This sequence vs Grizzlies proves Nets need ‘attitude adjustment’ like Kevin Durant suggested

Before Monday’s game against Memphis, there was hope that the Brooklyn Nets would be able to bounce back from losing two straight games. However, the worst-case scenario happened as the Grizzlies obliterated the Nets on both ends of the floor. If Kevin Durant thought the team had an attitude problem entering Saturday’s game, there’s no telling what he thinks now.

Brooklyn came out flat from the jump. For a team that recently lost their standing as the best team in the Eastern Conference, you’d think that they’d have played with a bit more urgency.

Instead, Ja Morant and Memphis cruised to a 118-104 victory. The Nets’ defense had no answer for Morant’s 36 points and, overall, the team seemed to play with a nonchalant demeanor.

Going through skids is part of what comes with an 82-game regular season, but Brooklyn needs to take a step back and look at itself from the inside out because they can’t be letting guys like Morant embarrass them like this:

Kevin Durant was right, the Brooklyn Nets need to fix their attitude.

It should be noted that Morant’s slam happened because Steven Adams secured a defensive rebound for the Grizzlies. Memphis owned Brooklyn on the glass, 62-33. The Grizzlies had 29-second-chance points and 62 points in the paint. The Nets sat back on their heels for the majority of the game, ensuring that they’d have no chance to win.

After Saturday’s 120-116 loss to the Clippers, Durant sounded off and said that the team thought that they were “just gonna walk into a W.” He said that the Nets didn’t deserve to win that game, but Monday’s showing was far worse.

Brooklyn has one of the worst home records in the league at 10-9, but that’s no excuse. The Nets will hit the road on Wednesday before playing at Barclays Center again on Friday … against the defending champs. If the Nets play as poorly as they’ve been performing against Milwaukee, it’s going to be yet another long night dominated by negative headlines.

Durant calling out his team and expressing a sense of urgency is a testament to his leadership, but he also turned in one of his worst performances of the season immediately after doing that. It’s safe to assume Brooklyn is undergoing a bit of adjustment period after their COVID hiatus, but it’s important they rediscover their footing with four games in the next six days and eight in the next 13.

It starts with an “attitude adjustment” against the Pacers on Wednesday night in what’s supposed to be Kyrie Irving’s return to the court.

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