The Nets head into the All-Star break in unfamiliar territory.
After a heart-pounding 148-139 triple-overtime victory in Cleveland on Wednesday, Brooklyn stands at 30-29, the first time they've been over .500 at the break since 2013, their inaugural season in the borough.
LISTEN: 'City Game' Nets Podcast: After The Trade Deadline
The Nets have already overachieved in my overly pessimistic book, but no matter what anyone's preseason expectations were, now the stakes have to be raised. As the sixth seed in a weak Eastern Conference, Brooklyn's new mission isn't merely slow but steady improvement. It's achieving a playoff berth. Anything less would be a disappointment.
However, Brooklyn's hold is tenuous, just 2½ games up on the ninth seed with a daunting close to the schedule on the horizon. If the Nets play as poorly as they did in Cleveland, they will surely fall back into Lottery Land rather quickly.
That might also happen even if they play as well as they did in Toronto on Monday night, when the Raptors needed a late run to take a 127-125 decision. That's how tough their slate is from March 13 until the finale versus Miami.
Here are three things that must happen for the Nets to close the deal at season's end:
1) Hit The Buyout Market -- Hard!
I'm not giving up in exhorting Nets general manager Sean Marks to do the right thing for this group and find a power forward who can play. Markieff Morris, formerly of Washington and New Orleans, is reportedly getting the hard sells from teams (Rockets, Thunder, Raptors, Lakers) in much more competitive positions than Brooklyn. Though he hasn't played since Dec. 26 due to a neck injury, someone (his agent, Rich Paul?) leaked a report that he has been cleared to return. Maybe a better fit, should he receive the buyout he reportedly asked for in Minnesota, is Anthony Tolliver, who shoots it better from the perimeter than Morris. There could very well be others who get set free now that the trade deadline has passed. Marks has one perk to offer that some of those better teams might not -- a chance to start right away. The Nets can't beat enough good teams if Marks fails like he did at the trade deadline.
2) Get Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Out Of The Rotation
A stretch-four addition should be enough to send Hollis-Jefferson to the bench. Even without one, it still has to be done. To be fair, the Nets might not have come back in the fourth quarter Wednesday without Hollis-Jefferson's 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. Then again, they also might not have gotten into a double-digit hole against the tanking Cavs if not for the gargantuan spigot he is to the Nets' offensive flow. The difference in the fourth quarter this time, as compared to his 13-of-34 (38 percent) bricklaying in his five previous February outings, was that those ridiculous off-balance, contorted shots he took at the rim finally went in. Hollis-Jefferson was minus-15 in just 28 minutes through four quarters—the only Net with a double-figure minus. He ended up at minus-22 because he rotated in for defensive purposes only in the overtimes. Until the last 16 seconds, when the game was finally out of the Cavs' reach, Hollis-Jefferson was on the floor for four defensive possessions in the three overtimes. Cleveland scored nine points on those four possessions. He's overrated defensively and a drag on offense. What more needs to be said?
3) This Is D'Angelo Russell's Team -- The Returning Playmakers Need to Adjust To Him
I did not think it was a coincidence that Russell finally got cooking Wednesday after Caris LeVert's minutes reached their limit in the first overtime. After starting the game 7-of-24, DLo went off in the third extra session. He hit on all six of his field goal attempts in scoring 14 points, tied for the third most ever in an NBA overtime period. The Nets were all out of sorts with LeVert, who made his third appearance after recovering from a horrific-looking dislocated ankle in November, in the starting lineup. In those last three games, Russell is shooting 42 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range. Bear in mind that two of those contests were against lowly Chicago and Cleveland. Spencer Dinwiddie, who is out with torn ligaments in his right thumb, will also be returning to the lineup at some point. The Nets opened the season 2-5 before they started to figure out how to utilize all three of their best weapons. Even after LeVert went down, there were only a handful of games when both Russell and Dinwiddie were simultaneously rolling. During Brooklyn's 11-4 run in January, it was Russell leading the way, with the miraculous win in Houston a notable exception. Russell did not make the All-Star team just because of his numbers. His elevation has been crucial to the Nets' surge in the standings. As the injured return to health, it is on them to not disrupt that progress.
When Brooklyn hosts Portland in its first game after the break on Feb. 21, this should be the rotation (based upon the current roster):
Starters: Russell, LeVert, Joe Harris, Treveon Graham, Jarrett Allen
Bench: Napier. Allen Crabbe, DeMarre Carroll, Rodion Kurucs, Ed Davis
Napier would become the odd man out upon Dinwiddie's return. And I hold out hope that Marks can obtain a real power forward in the buyout market to make this team complete for a fun stretch run.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
