The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2014-15 NBA season so far. After entering the year as unlikely but dark-horse challengers for a spot in the conference finals, the Nets entered Monday night's home game against the Miami Heat with a 4-5 record and a three-game losing streak. New head coach Lionel Hollins has not been able to turn his aging team into a strong outfit yet, and shooting guard Joe Johnson has criticized teammates in public for selfish play even before the team dipped below .500. The Nets have a long way to go.
A single moment against the Heat did a pretty good job of summing up the Nets experience. Roughly halfway through the second quarter, Heat rookie point guard Shabazz Napier executed some fancy dribbling moves while working a pick-and-roll with Chris Bosh. Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett got a bit confused:
The Heat didn't score on the play — Napier turned it over a few seconds later — but the damage had been done. That's two well-regarded veterans, one of whom is considered the most versatile defender of his generation, made to look like untested beginners by a player in his 11th NBA game. There are a lot of big names in Brooklyn, but they haven't come together to form an especially impressive team.
Things got much worse for the Nets after this play. Up five points at halftime, the Nets eventually lost 95-83 to a Heat team playing without Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, and Josh McRoberts. They're now 4-6 and in need of answers.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/11n2Bsj
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