Boston Celtics

Why the Nets Should Continue to Battle

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:22 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Christian Milcos/FanSided via Nothin' But Nets

Nov 12, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (right) shakes hands with Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (left) after the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Nets won 122-104. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets are currently on a three-game losing streak, have an overall record of 7-20, and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Nets don’t control their first-round pick until 2019 and have a severe lack of talent. While all these factors must be a burden on and off the court, it is important for them to stay engaged.

Brooklyn as an organization had undergone a complete overhaul since the firing of Lionel Hollins and reassignment of Billy King last winter. The Nets needed a new direction after having several years of first-round picks stripped away from them with only one playoff series win to show for it.

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A new philosophy and culture has since been implemented by new general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson. It appears that the beginning of this long rebuild has involved a large amount of experimenting. On the court, Atkinson has his players taking a lot of threes and playing at a fast pace.

However, this new culture seems to bring a more laid-back approach compared to most NBA franchises. Jeremy Lin was not given a timetable to return from a pulled hamstring he sustained in November, and in the end, took a month to get back on the court. The new regime has also been cautious with starting center Brook Lopez, who has rested for several key games this season, including a man-handling from the Raptors on Tuesday night.

This lackadaisical approach to games disengages the fan base, among other consequences. Despite motives to be conservative this season and numerous reasons to be disheartened by recent play, here are three reasons why the Nets should take every game seriously.

Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) shoots as Brooklyn Nets forward Trevor Booker (35) and center Brook Lopez (11) defend during the first quarter of the game at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Tanking Isn’t an Option

This is the most obvious incentive for the Nets to still put their best product on the court every game. Brooklyn owes their first-round pick to the Boston Celtics this June as a result of the “the trade.” This means that the more games the Nets lose, the better odds the Celtics will have at getting the number one pick and landing a future superstar such as Lonzo Ball.

To this point, it does not appear as if Boston has selected any once in a generation players using the Nets’ picks (James Young and Jaylen Brown have been selected with Brooklyn’s picks so far), but this is subject to change. However, if the Celtics land a future superstar in the loaded 2017 draft class, for example, then the Nets’ Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce acquisition will haunt fans for decades.

The Nets currently sit at the third-worst record in the league, the same place they were in the draft lottery last May. With the Mavericks bound to improve once they have a healthy roster and Philadelphia’s young studs improving daily, it is very possible that the Nets could finish with one of the two worst records in the league.

It is not logical for the Nets’ sole motivation for the rest of the season to be ensuring that the Celtics get a worse pick. Rather, this factor should simply be in the back of every player’s mind as a means of motivation to come into every game giving full effort, despite the team’s dismal record. An always, present incentive to compete will motivate the Nets to put their best foot forward in the dog days of March and April.

Players will often lose hope, and locker rooms will fall apart towards the tail-end of a bad season. An added motivation in sending Boston a worse pick will be very beneficial from a competitive standpoint once the Nets become eliminated from playoff contention.

Dec 14, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Caris LeVert (22) drives against Los Angeles Lakers small forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Confidence

The Nets’ roster only includes two players who are over 30 years old and has an overall average age of 26.4 years. In addition, eight players on the Nets are under 25 and for many, this is their first time receiving consistent minutes in the NBA. Confidence is a key aspect in any young player’s development, especially in a region that boasts sports fans who are known for being some of the toughest in the country.

Losing games due to resting the team’s best players will especially destroy the confidence of the Nets’ youngsters. Before a game in Phoenix a few weeks ago, Kenny Atkinson had this to say on his players’ confidence, “We’re giving guys the freedom, especially where we are in the development process, I think it gives them confidence to, you know, try new stuff. That’s how you get better.”

Inexperienced players are naturally going to make mistakes once given freedom, which makes it crucial to have veteran leaders on the court to clean up these inevitable errors. As evident in Tuesday’s embarrassing performance against the Raptors, players such as Caris LeVert need the best possible talent on the court to have a healthy development process.

Playing as a cohesive unit on a nightly basis will do wonders for younger player’s confidence. Throwing in the towel for games against formidable opponents will culminate in bad habits of losing and low confidence being formed by players who are expected to be building blocks.

Jan 16, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) shoots against Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) and forward Willie Reed (33) and is fouled on the play in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 114-86. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Free Agent Appeal

Perhaps the biggest reason the Nets should take every game seriously is the organization’s potential appeal to free agents. It’s hard to sell a franchise that is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for multiple seasons. In an age where free agents value a winning culture over a large market, it becomes crucial for the Nets to create a competitive atmosphere.

There is a track record of respectable free agents flirting with teams who have a good culture, but don’t necessarily qualify for the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks landed big man Greg Monroe in 2015 over the New York Knicks due to their upward trend as a franchise. Marks’ Nets could follow this model to a lesser extent in order to sign a mid-tier free agent such as Danilo Gallinari.

In addition, Dwyane Wade and Paul Millsap heavily considered signing with the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic respectively in their free agent tours. The Nets may receive some attention from reputable free agents if they show a change in culture from the Billy King era. Competing hard every night certainly doesn’t hurt this philosophy.

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Ultimately, the Nets’ brass needs to show that they are determined to win every game, and resting their best player is very counterproductive. This organization will receive no respect from free agents until there is reason for hope, and the best way Brooklyn can currently do that is by putting their best product on the court every night to remain competitive. The Sixers‘ front office has been determined to put a bad team on the court for the past three seasons, which has resulted in their biggest free agent singing over that time span being Sergio Rodriguez.

The whole Brooklyn Nets organization should use the Sixers as a cautionary tale if they want any chance to land a notable free agent before 2020. While Philadelphia tanked for three years, they had a top five pick to look forward to every June. The Nets simply do not have this luxury. In the meantime, they might as well attempt to stir up some excitement by putting their best lineup on the floor every game.

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