Nets come crashing back down to earth, coach knows at least one reason why

Reality has returned for the Nets. They’ve come crashing back down to earth. 

Monday’s 113-105 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas marked their seventh defeat in eight games. That stretch immediately followed 10 games in which they went 7-3 and flirted with turning this season into something more than tanking talk and daydreams about the future. 

There had been, briefly, genuine excitement about this young core. During those 10 games, the Nets had a defensive rating of 103.5 points — the best in the NBA. That stretch included wins over the Timberwolves, 76ers, Raptors and Bulls — all teams currently in the playoff picture. For all but one of those games, they were doing it without Cam Thomas. 

But their last eight games have more closely resembled who they’ve been most of the season — some exciting young pieces but not yet ready to compete. During that stretch, the Nets defensive rating regressed all the way to 119.6 — fifth worst in the NBA. 

Head coach Jordi Fernández identified one culprit. 

“The turnovers in transition, and then the fast break points,” Fernández said after Monday’s game. “Some of those turnovers created fast break points, but then just fast break points alone. When we’ve been good getting back in transition, we’ve been a very good defense for a big stretch of games. Right now, we’re not doing a very good job and I have to do a better job helping them with those rules, maybe get a little bit more work in. If not, with film and get back to those principles. I believe our group can do it, because I’ve seen it.”

So, after a few weeks of fun, the season reverts back to what was always envisioned — developing the youth and looking ahead. 

Rookie Drake Powell, part of that youth, got just the second start of his career Monday. He recorded 10 points and a rebound in 25 minutes. 

He was a big part of the dominant defense during that winning stretch. Lately, not so much. 

“It’s a lot different from college,” Powell said Monday. “You’ve got to show your hands a lot. That’s something I’ll continue to grow at, to be a good defender in this league. The more film that I watch, more games that I play, it’ll just build over time.”

With losing returning as the norm, the Nets have a decision to make with Michael Porter Jr. ahead of the trade deadline. He certainly makes them more competitive, but it might be more beneficial to move him for assets that help more in the long term. An Eastern Conference assistant general manager told The Post’s Brian Lewis that the Nets are comfortable keeping Porter for at least this entire season if their price is not met, though.

Thomas’ minutes will also be a consideration. With him set to be a free agent after the year, it would make sense for the Nets to instead prioritize development of their rookies. Since returning from his hamstring injury, Thomas came off the bench in all seven games he played. 

The Nets had a month of joy. But the last two weeks have put the season back in focus.