The Brooklyn Nets held a players-only meeting Saturday after an embarrassing 125-116 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The loss, Brooklyn's fourth in a row, came with Indiana on the back end of a back-to-back without one of their best players in Myles Turner. At 1-5, the Nets are one of five teams in the league with just one win after the first week and a half of the season. Ben Simmons said postgame that the players held an honest conversation after the eye-opening loss.
“It was honest. We had a conversation that obviously I’m not gonna talk about, but it was honest,” Simmons said. “That’s what winning teams do, hold each other accountable. Be open and talk to your teammates and respect that.”
When asked about the mood during the meeting, Durant offered an honest response.
“Whatcha think? We lost four games in a row. I must be excited about that? Of course we’re pissed,” Durant said. “We enjoy basketball. We like to win, though. Of course when we lose the game, it’s going to be a somber mood in the locker room. It’ll change once we start playing some good basketball. We got a lot of basketball to be played.”
Through six games, Brooklyn's lack of effort on the defensive end has been alarming. The Nets rank dead last in defensive rating, allowing a league-worst 122.2 points per game. Simmons said the team discussed a need for greater accountability on that side of the ball.
“Guys have to be accountable on the defensive end,” he said. “Guys are coming in here and putting up career highs and we’re just not clicking defensively. We’ve got to hold each other accountable. We had a talk in the locker room and that’s what it comes down to: guarding your man and coming here to be the best version of yourself.”
Nets' coach Steve Nash says that the defensive effort needs to improve moving forward, as he believes the team need to figure out what it is that they want to accomplish. pic.twitter.com/6tsng2SIxo
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 30, 2022
Durant declined to offer specifics on what was said during the meeting. But the former MVP echoed a similar message when asked about Brooklyn's coaching on the defensive end.
“That’s on the individuals. We got to take pride individually,” Durant said. “Coach can do so much, he can tell you what to do, but he’s not playing for us. At the end of the day, coaching matters, chemistry, all that stuff matters, but at the end of the day we’re individuals. So we got to be better as individuals, and then we’ll bring that to the group and figure it out. But each guy’s just got to dig down deeper and be better.”
The Nets have been ravaged by injuries and internal turmoil over the last two years. This season has not been different with Joe Harris and Seth Curry missing games to start the year, and T.J. Warren yet to be cleared. However, Harris and Curry have both returned. While initially limited, the duo's elite floor spacing should provide a major offensive boost for a team in desperate need of shooting.
Brooklyn has a favorable upcoming schedule. The Nets remain home for a rematch with Indiana on Monday before matchups with Chicago, Washington and Charlotte, all of which are .500 or below. Following Saturday's eye-opening loss, Simmons did not lack conviction when asked if he believes in his team's ability to overcome their early struggles.
“F*** yeah, I believe it. I believe we can be the best team in the NBA,” the first-year Net said. “We have one goal: to win. We’re all competitors I believe. Everybody on this team is a competitor and wants to win and be here. We have to have those conversations and be honest and open about it.”
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