Will eating croissants help the Nets' perimeter defense? Will drinking Pinot Noir help the Nets shoot better?
With the season in turmoil, the Nets flew to Paris in preparation for Thursday's international game against the Cavaliers at Accor Arena.
Now, in the City of Love, there's not much to like about the Nets' recent performance.
They have lost 11 of their last 14 games, many of which weren't even close.
They are currently without center Dayron Sharpe, who is suffering from a hyperextension of his left knee, for at least two weeks.
Fans have expressed dissatisfaction with head coach Jacque Vaughn and doubts about his ability to rebuild the team.
Perhaps the extra time to bond with foreign soil might help reignite their sliding season.
“The energy from the fans and playing a game that's a little bit unusual definitely gives us more motivation,” guard Spencer Dinwiddie said from Paris after practice. “Regardless of where we are in the season, we need wins.”
The Nets have plenty of time to use this trip to take a step back and try to reset from the losses that have piled up.
After Sunday's 134-127 loss to the Blazers, the Nets have been without a game for three days before Thursday's matchup, and will have three more days before their next game against the Heat on Monday.
“That doesn't happen very often,” forward Cam Johnson said. “That doesn't happen very often, so look forward to it. … Playing in Paris gives you extra motivation. It's a regular season game, but we need them. We've got everything we can get. There's a lot of urgency in every game at the moment because we need that.”
The Nets' defense has been an issue all season, and it's been an issue evident in their recent slump.
And that's mostly happening at the border.
Over the past 14 games, the Nets' defensive rating of 121.3 was the fourth-worst in the NBA. Only the bottom-ranked Pistons, Hawks, and Wizards were worse. However, during the same game period, the Nets allowed him 47.4 points per game in the paint, his fourth-highest mark in the league. Only the Bulls, Suns, and Lakers were better.
Sharp is already out, but his and Nic Claxton's rim protection has been a rare bright spot. But the Nets' guards and wings are scorched. And none of those guards or wings are defensive stoppers, which is very important in today's NBA.
Johnson, Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Smith Jr. all, yes, all posted the worst defensive ratings of their careers so far this year. That's pretty impressive. Bridges started his career as a strong defender, but his defensive acumen diminished as he evolved from a 3-and-D role to now the Nets' leading scorer.
It's hard to win with a perimeter defense this bad. That was evident in Sunday's loss, as the Nets were unable to slow down the Blazers' guards and wings, wasting 42 points from Bridges.
Anfernee Simons added 38 points, Jerami Grant 27 points, Shedon Sharpe 21 points and Malcolm Brogdon 18 points.
It's worth noting that the Blazers' two big men, Toumani Kamara and Duop Reese, only scored 15 and 5 points, respectively.
Over the last 14 games, opponents are shooting 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. His 43 percent allowed from behind the arc was the worst mark in the league.
It all starts with boundaries.
“Obviously it's an area we have to improve on,” Johnson said after Sunday's loss. “I can't sit here and make excuses for it or anything like that. … I think forcing teams to take tough shots and shots they don't necessarily want to take is a big step forward for us.”
The Nets themselves have shot just 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range over the past 14 games.
Having a nosebleed or not being able to jump out of a boat into the ocean is not the secret to success.
Maybe a long trip abroad will give us time to find the answer.
Otherwise, this season will have the same success as the Battle of Waterloo.
