NBA Play-in Tournament might salvage some of Nets' lost season
Nets guard Dennis Schroder drives to the basket against Spurs guard Tre Jones and center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA game in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
During the Nets’ players-only meeting Saturday night, one voice stood out among the others. It was that of Dennis Schroder, the least tenured Net but longest tenured NBA player.
The 10-year vet’s message was simple. Play for each other. Give everything you have. As the Nets aired out concerns and issues, Schroder reminded them to stay in the moment.
“All I can say is just don't take it for granted,” Schroder said after Sunday’s overtime loss to Spurs. “Every single day, we are blessed to do this. Enjoy the moment being happy for [one] another. I think that's the biggest thing and when we are out there, 110% every single time.”
Positive attitudes remain one of the only things the Nets have left to ride for this season. Sunday’s loss guaranteed their first losing season in four years.
The only goal remaining is the play-in tournament. It might not feel like a reward for a disappointing season, but it’s the last lifeline to keep fans interested in the next 13 games.
Cam Thomas also found hope in still having a chance to catch the Hawks, who are four games ahead as of Tuesday morning. That may seem strange after losing six of their last eight games yet here they are.
“We’re still there no matter how many times we lose and it's crazy honestly. Any other team, we would be out of it,” Thomas said Sunday after his team-high 31 points. “But we're still there like so that's a plus but we just got to find a way to string together these wins and close out these games so we can have the opportunity.
“The season's still alive for us with [14] games left. That’s a lot of time for us to make something shake, so we just got to make it happen.”
The play-in was a ceiling some expected for the Nets during preseason predictions. Now it’s the only thing to keep this season from being a complete loss.
Ben Simmons’ return was dashed by injuries limiting him to 15 games. Mikal Bridges’ star turn a year ago has been replaced by frustration over his shooting despite career-highs in scoring and logging heavy minutes for a third consecutive season.
Jacque Vaughn entered his first full training camp talking about better chemistry and defensive schemes. By the All-Star break, the Nets lost by 50 to the Celtics and Vaughn was out of a job after the All-Star Game.
Thomas’ breakout season has delighted fans because of his scoring. Yet the Nets are 4-7 when he scores at least 30 points. It will prompt more questions leading into the offseason if the team offers him a contract extension this summer or the next.
Starting Dec. 27 when the Nets sat players for rest and pulled more after the first quarter, they’re 11-27 with a .289 winning percentage. Only five teams have a worse win percentage over that span. All five — the Spurs, Trail Blazers, Pistons, Hornets and Wizards — have beaten the Nets at least once.
“It’s all the same at this point, man. A win is a win, losses is losses, especially in the situation we're in,” Thomas said. “I mean for me, it don't feel no different. It’s tough. We're losing winnable games at the end of the day.”
Yet somehow, they haven’t been eliminated from play-in contention. They likely won’t until the final weeks of the season. The Hawks’ remaining strength of schedule is ranked eighth-hardest by Tankathon based on opponent win percentage.
The Hawks have two home games against the Celtics, one against the Bucks and a road game at the defending champion Nuggets. The Nets’ strength of schedule is ranked 23rd out of 30 yet it doesn’t provide comfort to fans accustomed to a team losing games in various ways.
A four-game deficit isn’t insurmountable. But unless the Nets reverse three months of backsliding, they’ll keep yo-yoing behind the Hawks to trim the deficit only to give some of it back.
It’s better than playing for nothing. The Nets don’t have draft picks this summer so they can’t cut bait on this season and hope improvement is around the corner.
All they have left is play-in hopes on life support. Until it flatlines, it’s enough reason for the Nets to hang on and hope the fight they showed Sunday carries them forward.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
