Brooklyn Nets: Are They Finally Finding Their Form?
By Adam McGee
Don’t look now, but it might just be possible that the Brooklyn Nets have finally shown up for the 2014-15 season. Moving on from their run of five straight losses in mid-November, the Nets have done a lot of work to right the ship over the past two weeks.
Now having won four of their last six games, and most recently stringing together back-to-back victories, can we start to believe in the Nets again?
Well, for one thing, there are a couple of encouraging patterns emerging. First of all, Brooklyn has started to win the games that they would be expected to win again. Victories against the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks may not seem like a big deal, but for a struggling team they were vitally important.
Winning those type of games signals that the Nets are capable of taking care of business against lesser opponents, and in the Eastern Conference where they’ll have plenty of opportunity to do just that, it’s going to be key to success.
Another key aspect of recent wins has been Brooklyn’s increased control of games. Averaging only 98.6 points per game, the Nets are a distinctly average scoring team. In order to win, that then creates a need for better defense. In their last two games Brooklyn delivered on that front too, holding both the New York Knicks, and more impressively, the San Antonio Spurs to only 93 points.
For a team that struggled so badly early in the season, these are real causes for optimism. Considering some of the problems the team has had have also seemed to be attitude based, it looks like there’s been a shift towards a more positive energy around the locker room too.
After enjoying a big lead against the reigning champions, the San Antonio Spurs, the Nets had to watch their lead dwindle away to the point that the game eventually ended up in overtime. The Nets of a month ago would likely have packed it all in at that point and let the Spurs cruise to victory, but not this time around.
That improvement in spirit and desire hasn’t gone unnoticed by Brooklyn head coach Lionel Hollins either. As reported by NetsDaily, Hollins remarked:
"“Our mental spirits are really turning and changing. We’ve become a closer team.”"
One particular aspect of play that has pleased the coach, and stood out while watching Brooklyn is their improved hustle also. According to Hollins, that extra effort is helping to breed confidence amongst the players:
"“You watched the game against the Knicks, guys were on the floor. You watched the game last night (Spurs), at the end of the game for the biggest play of the game, you had Brook, you had Joe and you had Deron all on the floor going for a loose ball. And when you start getting that attitude, it’s contagious and you can build up off of it.”"
It’s still very early in terms of the Nets’ renaissance, but if they want to save their season, they need to start now. They have tougher tests ahead now, and if the change in dynamic is real, we’ll know by the end of a series of games which sees them play Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago, some of the better teams in the East.