Brooklyn Nets

NBN Roundtable: How Did the Nets do After One Month?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

Nov 23, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) talks to point guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With over a month of the NBA season already in the books, the NBN team discusses Brooklyn Nets’ topics ranging from Jeremy Lin, to three-point shooting.

NOTE: These submissions were compiled over the course of November, so they may not reflect the most current stats in particular categories.

Assess the Nets’ Play Without Jeremy Lin

Sandy Mui: When the Nets had a 4-7 record, I thought, maybe this wasn’t so bad and that it didn’t tell the whole story. Up to that point, the Nets were only blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers and (I guess) the New York Knicks. However, it increasingly became apparent that the Nets desperately needed Jeremy Lin back. Brooklyn held a 4-7 record two games into their seven-game losing streak, and I was just being too optimistic about the team’s outlook without Lin. This team looks different every night, considering how many various lineups Kenny Atkinson decides to use. It’s even more impossible for the Nets to develop a solid chemistry without their main playmaker on the floor, and especially when they have to depend on an inexperienced rookie to run the point. It’s understandable that the Nets would perform so poorly without Lin, but the longer we go with no word on Lin, the more frustrating it gets.

Grade: D

TJ Porreca: When Jeremy Lin went down with a hamstring injury, the immediate reaction was that Brooklyn was in trouble. Lin is one of Brooklyn’s best players and had become a leader on the team. To make matters worse, Brooklyn’s depth behind Lin was notably inexperienced. In Lin’s absence, rookie Isaiah Whitehead has done the best he can since being thrown into the fire. This is not a knock on Whitehead, but he simply doesn’t have the experience that Lin has. The Nets initially said Lin would be re-evaluated two weeks after injuring his hamstring. The reevaluation came and went, but it appears Lin is still a ways away from getting on the floor. Brooklyn had 2 wins when Lin got hurt. As of this writing, they have just 6 wins. The Nets have done the best they can with the circumstances they’ve been dealt, but the seven-game losing streak really set the Nets back as it pertains to their record.

Grade: D

Justin Witmondt: The loss of Jeremy Lin absolutely killed the momentum the Brooklyn Nets had. After winning two of their first five games, it seemed as though this team wouldn’t be as embarrassing as previously imagined. After all, two of those three losses were by a combined margin of just seven points. Lin went down, and the Nets managed to win two of their next four games. There was optimism. And then every bit of optimism was flushed down the drain. Nothing indicates that the Nets will win much, and it was difficult for them to break their seven-game losing streak. Remember, this losing streak began soon after the loss of Lin. The absence of Lin isn’t necessarily what is killing the Nets. What is killing the Nets is the need to overplay players such as Isaiah Whitehead and having to start Sean Kilpatrick when he has excelled as the sixth-man. Specifically, the offense is nowhere near as efficient as it was with the play-caller. Until Lin returns, the Nets will continue this downward trend.

Grade: D

More from Nothin' But Nets

Christian Milcos: The Nets point guard debacle seems to have persisted into yet another season. It’s become abundantly clear that Jeremy Lin is one of, if the not the most important player on the Nets roster. Brooklyn has quickly become a team that was hovering around .500 to a bottom-three team in the league. Their only two real point guards are both rookies who were picked up outside of the first round. Lin and Brook Lopez‘s interplay on offense is being sorely missed. The Nets need their new starting point guard back desperately.

Grade: D

Charles Daye: “Brooklyn Grit” is the motto of the season for a reason. This team lacks scoring (what else is new?), but they make up for it with their hustle. Since Lin went down, the rookies have done their best trying to run an NBA offense. The positive is we have been able to see more of Isaiah Whitehead, and his tenacity has been encouraging. We have to remember: Atkinson originally wanted to send Whitehead to the D-League before Lin went down.

Grade: B+

Zach Cronin: At the time of Jeremy Lin‘s injury, Brooklyn was 2-3. Now, at the end of November and after a recently snapped seven-game losing streak, the Nets have just 6 wins. The Nets are noticeably worse without Lin running the offense, and they’re about the same defensively. His single biggest impact is as a floor general; someone who facilitates the offense and gets his teammates where they need to be. In his absence, Sean Kilpatrick, Isaiah Whitehead and Yogi Ferrell have been asked to fill that void, and it hasn’t worked. When the offense stagnates, Brooklyn is more apt to shooting ill-advised threes, and Lin prevents that by wiggling his way toward the basket and creating. Driving is Lin’s best skill, and that forces defenses to collapse harder than they would like. If they don’t, it’s an easy bucket. Furthermore, Lin has a better understanding of the offense than the younger guys, and he makes better decisions.

