The Nets’ struggles to end 2023 carried over to the start of their schedule in 2024. They went into the new year on a three-game losing streak, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclays Center 144-122 on December 27, then losing on the road to the Washington Wizards last Friday by 110-104, followed by a 124-108 defeat to the Thunder in Oklahoma City on New Year’s Eve. Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn expected a strong effort from the team on Tuesday in New Orleans when they faced the Pelicans. Instead, Brooklyn dropped their fourth straight, getting thoroughly beat 112-85. It was the Nets’ lowest point total of this season. They were 2-9 over their previous 11 games and the East Conference’s No. 9 seed at 15-19 before playing the Rockets in Houston last night (Wednesday).
“Disappointed that we didn’t match their intensity and physicality from the beginning of the game,” Vaughn said afterwards via the YES Network. “And it was literally [from] the first play of the game.”
When pressed about the lack of urgency from his team, Vaughn was blunt.
“I was very concerned how we responded,” he said. “We’ve been a team able to step up to challenges and we didn’t do a lot of things well tonight. We didn’t shoot the basketball well, we didn’t rebound the basketball well. We had no physicality tonight and so when you have a list of items like that, you’re not gonna win a ball game.”
Brooklyn shot just 35.7% overall (35-98) and 25.6% (11-43) on 3-pointers. They were outrebounded by the Pelicans 53-43.
“It really is like a boxing match,” he said. “When you get hit, how are you going to respond? We can’t think that making shots is the response. That’s the first piece of it. And so the deflections come from their activity level, their ability to climb into us and really put us on our heels.
“Now they’re longer, they’re stronger … .And, if you’re really desperate about winning, then you’ll dive on the floor. You’ll do it all.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas, who is the team’s leading scorer (22.4 points per game prior to playing the Rockets), was removed from the starting lineup after the loss to the Bucks and has since come off of the bench, replaced in the first five by Dorian Finney-Smith. Vaughn said the move was to add more size and defense to open games. Thomas was 0-11 in 20 minutes and went scoreless versus the Pelicans.
“As a competitor, I want to be out there steady,” Thomas said after logging 24 minutes and scoring 15 points against the Wizards. “We got a lot of guys who could contribute at any moment.”
Brooklyn opens a four-game home stand tomorrow in a rematch with the Thunder. They will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers next Thursday and close it out hosting the Miami Heat on MLK Day on January 15.
