After three victories in a row and a successful “road trip”, the Nets are starting to stick out their tongues. For two reasons: a black series with three setbacks already, as well as a full infirmary afterwards. Jordi Fernandez was thus deprived of Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons and Cam Johnson for his trip to Chicago…
Result: a large defeat (the third in a row), with an overwhelmed defense, which completely collapsed. It is on this point, which has been rather positive since the start of the season in Brooklyn, that the coach insisted.
“Losing a second half by 20 points is not enough. We have higher standards, on our style, our way of playing. It wasn't good”, regret Jordi Fernández. “They scored 56 points in the first half, then 72 in the second. Our defense was truly bad. The players know that the pressure on the ball carrier must be better. »
It is therefore not the setback that bothers the technician, but rather the form. “We can lose, but there is a way and I was proud of my players”he recalls when talking about the last defeat against Orlando. “There, this second half, it’s not us, it’s not our identity. It was very poor. »
“It doesn’t matter the back-to-back, it doesn’t matter the injuries. Those who wear our jersey must be better”
But what can we do when we are deprived of so many players, and especially starters? Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons and Cam Johnson, that’s not nothing all the same…
“I approach every match thinking we can win. I don't care who plays. If they wear a Nets jersey, then I think we can fight, give ourselves a chance.”replies the coach. “If we do it like the other day, we fight and we lose, I'm proud of my players. But this is not possible. No matter the back-to-back, no matter the injuries. Those who wear our jersey must be better. »
The players will be able to breathe a little, having only two matches left to play this week. Wednesday evening against Indiana, then Sunday against Milwaukee, each time at home. All the while knowing that we will have to react.
“We got into difficulty and without fighting afterwards. The manner in which we lost – to lose so much when there was only a six point difference at the break – is unacceptable,” says Nic Claxton. “We have no excuses. It's the NBA, each player has to do the others' jobs when they're away. There are back-to-backs, different rotations, but our energy has to be at a certain level for us to win. »
