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| The Pistons traded for Brandon Jennings (left) and signed Josh Smith (right) this summer, but have severely underperformed so far, in similar fashion as the Nets. |
When: 2:00 PM; Sunday, November 24th, 2013
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
The losses for the Nets are reaching a critical mass, as the darling of the offseason has been nothing more than terrible so far in the 2013-14 NBA season, winning only three games while losing nine. Jason Kidd is being destroyed in the press for his team's recent lackluster play, four of Brooklyn's top players have been out with injuries for extended time, and fans are getting restless about when this squad of All-Stars and Hall-of-Famers is going to play up to its preseason expectations.
The Nets have lost four games in a row–three of which came on the road–and look to finally snap their skid this afternoon at the Barclays Center against another struggling, new-look team: the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had a big summer themselves, trading Brandon Knight and some other pieces to the Bucks for Brandon Jennings, signing Josh Smith to a big four-year. $54 million deal, bringing back fan favorite Chauncey Billups, and selecting talented rookies Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Peyton Siva, and Tony Mitchell in June's draft.
However, like the Nets, Maurice Cheeks' squad has struggled mightily thus far with its new pieces. The Pistons have lost three of their last four and seven of their last nine, clearly denoting a group of players that is far from comfortable playing with each other. Brooklyn is facing the same problem currently, so going up against a team in a similarly precarious situation could possibly be a good thing, and maybe open up the proverbial door for a much-needed Nets win.
Probable Lineups
DET- Brandon Jennings (PG), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG), Kyle Singler (SF), Greg Monroe (PF), Andre Drummond (C)
BKN- Shaun Livingston (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Paul Pierce (SF), Andray Blatche (PF), Kevin Garnett (C)
Final Thoughts
The injuries, negative feelings, and poor record are still with the Nets, and most likely won't be dissipating anytime soon. But their opponent today is in equally dire straits, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Brooklyn come out of this game with a big win, at Barclays nonetheless.
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