There is only one way to put it, the Brooklyn Nets are unraveling. The team now sits at 14-12 after Tuesday’s loss to the last place Detroit Pistons. Brooklyn has lost their last three games. Things will not be getting easier for Brooklyn any time soon as their star forward Kevin Durant will be out until at least February 12 after coming in contact with a Nets staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, Brooklyn’s starting point guard Kyrie Irving is still battling a lingering finger sprain that he suffered this past Thursday during the team’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Despite all the issues that the team is having, Nets’ head coach Steve Nash is not allowing his team to use that as an excuse for why they are playing poorly.
Steve Nash Calls Out Nets’ Effort
The former Phoenix Sun knows all too well that the amount of talent on a roster is purely cosmetic come winning time. Teams that want to win will always find a way. “It’s up to the team to decide what type of team they want to be,” Nash said to reporters over Zoom after the loss via SNY. “I’m sure every team is going through this to some extent with the heavy schedule, missing bodies, all sorts of stuff thrown at us.”
“It’s up to the team to decide what type of team they want to be”
Steve Nash talks about what needs to happen for the Nets to get out of this tough stretch
When Brooklyn acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets last month, everyone on the roster understood that they were the NBA’s biggest target. They are going to get their opponent’s absolute best effort each night that they step on the court. There will be games, especially in the playoffs that the amount of talent that Brooklyn has on their roster won’t matter because the outcome of the game will be decided by which team wants to win the most.
The Nets Are Having Growing Pains
“I don’t think we’re in isolation here I think there are a lot of teams that struggle with this from different nights, but I think our team needs to challenge themselves and figure out who they want to be and what they want to represent to the others,” Nash continued. “Having played the game, a certain amount of that comes down to team building within that locker room and deciding if they want to come together and be a force or if that’s not as important. I think that right now they’re being tested here on whether they want to become that team.”
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How quickly a tide can turn. Last week, the Nets were on top of the world, sitting at second place in the Eastern Conference, and looked like a real threat to challenge the Philadelphia 76ers for the number one seed in the conference. Brooklyn has now fallen all the way to fourth place and is barely over .500 on the year. If the Nets want to be viewed as serious contenders, they will have to start putting forth maximum effort every night and not just against good teams. They have a chance to redeem themselves on Wednesday when they take on the Indiana Pacers.
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Steve Nash Calls Out Nets Players After Third Straight Loss