The Nets circled their chairs Wednesday morning in front of a 60-inch television that was about to show video of the Grizzlies.
The skull session at their practice facility in New Jersey is a ritual during nearly every shootaround before a home game in Brooklyn. Except on this morning, everyone was in place but the head coach.
Emerging late from his office, Jason Kidd still needed to speak with reporters before meeting with his players. That didn’t sit well with Paul Pierce.
“Everybody’s got to be accountable,” Pierce said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Everyone from the players to the head coach has to be accountable. We get fined if we’re not on time. He should get fined.”
Kidd took the ribbing in stride. “I’m not running any plays for him tonight,” the coach said.
The good-natured banter between player and coach is a sign of a relaxed and confident team that is feeling good about itself and the direction of its season. The Nets have good reason to feel that way.
A 103-94 dismissal of the Grizzlies Wednesday night gave Brooklyn its fourth straight win and pushed the Nets above the .500 mark for the first time all season. At 30-29, the Nets have resurrected their season by playing as well as any team in the NBA these days.
“Overall, the guys are playing at a very high level right now,” Kidd said after the game. “That’s what you want to do leading into the playoffs.”
The Nets have dug out of the hole they created when they were 10-21 and looked like a dysfunctional mess.
With Zach Randolph out with the flu for the Grizzlies, the Nets took charge early leading by as much as 21 points in the first quarter. It wasn’t much of a game after that as the Nets used their depth and versatility to overwhelm the visitors.
The Nets were concerned about the Grizzlies big lineup of 7-foot-1 center Marc Gasol, the 6-9 Randolph, and the lengthy 6-9 forward Tayshaun Prince. But with Randolph out, the Nets opened with their small lineup that includes guards, Joe Johnson, Shaun Livingston and Deron Williams.
The faster lineup has produced a more aggressive defense that forced 28 turnovers in a win over Chicago Monday night and 21 against the Grizzlies. The Nets have averaged 10 steals per game since the New Year began to lead to the NBA, including 14 against Memphis.
“Give Brooklyn credit,” said Memphis coach Dave Joeger. “They came out and played with a much more forceful nature.”
It’s a pattern Williams hopes continues.
“There’s more pride,” he said. “There’s more understanding. There’s more trust. There’s more commitment, all the things you need to be a good defensive team and we’re starting to see that.
“We can still get better and get more consistent and we’re still striving for that.”
The resurgence of the Nets has been in contrast to the struggling Knicks, and Kidd factors in both. The Knicks clearly miss his leadership as a player, while the Nets have grown to trust him as a coach.
Jason Collins, who played 17 minutes, said he isn’t surprised this former teammate has guided the Nets out of their tough start.
“I always knew he had a great basketball mind,” Collins said. “When he was my teammate it was like having a coach on the court. I always said he had the most court awareness on both ends of the court of any teammate I’ve ever played with. It’s natural to see him now become a coach.”
The Nets are finally above .500, but feel like they’re just getting started.
“To get to this point where we’re a game over .500 is not the time to exhale,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas.”
That means they must keep improving; keeping winning; and keep holding everyone accountable.