Right now, the Nets and Lakers are two teams that fit the phrase “marathon not a sprint”.
Through two games, both teams are struggling to find their legs. The Lakers are off to an 0-2 start which was preceded by a winless preseason.
Therefore, the streets are talking, even if it’s only been just two games.
The Nets, meanwhile, hit the win column with a scrappy performance Friday night, in Philly.
Both teams opened the seasons as favorites to meet in the NBA Finals – well over seven months away.
There’s still more than enough time for the Lakers to figure out their issues. The Nets are in a similar boat. It’s important to remember both teams overhauled their rosters in the offseason.
It will take time for the chemistry to come together and for coaching staffs to evaluate what they have in their respective teams.
It’s not to make excuses, it’s just the reality which comes with the game.
For Brooklyn, their 114-109 come-from-behind victory over the Sixers helps flush away a poor showing on opening night in Milwaukee.
There’s no Kyrie Irving right now, but there’s still Kevin Durant and James Harden. KD led the way with a triple-double – 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists.
And then there’s the veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge and Patty Mills.
Aldridge scored 23 points off the bench for the Nets. He played a key role in helping Brooklyn overcome a double-digit deficit with just over five minutes left in to play.
All Mills has done in his first two games is shoot a perfect 10-for-10 from behind the three-point line.
The Nets overcame a second consecutive slow start, they fell behind in this one 20-6 in the first quarter.
“For us, we just wanted to win. We wanted to come in here and do whatever it took to win,” James Harden said. “We didn’t play well our first game, so we wanted to bounce back and put it together for four quarters. And I think we did that.”
It’s process, it’s always a process.
“It’s not going to be pretty for a little while here,” head coach Steve Nash said afterwards.
The Lakers would echo those sentiments for their own team.
For Brooklyn, the conversation still starts with Durant and Harden. There’s enough veteran leadership in the locker room to keep them focused on the big picture. There’s enough leadership in there to carry the message of patience over everything else – because it’s only been two games.
