Nets ability to stay connected has carried them through Kyrie Irving’s absence

The fact Brooklyn’s two best players throughout this stretch without Kyrie Irving have been Nets for years doesn’t surprise Keny Atkinson.

Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie have been two of Brooklyn’s best players throughout 2019-20, and they’ve both taken major steps forward in the time Kyrie Irving has been sidelined due to a right shoulder impingement.

That’s not to say Irving’s presence on the floor doesn’t allow them to flourish — they both had their share of strong showings alongside Irving. Their play is a sign of their maturation as players, especially the more mild-mannered Allen.

With those two being the ones leading the charge over the last five games, the rest of the roster has had an easier time rallying around the pair because they’re part of the core that’s called Brooklyn home for some time. Kenny Atkinson stressed the same point to reporters following the 108-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

It’s just how connected these guys are and it does help that it’s guys that have been here for a long time. I think that continuity helps. [Garrett Temple] is kinda the new guy in that group. [Taurean Prince], too. But we got guys that have been here that understand what we’re doing, that helps a lot.

Atkinson stressed Brooklyn’s connectedness a second time in his postgame press conference. He explained it’s why he felt confident about the Nets’ chances going into halftime.

You feel like they were locked into this game. They were ready to go. I thought, physically, in the first half, we did not look good, but I felt like we got stronger as the game went on. But I think it’s their mental approach. They’re a connected group right now. They’re feeling good about themselves. It carried over [and] got us a win tonight.

With their improved connectedness comes improved defense, which plays in Brooklyn’s favor with their two best scorers (Irving and Caris LeVert) out. Now the Nets just need to find a way to maintain the chemistry they’re developing when their injured teammates return.