Although the Pistons are nipping at the Nets’ heels in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, Detroit is not on the same level as the last four teams Brooklyn has faced — the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers (twice) and Los Angeles Lakers.
While Saturday’s game is far from a break, especially with it being in Detroit, the matchup does provide the Nets with a much easier chance to right the ship than their last few games have.
So, Brooklyn needs to take advantage of the opportunity right away. Can’t have a slow start on Saturday. Otherwise, things can snowball easily. Get on the same page in the first quarter and keep things that way.
If 3-point shots aren’t falling down, get Jarrett Allen going, or search for other ways to score.
With the New York Knicks being the second game of Brooklyn’s upcoming back-to-back, the Nets could shift momentum in their favor very quickly.
Then they have another game against the Pistons on Wednesday, that one being at Barclays Center, followed by matchups with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors — all very winnable games.
This is an opportune time for the Nets to work things out and finally change the tone of this season.