This season, the Nets set the dubious mark for the worst start in league history to open a season (0-18) and haven't been much better since. Statistically, they're actually worse during the 3-16 stretch under interim coach/former general manager Kiki Vandeweghe.
At its current pace, New Jersey would finish the season 7-75. The
Philadelphia 76ers sit at the all-time bottom of the standings thanks to their 9-73 stumble during 1972-73. Several franchises have made a run at
Philly, with the Mavericks in 1992-93 and Nuggets five years later avoiding infamy with just 11 victories.
Turning it around, relatively speaking, isn't impossible. The same miserable speculation engulfed Oklahoma City last season when the Thunder started 3-29. Kevin Durant and Co. began to coalesce in January and OKC finished 23-59.
"You take it one game at a time," Harris said. "I know how that sounds, but you can't look at what's happened before. You have to come out with a fresh mind every day and try to play hard."
The Nets of the early 2000s and those
NBA Finals trips are long gone. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter,
Kenyon Martin and
Richard Jefferson return to the
Izod Center in different uniforms now. Harris leads the current nucleus of
Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian and Courtney Lee. Of those four, only Lopez hasn't missed significant time this season.
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