Brooklyn Nets News: Steve Nash Has Reality Check After Losses To East Contender Team

At second place in the Eastern Conference with a 43-23 record, the Brooklyn Nets are poised to make a deep run in the 2020-21 NBA playoffs.

This iteration of the Nets that includes two league MVPs in Kevin Durant and James Harden as well as All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Blake Griffin have notched important milestones throughout the regular season, strengthening their goal of making the Finals and possibly winning a championship.

But recent back-to-back losses to fellow contender Milwaukee has the Nets on a reality check, something rookie head coach Steve Nash acknowledges.

“I think it’s a great experience for us to recognize where we are. We’ve got a gap to make up here," Nash said in the aftermath of the Bucks' 124-118 win on Wednesday.

In one stretch of the game, the Nets gave up an 18-1 run. The Phoenix Suns' former two-time MVP could have sued for time but opted instead to see how Brooklyn figures out the testy situation.

"We could’ve called timeout here and there for sure, but I think there’s also part of our team that you want to learn to problem solve," Nash shared.

Just two days ago, the Nets also absorbed a defeat as reigning back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo fired a season-high 49 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks for the 117-114 win.

Antetokounmpo averaged 42.5 points in the two-game home-and-home series as the Bucks highlighted the difference between a team that has had continuity and another just trying to make its mark soon.

"We understand that’s a team that’s been running the same offense, been playing together, same schemes on defense for years now," Nash stated. "Gone deep into the playoffs, and that’s something that we don’t have, so how can we make up that gap. That’s kind of our life in a nutshell heading home here."

The Nets will play two more playoff contenders towards the end of the regular season in Dallas and Denver, and two more shooting for spots in the play-in tournament in Chicago (twice) and San Antonio before closing out their schedule against Cleveland.

Still generally seen as a solid contender, Nash and the Nets know games are never played on paper.

Unless they make it out of the East, beating other contenders like Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta and even New York, they will still have accomplished none—and that is a gap Nash and his side are looking to close.