The Brooklyn Nets were unable to come out on top in their first game of the season, but they have to put that game behind them and move on quickly.

On Wednesday night, the start of a new season in Brooklyn was met with disappointment as the Nets fell to the Charlotte Hornets. In a tight matchup throughout, the Nets had their chances to get an opening night win, but their fourth-quarter struggles ultimately were too much to overcome. 

Considering where Brooklyn wants to be this season, getting wins against teams like Charlotte is certainly important. While that loss could come back to sting the Nets when April rolls around and the Eastern Conference standings are tight, they can’t dwell on that possibility now. 

After all, Wednesday night’s matchup was only one game of 82. Of course, the Nets need to approach every game with the appropriate mindset, but they also need to understand that each regular season game is still just one of 82. 

With a back-to-back against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers coming up over the weekend, the Nets’ ability to put that opening loss behind them will be put to the test. With a couple of teams with something to prove set to match up against the Nets, there won’t be anything easy coming for Brooklyn. 

For veterans like Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr., there’s an understanding that the regular season is important, but getting too worked up over one game is a recipe for failure, regardless of the result. So, it’s partially on that duo to ensure that the team has the right mindset and approach going into their upcoming games. 

While it’s absolutely a possibility given their upcoming schedule, the last thing the Nets want is to be staring at a losing streak to begin the year again. So, putting the Charlotte loss behind them and taking away the necessary things from that matchup to prepare for this weekend is critical. 

Younger players like Egor Demin can sometimes tend to dwell on performances like his 2-of-10 outing to begin the year. Still, as long as Jordi Fernandez and company can keep the team focused on the next game and not the past, the Nets should be set up for success. 

The Nets still have a long way to go this season, and as disappointing as it may be to begin the season with a loss, they have to put that behind them quickly and get ready to face some of the East’s best teams.