Nets’ grit mentality has them off to surprising start this season

During nan Big 3 era, and moreover past year, erstwhile nan Nets won, it was much connected talent than toughness. 

It’s early, but truthful acold this season, it’s nan different measurement around.

And that toughness has led to a astonishing 4-4 commencement for nan Nets going into Friday’s crippled astatine Boston. 

“There’s a grit, you know?” Cam Johnson said. “Two of our wins person travel connected nan 2nd nighttime of a back-to-back, which I don’t deliberation we had awesome occurrence pinch successful nan past. We’re not winning games because we’re playing beautiful hoops aliases because we’re making shots and things are going our way. We’re uncovering ways to triumph and uncovering ways to beryllium reliable and figured that portion of nan crippled out. 

“We’ve had a batch of games, we’ve fixed up a batch of free throws, we’ve had games wherever we’ve been a small undersized. But there’s a toughness constituent to it that’s beautiful foundational, and taking this small eight-game sample and establishing personality for 82.” 

It’s thing they figured retired each excessively infrequently during nan Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era, aliases pinch nan Mikal Bridges-led squad past season.

Brooklyn grit was an quiet slogan, not a reality.

They fto spell of nan statement acold excessively often precocious successful games, blowing fourth-quarter leads and showing a deficiency of fortitude. 

“I wouldn’t opportunity arsenic a squad we weren’t reliable enough. I’ll astir apt opportunity we conscionable didn’t show it,” admitted Johnson. “We didn’t respond successful nan champion ways astatine times and it conscionable boiled down to nan instauration of what we were doing. A batch of nan accent done campy was strictly connected that instauration and really we’re going to play nighttime successful and nighttime retired and what we’re going to bent our chapeau on. That’s what leads to sustainability and that’s what leads to nan toughness we’ve shown connected nan court. 

“That toughness facet and really we’re trying to play is sustainable. And I don’t deliberation we’re taxable to nan ebbs and flows of nan games arsenic much.” 

The devil is successful nan details. 

Nothing screams grit much than putting one’s assemblage successful harm’s measurement taking a charge.

And past play nan Nets took conscionable 9 mixed arsenic a team, less than immoderate different squad since nan league’s website began search specified stats successful 2016-17.

Over nan past 20 seasons, nary different squad had arsenic fewer arsenic 9 charges drawn successful a season, per Elias Sports Bureau. 

But they’re really successful nan Top 10 successful nan convention truthful acold this season.

And their endgame play has shown toughness arsenic well, their Effective Field Goal percent allowed vaulting from 16th past play to third-best now. 

And that fortitude has shown successful back-to-backs.

The Nets were a sorry 4-10 past play playing connected nary days disconnected rest, but they’re 2-0 this season, bouncing backmost from losses connected nan first nighttime some times. 

“I deliberation nan guys really care. And erstwhile we play difficult and springiness ourselves a chance and we don’t win, you ever want to find a measurement to beryllium a small spot better. You cannot ever power everything, but what you tin power is to conscionable travel pinch that energy,” said coach Jordi Fernandez, who focused heavy connected toughness while putting his Nets done a grueling camp. It’s paying dividends. 

“The activity reward is ever important. This group has been moving really difficult and nan connection has been if we activity together, we build those relationships, past we’ll spot nan results connected nan court. Sometimes you spot results and past you lose. And past erstwhile you triumph you’re happier. It’s portion of nan process.” 

The Nets person different back-to-back coming up, connected Friday astatine reigning champion Boston and past Saturday astatine undefeated Cleveland. 

“This twelvemonth we’re conscionable coming successful pinch nary excuses,” second-year guardant Jalen Wilson said. “Everyone successful nan convention has to do back-to-backs, truthful it’s not for illustration thing wherever we tin beryllium tired because nan different squad is conscionable arsenic tired arsenic us. We conscionable onslaught nan situation.”