NBA Live: Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers, 7:30 PM EST on YES Network, NBA TV

The Brooklyn Nets take on the Indiana Pacers on Monday night in a home-and-home back-to-back set.

The Brooklyn Nets are a veteran team playing bad basketball team. The Indiana Pacers are a young team playing good basketball.

Vegas, as of this AM, had the Nets as 8-point favorites after having lost to the Pacers at home on Saturday night. They must know something that we don’t know?

Off-the-court issues aside, there’s no real reason to feel optimistic about this team. They don’t seem to really know how to gel and Steve Nash doesn’t seem to know how to coach them out of this situation.

I won’t get into the “they don’t seem to like each other” speculation, but while Kevin Durant says the team is “pissed” it would seem as if there’s more than just a lack of talent getting in their way.

I know I said on Saturday that you should consider watching something else other than this game tonight, and I stand by it. This is your friendly reminder that they owe you more than you do them.

Anyway.

WHO: Brooklyn Nets (1-5) vs. Indiana Pacers (3-4)

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. est

WHERE: YES Network (local), NBA TV (national), WFAN-FM (radio)

Game Preview.

After sleeping on Saturday’s loss, I wish I had something more interesting to say. Something to analyze with film, maybe a specific zone that gave the Nets trouble on offense, or a pick-and-roll defense that was a bright spot, that they should rely on more on Monday.

Nope. There’s nothing to analyze, in that regard. The Nets were dead men walking on Saturday, the first time it’s felt quite like that. Their 1-4 record was not reason for total pessimism - they had played well “in pockets”, as Steve Nash had described it, against five quality teams. Brooklyn was certainly in the process of kink-ironing, but nothing that suggested a team that had given up.

For more on the Pacers, check out Indy Cornrows.