EAST RUTHERFORD — The Giants continued to tweak their practice squad on Thursday, adding a defensive back to shore up their sudden depth concerns at cornerback with Prince Amukamara injured.

The Giants added cornerback Brandon McGee, who was drafted by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and offensive lineman Xavier Proctor. To make room for McGee and Proctor, the Giants released offensive lineman Adam Gettis and tight end Dominique Jones.

McGee, a Miami product, has played in 17 regular season games in his career, all for St. Louis. He played in 15 games in 2013, then missed most of last season with a foot injury. He was briefly on the Rams' active roster this season, as well as their practice squad.


(nj.com)

The Broncos on Wednesday announced they waived tight end Mitchell Henry and signed Richard Gordon to their active roster.

Gordon, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound tight end out of the University of Miami, was drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round (No. 181) in 2011. After two seasons in Oakland, Gordon jumped to the Steelers then Titans before landing with the Chiefs in March as an unrestricted free agent.

In 34 career games, he has recorded 14 yards on four receptions with one touchdown.

In addition to playing tight end, he has also played fullback and special teams, recording 18 career tackles.

The transaction comes less than a week after Henry, a waiver claim from Green Bay, was kept over veteran tight end/fullback James Casey when the Broncos had to clear a roster spot for defensive end Derek Wolfe. The move appeared to signal the Broncos' appreciation for Henry, a player they had hoped to sign as a college free agent following the 2015 draft.

Coach Gary Kubiak has long been fond of versatile tight ends, but the Broncos' offensive struggles this season have extended to the group; Owen Daniels, a 10th-year veteran, is 12-of-26 on targets this season (he was 0-for-5 at Oakland) for 61 yards and two touchdowns.


(denverpost.com)

This is the hostile, vitriolic place that can make knees knock and legs turn to jelly, especially if you wear a Giants uniform. Even before you enter this bubbling cauldron of venom, fans of the Brotherly Love Eagles have been known to hurl eggs and invective at your team bus.

The meek have no chance to inherit the earth inside the Linc, especially on a Monday night.

Only the strong survive these riotous blood-and-guts brawls.

It is right in Ereck Flowers’ wheelhouse.

It helps being a 6-foot-6, 329-pound aircraft carrier, yes. But this isn’t a rookie who scares easy. If at all.

This is a baby-faced assassin with a mean streak.

Linebacker Devon Kennard was a rookie out of USC last season, and he wasn’t fazed by the Linc.

“The fans are rowdy, and they’re not nice, and they don’t like us,” Kennard said with a smile. “So it’s just a fun place to play. It kind of reminds me of a college feel.”
Kennard said he thinks Flowers will blossom in such an environment

“I think he’ll thrive,” Kennard said. “Ereck’s a competitor. He’s a beast. He has all the ability in the world, and the tenacity to go with it.

“I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Right tackle Marshall Newhouse depicts young Flowers as an even-keeled Terminator.

“Just him wanting to finish guys,” Newhouse said. “Him wanting to be a jerk out there. That’s what being a lineman in the NFL’s about, at the end of the day. So just having that physicality about him and that finish mentality, he’s got it, for sure.”

Center Weston Richburg was a rookie at the Linc last October.

“Pretty hostile,” Richburg said. “It wasn’t anybody kind of trying to harm us or anything, but you’re getting flipped the bird. But that’s expected. It’s a pretty intense divisional rivalry.”


(nypost.com)

BEREA, Ohio -- Duke Johnson stood in front of his locker on Thursday after practice, his green Incredible Hulk winter hat belying his calm demeanor. The rookie running back has started to show the promise of the player the Browns drafted in the third round back in May, catching 21 passes in the last three games for 172 yards and a score.

"I'm trying," Johnson said when asked about finding his stride. "I'm trying. It's a long season. Longer than I'm used to. I'm just trying to do it consistently and do it game in and game out."

Johnson was drafted to give the Browns something they lacked much of last season -- a playmaking back to catch the football out of the backfield. He's been that and more on a team that, coming into this season, was thought to be lacking in offensive weapons.

Johnson was slowed by a hamstring injury suffered on the third day of training camp. He missed the team's first two preseason games and suffered a concussion in the third preseason game in Tampa Bay. Still, he's been able to avoid the woes that some rookies suffer who miss those valuable reps.

"At the end of the day, it's football," Johnson said, "and as long as you prepare yourself the right way -- you miss training camp, but as long as you prepare, make sure you know what you're doing, when you get there you should be able to do fine."

