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Brooklyn Nets: Will They Be Last Winless Team In NBA?

ByKenneth Teape|

The Brooklyn Nets are one of three winless teams remaining in the NBA this season. Will they be the last one to get a win to add to the embarrassment that has been the 2015-16 season?

It has been an extremely difficult start to the season for the Brooklyn Nets. They weren’t expecting to contend for a title, but with the veterans in place you would expect them to at least be competitive and possibly challenge for a playoff spot. With Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young retained in the offseason, the Nets at least had two blocks to play through.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case for the Nets thus far. They have been far from competitive, losing all six of their games by an average of 13.2 points per game; that is the worst point differential in the NBA. Thier closest game this season came last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, who were previously winless before defeating the Nets by six. The Nets are now one of three winless teams left in the NBA along with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans. Will the Nets be the last of that bunch to get a win?

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With the 76ers being one of the teams competing with the Nets for their first win, smart money would be on the Nets getting a victory before the 76ers, as they are not putting an NBA worthy product on the floor. The Pelicans have something neither the Nets or 76ers have, and that is Anthony Davis. The Pelicans have also had the unfortunate luck of facing off with the machine known as the Golden State Warriors, and are facing a ton of injuries.

The Nets do not have any such reasoning for the poor play. Brook Lopez is healthy, which is something the Nets cannot take for granted. They are just not a very good basketball team right now. This is one of the least talented teams in the NBA on the perimeter, as their go-to player there is an aging Joe Johnson, who looks over the hill and is seeing his efficiency drop for a fourth consecutive season.

Jarrett Jack is the starting point guard, which does not rile up much confidence. An argument can be made that Jacks is the worst starting point guard in the NBA, something his fellow New York point guard, Jose Calderon of the New York Knicks, could also claim. But unlike the Knicks, the Nets do not have a young player waiting in the wings to take over.

The other point guard they have on the roster is Shane Larkin, who was a part of the horrendous 17-win season the Knicks had last season and wasn’t retained. Their other big free agent acquisition came from that same Knicks team in Andrea Bargnani, who already has head coach Lionel Hollins contemplating what is life on the bench after one game.

Hollins cannot be without blame in this situation either. While he does not have much to work with in the way of talent, he could be putting it to better use. There is no reason rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson should be averaging only 15.8 minutes per game entering the matchup with the Lakers; the same amount of minutes Bargnani was receiving.

Thomas Robinson also getting only 13 minutes per game in that same time frame is surprising. His rebounding talent is elite level with the numbers that he has put up in limited minutes, and deserves extended run; there was a reason he was the fourth overall pick just three years ago.

Next: How Far Can Brook Lopez Carry Nets?

So while the Nets may not be the last team to get a victory this season because the 76ers are still winless, things will not be getting any easier or better in the near future. This is a team that is far away from accomplishing anything worthwhile, as the Nets are nowhere near a light at the end of a tunnel.

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