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If one game broke differently last June, the Nets might be trying to defend an NBA title.
Instead the Nets still are trying to prove they can defend … anyone at all.
Six of the Nets’ last nine opponents have eclipsed their season scoring average by trading baskets in shootouts with the score-first duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It’s a dangerous formula to rely on in the upcoming playoffs, which is why coach Steve Nash is hoping team leaders sense an issue that needs correcting after the Nets allowed 119 points to the Hornets and 123 to the lowly Pistons over the last two games.
“It’s always most effective when it’s player-led,” Nash said. “They’re going to hear me say it over and over every day. When they push each other for more, you’ll see the defense improve some. We’re going to stay on them … but I think there is an element to it that is when they decide they’re going to defend and do it internally they’ll be exponentially better than if they have to listen to me every day.”
For proof of Nash’s where-there’s-a-will-there’s-a-way stance, it seems the Nets’ defensive intensity rises with the level of their opponent. In games over the last three weeks, the Hornets, Knicks, Trail Blazers and Pistons all have shot better percentages from the floor than the title-contending 76ers, Mavericks, Jazz and Heat.
Which version of the NBA’s No. 22-ranked defense (by rating) will show up Thursday night against the defending-champion Bucks at Barclays Center? Another 123 allowed is playing with fire.
“I don’t think it’s ever good for a team to score that many points in a basketball game,” center Andre Drummond said after the Pistons (ranked No. 28 in scoring) topped their average by nearly 19 points. “For us, buckling down defensively from the beginning of the game and not waiting until the second half [is the solution] because it can come bite us in the butt and we won’t be able to come back.”
Whereas Irving agreed with Nash’s plea for the Nets to play with more “edge” and put the onus on players to “make it our emphasis on the defensive end,” critics are looking at the second-year head coach. And they aren’t forgiving the Nets for not having Landry Shamet — whose defense has gone to another level since he was traded to the Suns in the offseason — or stopper Ben Simmons, who has yet to make his Nets’ debut after the Feb. 10 trade.
“I think their offensive power can make up for their lack of defensive abilities to a degree. It doesn’t get you over the hump,” ESPN analyst Jay Williams said Wednesday on “First Take.” “What happens is we end up not shining the light on the person that has to make this happen: Steve Nash.
“There are a lot of scouts and coaches who don’t feel like Steve Nash is great at in-game adjustments. To me, over the next two months, I want to see what kind of junk he throws out there. We know your team isn’t one of the best defensively … but now it’s time to show us what’s in your bag.”
Durant didn’t sound as concerned, treating the Pistons’ six 3-pointers in the first quarter as an aberration. Eight of the NBA’s 13 most efficient offenses (excluding the Nets) are in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
“It’s good for us to go through periods like that, because there’s going to be times in the playoffs when teams get hot unexpectedly — and see how we weather the storm,” Durant said. “So it’s a good test for us, and I like it no matter if we’re playing the Pistons or the Bucks. I think the situation we got better from, we evolved as the game went on, regardless of the opponent.”
The Nets recalled rookie guard Day’Ron Sharpe from the G-League. He averaged 6.2 points and five rebounds in 32 games, including eight starts, for the Nets earlier this season. He posted a game with 30 points and 22 boards for the Long Island Nets this month.
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