Dec 3, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) greets center Brook Lopez (11) in the fourth quarter during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets had another tough week. With news emerging that the Nets signed Donatas Motiejunas to an offer sheet, there is a reason for fans to be excited.
This Week’s Storylines:
1. Nets Stun Clippers in Double Overtime, Snap Losing Streak
What an exciting win for the Nets Tuesday night. The Nets were down by as much as 16 in the third quarter. That all changed in the fourth quarter when the team rallied back and fought in two overtimes to walk away with a victory.
2. Nets Reportedly Interested in Donatas Motiejunas
Motiejuans had become a restricted free agent at the beginning of the summer. Due to multiple failed physicals, no team has signed Motiejunas. Now, the Nets are looking to take that chance.
3. Nets Struggle Offensively, Fall to Bucks
After a great win against the Clippers, the Nets failed to pick up where they left off. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker both had good games, helping the Bucks pick up the win.
4. Nets Sign Donatas Motiejunas to Four-Year Deal
The Nets officially signed Donatas Motiejunas to a four-year, $37 million offer sheet on Friday. The Houston Rockets have until Tuesday to match the offer sheet to retain Motiejunas.
5. Nets Falter in Final Minutes Against Bucks, Valiant Comeback Falls Short
In the final game this week, the Nets fell short again to the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. The Nets rallied in the third quarter and continued to keep the game close throughout the fourth. It just wasn’t enough, giving the Nets a record of 0-3 against the Bucks this season.
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Nets Record this Week: 1-3
Nets 127 – Clippers 122
Nets 93 – Bucks 111
Nets 103 – Bucks 112
Thoughts
The Nets played hard all week and were only able to come away with one win. The team is still missing Jeremy Lin, but they will need more than just Lin to turn things around. Until the Nets find a way to add more talent to this roster, they are going to struggle to win games. Along with roster improvement, the Nets need to find a way to play better on the defensive end of the floor. In 15 of 19 games this season, the Nets have given up 110 or more points to the opposing team. The Nets are dead last in the league in opponents’ points per game, allowing 114.2 points per game.
Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick (6) drives against Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) during the second overtime at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Player of the Week: Sean Kilpatrick
Stat Averages for the Week
23.7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 39% FG, 30% 3pt FG
Sean Kilpatrick played very well this week, including a career-high 38 points against the Clippers Tuesday night. All week, Kilpatrick has been the Nets’ most consistent player in terms of scoring. The problem is his efficiency. While Kilpatrick is scoring a lot, he is also taking a lot of shots. Hence, he has a lower field goal percentage.
Taking more shots is fine, but when a player’s field goal percentage falls below 42 percent, they are hurting their team. Not to mention, he is also shooting 30 percent from deep. Three-point shooting is not a strength of Kilpatrick’s. He can make the occasional three when he is open, but he is launching up a lot right now and not making enough to justify it.
The difference between how Kilpatrick played last week and this week, again, has to do with his efficiency. Last week, he averaged 20 points on 53 percent shooting and 43 percent from deep. This week, he averaged about four more points, but in doing so, he had a major drop in his shooting percentages. Hopefully, he understands that he can still be effective without chucking up shots all game.
Kilpatrick is a great sixth man for this team because of his “just keep shooting” mentality. He is someone Kenny Atkinson can put in with the green light to shoot. From there, Atkinson can see how he’s playing and keep him in or take him out. Unfortunately, the Nets have been injury-prone recently, and they have relied heavily on Kilpatrick to share ball handling duties.
Nov 23, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson coaches against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Efficiency
Kenny Atkinson installed a system in Brooklyn that is oriented around three-point shooting. Clearly, it is something he carried over with him from Atlanta. The problem is, the Nets are not having the same success rate when it comes to converting shots. The Nets have attempted 669 three-pointers this season. That ranks them second in the league behind Houston and one ahead of Golden State.
The difference between Brooklyn, Golden State, and Houston, aside from talent, is their three-point percentage. The Warriors and Rockets rank 4 and 5 respectively in terms of three-point percentage. The Nets, on the other hand, rank 25th in the league with a percentage of 32 percent. To make matters worse, the Nets rank 26th in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 43 percent.
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The bright side is that this is an issue that the current team could actually fix. Rather than taking 35 threes a game, the Nets could try to get Brook Lopez more involved by feeding him in the post. Lopez is one of the best post scorers in the league. By dumping the ball down low to him, they are taking higher percentage shots.
Also, having cutters cut through the lane when Lopez is in the post, the Nets could end up taking more layups and shots around the hoop. It could even result in more trips to the free throw line or an open three. By collapsing the defense, the Nets might have easier looks from three than they do now.
There is no guarantee this will help, but it is worth giving a shot. It is also the most realistic way for the team to improve. This is not something that is outside the realm of possibility for Kenny Atkinson. It is just the matter of his willingness to tweak his system to get more looks near the hoop rather than 25-foot jump shots.
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