http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/sports/basketball/in-sea-of-new-faces-nets-run-aground-against-the-heat-.html 2014-11-18 05:44:12 In Sea of New Faces, Nets Run Aground Against the Heat The Heat came out on top in a game between teams that have changed a great deal from when they met in the conference semifinals last season. === The last meeting between On Monday night at Barclays Center, as the teams faced off for the first time this season, it was remarkable how vastly the vibes around them had changed. Missing was James, who signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the biggest sports transaction of the year. Gone, too, were the lofty expectations and high standards of excellence that defined both clubs only six months ago. Instead, there were two groups with a multitude of new faces and a host of identity issues. Both teams arrived in Brooklyn with three-game losing streaks. It was the Heat who ended theirs, overcoming the Nets, “They’re totally different, and we’re totally different,” Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. “Last year is irrelevant.” The loss exacerbates the early season headache for the Nets (4-6) and their fans, particularly given the sorry state of the Heat roster. Miami (6-5) has put the departure of James behind them, but on Monday, they were also missing guard Dwyane Wade, who was nursing a strained left hamstring; small forward Luol Deng, who had a sore wrist; and power forward Josh McRoberts, who had a sore toe. The Nets’ struggles were personified in center Brook Lopez, who has had a hard time regaining his form after a summer rehabilitating from surgeries to his feet and ankles. Lopez, who sat from the middle of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth, made a clear error on defense immediately upon re-entering the game. At the next stoppage of play, Nets Coach Lionel Hollins banished Lopez to the bench again, 1 minute 11 seconds after he had checked in. Lopez remained on the bench with the Nets trailing by 8 and 1:58 left on the clock. Seconds later, he was scrambling out to the court to hassle Chris Bosh, who nailed a 3-pointer that essentially sealed the game. Moments after that, Lopez stepped into the paint to attempt a hook shot and threw his hands into the air in frustration when the ball clanged off the rim. He played 22 minutes and finished with 5 points (2-for-8 shooting) and one rebound. Bojan Bogdanovic, a rookie guard, played 41 minutes and led the Nets with 22 points. He and Deron Williams (14 points, 7 assists) were the only Nets starters to finish in double figures in scoring. The Nets have been candid lately about their struggles to coalesce. One week ago, Joe Johnson said, somewhat cryptically, that some of his teammates were being selfish on the court. It was a surprising statement from Johnson, one of the more low-key stars in the game. But it gained some credence over the Nets’ next three games, all losses, when the offense frequently descended into isolation play. Williams chalked it up to trust issues. “We just get into that do-it-by-yourself mode,” Williams said before Monday’s game. “We’ve got to trust the offense, trust the guy next to you, and everything will be fine.” The Nets began the day averaging 19.1 assists per game, the fifth lowest average in the league. Since being hired this summer, Hollins has tried to install an offense based on ball movement, but such play has been noticeably absent. “When you, not just the team, but each individual, has been playing a certain way, and then a system comes in, and then you still want to play your way,” Hollins said in attempting to describe the problem. He added, “Sometimes it’s hard for certain guys to change.” Hollins has been seeking answers. On Monday, he put the veteran forward Andrei Kirilenko on his inactive list for the night, electing to have the rookie Markel Brown suit up for the first time this season. Kirilenko, who is making $3.3 million this season in the final year of his contract, has been conspicuously out of favor, averaging just 5.1 minutes per game this season. The Heat, for a night, experienced a positive step in their effort to redefine themselves. Mario Chalmers had 22 points to lead the Heat. Bosh had 15 points and 9 rebounds and capped his night with that key 3-pointer over Lopez. Bosh, who signed a new five-year contract this summer worth over $118 million, has seen his stature and responsibility rise since James left. Before the game, a reporter mentioned to Spoelstra that Bosh has had statistical increases in a variety of categories. “Well, welcome to our team this year and what’s necessary for us to win,” Spoelstra said.