Avery Johnson Wants Brooklyn Nets to Have ‘Hit-First Mentality’

Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson is unhappy with his team’s level of aggression so far in the preseason. Johnson wants them to be a lot more physical. From the NY Daily News: “The nice-guy Nets need an attitude adjustment. After consecutive preseason performances defined by a lost and lackadaisical defense, Avery Johnson expressed disappointment in the ‘personality’ of the team, indicating it needs more punch. ‘This team does not have the personality that I thought it would have at this point,’ Johnson said. ‘That has been somewhat of a disappointment. Are they trying? Yes. Is anybody panicking? No. But we should have a little bit more physicality.’ […] ‘We don’t have a hit-first mentality, and if you don’t have a hit-first mentality, you’re going to get hit,’ said Johnson, who was encouraged by Sunday’s practice. ‘So it’s not about a turnover or a guy forgetting a play. No, I’m talking about defensively. We haven’t done a good job — I don’t care if we’re fatigued, I don’t care if we didn’t practice. We haven’t done a good job protecting the paint. For us to go where we want to go, we have to be able to protect the paint a lot better than what we have.'”