On January 8, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. The long-awaited Nets vs Bucks is finally staged as scheduled. However, the course of the game and the result were unsatisfactory, the Nets were suppressed by the Bucks, and the fourth quarter began to surrender voluntarily. The first time the two teams met, the Nets lost by 23 points; the second time, it was a 12-point defeat. While the team lost Irving and Joe Harris, the Bucks lost Holliday, Connaughton, Di Vincenzo, George Hill, Lopez The Great, and even head coach Budenholzer were quarantined.
Throughout this game, the Nets can't find any reason or excuse for losing, and there are too many problems of their own. Why did Bemburi, who performed perfectly in the last game, only play 7 minutes? Griffin defended well last season, why didn't he play? Nets 2 straight losses? Spurs surrounded Durant, Harden may continue to slump, Irving returned to save Nash.
The Spurs surrounded Durant
Against the Bucks, Durant can be described as a lot of hard work, both offensive and defensive. He was saddled with 2 fouls in the first quarter and remained on the court because he went down and the Nets had no one to score. Even after the team fell behind, Durant still played 37 minutes, shooting 10-of-19, with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. When Irving was away, Harden was unable to provide offensive firepower, and the team's offensive responsibility was only carried by Du Shao.
After losing to the Bucks, they continue to sit at home for the next game to meet the challenge of the San Antonio Spurs. The tactical master Popovich will inevitably surround Durant and let others attack. So, can Harden provoke the offensive responsibility? How should Nash respond? With a record of 5 wins and 4 losses, you can't lose again!
Harden may continue to be sluggish
Recently, Harden's state has been sluggish again, and even he himself does not know what the reason is. After the game against the Bucks, he said: Frustrating. There is no way to get back to the state, there are 4-5 games, it is at both ends of the attack and defense. It's happening all season and it's needed to get out of that. In other words, harden has been overwhelmed since Durant's comeback. Today's stats are: 6-of-15 shooting, 1-of-3 three-pointers, 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 turnovers. Portis and Middleton around Brother Alphabet played very well, but Durant was unable to stand alone.
With Popovich's intelligence, he will certainly cut off Harden's connection with his teammates through various defensive strategies, leaving him in a singles situation. At the same time, 2 more players were arranged to surround Durant, and the Nets' offense was completely destroyed. Harden's slump may continue because he himself does not know how to adjust.
Owen makes a comeback to save Nash
5 wins and 4 defeats, Nash's call for class reached a climax. Last season's offensive league number one is now 13th in the league; defensive league number two at the start of the season is now down to 7th. It can be said that after half a season of adjustment, the Nets not only did not get better, but also got worse and worse. Without an Owen, the sky is really falling.
At present, the Nets' record is still second in the East, and Nash is unlikely to be dismissed. Moreover, the compromise of management gave Irving the opportunity to wear the game. The Nets have 12 games left in January, with seven away games. Among them, there is also a wave of 4 consecutive guests, and Irving can save Nash. But will Nash's return put the Nets on track to win the title? The answer is: it's hard, it's very hard, it's pretty hard.
Against the Spurs, if the Nets lose again and suffer a 2-game losing streak, Nash really should reflect. Back to the question at the beginning of the article: Why did Bemburi only have 7 minutes to play? Why did Bruce Brown become a marginal player? Is Griffin really unworthy to play? Whether Mills' positioning should change a bit. The opening day of the specific transaction is getting closer and closer, does the Nets need to repair and improve the team through trades, free market signings, etc.?