The 2023/24 season has been a struggle-filled campaign for Brooklyn. The team has not met expectations of competing for a top-six seed, as they’re scraping by and competing for the last spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The Nets are 3.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks after the former’s loss to Orlando. Coach Kevin Ollie hopes positive results will come for Brooklyn moving forward.
“Hopefully, they see some light at the end of the tunnel because the season's not over yet. We gotta keep playing one step at a time, one game at a time, and can we get better in each game? Each minute we step out onto the court together. That’s where I’m at, hopefully, we see more intensity and effort in Indiana,” Ollie said after losing to Orlando.
The Nets still have the potential to turn it around
Brooklyn’s season is not yet over, as the team is healthy apart from Ben Simmons and Dariq Whitehead. The team is finding their form, fighting back even when they succumb to first-quarter struggles. Cameron Thomas is playing well, averaging 22.9 points per game in his last 20 games.
Mikal Bridges might’ve been in an extended slump, but he does have good performances, like the one against Cleveland. Building the team around the dynamic of these players can lead to success for the Nets, as long as they keep playing hard, which Coach Ollie wants.
The supporting cast will be vital, as the Nets have solid players like Cameron Johnson, Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith, and more.
Ollie wants to lead his team to the Play-In
Ollie is a competitive coach, especially with his experience as an NBA veteran and champion college coach with UConn. He is ready for the pressure of competing for a Play-In spot, which would be challenging for a rookie NBA head coach.
The Nets organization wants the team to reach the postseason, given they don’t have picks to use in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. Coach Ollie is motivating the players well, and they just need to respond to that and fuel the run for the Play-In spot.
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