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.”