Grade: D

Nov 2, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Assess the Nets’ Play Without Jeremy Lin (cont.)

Tyler Dencker: I’d sum it up in two words: extremely mediocre. The team has shown serious potential even without Lin on the court. However, their record without him says enough for itself. Lin is the focal point of the team and losing him really disrupts the team’s dynamic, so their poor play is somewhat excusable for this reason. Hopefully the team will gain a sense of confidence when he returns, and that can spark an early season-like run.

Grade: B-

Malcolm Ireland: Without a doubt, the Nets have struggled mightily without Jeremy Lin. The Nets have won just three games without Lin, and they have not found any answers at the point guard position. Isaiah Whitehead and Sean Kilpatrick have played well, but neither are natural point guards. Whitehead is a rookie who is still trying to make the transition to point guard. For Kilpatrick, he is 26 years old and has always played shooting guard. Asking either Whitehead or Kilpatrick to take over the reins of the offense is a lot.

Grade: D

Manan Modi: Since Jeremy Lin got injured on November 2nd, the Nets played a total of 13 games to close out November, garnering a mere 3 wins. In the 10 games that they lost in that span, the Nets lost by a total of 171 points, which is about 17 points per game. That’s horrible, considering that, at one point, they also lost 7 games straight. And they probably know that already too. However, we can’t entirely blame the Nets, because none of us expected Lin to be injured. At the moment, they don’t have a clear leader on the floor. We don’t know who is the clear ball distributor, which the Nets need in order to consistently play well. Nevertheless, Sean Kilpatrick, for instance, has stepped up and definitely shown his potential for leadership, so we can’t knock him for playing well and proving that he is indeed a key player on this squad. But at the end of the day, individual successes need to bring about team success and eventually translate into wins.

Grade: C+

Max Prinz: This grade is probably a little high given that the Nets have just 3 wins without Jeremy Lin, but I really thought things would get much worse. The Nets are largely bereft of players who can create for others without Lin, and they’ve still managed to remain competitive. The team continues to play hard every night, and head coach Kenny Atkinson deserves a ton of credit for that.

Grade: B

Matt Pisani: I think, considering the win projections and the injury to Jeremy Lin, getting three wins in three weeks he has been out is miraculous. Many experts thought, even with Lin, Brooklyn would have right about the same, if not less, wins than they currently do. In that aspect, it is fair to say that they have been playing well without Lin. The fan side of me, seeing constant near-20-point losses, makes me want to say they have been playing terribly. Some nights are certainly terrible, and some nights are actually quite good. Beating the Clippers in double overtime really was something special. This team is certainly better with Jeremy Lin, but, considering their outlook and his injury, this team has been playing about as well as it realistically could.

Grade: B

Darnell Gilet: I do not know if the Nets’ record would be any different with Jeremy Lin in the lineup. Prior to the season, we expected the Nets to struggle. With Lin in early on, the Nets overachieved. We all expected them to come back down to expectations. That is what has happened. Beyond the record, there are positive takeaways. One is the emergence of Sean Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick is turning into the best young (ish) prospect for the Nets. The other is the competence of Isaiah Whitehead at an early stage in his career as a second round pick. Bojan Bogdanovic has been extremely consistent. These are players that can serve a strong role if the Nets can ever land a big time free agent.

Grade: F

Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) reacts with teammates during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Where Do the Nets Need to Improve?

Sandy Mui: Rebounding is a major issue, as all Nets fans are very well aware of. It’s not surprising at all looking at the boxscore every game and seeing the Nets were out-rebounded. Trevor Booker is solid on the boards (thus making him a great replacement for the beloved Thaddeus Young), but he can’t be the only one doing the work. There are two 7-footers on the team– Brook Lopez and Justin Hamilton — but they’ve each been averaging less than six rebounds per game. Even Sean Kilpatrick averages more rebounds per game than Hamilton (largely due to his 14-rebound performance against the Clippers). Well, Kilpatrick won’t be pulling down 14 boards every night, so something’s gotta give. Let’s make the storybook different for a change.

TJ Porreca: The Nets have a few areas where, ideally, they’d be able to improve. Team defense is certainly an issue. Brooklyn went a stretch of over 10 games where they allowed 110 points or more to their opponents. If the Nets want to prevent losing streaks this season, they will have to play better defense. Also, with the amount of three-pointers the Nets attempt — and the fact that center Brook Lopez is one of the main sources of these three-point attempts — rebounding is a problem. During Brooklyn’s seven-game losing streak, the Nets were out-rebounded in every matchup. If Brooklyn can find a way to rebound the ball at a higher rate, and play better on the defensive end, it would go a long way toward winning games.

