NEW ORLEANS — It's a new year.
Will the Nets be the same as before?
Now that the calendar has flipped to 2023, the Nets want to put their struggles behind them.
But it takes effort.
And trust me.
And more inner fortitude than they have shown.
“Yeah, that's what we talked about at the beginning of the year: Can we be a team that plays really hard every night?” Coach Jacques Vaughn said as the Nets head into Tuesday's tilt against the Pelicans. He said this while preparing. “So it goes back to some of the pillars that we talked about earlier this year, which is being physically connected as a group, being versatile, and having fun doing what we do for a living.
“That is the challenge for our group, and we would like to end this year and enter the new year hopefully in this way and with that message.”
The Nets limped into New Orleans, losing in eight of their last 10 games in the new year.
“Just putting in the energy, getting closer to the ball, maybe picking up some full court. That's on everyone. That's on me too. Just being locked in and being there for my teammates.” Nick Claxton said.
“We can't get used to losing. We have to find solutions and find ways to fix it.”
Clearly a fix is needed.
Their defensive rating (122.7) and net rating (-9.3) are both the fourth-worst in the league over that span.
This is a damning indictment that these numbers are no longer shocking and that the outcome of the trial is the problem of the entire season.
But in this extended funk, he ranks second-to-last in both effective field goal percentage (.505) and shooting percentage (.540).
“We can't allow more than 120 points every game. We've got to find a way to attack the rim more offensively,” Claxton said. “I don't know; I think I just take the shot and then stop.”
So now both ends are confused.
In Sunday's loss to OKC, the Nets actually shared the ball and got the shot profile they wanted, but they missed 12 of 46 from behind the arc and missed one good throw after another. did.
The league average for left corner threes is .392.
The Nets made just 1 of 8 shots.
His average from the right corner is .394. But 1 out of 9 was somehow even worse.
But what's more troubling is that the Nets are starting to turn their bad luck on offense into bad luck on defense. That's a level of mental fragility they can't bear.
“We've got to do what we're supposed to do. Just follow the game plan, follow our defense. We're just not doing what we're supposed to do,” said Mikal Bridges, who was 0-for-5 on corner 3s Sunday. Told. “We have to help each other when someone messes up. But it's tough. We have all five guys on the defensive line and we have to know where to be at all times.”
These days, they let go of the rope too often.
Or I saw it break completely.
“[The key] Just staying constant, trusting the process and trusting each other,” Cam Thomas said. “[Sunday] They looked good, they attacked well, they moved the ball, but they just couldn't make shots. … Defensively, we're still growing on that front and we're still figuring out what works for our team. ”
When I talk quietly with the players, the word “trust” comes up one after another.
It's an area where they desperately need to grow.
“Obviously there's a lot. There's a lot,” Thomas said. “Obviously everyone feels that if we don't have anybody on our side in the rotation, we're not going to be of much help. It's the same for everyone. So that's an area where we can still grow. That's clear.
“But I think that's the important thing, not to get discouraged when a team makes a run. It's the NBA. Everybody goes to run. But when a team goes 8-0, 10-0, You can't get discouraged or put your head down just because you've made a grade. Push the ball and do well, whether you succeed or fail, whether the coach calls a timeout or not. Just hit the shot. The tables will turn, so keep playing. It's a basketball game. Everyone needs to make a run, so you need to stay focused and not get discouraged when your team makes a run. there is.”
Dorian Finney-Smith has been placed on the Nets' injured reserve list, likely due to left knee soreness.
Ben Simmons (left hip – nerve impingement) and Lonnie Walker IV (left hamstring strain) are both still out.