In the end, Johnson said, others' expectations aren't important to him.

"My expectations are a lot higher than anyone can have for me," Johnson said. "As long as I live up to my expectations I'm fine."

What are his expectations?

"Go out there and play the best I can play for that one play," Johnson said. "Take it one play at a time."


(cleveland.com)

Lamar Miller says Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell is placing a renewed emphasis on the running game.

Miami ranks dead last in rushing attempts per game. "(Campbell) pretty much told the whole team that we have to run the ball and stop the run," Miller said. "That’s something that we emphasized, and something we want to get going." The Dolphins have zero rushing touchdowns through four games. Averaging just 3.5 yards per carry after posting a 5.1 clip last season, Miller promises to be "more decisive running the ball" coming out of Miami's bye week.


(rotoworld.com)

Everything the Colts did in the offseason was designed to help them beat the Patriots. That's why this week's AFC Championship rematch (8:30 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC) is so important to the franchise.

The Colts, who allowed 423 rushing yards in two games against the Patriots last season, were also alarmed by their play on the offensive side of the ball. And that, according to multiple sources, affected their strategy in free agency and in the draft.

The Colts were hoping former Missouri linebacker Shane Ray would be available when they selected 29th in the draft, sources say. But the Denver Broncos nabbed him at No. 23 overall, and that shifted the Colts' priority to finding a receiver who could take the top off a defense. In both the AFC championship game and their November game against New England, No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton was largely held in check.

"They took T.Y. out of the game by pressing him and having someone over the top," one source familiar with the team said. "When they shut him down, it messed with the entire complexion of the offense."

Indianapolis hoped drafting wideout Phillip Dorsett in the first round would force defenses to choose which deep threat they needed to double-team. Though Dorsett has taken some time to get acclimated to the offense, he has flashed big-play potential in the three games he has played with quarterback Andrew Luck.

"T.Y. makes plays, and if they are focusing on him, that's why you haveAndre Johnson and Donte Moncrief and Phil (Dorsett) and Griff (Whalen) and the tight ends," Luck told reporters this week. "There are a whole bunch of weapons in this locker room. I'm sure they'll have a plan."

Luck (shoulder) told reporters that he practiced "without limitations" on Monday and said it's very likely he'll suit up Sunday after missing the last two games.


(foxsports.com)

Never had a chance to meet him but in their eyes he's the best to ever do it! Glad I could share this moment w them #seantaylor #21 #g.o.a.t 👏🏾🙌🏾

A photo posted by CP (@clintonportis) on Oct 10, 2015 at 2:36pm PDT

DAVIE, Fla. -- A lot of players are currently struggling on the 1-3 Miami Dolphins, and starting defensive end Olivier Vernon certainly is among them.

Vernon was expected to post big numbers in 2015. The combination of playing in a contract year and the addition of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was expected to equal major success for Vernon this season. However, Vernon is having one of the slowest starts of his career through the first quarter of the season.

After four games, Vernon has zero sacks and just four tackles. Miami’s starting defensive end is averaging just one tackle per game and hasn’t done much to help stop the run. The Dolphins are ranked dead last in the NFL, allowing an astounding 160.5 rushing yards per game.

This week Vernon summed up his slow start in four words.

“I gotta do better,” Vernon said.

Vernon’s play is indicative of an entire Dolphins defensive line that began with high expectations and has underachieved so far. The starting four of Vernon, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell and Pro Bowlers Cameron Wake and Suh have been held without a sack. Rookie backup Jordan Phillips is the only defensive linemen to register a sack for the Dolphins this season.

Miami’s defensive line is arguably the deepest and most talented group on the roster, and the defense will go only as far as this unit can carry it this season.
“We got a lot of guys that take this serious,” Vernon said. “It just hasn’t shown up on Sunday.”

The struggles of the defense and defensive line, in part, led to major changes on the coaching staff. The Dolphins fired head coach Joe Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle last week.

Miami promoted Dan Campbell to interim head coach to try to provide a spark. Campbell isn’t expected to make wholesale changes but plans to make important tweaks to the defense that will make the group more aggressive.

According to Vernon, players are buying into Campbell’s approach. The Dolphins travel to face the Tennessee Titans (1-3) Sunday in Campbell’s head-coaching debut.

“As a former player, he understands how it is, especially during the season when things get tough,” Vernon said. “From Dan’s standpoint, he’s played in a lot of games. So he knows how things are sometimes if you start 1-3 or 4-0. He’s seen a lot and he’s won a lot of games.”


