Everyone in the NBA bubble has to deal with fears of coronaviruses, sites and times of practice in constant evolution. But from trying to put together a list and having to change their system on the fly, for the nets, the rest of this season is focused on managing adversity and flexibility.
Being able to bend without breaking will determine how well they manage to restart the championship later this month.
“Now I can complain if I really want to. I can complain about having these gloves, “said interim coach Jacque Vaughn via Zoom, wearing black gloves to protect the coronavirus.
“But that’s not how I ask this team to live their lives. This is a good challenge right now. We will invest, we will put the dividends not to complain, accept this situation and take full advantage of it ”.
The situation is this: with nets without seven players due to an injury or virus – and none of the substitutions still available – they are desperately running out of bodies.
“At the end of the day we will have a list, and we are just working on the process to get there,” said Vaughn, who was forced to make schematic changes on both ends of the field.
With the coronavirus costing four players in the past two weeks, the plans Vaughn had suddenly made had to be demolished and redesigned for a list now lacking in size or firepower.
“The biggest change we made was the simplification and simplification of things, precisely because of the different bodies we will have,” said Vaughn. “The break plan that we had concluded in a nice box and now, we won’t be able to discard and see all this.”
Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince tested positive for coronavirus and Wilson Chandler has given up on COVID concerns. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Nic Claxton are injured.
“Check out our list and you have to be realistic that we won’t be able to overcome the talent of many teams we are playing against. We are definitely limited, ”admitted Joe Harris. “But one thing we can control is not beating ourselves, making sure everyone is running and mentally engaged, making the right decisions.”
Right now, Jarrett Allen is the only great healthy man, leaving Rodions Kurucs their second largest player at 6 feet-9, 228 pounds.
The Nets added Michael Beasley and Donta Hall 6-9 forward, but both must clear the quarantine and Beasley is suspended for five games. They are close to an agreement for 6-8 ex Knick Lance Thomas, reported for the first time by SNY, but it is neither high nor a prolific rebound.
This Hobbit-sized roster will require schematic juggling.
“Take a look at our list, of course we are limited in size and with the big guys right now,” said Harris. “And even when we add some of the guys we are bringing, we will still be in the same boat.
“So a lot of emphasis will be on playing fast, changing much more frequently, trying to be on the line, putting more pressure on the guys more defensively and just trying to put ourselves in advantageous situations where we’re getting the ball and going offensively in transition.”
Harris said the attacking field situation will likely force him to play some power forward, and even 6-7, 220-pound guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has alluded to playing forward.
From having to learn new patterns, trying new positions, and passing practice hours from morning to lunchtime mid-day, the nets will simply have to adapt to the flight.
“We have all been warned to come in to level our expectations for what is traditionally a normal routine,” said Harris. “It’s just about being flexible while we’re here.”
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