Brooklyn’s rough start has already put the Nets in a spot where veteran voices matter, and Mo Wagner is making his message clear: don’t let the game’s low points snowball.
After Sunday’s 130-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Wagner pointed to the way the young Nets are carrying themselves when things start slipping. Brooklyn is 2-8 through its first 10 games, and while the record tells part of the story, Wagner said the bigger issue is how the group responds once momentum turns.
“It’s never all bad and it’s never all good. It’s not never as as bad as it looks, but our body language does drop,” Wagner said to the media following Sunday’s 130-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nets have already had a few games they could have taken, only to watch them get away for different reasons. That has made the early part of the season feel heavier than the record alone might suggest. Wagner said that comes with a team still figuring itself out.
“I think we lack a little maturity there as a group. It’s nobody’s fault.
It’s just everybody kind of [getting used to] new roles. Everybody’s getting used to it, which isn’t an excuse,” Wagner continued.
“Even on the back-to-back, it’s not [an excuse]. It’s something we have to look in the mirror for everybody for himself and kind of figure it out.”
That kind of self-assessment has been a recurring theme for Brooklyn, both from players and head coach Jordi Fernandez. The Nets know the issue isn’t just shot-making or one bad stretch - it’s what happens after the game starts going sideways.
Sunday offered another example. Brooklyn hung around with Dallas in the first quarter, but the Mavericks seized control in the second and built a lead as large as 26 points. From there, the Nets looked spent.
Fernandez and the players have stressed staying connected, especially when the team falls behind by double digits or when open looks stop dropping. So far, Brooklyn hasn’t consistently done that. Wagner, though, is trying to help push the group toward that standard.
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