The opponents change but the results remain the same. The Nets lost their seventh straight game in gut-wrenching fashion on Monday night to the lowly Cavaliers. Here are my thoughts.
1. Three-Point Ratio and Percentage The Nets were 10-40 from three-point range on Monday night. That’s 25%. Of their 99 shot attempts, 40% were from three. The league is trending towards more three-pointers taken and made as the math says three points are worth more than two. That’s understood. But 40 attempts is an awful lot for a team that doesn’t shoot it particularly well from distance. For the season the Nets average just under 35 attempts per game, top 5 in the league. They convert at a rate of 34.5% which is bottom third in the league. Following a game earlier this season I asked head coach Kenny Atkinson about the balance between driving the gaps and taking threes. He said, Balance is the key. We are not a team that’s going to take forty threes a game. It sure seems like this is a team that will take close to 40 threes on any given night. Still, while this was likely a slight aberration, poor shooting was the issue and it compounded all night and the Nets just couldn’t overcome it. 2. Rebounding If you look at the box stats the final numbers will say the Nets got out-rebounded 55-50. In a vacuum that doesn’t seem so bad. But within the context of the game, it was worse. The Cavs seemed to get more key rebounds at crucial moments in the game. Also, the Nets shot poorly from the field (39-99) so the Cavs had plenty of opportunities. On many of those misses, they were one and done possessions for the Nets or they were beaten to 50-50 balls. The Nets knew Tristan Thompson was someone they had to key on, and they “limited” him to 14 rebounds. The problem was they allowed Jordan Clarkson to grab a career-high 11 rebounds and Alec Burks to grab a season-high 7. 3. Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell These two seem to make an appearance in every postgame thoughts column. But, what they do is often noteworthy. Russell finished with 30 points on 13-31 from the field. He was not very efficient, but for most of the game, he was the only Net that could make a shot. He singlehandedly kept them within striking distance for most of the game. The problem was, as his shot went cold, he continued to shoot it. Dinwiddie finished with 18 points on 6-14 from the field. He was solid and hit a big three late in the fourth quarter. Atkinson continues to start the two, as he likes what they provide. There needs to be a better balance in shot attempts between the two going forward if they continue to share the floor. 4. Rodions Kurucs The Nets’ second-round pick from the 2018 draft had 12 points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. Atkinson loved what the rookie was providing down the stretch in terms of energy and scoring. He missed a late three that would’ve put the Nets ahead, but he displayed confidence and didn’t seem overwhelmed by the moment. With his play, he showed Atkinson and the coaching staff that he could handle late-game situations and that he might warrant more playing time. Atkinson wouldn’t commit to Kurucs getting more minutes in his postgame comments but said: He’s in the conversation, you can’t deny it. We’ll have to look at it. We’ll have to consider getting him minutes. I think he’s shown that he can do it. Now, it’s a competitive environment in the NBA. Minutes are out there, and guys have to compete for minutes, but he’s definitely earning some playing time. Kurucs believes he is ready and discussed his extended minutes late in Monday night’s game.
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12/1/2018 Five Thoughts From The Nets Crushing Double Overtime 131-125 Loss to The Grizzlies (Video)Read Now
Another game, another tough loss for the Nets in Brooklyn. This time, a double-overtime 131-125 heartbreaker to the Memphis Grizzlies. The late game and fourth quarter woes that plagued this team on their four-game losing streak, seemed to be alleviated on Friday night. But it all fell apart in a manner of 33 seconds in the fourth quarter and the two overtimes. Here are my thoughts.
1. D’Angelo Russell’s Use of Screens is Very Good Russell finished with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 8 turnovers. It wasn’t a particularly efficient night for him, as he took 27 shots to score those 26 points. But, late in the fourth quarter and overtime, he was doing all he could to win this game for the Nets. Russell is not an elite athlete at his position, but he is big and knows how to use screens very effectively to shed defenders and create space. Prior to the game, he was working on this during warmups with assistant coach Jaque Vaughn. Russell’s play is a lightning rod for criticism, a lot of it deserved, some of it undeserved. He has a lot of talent, but consistency is what prevents him from realizing that talent and fulfilling his potential. He believes in his ability and can create shots and make them in big moments. His use of screens is something to be commended and appreciated. Check out his pregame work.
2. Allen Crabbe’s Production Has Been Poor
He played 23 minutes on Friday night had 9 points and was a -9. Crabbe was a nonfactor on both ends of the floor. He is shooting a career low from three and the field, 33%, and 30% respectively. His production is not matching his salary. Crabbe has a player option for $18.5M which he will certainly pick up next season. This is a problem because he’s occupying a slot that the Nets could use for one of their younger developmental players. At this stage of his career, Crabbe is what he is. Safe to say, this was a miss for Brooklyn. But, next year, Crabbe’s contract will be expiring, and that will have some value in the trade market. 3. Isolation vs. Team Play In many ways, this is the crux of basketball and the arguments people have over the state of the game. One style is referred to and seen as beautiful, the other boring, plodding, and selfish. The thing about basketball is, both styles are needed for success. Sometimes team defenses can blow up flex cuts and off-ball movement. In order to win games consistently and at the highest level in the NBA, you need to have players that can create in isolation regardless of what the defense does. The best teams, obviously have a balance of both. Down the stretch of Friday’s game, the Nets were struggling to find that balance between isolation plays and running plays. Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie were the main players trying to figure out that balance. The Nets squandered a 7 point lead with 33 seconds left and a lot of that had to do with missed shots in isolation, which led to possessions for the Grizzlies. The Nets were one and done on a few possessions, which are essentially live ball turnovers. Dinwiddie and Russell have made big shots for the Nets, so it’s hard to fault them too much. But, this team has a very small margin for error given their roster limitations. Following the game, I asked Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson about the balance in late game situations. Atkinson told BSO, “That’s the key for us…balance.”
4. Late Game Execution Woes
This is a continuation of a theme that was constant all of last season and has been exacerbated due to the loss of Caris LeVert. From simple inbound passes to dribble handoffs, the Nets are really struggling to close games out. The NBA is a make or miss league, and essentially what that means is, regardless of what is done schematically the game boils down to made and missed shots. These three plays exemplify the difference between the Nets and Grizzlies on Friday night. Nets lead 111-108 with 23 seconds left in the 4th, Russell loses the inbound pass.
On the subsequent Memphis possession, the Grizzlies run a play and Marc Gasol finds Jaren Jackson Jr. for the game-tying three-pointer
Next possession, Spencer Dinwiddie drives the lane is blocked by Mike Conley and is looking for a foul call.
5. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s Energy & Effort Are Contagious
Despite fouling Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. on a made three late in the fourth, Rondae was all over the court on Friday night. He had timely buckets, good defense and hustled on every play. It’s cliche but a lot of his impact was not evident in the box score. Rondae finished with 15 points and 3 rebounds. He played 38 minutes and was involved in every 50/50 play. At the end of the day, this was a loss for the Nets and all of Rondae’s hustle and effort didn’t lead to a win. But, he is the type of player the Nets will need going forward, as they look to build a playoff roster. |
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