Justin Witmondt: The Nets need to improve in just about every area of the game of basketball. First off, more points need to be scored earlier on in the game. Waiting until the game is all but over at the end of the fourth quarter to tally up useless points is not the answer. Though the stats show that scoring is not the Nets’ main problem, you can’t stay competitive if you are out of the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which brings me to my next point: this team must be allergic to the third quarter. For whatever the reason may be, the Nets have struggled immensely to begin second halves of games. The ball movement has been bad, but this can be pointed towards the absence of Lin. Rebounding is a big issue for this team. When your starting center is only grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game, you know you have a problem. Finally, and most importantly, the defense of this team needs to improve. The Nets are struggling in just about every category. You name it: rebounds, assists, points, steals, blocks, free throw percentage, field goal percentage, three point percentage. But wait, there is one category the Nets have a larger number in: turnovers. Oh, right. That’s a bad thing.

Christian Milcos: Brooklyn’s efforts on defense are obviously something the team needs to improve upon. They are currently giving up the most opponent points per game at 114 per contest. While this is to be expected with having several players who have never played consistent NBA rotation minutes before, a bottom-three defense makes this team almost unbearable to watch. Another big area in which the Nets desperately need to improve upon is their high amount of turnovers. These careless mistakes on offense have been a huge reason why their opponents have been able to go on numerous runs throughout the course of every contest.

Charles Daye: Everywhere. They need to be better on defense and they need to improve on offense. Offense could be a quicker fix, there are still plenty of instances during games where I find that I’m asking myself “why aren’t they feeding Brook Lopez?”

Zach Cronin: Defense. There is only one team worse than the Nets defensively, and it’s the Portland Trail Blazers — and they’re really bad, like, awful. Brooklyn’s guards have been terrible, and their bigs routinely get pounded on the glass. On the perimeter, the Nets allow almost 11 made threes per game at a 37 percent clip and opponents hand out almost 25 assists a night (24.7, second-most in the league). Although there aren’t numbers that say how many threes get made off of assists, it almost doesn’t matter. What’s important is that teams move the ball very well against the Nets, and, more times than not, they’re hitting the open man for an easy bucket. If your team moves the ball fast enough, people will be open since the defense is forced actually to defend. It happens to every team in the league, but the worst defenses get moved more often. When an opponent can move the ball with no issues, it limits isolation plays. For the defense, iso’s are golden. A coach would much rather their defenses guard someone going one-on-one because it throws off the flow of the possession. Unfortunately, Lin returning won’t make the defense exponentially better. They’ll improve, but it won’t cure all of their woes because coaches can draw up plays where Lin’s man isn’t involved, and he won’t be as prominent in stopping it.

Nov 15, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) is defended by Brooklyn Nets forward Trevor Booker (35) during a NBA basketball game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Where Can the Nets Improve? (cont.)

Tyler Dencker: Without a doubt, the defense. They’ve given up 110+ points in over 10 games, and 120+ points in six of those games. That’s inexcusable. Even when the offense is clicking, it’s more than a lot to ask them to put up more than 110 on a consistent basis, especially when Lin is hurt. A big reason for the defensive woes could be that they’re allowing their opponents to shoot 47.6 percent from the field, which is second worst in the league. Clearly, it seems the opponent has all the space in the world to shoot. The Nets’ defensive game plan, whatever it may be, is clearly not working and they need to do something about that if they want to be competitive. The Nets are not a team where their offense can bail out their defense night-in and night-out, so their defense needs to improve before they can get back on a winning track.

Malcolm Ireland: The Nets have struggled heavily in rebounding and defense to this point in the season. For the most part the Nets should be more concerned about their rebounding. For starters, the Nets are shooting the ball a lot and trying to adopt the three point culture in Brooklyn. With that said, their thought process is that scoring can make up for their poor defense when healthy. The problem is their rebounding will not improve when healthy. The Nets are pounded on the boards night in and night out. This allows teams to have second chance points, when the Nets can’t afford to give up any. The only way this will change is with roster improvement. Trevor Booker can only play so many minutes in the game. When he comes out, the Nets lose toughness and rebounding.

Manan Modi: As observed by many basketball analysts and writers, the Nets have struggled the most in the 3rd quarter. Given that Lin is injured, the Nets have already seen their set of best players to be under-represented. The Nets are lacking that additional facilitator who could provide an additional 2nd half boost that they’ve needed. I hate that he got injured; however, I feel that Jeremy Lin needed to sit out and truly watch how his teammates play, and this may turn out to be a positive, a blessing in disguise — for both him and the entire Brooklyn Nets squad in the long-term. In the month he has been sidelined, he has been taking notes (literally) on how his teammates are playing individually as well as together, and as a result, he has gotten more insight and perspectives on how he would better fit this team when he comes back.

