After starting the season 23-9 to take the top spot in the Eastern Conference despite losing a myriad of players through injury and health and safety protocol.
The stage was set for the Nets to solidify that position after most of the roster became available and Kyrie Irving returned, but instead Brooklyn has lost four of its last five games and turned in multiple ugly performances in those losses.
After falling to a short-handed Milwaukee Bucks team, head coach Steve Nash said that the organization will continue to experiment with the lineups. The Nets’ lineup dilemma is exacerbated by Irving’s part-time status, as Nash will have to rely on different lineups and systems depending on whether the Nets are home or away.
Steve Nash says he could see the Nets experiment with rotations and lineups "the whole year"
"It's really difficult to land on who we want to go with" pic.twitter.com/bdYVRd27bm
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 8, 2022
“We have so many guys that are about the same. It’s really difficult to land on who we want to go with so we’re probably going to experiment. Sometimes it’s an experiment, sometimes your hand is forced, you know, with guys being in or out of the lineup.
It is difficult because a lot of guys are very similar in their role and their level, and it’s impossible to play them all. We’re going to go through different iterations of the group, different experimentations. And it’s really important for our guys to understand that it’s not simple and straightforward and not everyone’s going to be happy all the time, but you have to be able to be here for something bigger than yourself and commit to the group to stay ready.”
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