The playing homes all say Brooklyn goes to be the worst crew within the NBA.
The Nets say don’t wager on it.
A lot of them took offense at having a league-worst 19.5 wins set as their over/beneath betting line. And with coaching camp tipping off on Tuesday, the Nets can begin the work of proving it fallacious.
“Sure, I discover it disrespectful. Simply because we’ve bought a number of guys that individuals don’t know doesn’t imply we’re going to win simply 19 video games,” Day’Ron Sharpe stated. “You may’t be one foot out and one foot in. I’m attempting 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 have now low expectations: then we simply get to return out and play how we play with out all that added stress that may include that,” Cam Johnson stated. “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 bought moved. So, I assumed there’s an opportunity I could also be moved,” Finney-Smith stated. “However all I can do is be knowledgeable: Are available form, are available able to play and be the place my ft [are].”
The twin summer season 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 targeted on getting Ws.
“I don’t have a look at it as a rebuild: I’m attempting to win. Particularly if Ben [Simmons] is Ben [Simmons], I really feel like we bought an excellent probability to win some video games,” Finney-Smith stated. “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 stated. “At any time when I see one thing like that, or my mother tells me about it, I all the time simply snort, however then all the time preserve a psychological observe of that in my head and simply attempt to show everyone fallacious…I simply use every thing as motivation for myself and the crew. So undoubtedly snort, but it surely’s at the back of 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 respect that. Plenty of occasions on this league, coaches gained’t say something to you, and so they’re simply attempting to comb it beneath the rug like your title ain’t everywhere in the web,” Finney-Smith stated. “[So] I respect them.”
Bojan Bogdanovic (foot, wrist surgical procedures) has began on courtroom particular person work however not contact or 5-on-5.
