Star phasing
Lin-Lopez finally playing in sync
When the Nets signed Jeremy Lin to play alongside Brook Lopez, they committed to making Brook-Lin their foundation.
The bad news is Lin’s hamstring woes and extended absences have left that foundation very much a work in progress with just 14 games left in a lastplace season. The good news is they’re growing, and have room to grow a lot more.
“That growth is absolutely there, and I think it’s going to get exponentially better,’’ Lopez said. “That’s teamwise as well. When you really look at our situation, I don’t think we’ve all been out there at the same time. We’ve got some new guys who are coming in. They don’t know all the plays, they’re just getting thrown in the fire in the heat of the moment, but they’re producing. That bodes well for our future.”
At 13-55 coming into Sunday’s game against the Mavericks, and with Lopez’s name sure to come up in trade rumors again this offseason, it remains to be seen if he will be around for that future. But showing improved chemistry with Lin — and a strong finish in the win-loss column — could impact that, one of the reasons they’ll hope to take a step forward down the stretch.
“No question, hopefully a few steps forward,” Lopez said. “We want that continuity to be there next year and we want to build something right now. We don’t want any slippage the rest of the season.”
Lin’s injuries contributed mightily to the Nets’ struggles, and he has started just 18 games alongside Lopez.
Brooklyn is 7-11 (.389) with them in the lineup together, and just 6-44 (.120) otherwise. They worked to near-perfection in Thursday’s win over the Knicks at the Garden and were a combined plus-28, but they got too pick-and-roll happy and tried to do too much in finishing a mi- nus-2 in Friday’s loss to the Celtics.
“They’re starting to gain a chemistry, a synergy,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “[Thursday] was great. We’ll look at the tape. Maybe we forced some things [Friday]. They feel they have to do it themselves.
“It’s just making the easy play. Sometimes your two best players, they want to do it. That’s how the league is, but sometimes maybe there’s an easier pass. But they’re starting to [get in sync].”
Not having played much is an understatement. Lopez and Lin have logged just 414 minutes together, a pittance for the Nets’ two best players. Of duos that have combined for at least 400 minutes, their plus-minus is fourth on the team according to NBA.com.
“It’s easy because I genuinely want him to succeed, and he genuinely wants me to succeed. We don’t have to fake it. We’re both completely and have completely been on the same page,’’ Lin said. “We know we make our lives easier on each other and complement each other. So we’ve been having a ton of discussions about how do we keep making our play more and more dangerous and harder to guard.”
Though Brook-Lin is 4-6 starting with Caris LeVert, Randy Foye and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson — and no other Nets lineup has more than three wins — Lin admits the only way to really learn each other is actual court time together.
“No question, a better understanding of each other,’’ Lin said. “You don’t script up how you’re going to guard your double pump-fake spin move. It’s learning to play with each other the intangible things. And we’re getting there. I’m encouraged.”