不敵勇士和其他爭冠勁敵 Nash坦承籃網目前還不是同個層次
籃網今天在主場迎戰聯盟龍頭勇士，Kevin Durant面對昔日隊友首節還能與Stephen Curry分庭抗禮，但來到第三節被轟出35:18的比分後等同繳械，勇士最終以117:99帶走勝利，也將聯盟最佳戰績提升到12勝2負。
上半場大多數時間還頗有東西區強權對決的味道，Andrew Wiggins投進壓哨三分球後幫助球隊取得63:58領先。來到勇士最擅長的第三節，一波8:0攻勢將領先拉開到雙位數，籃網雖然靠Harden連拿5分試圖咬住，但勇士外線全員開火，包含Green顏射KD以及Igoudala又一記壓哨球，雙方差距拉開到22分之多。
籃網現階段整體狀態明顯不如對手，同時他們本季已經輪番輸給公牛、熱火、公鹿等爭冠勁敵，總教練Steve Nash坦承目前籃網與這些強隊還不是同個層次。
引用“好吧，我只是認為我們還不屬於那個級別，我們有很多工作要做。我們正在努力改善整個團隊能變得更好，希望我們可以在年底前找到克服一些不足之處的方法。”
志在奪冠的籃網目前10勝5負戰績在東區排名第3，落後給異軍突起的巫師和公牛。Nash當然對於球隊在下半場的表現感到失望，就如同前陣子輸給公牛的第四節一樣，如何維持整場攻守兩端的平衡成為課題。
引用James Harden：“我們只是想在每場比賽都變得更好，我們的目標是在賽季結束時，在季後賽成為最好的球隊。這就是目標，但我們可能還差得很遠，這是一個漫長的賽季，我們會繼續進步。”
當被問到球隊還需要做些什麼才能達到那個高度，Harden認為必須在攻守兩端打造出適合籃網的體系，就像勇士隊那樣擁有自己的風格打法。
引用“我們必須找到自己的身份，我們還算是一支全新的球隊，所以我們需要找出我們擅長什麼，我們可以做些什麼，這將需要一個漫長的賽季。現在才14、15場比賽？所以今晚的比賽根本不會影響我們。我認為沒有人真的完全了解自己，但也許勇士隊就是，因為他們已經在一起很長的時間了。”
Durant在首節後的進攻有些欲振乏力，全場19投6中僅得19分算是相當罕見，Durant並不認為自己的右肩痠痛影響到這場對決，他反倒恭維勇士的防守。
引用“他們的防守很棒，他們有高大後衛和可以帶來協防的球員。我希望我能找回一些投籃手感，當我們落後18或20分，我想要快速追回失分，結果出手很糟糕也很倉促。這是過程的一部分，讓我們了解每次控球時需要達到什麼水平。這對我們是一個很好的測試。”
比較弔詭的是籃網開季至今在進攻與防守上的反差，一般預期不那麼出色的防守在聯盟排在第9，但被評為可能是歷史最佳進攻等級的效率卻只在聯盟排第18位。Nash不否認部分原因是Irving缺陣帶來的後遺症，但這件事暫時無解，身為總教練只能想辦法為球隊找出往奪冠目標前進之路。
引用Nash：“球員們在執行我們想做到的防守方面做得很好，應該沒有人會認為我們在賽季初的防守會排在前10名，我們正在防守，我們正在尋找一種贏球方法。在進攻端因為不同陣容、不同背景和比賽風格，我們有10個新的團隊成員，這需要時間磨合。
“我們從去年開始就制定了一個長期計劃，顯然Irving沒歸隊讓這個計劃落空，所以我們正在努力建立和解決這個問題，但我們打出了非常好的防守。我認為今晚對我們來說是一個很好的教訓，當事情變得艱難時，我們必須更加遵守我們該堅持的原則。”
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引用來源
引用"Well, I just don't think we're in that category yet," Nash said, after Brooklyn was blown out in the third quarter despite Stephen Curry sitting for the majority of it with foul trouble. "We got a lot of work to do. We're trying to improve as a group, get better and hopefully we can find a way to overcome some of our deficiencies by the end of the year."
引用來源2
引用"We're just trying to get better every game," Nets star James Harden said after finishing with 24 points, four rebounds and four assists. "The goal is to be the best team at the end of the season, in the postseason. That's the goal. But probably not [there yet]. We're probably nowhere near. But it's a long season for us to get better, and we will continue to get better."
引用來源3
引用"We have to find our identity," Harden said. "We're still a brand-new team, so we still have to find out what we're good at, what we're great at, what we can be great at, and it's gonna take a long season. But we're, what, 14, 15 games in? So tonight's game doesn't really affect us at all. I don't think anybody knows themselves well. Maybe the Warriors, because they've been together for a long time."
引用來源4
引用"It was a combination," Durant said in explaining his shooting woes, adding his recent bout with soreness in his right (shooting) shoulder did not factor into his off night. "They played great defense, they've got long defenders and guys that can help, sending bodies all the time when I had the ball. That's what great defenses do. And there's some shots I wish I could have back. I rushed it. Once we got down 18 or 20, I was trying to get it back so fast and was taking bad shots and rushed shots. It's all part of the journey and understanding what level you need to be at every possession. This was a great test for us."
引用來源5
引用"I think the guys have been great as far as buying into what we want to do defensively," Nash said. "No one would have picked us as a top-10 defense to start the year, and we're defending, we're finding a way. I think offensively we have all these different lineups, different backgrounds, styles of play, 10 new players on our team. It takes time.
"We started the year with a continuity plan from last year that got thrown out the window obviously when [Irving] didn't come back, so we're trying to build and figure it out. But we played a really good defense. It really tests you. And I think tonight was a great lesson for us that we got to double down on some of our principles when the going gets tough."