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Nets Veteran Inclined To Bring Tough Leadership: 'If It Needs To Be Said, I'll Say It'
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It didn't take long for the Brooklyn Nets (1-5) to hit adversity. In fact, it only took six regular season games with plenty of outside noise to push the Nets' backs against the wall.
In the middle of the early-season storm, the message of sticking together and playing harder with a desirable care factor has resonated throughout the roster.
"Our whole message and vibe is us being able to stick together," said Patty Mills after the Nets shootaround Monday morning in Industry City. "Stay through this time obviously, adversity and backs against the wall but for us to be able to hang tight together and get through this, we obviously have to get better. We obviously have to work on some things. I think the most important message here is us being able to stay together and stick together."
One new veteran on the struggling squad is ready to take on a key leadership role to assist in checking off those boxes: Markieff Morris.
Morris has played with handfuls of superstars across his 12-year NBA career. He knows how to play alongside superstars, how to manage what comes with high team expectations, and most importantly, how to overcome adversity - a challenge he likes.
“It’s good to see character and guys with their backs against the wall. I like adversity," said Morris Monday morning. "I feel like I play better and [I] am better during adversity because it brings out who you truly are as a man and as a basketball player.”
The Nets have had veterans hold key leadership roles in Brooklyn's Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving era. Morris, who has a reputation for being a tough, gritty player, wants to take on a veteran leadership role with Brooklyn this season. He wants to deliver tough love when difficult situations arise.
"Yeah, for sure," said Morris feeling more inclined to take on a leadership role. "I think that’s one of my roles on this team. I've been to a lot of places and played with a lot of great players. I'm not the most vocal guy but you know, I had to come out of my comfort zone, just like everybody else here has the ability to turn the page on what we try to do. If it needs to be said, I'll say it. It's nothing personal. It's just one of those things where a voice needs to be heard at all times.”
After the Nets had lost to the Pacers, there was a players-only meeting that occurred. None of the players specifically shared what was spoken about in the meeting, aside from Ben Simmons noting "honest" conversations took place. Morris expressed his frustration that the players-only meeting had gotten out to the media at shootaround.
“I don’t speak on players-only meetings. I don’t even know why you guys know about that," he said. "That’s something that’s supposed to be between us.”
Brooklyn will host the Indiana Pacers, once again, on Monday night with hopes of securing a must-needed win. Looking back on the embarrassing defeat to Indiana, Morris wants the Nets to respect their opponent no matter what tier the opposition is in. For Mills, he views it as a chance for redemption but it's not going to be a walk in the park.
“[We] just got to play a little bit harder and respect our opponent," Morris stated. "I think that we just felt like we could show up and beat them. [Pacers] got a bunch of young guys that just trying to like get a stamp in this league and just took it to us.”
"I guess being able to play back-to-back games and see what we've done not so well and what we've done, you know, the positive things that we can take out of it," Mills said on playing the Pacers in back-to-back showings. "I think it's an easier adjustment not having to play other teams in between. But in saying that, it's still tough. Obviously, we didn't play the way that we wanted to play the other night, so for us to come up with the same thing to redeem ourselves."
