With one-fifth of the season done, the Nets are a .500 team. While some fans have no patience for mediocrity, it seems like a modest cause for celebration, all things considered.
Last year at this time, with the superstar era limping to an ignominious conclusion, a similar record (7-9 after 16 games) was a cause for woe. But expectations are different this season. The team is retooling. (Hard to call it “rebuilding” when the top eight guys in minutes per game were all here last season.) With a formidable early schedule (8th-toughest in the league by one standard, second by another), many observers expected an ugly start.