In every team's struggles and hardships, there will always be someone who will boldly stand up in front of everyone to inject encouragement into his demoralized teammates. And in the case of the Brooklyn Nets right now, this role was proudly fulfilled by Dennis Schroder.
As the Nets hit rock bottom anew upon absorbing a gut-wrenching 122-115 defeat against the West's worst San Antonio Spurs, it was Schroder himself who attempted to provide plenty of light and energy for his dejected squad.
“Dennis [Schroder] was definitely the loudest voice, trying to get everybody on the same page,” Claxton said, courtesy of New York Post's Brian Lewis.
No time to lower heads amid ongoing struggles
Over anybody else, it was Schroder who inserted the greatest effort to will the Nets’ rally against the Spurs with his game-tying three-point shot and 19-point performance. However, as they eventually fell miserably over time, the German guard was also the most motivated as he continued to campaign for optimism around the devastated group.
“Just be happy for another. Whoever gets on the court, give everything you have and everybody who is on the bench, not in at the moment, just being happy for another and enjoy being out there. Don’t take being in the NBA for granted,” Schroder said of his message to his teammates.
Rise to the occasion
In consideration of any positive things that they may think of, the Nets are truly scrambling to find one. They concluded their lengthy six-game road trip with just a single one, and their hopes for a Play-In berth are now slowly fading away as they are now 4.5 games away from the final spot.
Despite the generally negative aura that surrounds the team, Dennis is maintaining his belief that there's still a significant time left for them to mark a dramatic turnaround with 14 games left to the season.
“All I see the last three or four weeks I’ve been here, all I can say is just don’t take it for granted. Every single day, we’re blessed to do this. Enjoy the moment, being happy for another. That’s the biggest thing, and when we’re out there, [give] 110 percent every single time.”
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