Nets turn the page behind upbeat Vandeweghe

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Before Friday's game with the Bobcats, new Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe walked into his office as though he didn't have a care in the world. He seemed a little amused by the pre-game media process, and he looked like he was getting ready for a Friday night dinner at his favorite restaurant, not an NBA game.

He did realize his team was 0-18, right?

Vandeweghe has said that this season was about player development for the Nets.

"We're not going to focus on wins and losses."

Sure thing. You've got a lot of talented youngsters who need experience. But wouldn't it be nice to actually get a win before you let the kids play through their mistakes?

Vandeweghe also said that the team would continue to operate without an advance scout.

"Instead of focusing on what our opponents do, we're going to take our time focusing on us, getting better internally."

OK. You're a young, rebuilding team. That makes sense ... after you end this ridiculous losing streak!

He spoke about "rediscovering the joy" of playing basketball. But how can you enjoy setting a record with 18 straight losses to start the season?

"At the end of the day, this game's got to be fun," Vandeweghe said.

Forget the score, fellas. Just have fun. And after the game, we're all going to Dairy Queen!

Sorry, but this is the NBA. And the whole world is watching you now, reveling in your futility, wondering when you're ever going to win. The media scrum around Chris Douglas-Roberts' locker gets bigger after every game, waiting to see how irritated he'll get as the losses mount.

You can't possibly just turn on the happy switch, erase all the frustration and play like it's a mid-summer run in the park. Can you?

Apparently you can. New coach. New attitude.

The 0-18 Nets played hard, played with confidence and enjoyed what they were doing Friday night. And now, they've got themselves a winning streak.

"Honestly, there's really no way to put those games behind you," Douglas-Roberts said afterward. "But we just tried to focus on this game. We were really trying to emphasize a clean slate with Kiki and [new assistant coach] Del [Harris]. So that's what we were doing. And it really looked like it by the way we played out there."

The new attitude started Thursday, as Vandeweghe and Harris ran their first practice.

"It looked like a totally different practice," Douglas-Roberts said. "Guys were confronting each other, holding each other accountable. That's the sign of a winning team."

There were some strategic changes too. Courtney Lee was put back into the starting lineup and the Nets opened the middle of the floor up a bit. Lee responded with a career-high 27 points on Friday, letting the jumpers fly early and often.

"That's the new Courtney now, and I'm just hoping that this is what it is," Douglas-Roberts said. "I know what he's capable of. I've been waiting the whole year. He came out aggressive. He wasn't thinking. He got his starting job back, and I was really happy to see it."

New coach. New attitude. New Courtney.

New streak? The flood gates may now be open. The Nets' next four games are against teams with losing records. And when you lose 18 straight to start the season, just getting two or three wins in a five-game stretch has to be considered a flood.

The team will also continue to get healthier. Keyon Dooling and Tony Battie made their season debuts Friday, and Yi Jianlian and Jarvis Hayes will likely be back in the coming week. Those particular additions are key, as Dooling, Yi and Hayes are three of the team's best shooters and will help spread the floor for Devin Harris and Brook Lopez.

Of course, having the proverbial gorilla off their back helps too. The national media won't be paying the Nets much attention anymore (at least until certain 2010 free agents pay the IZOD Center a visit). And they can go about their business of getting better without the losing streak hanging over their heads.

There was celebrating in the locker room Friday, but the veteran Dooling didn't let it last too long.

"He let us know we can't be content with just one win," Lee told NBA TV. "We've got to get back to work tomorrow in practice."

But practice will apparently be more about having fun than doing work. Instead of suicides, perhaps a game or two of Knockout.

"More than anything, I want our players to have confidence in themselves, play hard, and feel good about themselves," Vandeweghe said. "That, to me, is going to be the main thing. And that, I think, is also the path to getting us out of this."

How can you argue with the man? He's undefeated.

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here or follow him on Twitter.

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