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The Nets started the second half of their season after they confronted the Pelicans Saturday night time at Barclays Middle. Up to now, it has been a wierd season certainly.
They entered the New Orleans recreation with an NBA-best 15-4 highway report, however their 11-11 residence report ranked solely twentieth and stays a bothersome puzzle.
Coach Steve Nash struggled when requested to outline the Nets’ issues at residence. “It’s unusual,” Nash stated. “I couldn’t reply. However I do know we’re not the one crew. I feel it’s going across the league somewhat bit the place good groups particularly are having much less spectacular information at residence than on the highway. I don’t actually know what it’s.”
There was some fact to Nash’s assertion. By means of Thursday’s video games, the 76ers (23-17) had an 8-9 residence report, the Cavaliers (24-18) had been 11-9 at residence, the Raptors (20-18) had been 12-11, the Hawks (17-23), who had been a playoff crew final season, had been 8-10, the Timberwolves (20-22) had been 11-10, the Mavericks (22-19) had been 11-8, the Lakers (21-21) had been 14-11 and the Clippers (21-22) had been 14-12.
Nash pointed to the Nets’ latest robust stretch of 4 video games in 5 days, together with a coast-to-coast, back-to-back journey as one cause for the issue at residence. He additionally cited the COVID outbreak that in the end despatched 13 members of the Nets into well being and security protocols simply earlier than Christmas.
“After we had everybody come again from COVID, I’d have stated we had been having a terrific season,” Nash stated. “Individuals thought we might be a backside 5 or 10 crew defensively going into the [season]. For essentially the most a part of this 12 months, we’ve been prime 10. We’ve discovered a option to win a variety of video games with 10 new guys, no Kyrie and now having Kyrie again.”
Nash was referring to the truth that Kyrie Irving was banned by the group from taking part in any video games as a result of he was not in compliance with the New York Metropolis vaccine mandate and might’t play residence video games. They didn’t desire a part-time participant, however the Nets reversed that ruling on Dec. 17, and Irving has performed three highway video games since then.
Whether or not or not he will get vaccinated and turns into eligible for residence video games, the objective is to have Irving play as many video games as potential with Kevin Durant and James Harden, who play all video games as a result of they’re vaccinated. Nonetheless, the Nets solely had been 26-15 on the midway level of the season earlier than going through the Pelicans, and Nash was requested to guage their progress.
Nash stated the Nets’ struggles might need a hidden profit. “Whenever you undergo these tough intervals, you study extra about yourselves,” Nash stated. “You’re in a position to deal with issues head-on, take a deeper look within the mirror and repair a number of the issues … I sort of take pleasure in a few of these more durable stretches as a result of I feel it exhibits a crew methods to climb out, methods to discover resilience, methods to discover options. Total, we’ve had a superb 12 months and we’ve simply received to search out our stride and consistency once more now that we’ve gone via that COVID interruption.”
Nonetheless, the Nets are at their finest when Irving is on the court docket with Durant and Harden, who has expressed the hope that Irving will change into a full-time participant. After the Nets’ large highway win over the Bulls, who nonetheless are in first within the Japanese Convention, Harden was requested if he nonetheless is hoping Irving turns into a full-time participant.
“Man, I’m going to present him the shot,” Harden joked.
Kyrie in a superb place
The Nets scored a season-high 138 factors after they beat the Bulls on the highway Wednesday night time. Irving scored solely 9 factors, however it hardly mattered. The eye he commanded on protection opened the ground for everybody else. Durant had 27 factors, Harden had 25 and rookie Day’Ron Sharpe had 20. The Nets and Bulls had been tied at 71 within the third quarter, and the Nets outscored the Bulls 67-41 the remainder of the way in which.
Describing the transformation that occurred in that recreation, Irving stated, “We had an unbelievable resolve all night time. We had been in that movement the place it will get harmful for the opposite crew. We’re hitting threes, we’re attending to the rim, touching the paint … It’s going to be tough for groups to load up and make changes on the fly when you could have me, James and KD on the market taking part in.
“I really feel like I’m a terrific spacer or have the flexibility to make performs on the fly, whether or not or not it’s ISO or simply screening or doing the little issues … It was good to see a variety of enamel on the sideline, guys getting hyped. That’s at all times nice for a crew’s morale.”
Irving expressed his pleasure about being again along with Durant and Harden because the Nets’ “Massive 3.” Regardless of the Nets’ inconsistency over the primary half of the season, Irving stated they’re reputable title contenders.
“We’ve felt like that since Day One,” Irving stated.
Following the Nets’ massive win in Chicago, Kevin Durant was optimistic about how good the Nets may play as soon as everyone seems to be wholesome. “As soon as we get our entire crew again, LaMarcus [Aldridge], Clax [Nic Claxton] and Joe [Harris], we’re beginning to kind who we’re much more,” Durant stated. “It’s a superb begin.”
@GregLogan1
Greg Logan has labored for Newsday since 1982 masking a big selection of sports activities and occasions, at present together with the Brooklyn Nets beat.
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