{"id":4052,"date":"2017-01-31T22:40:04","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T03:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=4052"},"modified":"2017-02-01T09:29:08","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T14:29:08","slug":"misery-continues-for-the-nets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/01\/31\/misery-continues-for-the-nets\/","title":{"rendered":"Misery Continues for the Brooklyn Nets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s often said that misery loves company. If that were true, then the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/BRK\/2017.html#all_totals\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Brooklyn Nets<\/strong> <\/a>have requested and received company this season. Misery comes in different forms. Wins and losses, and dysfunction are perfect examples. Disappointment is also a component of misery. Teams like the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/NYK\/2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>New York Knicks<\/strong><\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/CHI\/2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Chicago Bulls<\/strong><\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/SAC\/2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Sacramento Kings<\/strong><\/a>, and even the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/POR\/2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Portland Trail Blazers<\/strong> <\/a>have entered the discussion. But this article is about the Brooklyn Nets. The misery continues for the Nets.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>First, the Obvious: The Nets Have the Worse Record in the NBA<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The Nets have the worst record in the NBA. They are the only team without double-digit number of wins this thus far. Fans traditionally are obsessed with the wins and loss column, so there is some discontent among factions of Nets Nation. That said, the team has endured some of the worse fortune in the league. This roster is quite possibly the least talented roster assembled in the NBA. Or at least\u00a0since the turn start of the Millennium.<\/p>\n<p>General Manager <strong>Sean Marks<\/strong> has been afflicted with the sins of a previous administration. However, he enthusiastically has gone about this reclamation project and there are signs of progress. NBA pundits, scribes and experts alike have been effusive with praise for Marks\u2019 job. This is tough job.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What Nets coach Kenny Atkinson has done is pretty incredible and he deserves praise. Great breakdown, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ben_Dowsett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Ben_Dowsett<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/w5onay4UBx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/w5onay4UBx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlexKennedyNBA\/status\/799042657293049857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 17, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tough loss for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Nets<\/a> tonight, but Kenny Atkinson deserves a lot of praise for what he&#39;s done. Extremely competitive. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BrooklynGrit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#BrooklynGrit<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Justin Rocke (@JustinRocke) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JustinRocke\/status\/814312894460526592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 29, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Second: Bad luck with Injuries Prove a Major Factor<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Nets\u00a0has endured some rotten luck with injuries this season. Starting point guard <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/linje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jeremy Lin<\/strong> <\/a>has missed 35 games thus far this season. If one does the math, they would quickly surmise that Lin has appeared in only twelve games thus far. Hamstring injuries are often tricky and setbacks are often during recovery.<a href=\"http:\/\/nypost.com\/2017\/01\/23\/jeremy-lins-cursed-nets-season-goes-from-bad-to-absurd\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Lin in a recent interview expected his return <\/a>to be within \u201ca week or two\u201d. The team issued another statement showing another setback.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\/news\/2017\/01\/23\/jeremy-lin-medical-update\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">He\u2019s out for another extended period<\/a>. Marks issued the following statement:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring the course of his rehab, Jeremy re-aggravated his strained left hamstring and will be out approximately three to five weeks as he continues to work towards a full recovery.\u00a0 We understand and appreciate Jeremy\u2019s competitive desire to get back on the court with his teammates, however, we are going to be cautious with his rehab in order to ensure that he is at full strength once he returns.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Third: Patience is Once Again Required<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s a bit of trivia for you: How many players have appeared in all forty-eight (48) games for the Nets this season? Ten? Five? No! Try one, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bogdabo02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Bojan Bogdanovic<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0All the other players have missed games this season. Revelation of the season <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kilpase01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Sean Kilpatrick<\/strong><\/a>, has missed only one game. Currently, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/harrijo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Joe Harris<\/strong> <\/a>has missed the last five games, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holliro01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Rondae Hollis-Jefferson<\/strong> <\/a>is questionable currently. Concurrently star center <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lopezbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Brook Lopez<\/strong><\/a>, healthy throughout, was rested five times because of his injury history.