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One Brooklyn Nets star has proven he can nonetheless stay one of many NBA’s prime scorers after overcoming an Achilles harm. However Kevin Durant can use his size, positional versatility and huge wingspan to perform one thing nice.
“We are able to’t depend on making pictures,” Durant mentioned. “We now have to get stops first.”
A second Nets star has proven a willingness to sacrifice his position after displaying the unsuitable perspective throughout his commerce calls for with the Houston Rockets. However James Harden can use his energy, smarts and aggressiveness in different methods, too.
“Offensively, we’re top-of-the-line groups on this league. However can we man up and get stops individually,” Harden requested. “After which our ideas, can we’ve got one another’s again on a constant foundation.”
A 3rd Nets star has been an enigma throughout his undisclosed absences, whereas remaining stellar along with his capturing and ball dealing with. However Kyrie Irving can add extra tips when he defends somebody as nicely.
“We now have the will to go on the market and do it,” Irving mentioned. “It simply needs to be as all NBA gamers say, a set of 48 minutes.”
The Nets secured a 124-120 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in a nationally televised sport Tuesday, and it confirmed but once more the Nets have struggled to do this for 48 minutes. At occasions, they present apathy. At different occasions, they present hustle. At occasions, they seem undermanned. At different occasions, they seem dominant.
Certain, it is perhaps tempting to have a look at the Brooklyn-LA matchup strictly by way of the lens of the Nets (14-9) securing a marquee win towards the Clippers (16-6) and presumably providing an NBA Finals preview. It may additionally be comprehensible to respect how Irving (39 factors), Durant (28) and Harden (23) complemented one another with ball motion as a substitute of one-on-one spotlight reels. However huge image, the Nets’ championship fortunes additionally closely relaxation on if they’ll change into a persistently reliable defensive group.
All of which begs the query: how good can Brooklyn really change into on protection?
“We’ll see,” Nets coach Steve Nash mentioned. “The No. 1 purpose is to be on the identical web page and to be strong. If we could be basic in our strategy and be strong with our schemes, that’s No. 1. Or No. 2, actually. The No. 1 is the satisfaction and aggressive spirit.”
What is going to occur if the Nets fulfill these two job descriptions?
“If we carry that each evening, we might not profile as an ideal defensive group. However we generally is a strong defensive group at minimal and handle the issues we are able to management,” Nash mentioned. “They usually have to protect us as nicely. So I feel we’ve got quite a lot of work to do on that finish of the ground. However I don’t wish to make any kind of predictions.”
Comprehensible. This season has been too erratic to foretell something.
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Group depth charts have diminished amid the NBA’s well being and security protocols aimed to mitigate danger with the coronavirus. Depth charts have additionally fluctuated due to accidents, each a part of the traditional course of a season and a part of the compressed nature of the schedule. And for all the benefits the Nets get pleasure from with their star-studded expertise, they face a drawback with having little time to excellent schemes, performs and movie research.
“We don’t have any apply time. None,” Irving mentioned. “We don’t have any apply time, and probably the most video games in January. We’re doing our greatest right here to attempt to put one thing nice right here in a small time frame. Be affected person with us.”
However to ensure that the Nets to win an NBA title this yr, it gained’t simply hinge on what number of factors they rating. Or if Harden and Irving can proceed to show the skeptics, myself included, that they’ll co-exist past the Honeymoon interval. Their identification additionally hinges on if they’re keen to take protection as critically as they take offense.
Solely three groups gained the NBA championship with out ending in no less than prime 10 in protection, together with the 2018 Golden State Warriors, 2001 Los Angeles Lakers and 1995 Houston Rockets. The Nets have succeeded regardless of sub-par defensive performances, corresponding to once they secured a 147-125 win over Oklahoma City. But, the Nets lack the identical type of depth and continuity as these previous championship groups to make up for missing defensively.
“We should be an ideal defensive group,” Durant mentioned. “Tonight, you’ve seen what we are able to do. We positively confirmed spurts, and we could be higher.”
The Nets opened the sport with a 14-4 deficit. The Nets ended the sport by almost squandering a 10-point deficit within the closing 1:55 merely two days after coughing a five-point result in the Washington Wizards within the closing seconds in a 149-146 loss. The Nets ended the primary half by holding the Clippers scoreless for the ultimate 1:44. The Nets started the second half forcing the Clippers to overlook 10 of their first 12 pictures.
Durant took on the problem with guarding Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard within the publish and behind the 3-point line. Irving took on the problem with defending Clippers ahead Paul George, who was stuffed on the rim by him twice. Harden took on the problem in defending George as nicely. Regardless of. Leonard (33 factors), George (26), Nicolas Batum (21) and Marcus Morris. Sr. nonetheless cracked double figures. The Clippers nonetheless shot 45.5% from the sector whereas taking 20 extra makes an attempt.
And earlier than Tuesday’s sport, the Nets additionally confirmed that they’ve solely excelled on space of the courtroom since buying Harden from Houston. Within the first eight video games, the Clippers ranked first in whole offense (127.3 factors per sport), whereas rating 30 out of 30 NBA groups in factors allowed (124.6), twenty ninth in paint factors allowed (52.7) and twenty seventh in turnovers pressured (11.1).
Durant mentioned a few of these numbers hint to “quite a lot of groups are making us repay of small, psychological errors.” Such examples may embody not switching or serving to accurately. However a few of these numbers need to do with effort, which explains why Nash believed the Nets performed higher defensively towards the Clippers.
Both means, if these numbers don’t enhance, the Nets’ season will finish in late spring or early summer time.
“It’s acquired to be that means if we’re critical about this,” Nash mentioned. “We now have the posh of offensive expertise. However we’ve got to defend.”
In equity, the Nets have gone 7-2 because the Harden commerce. They’ve tried more durable towards marquee groups (Clippers, Bucks) and have proven apathy in losses towards struggling groups (Wizards, Cavaliers). Within the playoffs, the Nets won’t lack of motivation. However within the playoffs, groups can have extra time to organize and scheme to make life tough offensively for Durant, Irving and Harden.
I nonetheless have a wait-and-see strategy on if the Harden-Irving dynamic will work out long run. In spite of everything, Harden’s dynamic with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook performed out nicely in Houston initially earlier than it didn’t. However even when they preserve that degree of sacrifice and offensive chemistry, any of the Nets’ stars can be due for an off evening in a playoff sequence. After dealing Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert as a part of the Harden trade, the Nets don’t have the identical quantity of rim safety and perimeter protection they as soon as did. Barring a commerce earlier than the March 25 deadline, the Nets might need the identical situation then.
“As soon as we get that down pat defensively, you’re speaking about blowing groups,” Harden mentioned. “Offensively, we’ll determine it out and proceed to determine it out. Defensively, we’ve got to determine it out. take satisfaction and go on the market and know we’ve got to handle enterprise tonight, then extra occasions than not we’ve got a very good likelihood to win. We now have to construct that mentality and mindset each single sport. I feel tonight was a very good begin for us.”
For higher or for worse, the Nets will supply readability within the subsequent few months if they’ll produce a very good ending, too.
Comply with USA TODAY NBA author Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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