The Networks no longer have an incentive to tank, but their new season still started on Wednesday with a home loss to Charlotte, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. While it was a familiar result for Brooklyn fans, there is hope that this year will be different from the last three, when they won 32, 26 and 20 games and finished at the bottom of the East in a row. The franchise expects a turnaround, and Julius Randle says that message has been constant in the locker room since he arrived in a trade with Minnesota this summer.
“Ever since I’ve been here, everyone’s focused on winning. It’s not like we’re putting development first. Obviously, we’re all trying to get better and develop, but it’s about coming in every day and doing the right things to win basketball.” Randle said. “We do whatever it takes to give ourselves the best chance to win every night.”
The Nets have to trade their 2027 first-round pick with Houston, so nothing will come of another losing season. However, Lewis points out that Wednesday’s contest may have been their best chance of a win for some time. Their next six games are against projected Eastern Conference playoff teams, so another tough start is a possibility.
“I think everybody knows that … You want to start the season off right,” fellow veteran addition Moritz Wagner said. “Having a good start to the season – one game or five games – means a lot. Yeah, I think it counts. It’s funny because I’ve been thinking about it. We prepare so hard for the first game and then in February, when you have a back-to-back, you can barely prepare. It’s absurd because they’re the same, but it matters because you want to start off right. You’ve worked so hard the last two, three weeks, you want to do what you’ve been working on.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Randle has the confidence of this coach Jordi Fernandez Lewis states in a a separate story. On a roster loaded with young point guards, Randle was the team’s preseason scoring leader. “I’m still feeling the rhythm, understanding the timing of things, like what I’m looking for, angles, all different types of things,” he said. “But I’m getting more comfortable every day. And I’m excited. Once I really get the hang of it, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
- Lottery selection Mikel Brown Jr played 20 minutes off the bench Wednesday on a minutes restriction after spraining his left ankle in a preseason meeting, for CJ Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). Fernandez told reporters that the organization will be careful with Brown’s workload as he is viewed as an important part of the team’s future.
- After starting 60 games last season, Noah Clowney has returned to the backup role behind Randle, Holmes adds another piece. The Nets want Clowney to be their top rebounder after he averaged 4.1 rebounds per game last season, ranking 30th in the league in that category. “He can be better and he will be better” Fernandez said. “We got him those points and we know he can make an impact not only on the defensive glass but the offensive glass as well, and there are no excuses for that.”