The Nets are still waiting for Ben Simmons to make his Brooklyn debut, but the other two pieces involved in the James Harden deal were in action for the first time on Monday night.
Sharpshooting Seth Curry showed the immediate help he can bring the Nets, especially in the absence of Joe Harris. Curry shot 10-for-18 from the floor in 32 minutes of action, finishing with 23 points to help Brooklyn snap its 11-game losing streak.
“From the moment I stepped here, everybody’s made it easy,” Curry said. “Even though they’ve been on a 10, 11-game losing streak, the energy has been great since day one with the team. A lot of optimism with the new additions, and the brand of basketball we plan on playing is a lot of fun. It showed tonight.”
Andre Drummond enjoyed an efficient night himself, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and collecting 11 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of work. Drummond, a native of nearby Connecticut, said he only had four family members in attendance for his debut, keeping a business-like approach to his new team.
“I’m here to win basketball games. It’s not that kind of party,” Drummond said. “We got a W, so definitely a great feeling to be here and get a win in Brooklyn.”
With some of their new weapons at their disposal, the Nets finally ended their prolonged skid, and now the team is dreaming of what it might look like when Simmons and Kevin Durant arrive.
“I didn’t have to see what we did tonight to know the kind of style we’ll play,” Simmons said. “We’ll have so many weapons out there offensively and defensively. It’s gonna be a lot of fun to play. It’s been a while since I’ve got up and down the floor like that and played with that kind of pace…we’re gonna be a tough team down the stretch when everybody gets healthy.”
“We have a great group of guys, guys that are missing right now,” Drummond added. “We have to wait for them to get healthy, but once everybody gets back, I think we’ll be very good and make a good push in the playoffs.”
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