season. He finished with 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

About a month into the season, O’Neal and Matthews dubbed this season the year of the Big Man.

It looks like they were right.

[chosenone58]

Season Awards

MVP – Shareef O’Neal (BKN)
ROY – Nate Matthews (BKN)
DPOY – Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
6MOY – Danilo Gallinari (LAC)
MIP – Frank Kaminsky (MEM)
COY – Kobe Bryant (BKN)

All-NBA First Team
Russell Westbrook, G (Utah Jazz)
Lamar Hardin, G (Golden State Warriors)
Shareef O'Neal, F (Brooklyn Nets)
Ben Simmons, F (Toronto Raptors)
Nate Matthews, C (Brooklyn Nets)

All-NBA Second Team
Keith Perkins, G (Brooklyn Nets)
Spencer Meyers, G (Dallas Mavericks)
Kristaps Porzingas, F (New York Knicks)
Jabari Parker, F (Milwaukee Bucks)
Michael Wong, C (Washington Wizards)

All-NBA Third Team
Kyrie Irving, G (Cleveland Cavaliers)
D'Angelo Russell, G (Los Angeles Lakers)
Anthony Davis, F (New Orleans Pelicans)
Aaron Wennington, F (Phoenix Suns)
Karl-Anthony Towns, C (Minnesota Timberwolves)

All-Defensive First Team
Lamar Hardin, G (Golden State Warriors)
Rashad O’Connor, G (Toronto Raptors)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F (Milwaukee Bucks)
Kawhi Leonard, F (LA Lakers)
Nate Matthews, C (Brooklyn Nets)

All-Defensive Second Team
Russell Westbrook, G (Utah Jazz)
Albert Patrick, G (Chicago Bulls)
Shareef O'Neal, F (Brooklyn Nets)
Anthony Davis, F (New Orleans Pelicans)
Artie Stokes, C (Memphis Grizzlies)

All-Rookie First Team
Michael Wong, C (Washington Wizards)
Nate Matthews, C (Brooklyn Nets)
Darryl Williams, G (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Darren Williams, G (Golden State Warriors)
Dante Gibbs, G (Orlando Magic)

All-Rookie Second Team
Adam Demps, G (Brooklyn Nets)
Devin Law, F (Charlotte Hornets)
Tony Peters, G (Indiana Pacers)
Alexey Purdue, C (Sacramento Kings)
Victor Sykes, G (Los Angeles Clippers)

[chosenone58]

NBA|CROSSOVER
Best of the Best: Brooklyn finishes this season
with a record setting 73 wins


The Brooklyn Nets went from being on the brink of collapse in December to finishing head and shoulders above the competition, ending the season with a 19-game win streak

By JENNA GREENE April 14, 2026

IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE THE CHICAGO BULLS SET THE RECORD for most wins in a season with 72. The only team to ever come close to that number was the Dallas Mavericks, who won 67 games during the 2006-07 season.Followed by the Brooklyn Nets last season, finishing with 65 wins.

“It’s an amazing feat,” commented Derek Baldwin. Baldwin was brought in around the middle of the season and the Nets have only loss three games since he joined the team. “I want them to enjoy it, I’m going to enjoy it. But we still have one more piece of the puzzle if we want to really make our mark. We have 16 more wins to get.”

This was no easy task for the Brooklyn Nets, especially as it neared the end of the season, where they would go on a 19 game winning streak to finish the season. This is the longest win streak in Nets franchise history, breaking the streak of 14 straight wins set by the then New Jersey Nets in 2003.

“Everybody was gunning for us,” said Keith Perkins. “Nobody wanted to see us take that record. It was especially tough because two of our last four games were against Chicago.”

As much as Derek Baldwin has insisted that the season not be about him, but about the team, it’s hard not to bring his name up once or twice when you’re discussing the greatness that has elevated the Brooklyn Nets to the next level.

There were quite a few skeptics when Baldwin was signed to a one year contract. A few people were wondering what a man nearing his 40’s was going to do for a young team like the Nets beside provide veteran leadership in the locker room.

“Nobody thought he could do it, except for us,” said Paul George, a veteran in his own right. “He was basically our best kept secret.”

The Nets definitely turned heads with what was seen as more than just a power move to intimidate teams. Coaches and teams thought he was just there to be a distraction, but Baldwin proved his worth every night. He finished the season averaging 18 points per game, leading his team in scoring. And of course that may not sound like much, especially with guys like Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook averaging 25.6 and 24.4 points per game, respectively. But what most people don’t notice is that the Nets entire starting five averaged points in double figures this season.

“We are a unit and we play as such,” said this year’s MVP Shareef O’Neal. O’Neal and teammate Keith Perkins both averaged 17.3 points per game this season. “Everybody is playing at the same frequency. It’s beautiful. I hope it never ends. Derek and Coach Bryant have shifted the culture around here.”

The winds are definitely changing for the Nets. Hopefully, it can blow them all the way into the playoffs.

[The JZA]

Good shit finishing the season with 73 wins. NOW... You know the icing this 73-layered cake needs.

[chosenone58]

Good shit finishing the season with 73 wins. NOW... You know the icing this 73-layered cake needs.

Yeah, we can't fuck around like that one team did in the real world.....

[djp73]

DAT SZN DOE!!

gotta finish it now!

[chosenone58]

DAT SZN DOE!!

gotta finish it now!

We are in it to win it. Went our first two seasons losing out in the ECF. Not happening again.

[chosenone58]

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