EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –- Coach Lionel Hollins says he doesn’t have to inform his team of the Philadelphia 76ers’ record.
Hollins believes the Nets are well aware of the situation they’re facing Wednesday night in Philly against the 0-14 Sixers.
“They know what it is,” Hollins said. “I don’t have to mention it. Hell, everybody’s got Twitter and people [are] on Facebook and the news.
“It’s not a big deal. Not having a win doesn’t mean that they can’t beat you. They just haven’t beaten anybody yet.”
The Nets (5-8) want to avoid becoming the first win of the season for lowly Philadelphia. If Brooklyn can extend the Sixers’ misery, Philadelphia would be one step closer to the Nets’ record for worst start in NBA history when the team opened the 2009-10 season at 0-18.
“All those records in the record books, nobody that’s playing now was on that New Jersey team,” Hollins said when asked about the Nets’ record.
When Hollins was told that Brook Lopez was on that record-setting Nets team, the first-year Brooklyn coach could only laugh at his honest oversight.
“Brook was? Oh!” Hollins said. “You know, you just go out and play and try to be as good as you can be and try to compete every night and not worry about what the other team’s record is.”
The Nets hit Philadelphia with plenty of their own concerns. They’ve have won just once in their last seven tries and a loss to the Sixers would certainly be the low point of a slow start.
The Nets are still adjusting to having to learn a new system and coach, some players have yet to find a rhythm and Lopez, who did not talk to reporters on Tuesday, has struggled returning from foot surgery while seeing his fourth-quarter minutes fluctuate.
Meanwhile, Hollins said he also has to adjust to his new team as he learns about his roster with each game.
“Oh, a lot,” Hollins said when asked how much he has had to adjust to his new team. “A lot. I mean, I can't play the way I would totally like to play because that's not the personality of this team. But also, after these first 13 games, I've learned a lot about the individuals.
“I've learned a lot about the team as a group. And so I've kind of changed even what I started out with, with this group, system-wise, because it seems like we need something a little different.”
Hollins would not elaborate on what he’s altered in his system. The Nets are still a work in progress, but they know what they have to do on Wednesday -- take the air and hope out of the Sixers right away.
“Yeah, anytime you play a team that’s on a losing streak, searching for a win, those are desperate teams,” point guard Deron Williams said. “They really have nothing to lose, so they’re a dangerous team.
"We have to impose our will early.”
Joe Johnson hopes the Nets know what kind of effort it will take to avoid becoming the Sixers’ first bright spot of their season.
“If they come out and lose tomorrow, it is nothing to them,” Johnson said. “They are going to play hard, we get that.”
“We just can’t take it for granted, can’t take those guys lightly,” Johnson added. “And it is going to take every man for us to get this win tomorrow.”
Staying home: Markel Brown (hip pointer) and Andrei Kirilenko (personal) did not make the trip to Philadelphia.