The Nets found themselves falling behind in the fourth quarter during their game in Brooklyn on Tuesday night. As they prepare to face the Celtics again in Boston on Friday, it’s clear that there are several issues to address if they want to see improvement.
This team is not just young; they haven’t had much time to play together. This lack of cohesion becomes particularly evident in crucial moments at the end of games.
“With our fourth-quarter performance, we let go of a lot of what went well throughout the game,” Jordi Fernandez commented after Thursday’s practice. “In this league, maintaining that level of intensity and focus is challenging. I believe we can keep pushing ourselves, and, honestly, it’s valuable to go up against a team filled with experienced talent.”
The Nets are striving for a sense of consistency that resembles what the franchise hopes to achieve long-term.
They do have veteran presence in Michael Porter Jr., who joined the team this season, as well as seasoned players like Nic Claxton. Meanwhile, younger members are still figuring things out.
This is where Noah Clowney steps in.
The third-year forward has always been with the Nets and at just 21 years old, he has valuable insights.
When asked about the fourth-quarter struggles, particularly a stretch where they were outscored 18-3 by the Celtics, Clowney noted it felt like a recurring theme.
“We’re working hard to put ourselves in a winning position, but we’re not sure how to finish the games yet,” he said. “When facing older teams, they have a clearer idea of what they want to do at the end.”
He added, “We seem a bit hesitant, and we’re not quite adept at executing it. But I think we will get better as time goes on.”
Still, until that improvement happens, the losses are likely to stack up.
Following Friday’s matchup in Boston, the Nets will head to Toronto to play the Raptors, then return home to face the Knicks and 76ers before heading to Milwaukee.
All five upcoming games are against playoff contenders, which makes it a tough road. The Nets currently stand at 2-12, having just come off what many consider to be the worst season in the team’s history.
Part of this situation is intentional, with the organization aiming to draft a star player to bolster the team.
Last season, they managed to win 26 games, leading to the No. 8 pick in the draft. That spot secured them Egor Demin, who shows promise offensively but found himself on the bench when it mattered most during games.
He’s still adapting, trying to learn the ropes quickly.
“If you observe successful teams, most have a strong veteran presence,” Demin remarked. “They’ve faced these situations countless times.” He pointed to the Warriors as a prime example of how to handle late-game scenarios.
“They can keep their composure and close out games,” he said. “This is something Noah and I discussed recently. Those experienced teams know what needs to be done, and for us, it’s all about learning to play against them and executing our game plan.”
