Culture Shock: Injury-Plagued Nets Roar Back In Second Half To Douse Heat
The word “culture” can be overused in NBA circles, especially in Miami, where “Heat Culture” merchandise is advertised on game broadcasts. (Cue vomit noise.)
In that specific context, the word is meant to delineate a program where everyone on the team, from the star to the 15th guy and the two-way players, is prepared to contribute when their name is called. The Heat organization is highly-regarded for its boundless ability to seamlessly insert previously unheralded players into its system so that it never veers off the road to success.
How fitting, then, that Brooklyn’s improbable 109-105 victory on Wednesday night while missing three starters came at Miami. For I am decreeing that one a “culture win.”
Remember those days when the Nets would fall apart with the absence of one key player? Like as recently as last season? Well, Brooklyn may no longer boast superstars on the level of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving who routinely missed games due to real and self-imposed excuses, causing the team to spiral; but this squad just proved it has the depth to withstand the injuries to center Nic Claxton (ankle), wing Cam Johnson (calf), and point guard Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle) and beat a quality opponent. Reserve point guard Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) also sat out on Wednesday.
Two players who made their Nets (2-2) debuts in Game #4, Trendon Watford and Armoni Brooks, weren’t just placeholders against the Heat; they spurred a comeback from 15 points down midway through the third quarter. Brooks, a two-way player who practiced with the G League Long Island Nets the day before and arrived in Miami in time for the game-day shootaround, put up 17 points in 16 minutes by knocking down 6-of-7 field goal attempts, including 5-of-6 from deep. Watford, at 6-foot 8 and 237 pounds, was tasked by Nets Head Coach Jacque Vaughn to play out of his comfort zone as a point guard in this pinch and ended up peppering the stat sheet with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal in 14 minutes.
On top of the missing production, the Nets had to navigate this physical encounter through struggles from their leading scorers Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges, who combined to shoot 11-for-34 from the floor, including 4-for-14 on 3s. In the first half, the Nets committed 10 turnovers and surrendered 11 second chance points, their usual markers for defeat.
Yet Brooklyn battled back with a scrambling defense and sweet shotmaking, connecting on 9-of-17 three-pointers after intermission. Even during the stressful last few minutes, which had been a harrowing experience in their first two games, the Nets made enough plays and free throws to hold on. (Note: Sure they got a break on a non-call when Lonnie Walker IV likely travelled at mid-court in the final minute, but don’t try to convince me that all those late-whistle fouls on Brooklyn after Heat misses were evenly applied.)
The early portion of the NBA marathon often yields strange results every year, and when we look back at this one, it might have just been one of those nights. However, there is also a slim possibility that the reconstructed Nets under General Manager Sean Marks and Vaughn might have something interesting here, where different players can step up at various points to not only post stats, but also impact winning.
Nets fans saw that in 2018-19, when a ragtag bunch shocked most NBA experts by winning 42 games and qualifying for the playoffs as a six seed. The phrase Marks freely threw around in those days was “building a culture.”
Marks likes to say that his team’s “culture” is always evolving, but many fans would stipulate that it took a hiatus during the superstar era in favor of individual freedom. It’s way too early to assert that the old culture has returned to Brooklyn, but that win in Miami could prove to be an opening statement.