OKLAHOMA CITY — The Nets have essentially the most future draft picks within the NBA.
The staff with the second-most: Oklahoma Metropolis.
The 127-101 beating the Nets took from the Thunder at Paycom Middle — and the best way OKC has run by means of your complete league — is a scary reminder of simply how well-poised Sunday’s foe is to dominate the NBA each at the moment and tomorrow.
The Nets (14-29) watched them lead by 27 within the first quarter and 28 within the fourth, taking pictures a red-hot .552 and 19 of 43 from deep.
Cam Johnson returned from a sprained proper ankle with 15 factors, however the Nets have been at a expertise deficit in shedding for the eighth time in 9 video games.
It’s why they’re basically seeking to emulate OKC’s mannequin. It’s additionally why they’ve made the laborious however crucial choices to commerce away expertise that would assist them win at the moment — Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith — for gamers who, in some instances, won’t ever go well with up — De’Anthony Melton — as a result of it should assist them construct long-term sustainable success.
They’ll solely hope to achieve the success OKC has, however that’s far off. Proper now, after Sunday, they’ll limp dwelling with only one lone win on this six-game Western Convention swing, with a back-to-back looming in opposition to the Knicks and Suns.
“You may by no means get bored with this, how the NBA and the schedule is. I do know it’s the tip of the journey, however being excited to play an NBA recreation is essential,” coach Jordi Fernandez stated. “Clearly, it felt like we have been in L.A. endlessly; we performed two video games. However the video games preserve coming.
“Then now we have a troublesome back-to-back at dwelling. So not simply to get forward of issues, however a very powerful recreation is the sport in entrance of you. And it doesn’t matter in the event you come from an extended journey otherwise you’ve been at dwelling; it’s important to have that power and also you’ve obtained to do it collectively along with your teammates. That’s my primary takeaway.”
The Nets have extra projected cap house this summer time ($65 million) and extra future picks (15 firsts, 16 seconds) than anyone within the league.
The Thunder are proper on their heels with 13 and 16, respectively. The distinction: Whereas only a few of those Nets are prone to be round in two years, the West-leading Thunder are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander returned after lacking Friday’s 106-98 loss to Dallas, one among simply two defeats in OKC’s final 21 video games. His sprained proper wrist seemed wonderful, as he torched the Nets for 27 factors and 10 assists.
Fernandez coached each Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort on Staff Canada and stated the OKC starters helped him way over he helped them.
“I discovered quite a bit,” Fernandez stated. “They made me higher as a coach. They made me perceive what a staff must be excellent.
“Their human high quality is, to me, a very powerful factor. These two guys are clearly nice basketball gamers, however the actuality is that they’re even higher people: their work ethic, household folks, people who care about the suitable issues, at all times [a] smile on their face, at all times optimistic power. And that’s the explanation why I loved my time with them. And like I stated, they made me a greater coach.”
Fernandez has an extended street forward of him in constructing these Nets. However the street ought to get rather less rocky after this robust rookie season.
The Thunder (34-7) have gained 9 of their final 21.
The Nets stumbled out of the gate Sunday, lacking their first seven pictures and falling behind 13-2. Issues simply obtained worse from there.
The rating rapidly swelled to 34-7 on a Gilgeous-Alexander layup. There was 2:25 left within the first, however the recreation was over.
The Nets answered with a 20-7 run to tug inside two touchdowns, beginning to move the ball inside in opposition to withering OKC protection.
Day’Ron Sharpe, who’d been questionable with a watch damage, discovered Ziaire Williams on a kickout for a 3-pointer that minimize it to 51-39 halfway by means of the second quarter. However the Nets by no means obtained any nearer the remainder of the evening.