At different times throughout the season, the Brooklyn Nets (now 11-5 and tied for first place with the Miami Heat) have talked about finding their identity. They were pretty honest in saying they didn't have one at first and didn't know what theirs would be during the season's early grind. But it does seem as if one has begun to take shape.
One of the biggest surprises around the Nets this year has been their weirdly good defense.
A quick look at the Nets' roster and few would have guessed that through 16 games they would grade as a top-10 defense. In fact, per NBA.com, they now rank fifth in defensive rating with 103.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. That's actually a three-way tie with the Heat and Chicago Bulls.
Before the most recent victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nets head coach Steve Nash offered a few thoughts on the team's identity.
“I think we’ve started to move in a direction defensively where I think no one expected us to be. Kind of a top-10 defense, we’re getting in that range, so that, in a sense, has been our identity,” said the second-year head coach. “That’s taken a lot of pride and concentration from our group. And offensively it’s a lot. It’s a lot of different styles, lot of different backgrounds, lot of different habits, trying to firm into an identity and that takes time.”
It sounds like they have not quite found an offensive identity yet. Nash went on to talk about the importance of playing with pace, ball movement, swinging the ball to the second side, and not always attacking a “loaded box” of defenders via isolation. That's perhaps a way of saying they don't want to simply isolate the league-leading scorer in Kevin Durant too often because they know they need to get everyone else involved in order to be the last team standing.
Nash may not expect that to happen overnight given the absence of Kyrie Irving and all of the new players he has. But they have embodied a blue collar underdog mentality on the defensive end.
Blake Griffin has joked about the team having a “Blue Collar Boys Club.” He, Patty Mills, and Joe harris comprise that group, and they specialize in taking charges, diving for loose balls, getting the crowd going and other hustle plays.
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Griffin joked earlier this month that while Mills was the newest member of the BCB Club, Kevin Durant's application was still pending.
“We notice and we appreciate Kevin’s commitment to taking a charge,” joked the six-time All-Star following a big road win in Toronto. “I dunno if he knows the application process takes a while, so while we do like him as a prospect, it’s gonna be a bit of a go. He’s gotta jump through a few hoops before we just give it to him. There’s no easy way to get into the ‘Blue Collar Boys Club.'”
The team just finished a torrid stretch of eight games in 13 nights, including a six-game road trip. Over this stretch, they were of course without Irving, but they also recently played without Paul Millsap (personal reasons), Joe Harris (ankle), Nic Claxton (non-COVID illness) for stretches of the grind as well. Still they've fared well, snagging their ninth win in their last 11 games.
After the most recent win over the Cavs, Patty Mills spoke to reporters about the team's mindset while playing undermanned. And his answer sounds an awful lot like it could be the secret Blue Collar Boys credo.
Listen to Patty Mills here and tell me this isn't Brooklyn's "Blue Collar Boys" credo
"It’s a grind, it’s a marathon, and nights like tonight you just gotta dip deep and find a way to be infectious in a good way and be able to spread those good vibes on the court…." pic.twitter.com/2HLBvyUNQd— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) November 19, 2021
“Understanding the big picture and where we wanna be at the end of the day,” said the 2014 NBA champion. “The last team standing. What it takes to get there, it’s hard, it's not easy, nothing is gonna be handed to us on a silver platter. It’s a grind, it’s a marathon, and nights like tonight you just gotta dip deep and find a way to be infectious in a good way and be able to spread those good vibes on the court, on the bench, no matter what it is, hustle plays, get the team going.”
The team may not have an offensive identity. Yet. But it does sound like they have one on the other end. DeAndre' Bembry is seventh in deflections created per 36 minutes. Blake Griffin leads the league in charges drawn with 11. Those are the types of things that earn you a hard hat on this team.
We're glad Mills shared the Nets' secret club credo with us inadvertently.
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