Max Prinz: Two areas: defense and third quarters. The defense is allowing 108.9 points per 100 possessions, second most in the league. That number is simply unacceptable. Similarly, the Nets have come out of the halftime break sluggish far too many times this season. The Nets need to stop letting games slip away in the third frame.

Matt Pisani: From a box score and statistical stand point, Brooklyn needs to work on rebounding and points in the paint. They are even or maybe even slightly ahead some nights, but, there are a good amount of nights where Brooklyn gets decimated in those categories. Trevor Booker is an eight-and-eight kind of guy, and everyone knows Brook Lopez will put up points. But, when you have two big men near seven feet tall in Lopez and Justin Hamilton off the bench who cannot rebound the ball, you are going to have issues. Their style of play kind of leads into the next question about three-point shots. Maybe the big men need to rely on their height rather more than their shot and stay down low more in order to be in better position to grab rebounds. Not getting rebounds will hurt any team, especially one as mediocre at shooting the ball and playing defense as Brooklyn is. Brooklyn needs to improve their play down low or they will be screwed.

Darnell Gilet: The Nets need to improve in one area and one area only. That area is talent. It is hard to criticize a team that lacks the horses but fights hard every night. While the Nets have not won much, they have earned my respect for their grit and resilience in spite of being out matched on most nights.

Nov 29, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) reacts after hitting a three point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Is the Nets’ Eagerness to Shoot Three’s Beneficial or Detrimental?

Sandy Mui: The NBA has changed into a small-ball, three-point shooting dominated league. As such, all teams should adjust, even the low-expectation Brooklyn Nets. The glaring issue with the Nets’ “green light” mentality on three-pointers is that they haven’t consistently been able to knock them down. However, that isn’t to say that their three-pointers are bad shots. When watching them play, it’s a mystery each night about whether their offense will be good–that is, be able to hit their treys. Still, one thing is for sure, most of their three-pointers have been open or wide open, as I pointed out here. Once the whole team can establish a consistent shooting touch, this will only help the team. And it’s better for them to do so now, when they’re not expected to have a spectacular season anyway.

TJ Porreca: To say the 2016-17 Brooklyn Nets like to shoot three-pointers is an understatement. The most intriguing aspect for Brooklyn is that their center, Brook Lopez, has transformed into a frequent three-point shooter. There are multiple ways to look at this. Most importantly, Lopez has proven he can make three’s. He attempts nearly six three-pointers per game, and is making 37 percent of his attempts so far this season. Of course, the other side of the coin is, if Lopez is out beyond the arc, his 7-foot frame isn’t in the paint for a chance at a rebound. The Nets as a team have embraced the mentality of hoisting up three-pointers — sometimes to the tune of more than 40 per game — and it doesn’t seem that Brooklyn will slow their pace significantly. On the season, Brooklyn is averaging 11.5 made three’s per game, while shooting 34.8 three’s per game. Certainly, the three-pointer is more embraced around the NBA now than ever before. However, for the Nets to get the best look each time down the floor, they may want to cut down on their attempts per game.

Justin Witmondt: I don’t mind the Nets’ eagerness to shoot threes as much as I do the ineffectiveness of the shots they are taking. Take the Golden State Warriors, for example, a team that is known for launching the deep-ball. Golden State converts on about 39 percent of their three-point shots. The Nets, on the other hand, have taken more three’s than the Warriors, and converted on just 33 percent of their attempts. As a matter of fact, the Nets have taken the second most threes among all NBA teams, with the Houston Rockets having attempted over 600 threes, but converting on 38 percent of those attempts. With the Nets being the sixth-worst team in terms of three-point percentage, they need to be wiser with the shots they are taking by utilizing their big-men, such as Lopez, in the paint.

Christian Milcos: This three point heavy strategy on offense is certainly one of the only things that makes this team somewhat enjoyable to watch. When they are on their game from behind the arc, the offense becomes a thing of beauty. However, when they get cold, the game tends to get sloppy and out of hand quickly. It has become a high risk/reward style of play on offense. More locked in play on the other side of the ball would lessen this strategy’s margin for error. Considering the team is not even 30 games into the season, it’s fair to continue using this style of play in order to see where it takes the Nets when fully healthy.

Charles Daye: Completely beneficial. The Nets need to find out what they have and what they need offense. Plus, this is allowing Lopez to be the shooter he is and it is working. Lopez can shoot from anywhere on the court, having an offense that encourages that is working for him. Add Kilpatrick and Bogdanovic, hope for some consistency, and pray LeVert is what they hope he is.

