Raskin: It ain't that bad here

Alex Raskin of the Wall Street Journal is having none of this negativity about the Nets. He wants you to know that despite the 2-10 record, the frustrating late game flubs, the lack of local TV ... or draft picks, there is some hope on the horizon.

To quote Joe Johnson, "it ain't bad here."

Raskin picks five bright spots...

--Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young: the two 27-year-olds are now, wait for it, "Lopez and Young rank second among NBA post duos in scoring, behind only the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan (36.7 ppg), according to Stats, LLC."  And of course, they will be around for another three years.

--The backcourt has stepped up. "Jarrett Jack has proved himself healthy by averaging 19.8 points and 9.5 assists a game over the past four. Meanwhile, Shane Larkin was instrumental in both Nets wins, totaling 28 points and making seven of nine 3-point attempts."

--Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: "After Hollis-Jefferson’s promotion, the Nets went from being out rebounded 207-198 in their first five games to out-rebounding opponents 333-319 in their next seven."

--Games are close: You can look at this as a positive, as Raskin does, or a negative as a number of us have. The ability of close out games suggests the lack of a go-to guy at the end.  Still, Raskin notes: "The Nets took the defending-champion Golden State Warriors to overtime before losing in Oakland on Nov. 14. They had a chance to beat playoff contenders Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte on the road before wilting down the stretch. And they dropped a pair of winnable games to Milwaukee and another in Sacramento." Ugh, don't remind us.

--It's still early: "The Nets have gone a combined 41-52 in November and December in their first three seasons in Brooklyn, and have managed to make the playoffs each year, thanks largely to the NBA’s weaker half. They currently sit only 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, and things could turn around as early as December, when they play 10 of 15 games at home."

Oh yeah, Raskin reminds us, the Nets play the 76ers four times.  You should it. There's more.  In fact you could read it tonight if you have Comcast as your cable provider.

• Five Reasons You Shouldn’t Give Up on the Brooklyn Nets - - Alex Raskin - Wall Street Journal/li>