It was pretty clear, as this recently completed Western trip continued, that the Nets were running out of gas.
It showed defensively in terms of three straight losses in which the Nets allowed at least 124 points per game.
They averaged 15 turnovers in those setbacks, and were crushed in the second half in two of the games, outscored by the Jazz and Nuggets by a combined 32 points.
Five cities in eight days can have that effect, especially for a shorthanded team.
“I do feel that they gave me everything they had this trip and hopefully we get a chance to go home and get some healthy bodies that will be helpful for us,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “We’ve been wearing some guys pretty thin this early in the year, unfortunately. And [Monday against the Jazz], definitely the toll added up. We played some high-level teams on this trip and the toll, I think, added up for us.”
The reinforcements aren’t quite ready yet, and the schedule isn’t going to ease up, either.
The suddenly skidding Nets, who went 1-4 on the five-game trip against the Kings, Suns, Nuggets, Warriors and Jazz, still won’t have Ben Simmons (nerve impingement, lower back), Lonnie Walker IV (left hamstring strain) or Dennis Smith Jr. (upper back strain) back Wednesday.
All three were ruled out Tuesday for the game against the Knicks.
Cam Johnson also was banged up in Monday’s loss to the Jazz after taking an elbow to the face, and was forced out of the game. He was able to return after being checked for a concussion.
The Nets (13-13) will need him.
Over the next week, they will have two sets of back-to-backs — Friday and Saturday against the defending-champion Nuggets and flatlining Pistons, then next Tuesday at the Pistons and back home Wednesday for the powerhouse Bucks.
That’s followed by a four-game trip to Washington, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Houston. It will be eight games in the span of 14 days.
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“It keeps going. Like I mentioned the other day, we got three sets of back-to-backs coming up in the next couple of weeks. And so how do we handle those things?” Vaughn said. “I think the lessons learned across the board is being able to take care of your body so that you’re able to play that piece of it. Being able to be in a position to contribute whatever minutes that you play is huge for us.
“And then the commitment to, I’ll keep preaching the physicality piece, there’s a toughness piece that we got to continue to lean into and it’s different areas of the game. It’s pick-and-roll, it’s rebounding, it’s the toughness to not get offensive rebound and sprint back and not give up a corner 3. So that combination [are] good lessons for us.”
First up are the rival Knicks (15-11), who went 2-2 on their own trip out West, beating the Lakers and Suns while losing to the Jazz and Clippers.
Both teams could use a win Wednesday night in Brooklyn, particularly since the two locals face a difficult stretch after meeting for the first time this season.
“You got to learn from [the losses], and get ready,” Mikal Bridges said. “Get ready for the next games, you know? You’ve got to let this [loss to the Jazz] go and learn from it.”