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When the Nets pulled the trigger on a highly successful deal that earned former National Basketball Association MVP James Harden, not a few quarters saw fit to underscore his offensive potential. Already blessed with prolific producers Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, bringing in the most efficient scorer of the modern era made them a collective behemoth. And at least the numbers they have come up with in the last two and a half weeks show that the assessment is correct. Even counting the 98 they scored in the outlier of a win against the elephant-walking Heat, they’ve normalized a whopping 127 points per outing since forming their version of the Big Three.
To be sure, the Nets’ upbeat outlook has been tempered by their inability to stay just as strong on the other side of the court. In fact, they are downright atrocious on defense. Once again, save for the Heat, they have allowed opponents to string together baskets that would otherwise be reserved for certified world beaters. The Cavaliers, for example, were the league’s mats in points produced before facing them twice last month. They ended up losing in straight sets after giving up 147 and 125. Just the other day, they not only suffered a setback against the Wizards, who have the worst record in the league. They let the competition, so far armed with a four-game losing streak, post 149 points on the board.
Significantly, Irving was abundant in his mea culpa after the loss cut the Nets’ roster to 13 and nine. “I couldn’t defend a stick today,” he argued, and it’s worth noting that he won’t be wrong to say the same thing in almost all of his games so far this season. On the other hand, the problem is not yours alone. Those who have diligently watched them can easily see the numerous breakdowns in coverages from the opening tip to the final ring. It’s exciting to see them as master scorers, sure, but it’s also frustrating to see them as human pylons. Supposedly deficient players have no problem making leather and nylon face off against them.
Perhaps the mentality of the Nets reflects head coach Steve Nash’s predilections dating back to his days as the main orchestrator of the seven-second-or-less system powered by assistant Mike D’Antoni. It’s also certainly a branch of their uneven roster, which they had to sacrifice to get Harden out of the Rockets. However, the fact that they need to improve and fast cannot be discounted. After all, they aren’t just looking to entertain. They also want to win. And unless and until they are able to avoid scoring with some consistency, the apparent impunity with which they have scored themselves will count for little or nothing in the final analysis.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside as Business world introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant in strategic planning, human resources and operations management, corporate communications and business development.
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