Brooklyn Nets: ‘I don’t know what it is’
Nov 20, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard forward Alan Anderson (6), forward center Mason Plumlee (1), guard Joe Johnson (7), and center forward Andray Blatche (0) look on as Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson (not pictured) makes a technical foul shot during the second half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Bobcats win 95-91. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets are in trouble. Like in some real deep trouble. At first, they were struggling. Now, it appears, that they’re just bad.
The Nets lost another game — again by double-digits. This time a 30-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the game, the Nets mood in the locker room changed from “eh, we’ll get it going eventually” to “crap, this just got real”.
But don’t take it from me, take a look at the quotes from last night, via the New York Post:
“We can talk about it, but the actions have to kick in at some points, and we’re not doing that on either end,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ve written [it] on the board. We’ve talked about it. The coaches have talked about it. As players, at some point they have to accept it … maybe our message isn’t clear enough.”
“We’ve created this monster, and we’ve got to deal with it,” Kevin Garnett said when asked how to keep the negativity surrounding the team’s rough start from permeating the locker room. “It is what it is.
“You’re going to have the business of basketball come into play, I’m sure, and management is probably going to do what they’ve got to do, and that’s out of our hands. We control our destiny, who we are as individuals and players, so you’ve got to, again, for the fifth time I’m saying this, you have to look at yourself and try to fix this thing.”
“They are good enough,” Kidd said when asked if he believed his players were good enough to follow through on the messages he and his coaching staff are giving them. “We believe in those guys.
“There are teams that go through spurts of not playing well when the ball is not bouncing their way, and right now the ball isn’t bouncing our way. We’ve just got to stay together.”
“I’m just struggling right now, simple and plain,” said (Paul) Pierce, who is 7-for-34 since sitting out last Saturday’s game against the Clippers with a sore left groin.
“I think I’m getting great looks. I’ve just got to be able to knock them down. I’ve got to be able to step up with these guys out and I’ve got to be able to play better basketball.”
“We’re trying to soul search right now and see who we are,” Garnett said. “Each individual has got to look themselves in the mirror and try and see what they can do better. Period. Point blank.
“We’re better than this, and we know it. I don’t know what it is … a broken record? We keep playing the same old song and we’re playing the instruments, so it’s on us.”
I’ve lost count of how many times any Nets player has said “I don’t know what it is”.
Imagine how much heat they would really be getting if the Knicks were actually good and they were still bad? Yikes.
This situation doesn’t sound good at all. What’s the next step? Does a player come out and blame Kidd next? Is that where this all blows up?