(espn.com)

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal (shoulder) is in the lineup Thursday for Game 5 against the Mets.

Grandal wasn't able to start in Game 4 as he was dealing with a minor shoulder injury, however with the season on the line it looks like the 26-year-old will get the start against the Mets on Thursday. He will hit sixth in the order and take over behind the plate.



(cbssports.com)

FOUR #‎proCane TDs were scored in Week 5 of the NFL!

#‎Jags WR Allen Hurns (1), #‎Colts WR Andre Johnson (2), #Colts RB Frank Gore (1)

Andre Johnson’s TD on Thursday night extended the streak to 11 straight weeks a #proCane has scored a TD in the #‎NFL.

When the New England Patriots take the field against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, they'll be focused on two savvy veterans. Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton are two of the team's biggest playmakers on offense, but Bill Belichick wants to make sure Frank Gore and Andre Johnson don't break loose.

"I think that Gore’s really looked good," Belichick told reporters Tuesday. "There are a lot of great examples of him running the ball downhill, breaking tackles and getting positive plays. Johnson had a big game last week against Houston, but both those guys, it looks like they are still productive, and we’re going to have to deal with the size and physicality and experience of both of them."

Gore and Johnson haven't had the best seasons thus far, but there's no doubting their ability to make an impact. Gore has averaged 4.3 yards per carry this season, while Johnson has just 128 yards receiving in five games. However, Johnson burned the Houston Texans for six catches, 77 yards, and two touchdowns in Week 5.

The Patriots are likely to face Luck this week rather than Matt Hasselbeck, who's started the past two games for the Colts. Belichick understands that it could have an impact on how often Johnson and Gore get the ball, but he's preparing for everything possible.

"It’s always hard to tell what somebody else’s game plan is," Belichick said. "Something is working, and they were getting the ball to Johnson, you keep doing it. How much of that was Hasselbeck related, game plan related, or just how the game unfolded? I’m not sure, but we have to be ready for all of them, and those two guys are certainly two players I personally have a lot of respect for, the kind of careers that they’ve had, but they’re playing very well now and we’re going to have to do a good job to control them."

Sunday's matchup has huge implications, not only for this season, but from last season as well. It was the AFC Championship game against the Colts that started the Deflategate saga, and it's the first meeting between the two teams since then.


(foxsports.com)

No one thought that Jimmy Graham’s role in the Seattle offense would be an exact replica of his role with the Saints, but it’s probably safe to say that most people thought he’d be playing a different role than he’s played through the first five weeks of the season.

Graham has 21 catches for 204 yards on the year and has been targeted just 27 times, including five times in last Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. None of those targets came in the final quarter-plus when the Seahawks were trying to hold off a Bengals comeback in regulation or when they were trying to win the game in overtime, which Seahawks coach Pete Carroll addressed by saying the team could “use more” from Graham.

“We’d love to get more,” Carroll said, via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. “We’d love to get more from everybody. I’d love to get the ball in his hands more. He did well in this game, but we could use more. We only completed 15 passes in this game, so we need to get more activity out of him, just like we need to get more out of the other guys too. But he’s working hard at it.”

A breakdown of Graham’s role in the offense shows that he’s lining up as an in-line tight end and going out for passes far less often than he was with New Orleans. That was expected, but he’s also being targeted less often than he was with the Saints and that’s a little harder to figure after weakening their offensive line and giving up a first-round pick to add Graham and his salary to the roster.

While it’s understandable that the Seahawks would love get more from Graham, they probably have to give a little more if they’re going to get it.


(profootballtalk.com)

Falcons wide receiver Leonard Hankerson (ribs) was limited at Tuesday's practice, Vaughn McClure of ESPN reports.

Hankerson was also limited Monday after briefly departing Sunday's game with the rib issue. He ended up with only one catch for 13 yards on the day, and at this point it looks as though he could be at less than 100 percent with the Falcons playing Thursday night on a short week.




(cbssports.com)

Former major leaguer and current ESPN analyst Alex Cora is interviewing for the San Diego Padres manager's position, CBS MLB Insider Jon Heyman reports.

Cora, who turns 40 in a few days, played in the majors as an infielder from 1998 to 2011 with six teams, most notably with the Dodgers and Red Sox -- with whom he helped win a World Series in 2007. He has worked in TV as an MLB analyst since 2013, but has no professional coaching experience. Similar so-called gaps in experience have not stopped others from getting MLB jobs as managers.

