December Brooklyn Nets Sadness Index
By Greg Cassoli
Things have been worse for the Nets as their sadness index continues to grow
We’ve entered December’s final days, and that means it’s time for our monthly review of Brooklyn Nets fans’ misery. If you’re not privy to the process the brief synopsis is thus. The Boston Celtics are good. The Nets are terrible, and Boston has the rights to their first round draft pick in the next two years. That means they can compete in the present and not hinder any opportunities for acquiring a franchise-altering talent through the draft in the future. Following two basketball teams all year is an exhausting task, so we’re simplifying it for you by providing monthly updates on what is happening in Brooklyn.
The Nets are 3-11 as this is being written, with one more game on tap against the (somewhat) surging Wizards. That’s very bad, and it leaves them with an overall record of 8-23, just one game ahead of the last place Sixers. Brooklyn ran into a number of good opponents throughout the month, so their lack of success was not entirely unpredictable. It’s still not particularly palatable, though, and any reasons Nets fans might have had for hope are fleeting.
Through the first two months of the season, Brooklyn was able to win one game for every two they lost. That’s bad, but it would have produced a twenty-seven win season, enough to keep the team from the sadness of a last place finish, and maybe enough to make a delusional homer feel slightly less depressed about the future. That level of “competency” disappeared in December, and the Nets are now on pace to finish the season with twenty-one victories, a mark that would likely challenge for the dubious honor of worst in the league.
Brooklyn was never supposed to be anything but a bottom three team, so maybe this is just an actualization of that reality. It’s ugly regardless. The Nets are rank 24th and 28th in offensive and defensive efficiency respectively, and they’ve got just three rotation players with above-average PERs. One of those three is Jeremy Lin, who has managed to play in only twelve of the team’s game, and has no time table set for his return from a second hamstring injury incurred on Monday.
We’ve reached a point in the NBA season where teams are beginning to find their grooves. Sadly, for Brooklyn, the Nets “groove” seems to be as bad as anticipated. They’ve been bad all year, but December was by far their worst month. Sadness is high, and Celtics fan’s confidence in their upcoming pick and pick swap should be too.
Next: Boston Celtics Still a Step Below