[ad_1]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After watching his workforce drop its sixth straight sport, a torpid 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden sat at a small podium inside Golden 1 Heart with a glance of frustration.
When requested whether or not his struggling group wanted to have a gamers solely assembly after every week and a half of poor play, Harden was fast together with his reply.
“I feel we have executed an excessive amount of speaking,” Harden mentioned after scoring simply 4 factors and going 2-for-11 capturing from the sector. “It is simply, we bought to go on the market and do it, and do it persistently. We’ve instances once we’re nice, and we’ve got instances once we’re actually dangerous. We simply bought to search out some consistency all through the course of video games extra instances than not.”
The Nets have had a litany of points this season and can proceed to take care of them as they attempt to navigate the subsequent few weeks with out star ahead Kevin Durant, who sprained the MCL in his left knee on Jan. 15.
However Wednesday marked the group’s lowest level of the season — a loss to a Kings workforce that got here in having misplaced seven straight and was simply 2-12 over its earlier 14 video games.
“You recognize simply pretty much as good as I do,” Harden mentioned when requested why the consistency hasn’t been there for the group. “We simply bought plenty of various things internally — lineups, we have not had no continuity but. So it is simply a type of issues the place you bought to maintain going. There’s nothing else to do however preserve going, preserve pushing ahead.”
One of many causes for the dearth of consistency is due, at the very least partially, to the part-time standing of guard Kyrie Irving, who rejoined the workforce final month and can’t play in residence video games due to New York Metropolis’s vaccination mandate. Irving, who is just not vaccinated towards COVID-19, mentioned he may perceive Harden’s frustration about the way in which the group is enjoying.
“I respect James’ opinion,” Irving mentioned when requested if he agreed with Harden’s evaluation. “Once you’re going via a dropping streak, not likely many individuals need to be listening to the identical factor again and again, so I positively really feel for him. And I am certain in case you requested a number of guys on the workforce they might in all probability really feel one thing comparable. However for us, it is simply getting nearer as a gaggle.
“The ‘get higher’ jargon that we persistently use, whether or not it’s right here speaking with you guys or within the locker room, it may well get mundane. It is simply pure for a human being to get bored with that, so game-to-game we’re feeling like we’re popping out with some ethical victories if we lose however we’re simply bored with that. So I am positively on the identical boat when it comes to that.”
Nets coach Steve Nash echoed an identical sentiment, saying that he felt the group has improved over the previous few video games regardless of the losses, and that they simply “seemed drained” down the stretch.
“This journey our goal was to get higher,” Nash mentioned. “The primary two video games and the primary half tonight we have been getting higher. We have been doing the issues that they have been asking. We did not comprise the ball within the second half and we did not make any performs offensively. A few of that may come right down to legs, however I feel our guys have been nice at holding their spirits in, their focus in. They’re staying collectively.”
Nash mentioned he felt Harden, who missed two video games final week due to a hamstring damage and a proper hand pressure, “seemed like he did not have his legs tonight.” For his half, Harden mentioned his hand was superb, whereas noting that it is not only one subject that’s hurting the Nets in the mean time.
“I feel it is the whole lot,” Harden mentioned. “A little bit little bit of the whole lot. … It is positively irritating. It is positively tough. However we bought to discover a method to get out of it as a gaggle.”
Harden mentioned he has made his voice heard over the previous few weeks because the losses have piled up. However he stays assured that the Nets can win at a excessive degree every time they’ve a full roster once more.
Like Harden, Irving mentioned he does not consider a players-only assembly would remedy what has been ailing the Nets just lately.
“I have been in fairly a number of players-only conferences, and if we do have a players-only assembly I do know to not inform y’all,” Irving mentioned. “As a result of it seems to be one thing larger. And there is a guess of what is taking place and what’s being mentioned within the locker room. However no pow wows as of but. Possibly, who is aware of?”
Each Irving and Nash struck an identical chord that higher days remained forward for a Nets workforce that now stands only a sport and a half in entrance of the play-in match group within the Jap Convention.
“I do not know some other means,” Irving mentioned. “I have been via so many experiences on this league, enjoying on totally different groups. Having the chance to play with some nice gamers, some nice position gamers as effectively, and I feel the sentiment that I’ve is simply as a substitute of constant to hammer on, ‘We have to do that, we have to do this.’ We simply bought to get nearer as a gaggle somewhat bit. This can be a time the place we won’t be fragile, and we use this time period that we’re going via as a lesson of progress on this NBA sport.”
[ad_2]
Source link
