The Brooklyn Nets were the NBA’s youngest team entering this season with an average age of 23.3 years old and were not expected to be good. Those expectations have largely held.
After going 7-4 in December, the Nets have won only five games since Jan. 1, while dropping 26 games. They are 15-46 following a 124-98 road loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, extending their losing streak to nine straight games. When last night’s (Wednesday) NBA schedule began, the Nets were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the 15-team Eastern Conference and were one game ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the lowest mark in the entire league.
Prior to Sunday’s 106-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Nets second-year head coach Jordi Fernandez was asked about the team’s lack of consistent effort. They also got whalloped 148-111 by the Boston Celtics last Friday after trailing by only six with 6:23 left in the third quarter.
“The result is something that, at times, we will not be able to control a hundred percent, but once again, what we can control is our purpose and effort, and if we do it consistently, we always see good things.” Fernandez said.
His message emphasized that the Nets’ actions start with him, and the players also must accept accountability.
“First of all, telling them that it’s unacceptable, right? That’s one thing you can do is be honest,” he explained. “Then it is watching film, it’s not about blaming. It’s my fault first, and then, as a group, we have to figure it out and find a way to be more consistent so it (doesn’t) turn into a negative.
Something negative has to be turned into a positive,” Fernandez added. “A positive is work. Do it together. Go out there and have fun because that’s when you have fun. When you play as hard as you can, and you ask me to sub you out because you’re playing so hard.”
On Sunday, Brooklyn rookie forward Danny Wolf scored a season-high 23 points and added nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Rookie forward Grant Nelson made his season debut in Boston and scored 11 points while grabbing four rebounds on Sunday against the Cavs.
With 20 games remaining, the Nets will play the Heat tonight again in Miami then face the East’s No. 1 seed Pistons in Detroit before returning to Barclays to take on Monday to face the Memphis Grizzlies.