The playing homes all say Brooklyn goes to be the worst staff within the NBA.
The Nets say don’t wager on it.
Lots of them took offense at having a league-worst 19.5 wins set as their over/underneath betting line. And with coaching camp tipping off on Tuesday, the Nets can begin the work of proving it unsuitable.
“Sure, I discover it disrespectful. Simply because we’ve received lots of guys that individuals don’t know doesn’t imply we’re going to win simply 19 video games,” Day’Ron Sharpe mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t be one foot out and one foot in. I’m making an attempt to win as many video games as doable and lots of people are going to doubt us and we’re gonna present them.”
Dorian Finney-Smith added, “No expectations, man. We’re taking part in with the church’s cash.”
Multiple Web echoed that sentiment, of the low expectations concurrently getting used as motivation whereas additionally being liberating, fostering an underdog mentality.
“On one hand, you say we now have low expectations: then we simply get to come back out and play how we play with out all that added stress that may include that,” Cam Johnson mentioned. “So, for us, we will use it to our benefit. Use it as a chip on our shoulder and use it as a weight off of our shoulder to go and simply play how we do.”
After buying and selling Mikal Bridges and reacquiring their very own 2025 and ’26 picks from Houston, the Nets are anticipated to not solely battle however transfer extra veterans.
“I used to be with Mikal when he received moved. So, I believed there’s an opportunity I could also be moved,” Finney-Smith mentioned. “However all I can do is be knowledgeable: Are available in form, are available in able to play and be the place my ft [are].”
The twin summer time offers signaled a rebuild in Brooklyn. However don’t inform the Nets that.
Organizations tank. Gamers and coaches don’t. Whereas GM Sean Marks can fear about lottery odds and Cooper Flagg, the gamers are centered on getting Ws.
“I don’t have a look at it as a rebuild: I’m making an attempt to win. Particularly if Ben [Simmons] is Ben [Simmons], I really feel like we received a great probability to win some video games,” Finney-Smith mentioned. “So, I simply attempt to go all-in and be two ft in and simply attempt to get as many wins as I can, as we will.”
A number of Nets internalized the last-place projections and it’s given them a chip on their collective shoulder.
“I have a look at it as motivation,” Cam Thomas mentioned. “Each time I see one thing like that, or my mother tells me about it, I at all times simply snicker, however then at all times maintain a psychological word of that in my head and simply attempt to show everyone unsuitable…I simply use all the pieces as motivation for myself and the staff. So positively snicker, but it surely’s behind my thoughts as motivation.”
How bought-in will older vets like Simmons, Finney-Smith, Johnson and Bojan Bogdanovic be, with all however Johnson on expiring offers? Johnson and Finney-Smith have been topic of commerce rumors all offseason.
“They’ve been actually open, and I recognize that. Plenty of instances on this league, coaches received’t say something to you, and so they’re simply making an attempt to brush it underneath the rug like your title ain’t all around the web,” Finney-Smith mentioned. “[So] I recognize them.”
Bojan Bogdanovic (foot, wrist surgical procedures) has began on courtroom particular person work however not contact or 5-on-5.