It's also been reported that Cora, the younger brother of former major leaguer and White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, is a candidate for openings with the Nationals and Marlins. Despite a lack of coaching experience, Cora was respected as a player, and seen at the time as a possible future manager. He's also from Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish. With the firing of Lloyd McClendon from the Mariners, the only ethnic minority who also manages in MLB is Fredi Gonzalez of the Braves.

Heyman says Cora is seen these days by the industry as "a very good" managerial prospect.

The Padres dismissed interim manager Pat Murphy after the 2015 season, when the Padres went finished a disappointing 74-88 following an offseason makeover by new general manager A.J. Preller. Murphy had taken over in June for Bud Black, who had managed the club for eight-plus seasons.

Other candidates for the Padres job who reportedly have or will interview include former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and Pirates coach Rick Sofield. Gardenhire also is seen as a candidate for the Nationals job, recently vacated by the firing of Matt Williams.


(cbssports.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Right fielder Ryan Braun has been named the Milwaukee Brewers Most Valuable Player by the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Braun received seven first-place votes in the balloting announced Tuesday. Braun batted .285 with 25 home runs, 84 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 140 games, and was selected for his sixth All-Star Game. It's the third time Braun has won the MVP award.

Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez was voted Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher, earning all seven first-place votes. Rodriguez went 1-3 with a 2.21 ERA and 38 saves in 60 appearances, and was named to his sixth All-Star Game.

First baseman Adam Lind earned Brewers Top Newcomer, Jeremy Jeffress won Brewers Unsung Hero honors and Jonathan Lucroy won his third consecutive Good Guy Award.


(usatoday.com)

Allen Hurns secured 5-of-6 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville's Week 5 loss to the Bucs.

Hurns did most of damage in the middle of the field, scoring on 12-yard slant for Jacksonville's first touchdown. He added a 59-yard catch over Bucs CB Tim Jennings on the final drive. Hurns played the entire game and wasn't limited by his ankle injury. He has at least 70 yards and a touchdown in three straight games. Hurns will remain a WR3 for Week 6.


(rotoworld.com)

Browns emerging wide receiver Travis Benjamin snagged six passes for 83 yards off 12 targets in an overtime win over the Ravens on Sunday.

Benjamin leads the team in targets, yards and touchdowns through five weeks - racking up 32 targets over the past three weeks. Though he is being incorporated more and more in Cleveland's offense with McCown under center, it is worth mentioning that three of his four touchdown receptions came from the arm of Johnny Manziel and the speedy Benjamin has not been used as much of a deep threat with McCown.

His next shot at adding to his impressive numbers is Week 6 against Denver.


(cbssports.com)

Duke Johnson managed 22 yards on nine carries, but secured 6-of-8 targets for 55 yards in the Browns' Week 5 win over the Ravens.

Johnson and early-down back Isaiah Crowell each handled 15 touches in this one. The Browns continue to utilize Johnson in creative ways to get him in space one-on-one against linebackers, and he's rewarded them with six receptions or more in three straight games. Johnson is an every-week PPR asset heading into Week 6, even against a stout Broncos defense.


(rotoworld.com)

Alongside rumours of the Eagles working out Bradley Fletcher today, the birds are said to be working out free tight end Richard Gordon, who was recently released from the Chiefs following an injury reserve placement in the off-season a few weeks ago.

TE Richard Gordon is set to workout for the #Eagles on Monday, per source. Used to play for Chiefs, great blocker.

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) October 12, 2015

Gordon was drafted by the raiders in the sixth round of the 2011 draft and has since had spells with the Steelers, Titans and most recently the Chiefs this Off-season. The 28 year old free agent has 34 appearances with five starts to his name and a touchdown with the Raiders in his second season. Gordon also caught four passes for 14 yards in his career so far.

At 6-4, 269 pounds, he certainly has the Chip Kelly prototype physique, but we can’t really see a spot opening up anytime soon. With Ertz and Celek enjoying their highest target rate of the season last week and a physical Trey Burton waiting in the wings, this may just be for scouting purposes but will be interesting to see where the tryout goes.


(phillysportsnetwork.com)

Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham had three catches on five targets for 30 yards Sunday against the Bengals.

The Seahawks' offensive line continues to struggle, which doesn't give Graham much time to get open on plays when he's running routes. He scored touchdowns in Weeks 1 and 3, but he's failed to reach even 35 passing yards in the other three games. He continues to have elite receiving skills, but quarterback Russell Wilson spreads the ball around enough that it makes it very tough to project when Graham could break out. Up next is a Week 6 home game against Carolina.


