Brooklyn looks to move up in the East during upcoming homestand
The Brooklyn Nets went into their game last night (Wednesday) against the Atlanta Hawks 6-7 and in the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference. They were looking to recover from a 121-99 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, their largest defeat this season.
They will begin a five-game homestand this Saturday hosting the Miami Heat and looking to move up in the East standings.
The Nets have been competitive in most of their early season games but have not been able to gain wins against the NBA’s top teams, including two losses to the Boston Celtics, and one each to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, and 76ers.
One area where the Nets have been lacking is matching the force of opponents. It’s a topic their head coach Jacque Vaughn has been emphasizing going back to last season.
“Nobody’s going to gain 20 pounds in the next two weeks,” said Vaughn regarding the team’s lack of physical play. “Our physicality has to be shown in a different way, whether it is our resilience, whether it is how hard we cut, whether it is how we continue to communicate. So there’s a different level of physicality for us that’s going to extend beyond who’s bigger [and] who’s stronger.”
Summer free agent acquisition Lonnie Walker IV has paid early dividends, setting season highs in consecutive games by scoring 23 points last week in a 122-115 road loss to the Miami Heat and 24 points on Sunday against Philadelphia. Walker IV was averaging 16.6 points and was tied for the league lead in 20+ point games off the bench with four prior to facing the Hawks.
“It’s great that he is able to stack these games together,” head coach Vaughn said. “He is starting to realize where he can get his shots in our offense and what good looks are compared to questionable looks. I think defensively, we want him to be a little bit more aggressive for us…He has the athleticism to be a disruptor for us. So that’s the next challenge for him. On the defensive end. He’s proven that he can get to the rim for us offensively and score the basketball.”
Before Sunday’s game, head coach Vaughn addressed the return of Brooklyn’s leading scorer, guard Cam Thomas, who has been out since November 8.
“We’ll give you a more detailed update this week, but [he’s] just going through the process of getting back on the floor,” he said. “But it’s tough to stay in shape when you’re dealing with [the] lower extremities.”
Following the Heat, the Nets will play the Chicago Bulls on Sunday evening. The homestand continues with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets next Thursday and the Orlando Magic on December 2.
The Nets are 2-1 and the No. 2 seed in the East’s Group C in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. They have one more group game remaining, playing the Toronto Raptors next Tuesday. A win would advance the Nets to the quarterfinals which will take place December 4 and 5.
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