It’s hard to find a more positive 1-9 team than the Nets.
But after being non-competitive through most of their first seven games, they showed life on a road trip during which they easily could have won all three contests. After suffering through last season when some players clearly quit, Brook Lopez said this team hasn’t given up — and doesn’t plan to.
The Nets recorded their first victory of the season in Houston, lost by two at Sacramento, and built a huge 17-point lead at undefeated Golden State before falling to the defending NBA champions in overtime.
“We had multiple chances — definitely three chances that I can think of — where we could have had the game, and that would have been that. But it’s a matter of learning from those experiences,’’ Lopez said. “At the end of the day, a loss is a loss, it’s in the loss column. So what we have to look forward to is prepare for the next game but obviously remember what we learned from these previous ones.’’
And what Lopez — given Monday off by coach Lionel Hollins — said he has learned is the Nets all have bought in — unlike last season?(He didn’t name names). That might not have been the case when he suffered through an 0-18 start en route to a 12-70 campaign six years ago, and it sure wasn’t the case last winter.
Why is Lopez confident the improved play can translate to wins, starting Tuesday against the Hawks?
“Because I see it in practice as well,” he said. “It just hasn’t been these three games, I’ve seen it in practice, too. We haven’t had guys quitting — it definitely doesn’t feel like other previous seasons where we had a losing season and losing mentality to go with it. We have a positive group.
“You have to buy in, and I think guys do see that we can be better. We just competed with a very great Golden State team. We competed with them all the way to the end. We felt we should have had the game, and it gives us hope.’’
Outscored by 87 points through their first seven games, the Nets were outscored by just two on the trip. And they were in a position to beat the Warriors, but had an eight-second violation, didn’t foul as they had been instructed (letting Andre Iguodala tie the game), didn’t switch late and had Lopez clank a 2-footer at the buzzer.
“Overall as far as outcome, it didn’t go in a place where we would like it to,” guard Jarrett Jack said. “We exerted the type of effort necessary to win, but it wasn’t good enough. More so the frustrating part of it because you could see guys trying, giving the effort, you’d like them to be rewarded with the ultimate goal, which is a win.
“But that’s part of this game. [Kevin Garnett] used to always say losing is a part of winning … so coming home, we’ve got a chance to right the ship.’’
Rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s insertion into the lineup has given the Nets hustle, energy and athletic defense. And Thaddeus Young is playing a much more efficient game now that he has moved inside the paint and gone back to hitting the glass. But the effort might be the biggest key.
“[The mindset] is just to stay focused, remain confident in the stuff that we’re doing,” Young said. “We’re getting better as a team, we’re showing signs. Just finishing games, that’s the biggest part now.
“We easily should have been 3-0 on that road trip. But it is what it is now. Now we have to look forward to another quick road trip and try to get these next two games.’’