Zach Cronin: For me, the volume is the biggest concern. It’s so bad that they’ll shoot themselves out of games sometimes. Hamilton and Lopez are the only two guys shooting above 35 percent from downtown, so there shouldn’t be any worry with them. The worry is with everyone else. If they’re open and it’s a perfect pass and someone’s ready to shoot, that’s fine. However, it gets to a point where a player needs to realize his struggles from behind the arc and look to get close to the basket for an easier shot. Any NBA player gets more confident when they see the ball go through, and it’s especially true with young players. However, is there a point when the coaching staff asks them to limit the volume of their threes? I believe there is, and it’s because they’re effective when they’re closer to the basket.

Let’s look at Joe Harris as an example:

Crazy concept, I know.

Brooklyn is far more efficient from inside the arc and, despite being in the bottom three for two-point attempts, they’re sixth in percentage at 50.8. Moreover, they shoot 24 free throws a game and have reliable shooters from the charity stripe. It makes more sense because their roster is full of slashers: Kilpatrick, Bogdanovic, Lin when he’s healthy and Whitehead.

Nov 11, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) shoots the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The Nets defeated the Rockets 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Is Eagerness to Shoot Three’s Beneficial or Detrimental? (cont.)

Tyler Dencker: I like that they’re shooting a lot of threes and I think long-term especially, they’re better off for it. Even though their 32.9 percent from three-point range ranks 23rd in the NBA, the Nets are averaging 105 points per game. This is far better than they were last season, when they averaged 98.6 points per game and were ranked 26th. The three-pointer is becoming more and more valuable, and the Nets are just starting to shoot it — last season, they attempted the fourth-least three’s per game. It takes time to implement this into a gameplay and have it work, so I have no problem with what they’re doing. They’re not going to get better at shooting three’s if they don’t actually do it, so despite the struggles in terms of three-point percentage, I say keep shooting. It’ll help the team in the future.

Malcolm Ireland: I think the Nets eagerness to shoot three’s in detrimental to the team. In theory, by putting up more threes in a game, they will make more. That would allow the Nets to score more points in a game. This has worked on some nights for the Nets, but for the season as a whole they should cut down on threes per game. They are shooting around 33 percent from deep on the season. What makes this really bad is the Nets rank second in the league in three pointers attempted behind the Houston Rockets. What makes the Rockets and Warriors so good is that they rank in the top six in both categories. The Nets, on the other hand, are inefficient from deep. What would help them is to take advantage of Brook Lopez‘s post game. He is one of the best post scorers in the league, but this season he has hovered around the three point line a lot. By putting him in the post the Nets would have a higher success rate of scoring the ball.

Manan Modi: The Brooklyn Nets should aim to score points the easiest, most efficient way possible, regardless of whether it’s getting two or three points. However, I do believe that they’re better off shooting more three pointers. The eagerness to shoot three’s has provided better spacing for every player on the Nets, even Brook Lopez, who never consistently shot three’s prior to this season. Shooting more three’s, both during practice and games, will enable each player to improve their ability to hit jump shots in general. All of this is mere speculation as we’re still witnessing the more recent transition of the NBA into a jump-shooting league, and it comes down to Kenny Atkinson and his staff to decide the appropriateness of three point shooting for the Nets.

Max Prinz: I love that the Nets bombing away from deep. It adds another dimension to an offense that features largely unheralded players. Sure, most of them are going to clang out, but Atkinson’s green light is inspiring confidence in the players and forcing opposing defenses to take another step away from the basket. And remember, three points is greater than two points.

Matt Pisani: For any of you that read any of my recaps or game previews will know the amount of three-pointers Brooklyn has taken this season is despicable. There is no reason to shoot 35-40 three-pointers a night, there is hardly any reason to shoot even 30 in a night. Brooklyn shoots nearly 35 three’s a night on average and make only 11.5 for a 33 percent rate. 33 percent is tied for 24th place in the whole NBA. Shooting the second most three-pointers and making the sixth lowest of all teams, is a terrible ratio. No question that the three-point shooting is a significant hindrance to this team and something really needs to be done about it or Brooklyn will only get that measly and disrespectful 20.5 wins Vegas projected for the Nets.

Darnell Gilet: Eagerness to shoot three’s for the Nets is beneficial because that is how they will win games. As stated previously, the Nets do not have the horses. The Nets greatest hope is to catch fire from deep, and potentially exchange three point shots for two point shots while hustling for those “50- 50” balls.

This article originally appeared on