Don’t hit the panic button just yet, Nets fans. Even the Heat, after retooling their roster three years ago when LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach, struggled to a 9-8 start before recovering to reach the NBA Finals. So a 1-2 start — with that lone win over the defending-champion Heat — isn’t so bad. Here are three more reasons to stay positive before tonight’s meeting with the winless Jazz.
D-Will in recoveryDeron Williams is off to a poor start, shooting 36% from the field while averaging just eight points in 25.3 minutes per game. Clearly, he’s still recovering from the sprained ankle that limited him before the start of the regular season. But he’ll be back to his old self.
Brook’s backAfter an All-Star season in 2012-13, Brook Lopez has picked up right where he left off. He’s averaging 18.3 points and 3.7 blocks per game while keeping his turnovers to a minimum. It’s a good sign that Lopez’s numbers haven’t dipped much after all the roster upheaval.
Pierce a positiveNone of the Nets’ acquisitions is off to a better start than Paul Pierce. He leads the team in shooting percentage (55.2%) and is second in scoring (17.3). Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and Andrei Kirilenko will have good nights here and there, but Pierce will consistently bring it.
