Nets' lack of intensity is alarming amidst four-game losing streak

HOUSTON — Zion Williamson spun past Mikal Bridges and rose for a dunk on Tuesday night that would have fired up Pelicans fans at Smoothie King Center.

Instead, Day’Ron Sharpe met Williamson at the rim and blocked him with his right hand. Williamson fell to the floor and the ball bounced off the Pelicans forward and went out of bounds.

It was that kind of effort that was lacking the rest of the way during their 27-point defeat. After three weeks of poor play, the Nets appeared to buckle under the weight of losing eight of their previous 10 games.

They offered little resistance once the Pelicans jumped out to a 16-3 lead. They trailed by double figures for 43:46 out of 48 minutes of game action and for good after the 6:09 mark in the first quarter.

It’s one thing to lose, as the Nets have done in four straight games heading into Wednesday night at the Rockets. But it’s another when the effort is lacking against a Pelicans team that’s not a top-four team in the West like the Thunder, who beat the Nets on Sunday.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that coach Jacque Vaughn, Bridges and Cam Johnson all criticized the lack of intensity. It was obvious and they knew it.

“For me it’s how we responded. I was very concerned how we responded. We've been a team to be able to step up to challenges and we didn't do a lot of things well tonight,” Vaughn said. “We didn't shoot the basketball well. We didn't rebound the basketball well, we had no physicality tonight."

Bridges blamed himself for not being a better leader. On a dismal offensive night where his team scored a season-low 85 points, Bridges returned to the Nets’ familiar Achilles’ heel that’s been ailing them all year.

“It’s really defense. I think our defense messed up our offense,” Bridges said. “I feel like we don't get no stops and then we kind of just laid down on both ends, especially offensively as well. So it's really just getting stops.”

The question for now is when? And how bad will it get before the Nets hit rock bottom? 

The Nets haven’t put together enough decent games against winning teams. They were 6-14 against teams .500 or better entering Wednesday.

The Nets (15-19) host the Thunder at home Friday and one can only guess how fans will react seeing in person how bad things are.

Vaughn said recently the Nets need to play with desperation. It’s the only thing they can control after their worst loss on Tuesday.

“Sometimes you just got to make things happen, rather than just kind of playing along and hoping things happen,” Johnson said. “So, you know, it's a gut check. It's a gut check. This stretch is a gut check.”

Maybe Sharpe’s hustle play blocking Williamson reminds the Nets what they need to be. Because a lack of effort Tuesday along with their poor play have made this season a mess that’s bound to get worse if things don’t change.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.