(cbssports.com)

Jon Beason update: Coughlin sounded optimistic about linebacker Jon Beason, who left Sunday's game with a concussion. "He seemed to be in pretty good spirits and pretty good shape this morning," Coughlin said. 




(nj.com)

Leonard Hankerson was held to one catch for 13 yards on four targets in the Falcons' Week 5 win over the Redskins.

No "revenge game" here, as Hankerson faced his old team but missed much of the first half with a rib injury. He returned at the start of the third quarter, but failed to reel in all three of his second-half targets, all three of which came in scoring position. Hankerson remains a big part of Atlanta's offense and has entered the every-week WR3 conversation in fantasy leagues. The Falcons face the Saints on Thursday night in Week 6.


(rotoworld.com)

Never underestimate the "Revenge Game" factor.

Indianapolis Colts receiver Andre Johnson entered Thursday night's tilt with the Houston Texans -- the team for which he had played the past 12 years -- looking like a shell of himself. In the four weeks with his new team prior to Thursday night, Johnson had caught seven passes for 51 total yards and zero scores. He had gone the previous two weeks without a catch.

Then, on Thursday, the 34-year-old pass catcher caught six passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Colts to a 27-20 win.

Following the contest, NFL Media's Deion Sanders asked Johnson if there was every any doubt in his mind that he could still make plays.

"There was never a doubt," Johnson said. "Just the transition, going to a new team, playing more in the slot, you know that was different. So just trying to adjust and I knew once I had opportunities I would go out and make the plays, so that's what I did."

Despite the early season struggles and age sapping some of his separating speed, Johnson said he was never frustrated with his new team.

"Naw, I was never frustrated," he said. "I'm serious, I was never frustrated. I just looked at it as a new experience. I just took it all in stride."

After spending a dozen years in Houston, where he is the franchise leader in receptions (1,012), receiving yards (13,597) and receiving touchdowns (64), Johnson insisted the game wasn't about revenge.

"A lot of people probably thought this was a 'get back' game for me or something like that. It was never like that," Johnson said later, via the Indy Star. "I just wanted to use my role. I was involved a lot more today and I was able to go out and make the best of my opportunities. That's the way I looked at it. I just wanted to do what I needed to do to help the team win."

Perhaps Johnson wasn't seething to burn his old team, but his two scores sure helped do that anyway.


(nfl.com)

Edgerrin James was once one of the most feared running backs in the National Football League (NFL). Drafted fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami, James was expected to join second-year pro Peyton Manning in hopes of making an immediate impact and turning the Indianapolis Colts around, and that’s exactly what he did. James led the NFL in rushing his first two seasons as a pro, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, and set numerous NFL records throughout his career that still stand today. Rolling out spoke exclusively with the future Hall of Famer about some of his contemporaries, his charity work, and more.

“I’ve always been into dealing with the kids,” James says about his charity work, which he began officially in 2000 when he formed The Edgerrin James Foundation Inc. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was “created to improve the decision-making process of youth and young adults, enhancing the quality of their lives, and empowering them to make positive contributions to society through sports training and health-related programs.”

James displays his commitment to giving back to the community the same way he showed greatness on the football field, with his actions. He has hosted eight-week summer camps for 15 consecutive years free of charge. “I spend the entire summer with the kids, my kids included,” said the father of six. “The summertime is when you have the biggest impact.”

James has had a big impact on the college football program he played for, as well. In 2000, not even a year removed from the NFL Draft he was selected in, James donated $250K to the University of Miami athletic department. The university then announced that it would name the main team meeting room in his honor, so that it would be a constant reminder to student-athletes of his impact on the school, on and off the field. When we discussed this with James, he said proudly, “That’s where all of the big meeting are held for the football team and sports in general.” James wanted to give back. “I always wanted to do something for the school to show my appreciation and also to do something for the people that come after me,” he said. ”Without the University of Miami I wouldn’t have the opportunity to play football in the NFL.”

Speaking of the NFL, we spoke to James about some of his contemporaries, including a former teammate that can often be seen in DIRECTV and Papa John’s commercials. “He is always going to be successful when it comes to playing the game,” he says of his former teammate Peyton Manning. And though Manning is older, he is also wiser on the football field. “He understands the game better than everyone else. The game is so mental that anything you lack from a physical aspect you can mask it with the mental.” James applauded his many years of dedication to preparation, something he was able to see firsthand for the first eight seasons of his career.

