Kenny Atkinson hopes Nets can turn things around in New Year
Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Nets during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Credit: Jim McIsaac
DALLAS — Coming off what coach Kenny Atkinson described as an “unacceptable” performance at Minnesota, the Nets found themselves mired in a three-game losing streak to begin the New Year against the Mavericks Thursday night at American Airlines Center. Atkinson called it the “ultimate challenge” because the Mavs have the best offense in the NBA paced by leading All-Star vote-getter Luka Doncic, and the Nets have been struggling to score.
From a defensive perspective, it helped the Nets when Kristaps Porzingis (right knee soreness) was ruled out for the game, but while the 20-year-old Doncic is in only his second season, he is averaging 29 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists to get into the MVP conversation.
“Man, I think his IQ, understanding the game, is what really stands out,” Atkinson said. “I would say his strength. Guys bounce off him. Once he gets a straight-line drive, it’s tough to get him off his line. His maturity and it’s just kind of his bravado. He acts like a star at such a young age. It’s something you have or you don’t have. He’s got it.”
Although Caris LeVert (right thumb surgery) is on the verge of making his return, he was ruled out for the 24th straight game, and Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement) missed his 22nd straight game. When those two return, the Nets’ offense should do an about face. But they have lost three straight for the first time since Irving went down, shooting poorly and turning over the ball too much.
The backcourt was depleted even more Thursday night as Garrett Temple was sidelined by a sore knee.
“We all know we’ve struggled the last 10 or 12 games,” Atkinson said. “We actually shot the ball well from three [against the Timberwolves], but our finishing, we were 21 of 41 at the rim, which is way below league average. We’re not in sync, we’re not in rhythm. Hopefully, it starts to turn soon.”
Atkinson downplayed the notion of fatigue stemming from so many injuries as a reason for the Nets’ offensive slump. “I thought it was more some of our decision-making, quite honestly,” Atkinson said. “In the pick-and-roll and drive-and-kick, we didn’t make the best decisions. We had a lengthy film session to look at it.
“I would say 70 percent of our time and even a little more is spent on the defense. It’s a little bit on me. We’ve got to pay more attention to the offense and helping these guys out.”
After the Timberwolves loss, forward Joe Harris also discounted fatigue and a shooting slump as excuses for such a poor performance. Harris said shooting comes and goes but there are “non-negotiables” in every game the Nets can control, such as rebounding and energy plays.
“There should be a maturity in this locker room,” Harris said. “We’ve all been through the grind of the NBA season a number of times. You can’t have slides like this, you can’t have a three-game stand where it’s more of an energy thing.
“At the end of every game, you come back in the locker room, and you’re trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It’s more of a mental thing than anything else.”
Some might say the Nets played over their heads despite losing LeVert and Irving for a long stretch and valuable reserve David Nwaba (ruptured right Achilles tendon) for the season. But Atkinson doesn’t see it that way.
“That’s how much I think of this team and these guys and how well we were playing,” Atkinson said. “They’ve raised the standards themselves, and for some reason, we’ve lost our mojo. I’m not sure why. Trust me, it’s not about dramatizing the three losses. It’s more about the way we’re playing the game right now, our process isn’t where it should be right now.”
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