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Brook Lopez and Caris LeVert are OUT (Rest) tonight at Cleveland. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Nets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Nets<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrooklynNets\/status\/825119254139645958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 27, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Fourth: A Dearth in Talent<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Due to the oft-mentioned past administration, the Nets has significantly less talent than all the other teams in the NBA. This is not an excuse. Just a fact. How many players on the Nets team would have been able to honestly compete for a position on another team\u2019s rotation? Maybe three, definitely no more than five. That said, Dallas Mavericks signed former Nets guard <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/ferreyo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Yogi Ferrell<\/strong><\/a> to a ten-day contract. He is the only ex-Net from this season to play in the NBA post Nets. That\u2019s proof that the talent level is evidently less than the other teams.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Fifth: \u00a0But Wait, There\u2019s Also Good News<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/leverca01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Caris LeVert<\/strong> <\/a>is showing he was well worth the wait.\u00a0Remember LeVert came into the league injured requiring extensive rehab and downtime. Since his return, he is averaging more than thirteen points per thirty-six minutes. He\u2019s a rangy, athletic, player who is improving every day, each day. Fellow rookie <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whiteis01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Isaiah Whitehead<\/strong><\/a>, continues to be a revelation. Detroit Pistons cast-off <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/dinwisp01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Spencer Dinwiddie<\/strong> <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\/news\/2016\/12\/08\/brooklyn-nets-spencer-dinwiddie\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">has shown moments<\/a>. Former Toronto Raptors draftee <a href=\"http:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/acyqu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Quincy Acy<\/strong> <\/a>signed to back to back ten day contracts. His addition has been so fruitful that he signed a two-year contract with the Nets.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NETS TRANSACTION: The Brooklyn Nets have signed <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QuincyAcy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@QuincyAcy<\/a> to a multi-year contract. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FAEGHzoolH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/FAEGHzoolH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrooklynNets\/status\/826147942721548288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 30, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chron.com\/sports\/rockets\/article\/Mike-D-Antoni-praises-Nets-coach-Kenny-Atkinson-10859349.php\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The coaching staff have been very good<\/a>. They continue to get no name players ready to compete. Head Coach <strong>Kenny Atkinson<\/strong> is enthusiastic and hardworking with his team.\u00a0He has made mistakes\u00a0but he\u2019s a rookie head coach. One must mention\u00a0<strong>Adam Harrington<\/strong>. His primary role is an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\/front-office\/adam-harrington\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">assistant coach with responsibilities for\u00a0player development<\/a>. Harrington&#8217;s last job was Kevin Durant&#8217;s shooting guru.\u00a0\u00a0Look at the development of Whitehead, LeVert, Harris, Kilpatrick and Hollis-Jefferson. Not to mention, Brook Lopez <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\/news\/2016\/11\/23\/triple-threat\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is now a noticeable threat from beyond <\/a>the three-point line.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sixth: Overall, Misery Continues but Progress is Evident<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>NEW YORK, NY &#8211; DECEMBER 29: Brook Lopez #11 of Brooklyn Nets during a basketball game between Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings at the Barclays Center on December 29, 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Cem Ozdel\/Anadolu Agency\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s often said that misery loves company. If that were true, then the Brooklyn Nets have requested and received company this season. Misery comes in different forms. Wins and losses, and dysfunction are perfect examples. Disappointment is also a component of misery. Teams like the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls, the Sacramento Kings, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":2580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2,62],"tags":[65,233,231,232,236,96,235],"class_list":["post-4052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nets","category-featured","category-nba","tag-basketball","tag-brook-lopez","tag-brooklyn-nets","tag-jeremy-lin","tag-kenny-atkinson","tag-nba","tag-sean-marks"],"modified_by":"Lior Kozai (Managing Editor)","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/466"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}