Daily Link: Confidences Grow

The Nets are now set to play without Deron Williams for the next two games as he goes back to Utah for the birth of his child, but Al Iannazzone is noticing that the team’s confidence is starting to grow since their big trade two weeks ago:

“There was one point in the mid-fourth, I was looking up at the scoreboard and we were down about eight,” (Brook) Lopez said. “To be honest I wasn’t too worried. I thought we would win the game. I was confident that we’d pull through. We had sort of a concentration that had been missing for a while that we found and it helps us late in the games. We’re very focused.”

As Al points out, it’s of course due in large part to Deron’s presence, but also for the fact that the trade rumors that were hanging over this team like a trade cloud were finally, FINALLY put to rest once the trade deadline ended. It’s interesting what a little stability will do for a player’s state-of-mind.