Inside the Nets’ amazing U-turn into the NBA’s hottest team

The Nets’ seven-game winning streak — the best currently in the NBA — was hard to see coming. The fact it was right on the heels of a league-worst eight-game skid — just the fifth time that has happened, according to Elias Sports Bureau — makes it almost impossible to believe.

And just as hard to explain.

The Nets hadn’t won seven in a row since their first season in Brooklyn in 2012-13. And a victory Friday against the Pacers would give them their longest run since they won 14 in a row from March 12-April 6, 2006.

It brings up the obvious question: how?

No rebounds, no wins

The Nets’ defensive woes were never about guarding, or getting stops. They were about not being able to finish off defensive stands with rebounds.

They were third-worst in the NBA in defensive rebounding when they sat at 8-18. But since then, they’ve been second-best. Ed Davis’ rebounding seems to have rubbed off, with the Nets fighting harder, boxing out better and battling to tap the ball out to teammates more.

Communication is key

This stunning turnaround came after a players-only film session. They met on Dec. 6, knocked off the Raptors the next night and haven’t stopped.

It was less about airing grievances and more about improving on-court communication, talking on defense, helping one another out on the floor.

“Players only, baby,” Spencer Dinwiddie said. “It spurred some communication. Now we’re kind of rolling.”

Gotta learn the hard way

For the Nets, finally figuring out how to close out tough, close games was crucial.

The Nets played — and lost — a ton of heartbreakers last season. And through their first 26 games this season, they went just 4-12 in what the NBA defines as “clutch” situations and were an NBA-worst minus-41 in 65 clutch minutes.

But in their recent run, they’re 5-0 and are a league-leading plus-15 in their 19 clutch minutes. They learned from all those tough losses.

“Our maturation as a team, our experience that we had early on has really helped us close out tough games,” Joe Harris said. “What we experienced early on, not being able to close out games now heightened confidence to close out games. We go into the end of games in those settings really confident we’re going to win.”

The two-headed snake

Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell have stepped up with the best basketball of their careers. But what’s key for the Nets isn’t just that they’re both playing well, but that they’re playing well together. And that’s a switch.

While Dinwiddie and Russell can say all the right things, and may get along well personally, the fact is, on the court they hadn’t been a fit. In 275 minutes together through the Nets’ rough start, they had been a minus-98, the worst tandem on the entire roster by 30 points.

But during the Nets’ hot streak, the suddenly dynamic duo has logged 83 minutes together as a plus-11.

“We’re winning, so I’d say give credit to coach. It’s not an easy thing to do when you have two dominant ball-handlers like that. So I give credit to the coaching staff,” Russell said after the Nets beat the Lakers on Tuesday, adding “When we’re out there together it’s a two-headed snake coming at you. No team really wants to see that.”

The Brooklyn Hydras, anyone?

Sharing is caring

Robbed of their top scorer, Caris LeVert, the Nets were just 22nd in the NBA in effective field-goal percentage and 23rd in true shooting percentage on Dec. 6. But since then they have skyrocketed to second in both.

How? Better ball movement, passing more. It started with the point guards, although ball-moving veterans DeMarre Carroll and Jared Dudley have helped.

“We’re doing a good job putting teams on their heels, moving the ball, giving up good shots for great shots, unselfish play,” Harris said.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“They’re playing very well. Offensively they’re moving the ball, they’re scoring huge numbers. The ball doesn’t stick, it goes side-to-side,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “They’re playing some good basketball.”