Fighting Nets know they need to improve their rebound to win
At first glance, it looks like the struggling 2-3 Nets had a good chance of equalizing their record against the 1-4 Pacers on Friday night at the Barclays Center. But the appearance can be deceiving, and the Pacers expected to be a tough match for a Nets team with an average of 102.0 points per game. match compared to the Pacers’ average of 113.4.
The Pacers have traditionally been an Eastern Conference challenger, and it should be no different under new coach Rick Carlisle despite the slow start. They lost their first two games by one point and could easily have come in with a winning record.
Former Net Caris LeVert, who underwent a successful off-season cancer operation and was later diagnosed with a lumbar stress fracture, returned to training earlier in the week without restrictions but has yet to play. However, guard Malcolm Brogdon (23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists) and forward Damontas Sabonis (21.6, 11.4, 4.2) always provide Nets passes.
The Nets come after a loss to the Heat, where they got 20 back and gave up 17 offensive rebounds, leading to a 31-4 deficit in the second chance. So they know where to improve against the Pacers.
After the loss to the Heat, Nets coach Steve Nash was asked if his team had a bad mindset or lacked staff to cope on the boards, and he fired a warning shot. “Obviously, the staff,” Nash said. “If we had a whole bunch of rebounders, that would not be a problem, but since we do not have the staff who will naturally clean up the glass, we all have to come in and rebound.
“You can’t not have two or three guys who fight down to the other end of the floor and see the ball being knocked around in there. We have to come back and help and hit. We definitely came back in a big way, and that was the difference in the game. “
Judging by the early returns, it can be the difference in many Nets games. It’s worrying because general manager Sean Marks bought more front-court talent than ever during the season, including former All-Stars Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, who spent the second half of last season at Nets, and free agent Paul Millsap, another former All-Stars. -Star, and the famous tough guy free agent James Johnson.
But the four major veterans have an average of 14.0 rebounds per game. match, even though Johnson has barely played. Nets striker Kevin Durant, who leads the team with 10.0 rebounds per game, insisted that the defensive effort against the Heat, who only shot 39.6%, was sufficient, but admitted that the points with the second chance were a problem.
“Every fight you have to be aware of offensive rebounds and boxing and finish a possession,” Durant said. “That’s how the teams feel they can beat us. We have a lot of offense and we move the ball pretty well and we have a solid defense. But if you can get second-chance points, that’s the key to every hold if you can create more possessions than your opponents. We must always be aware of boxing out and rebounding of gangs and then get out and go. “
James Harden admitted that the Nets could get their priorities reversed in the sense that they might leak out to get the transition game underway before securing rebounds. “It’s just something we have to preach and talk about every day,” Harden said. “We can’t go anywhere without getting this rebound as a team. We have to keep preaching it every single day until we become a really good defensive rebounding team. Not great, but just good enough for, where we can get a rebound and push the ball. That’s the game right there. “
Greg Logan has been working for Newsday since 1982 to cover a wide range of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
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