Oddmakers project the Nets will win fewer than 25 games.
asserted
Nets → project → games
The delusionally confident Nets think they can win twice that many.
asserted
they → think → many
They’ve set it as a goal, talking about it privately and now publicly.
asserted
They → set → it
“That’s the goal from Day 1.
asserted
That → ’ → Day
We said our goal is to get 50 wins,” Terance Mann said Monday when asked by The Post about trying to lead a young, inexperienced group that, heretofore, has no idea how to win.
asserted
that → say → idea
“So you’re going to have to go in there with the mentality that we’re going to get 50 wins.
asserted
we → go → wins
And that’s through the guys with years [of experience] leading that.
asserted
that → ’ → that
Most of us came from winning situations, so we know what it takes, and that’s just what we’re going to do
asserted
we → come → what
It’s the start of training camp, so hope springs eternal.
asserted
hope → ’ → camp
It just isn’t shared by many outside of the Nets locker room.
asserted
It → share → room
And they’re fine with that.
asserted
they → ’re → that
Their projected win total opened at just 19.5 and has climbed to 24.5 behind encouraging summers from 20-year-olds Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr., and what should be a potent frontcourt duo of vets Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle.
asserted
what → open → vets
“Man, at the end of the day, we’re just trying to win,” Brown said.
asserted
Brown → try → day
Granted, they’re still projected to be among the league’s worst teams.
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they → grant → teams
Still, Porter was the first Net to publicly predict a 50-win campaign.
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Porter → predict → campaign
And even though he admits his answer was to a leading question by controversial streamer N3on, Porter said what he said, and is standing by it.
“Yeah, I mean the question was framed like he said, ‘Can you guys win 50 games?’
asserted
guys → admit → games
Of course I’m not going to say, ‘No, we can’t win 50 games,’” Porter said.
asserted
Porter → go → games
“And I do genuinely believe you’re supposed to go out on the floor every night with delusional confidence and compete to win.
asserted
you → believe → confidence
And I do think we have the players that every single night our goal should be to win.
asserted
goal → think → players
And we can win.
asserted
we → win → ?
“Yeah, obviously the NBA is stacked right now.
asserted
NBA → stack → ?
The Eastern Conference is stacked.
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Conference → stack → ?
But we definitely did nothing but get better last year.
asserted
we → do → nothing
And there were a lot of games that we were in last year that we could’ve won.
uncertain
we → be → that
So for me, we have no choice but to go up.
asserted
we → have → choice
The Nets might have a better chance of reaching the stars than winning 50 games, something they’ve done exactly once in their NBA history, en route to the 2002 Finals.
uncertain
they → have → Finals
Their rookies suffered through the growing pains of a league-high 6,716 minutes last season.
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rookies → suffer → minutes
The only four teams in the past decade to play rookies more saw their win totals jump by 10.5 victories the next season, and another ten wins the next.
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totals → play → victories
That — plus Randle’s on-ball scoring and ability as a floor-raiser — is why the incoming All-Star had vowed they can “shock the world.”
asserted
they → vow → world
“It starts [Tuesday] with training camp and we just build from there.
asserted
we → start → camp
For me, when I do that and I’ve done that in my career, the teams that I’ve been a part of have done that… the results always follow,” Randle said.
asserted
Randle → do → that
“We have great leadership in the coaching staff with Jordi [Fernández] and everybody else.
asserted
We → have → Fernández
We have the talent.
asserted
We → have → talent
“It’s really just about the mindset, and not just coming in every single day, but coming in with intention and purpose, understanding things aren’t always going to be easy and knowing how to navigate those and showing up to work the same way whether you lose by 20 or win by 20
asserted
you → ’ → 20
, nothing changes, the process stays the same.
asserted
process → change → ?
So the biggest thing for us is just falling in love with the journey every single day, falling in love with the process and the results will follow.
asserted
results → fall → process
”
And maintaining that delusional confidence, even if the losses chip away at it.
asserted
losses → maintain → it
The Aporia
