Nets physicality hasnt erased flaws as tall Bucks task awaits in home opener

The Nets played the first two games of Jordi Fernandez’s tenure on the road against fringe playoff teams, and lost them both.Now comes their toughest test yet, Sunday’s home opener against the best squad they’ve faced — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the championship-contending Bucks.The Nets have dropped five straight against Milwaukee, who also beat them in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.But while Antetokounmpo is still with Milwaukee, the Big 3 are long gone from Brooklyn.“They’ve got Giannis, who’s a top five player in the world.

But for us, we want to do what we can control,” Dennis Schroder said.“[I] always say it is not about no matchups, [it’s] about the team.

It’s always about us.If we do the right things and we are the aggressor, I think good things happen.“We showed that in three quarters [in Atlanta], and just one half [in Orlando].

But we’ve got to put a whole game together.And I think it’s a good opportunity to do it at home first game.

And, of course, we got to get Jordi his first win, as well.So we’re going to come out and try to hit first.”In both of their first two games this season, the Nets got hit first and had to get up off the deck.

They trailed 13-4 right out of the gate in Atlanta, and 9-2 in Orlando.The Nets were physical in both, and scrapped back to seize third-quarter leads in both.But the same Achilles heels cost them in both defeats, committing turnovers and giving away fouls.

Their hustle and physicality couldn’t overcome those flaws against the Hawks or Magic, so they’ll definitely need to clean those up Sunday.“For us, it’s just making us better,” Fernandez said.“So now we’ve gone through two games, and we’ve just got to be better in the third one taking care of the basketball and with that physicality.

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