Funny part is MPJ has been the better rim protector of the two. Through 3 games, opponents are shooting 54.5% at the rim when he's the closest defender, way under what those guys normally hit. When it's Randle, they're at 85.7%. Brooklyn is also 8th in defensive rebounding, so second chances aren't what's killing them. Teams are scoring on the first shot, and a lot of it is at the rim with Randle as the last line. Tiny sample, but the fix looks like more Sharpe and fewer possessions where Randle is the one protecting the paint.
Jordi Fernandez didn't hold back after an "unacceptable" defensive performance dropped the Nets to 0-3.
I looked at the numbers and got Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle's takes on what is causing Brooklyn's issues on that end:
https://t.co/BQP815uN09
20.8 points a game and 12.3 allowed. Minnesota's 6-0 because of the defense. Meanwhile the Jets are 2-5 and Aaron Glenn is still out here acting like a defensive genius.
25 deflections last night and Indiana still shot a 70.0% effective FG%. That's exactly what MPJ is describing. Level coverage only works if the back line rotates on time, and when the big steps up and the pocket pass beats him, there's nobody home behind it. Sharpe is the one big who can actually recover from that, and the team's 21.3 points per 100 better with him on the floor through 3 games. Either give him more minutes or stop sending the big up to the level against teams that can pass.
Asked MPJ what he feels is causing the Nets to struggle defensively:
"The way we play at the level, when you have good passers that are able to hit the pocket, we are at a disadvantage on that back end. We want to get deflections and speed teams up, but we're at a disadvantage. So we have to be really on our horse to scramble and get to shooters and close out and try to take guys off the three-point line. Because a lot of times we are playing four-on-three, and we've got to get out of that situation and scramble a little bit better."
Funny part is MPJ has been the better rim protector of the two. Through 3 games, opponents are shooting 54.5% at the rim when he's the closest defender, way under what those guys normally hit. When it's Randle, they're at 85.7%. Brooklyn is also 8th in defensive rebounding, so second chances aren't what's killing them. Teams are scoring on the first shot, and a lot of it is at the rim with Randle as the last line. Tiny sample, but the fix looks like more Sharpe and fewer possessions where Randle is the one protecting the paint.
Jordi Fernandez didn't hold back after an "unacceptable" defensive performance dropped the Nets to 0-3.
I looked at the numbers and got Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle's takes on what is causing Brooklyn's issues on that end:
https://t.co/BQP815uN09
20.8 points a game and 12.3 allowed. Minnesota's 6-0 because of the defense. Meanwhile the Jets are 2-5 and Aaron Glenn is still out here acting like a defensive genius.
25 deflections last night and Indiana still shot a 70.0% effective FG%. That's exactly what MPJ is describing. Level coverage only works if the back line rotates on time, and when the big steps up and the pocket pass beats him, there's nobody home behind it. Sharpe is the one big who can actually recover from that, and the team's 21.3 points per 100 better with him on the floor through 3 games. Either give him more minutes or stop sending the big up to the level against teams that can pass.
Asked MPJ what he feels is causing the Nets to struggle defensively:
"The way we play at the level, when you have good passers that are able to hit the pocket, we are at a disadvantage on that back end. We want to get deflections and speed teams up, but we're at a disadvantage. So we have to be really on our horse to scramble and get to shooters and close out and try to take guys off the three-point line. Because a lot of times we are playing four-on-three, and we've got to get out of that situation and scramble a little bit better."
Powell and Saraf finished last season at -6.0 and -7.3 BPM, way under what you'd get from a minimum-contract vet. Four-minute garbage cameos don't fix that, 30 minutes a night in Long Island might. Meanwhile two-way Chaney Johnson is getting 17.8 a night and the team is 11.9 points per 100 worse with him out there. If two 2025 firsts are going down, those minutes belong to Wolf and Traore, not a two-way guy.
The Nets have assigned Joshua Jefferson, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf to their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
Long Island opens its season next Friday.
With the Timberwolves winning tonight and the Nets losing, the Nets have surpassed the Timberwolves for the worst all-time winning percentage ever, at 42.13% vs. Minnesota’s 42.14%. Congrats Brooklyn!
LeBron James on what the Sixers need to do to fix their rebounding woes: “In the great words of Taurean Prince … the ball goes up into the air, and then you go grab the ball …”