We also asked James about another NFL quarterback nearing the end of his career, Michael Vick, who made his first start for the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. “Ben Roethlisberger always extended the play and Michael Vick has the ability to extend the play. The ability to extend the play and the running game works in his favor,” he says. James also called Vick’s talent, particularly at the beginning of his career, a gift and a curse. “In the early years, if he didn’t see it down the field, he could take off and run,” he says. Then James peered into an alternate reality, comparing Vick and Peyton, pondering, “Imagine if Michael Vick spent a lot of time preparing.” He added that Vick is a “raw athlete” with a lot more physical talent than Manning.

In 2012, James was inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, and shared his thoughts on the recognition. “It was a great experience; it’s on your football bucket list.” He continued, “I’m one of the guys that made an impact on that organization.”

Though he was not inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015, James, 11th on the NFL All-Time Rushing List, should eventually get in, and he is confident that will happen. He says, “If you look at my accomplishments, there is no doubt I should get in.”

What are James’ days like now? He reveals, “It’s the perfect life. It’s the perfect life that many people would dream of if you make the right decisions.”

James’ oldest child began her freshman year at Howard University last month. He wants his children to give back the way that he does. He says, “I have my daughter who is at Howard University … It’s a big deal that [my children] actually become successful, get their degrees, become entrepreneurs, and make a difference in this world.” James has set a great example for them.

If you check out James on social media, you see him posing with some of the biggest stars in the world of sports and entertainment, like Floyd Mayweather and Shaquille O’Neal. You also see him with the youth. All are fans of the running back who had the possibility of scoring a touchdown any time he touched the football, something he did 91 times during his career.


(rollingout.com)

Shane Larkin’s rookie year in the NBA never got off the ground. He suffered a broken ankle during summer league workouts after being taken with the No. 18 pick in the 2013 draft by the Mavericks. He spent his second season with the Knicks as a 5-foot-11 pick-and-roll point guard playing in the triangle offense — one that is better with bigger point guards, and in which the pick-and-roll plays only a bit part.

Now, as Larkin enters his third season, he’s excited about how his game can progress with the Nets, who have told him they want him to do what made him a first-round pick out of Miami: Use his speed to push the tempo, and run one pick-and-roll after another.

“That’s not the only reason I got here, but that’s a big part of why I got drafted where I got drafted, and why I’m in the league,” Larkin said after Friday’s practice at the Nets’ New Jersey facility before the team’s third preseason game Saturday afternoon in Albany against the 76ers. “Last year, I obviously wasn’t in the best system for my style of game, but this year I’ve been implemented back into a pick-and-roll [offense], so it’s really good.”

Larkin showed some flashes of what the Nets hope he can provide this season in Thursday’s 93-83 preseason win over the Pistons in Detroit, in which Larkin finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes while starting in place of Jarrett Jack, who was given the night off.

It didn’t take long for Larkin to show signs of life, and he had success running the pick-and-roll with Brook Lopez. Both Lopez and Thaddeus Young have the ability to not only roll to the rim, but also to pop out to the 3-point line and knock down open shots.

That gives Larkin plenty of options whenever he’s coming around that screen and surveying the court.

“It helps a lot, just knowing that if I come off, if I’m not comfortable with the shot I’ve got, I can just shoot a pass right to Brook and he’s got his floater from 15 feet,” Larkin said.

“So it really helps with your confidence knowing that you’re going to make the right play.”

Larkin has speed to spare, and at times looks as if he’s going faster than he can control. But speed and athleticism are weapons the Nets haven’t had in the past, and ones they specifically targeted this summer. He was one of their first calls — along with another athletic freak, Thomas Robinson — just after midnight on July 1, and the team is high on his potential to bounce back after an uneven start to his career.

If he’s going to do so, though, he’s going to need to rediscover the shooting stroke he had at Miami, where he shot 47.9 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line — numbers he hasn’t come close to replicating in his NBA career.

Larkin pointed to outside circumstances as the reason why — the ankle injury as a rookie causing him to fall behind in his development, then his unfamiliarity with the triangle last season. But he knows he has to improve this season, and has set goals for where he wants to be.

“I just want to be better,” he said. “I shot 31 percent from 3 last year. … I want to get that up to 35-36 [percent], maybe better. From the field, I want to be 45, 46 [percent].

“Those are things I’m working on, and I feel like everything is progressing well and going to get better.”

If they can, taking a gamble on Larkin this summer could prove to be a wise investment for the Nets.


(nypost.com)