Nets resemble a struggling team in defeat against Hornets in season opener

Charlotte Dominates Brooklyn in Season Opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Nets are predicted to struggle significantly this NBA season, and their opening game on Wednesday certainly reflected that expectation.

Brooklyn faced a tough defeat against Charlotte, trailing throughout the game and ultimately losing 136-117 in front of a packed crowd of 19,516 at the Spectrum Center.

It’s hard to say the Nets put up much of a fight defensively; their performance, particularly at the point of attack, was virtually nonexistent. They were outscored 60-46 in the paint and faced a dismal 23-5 deficit by halftime, allowing Charlotte to shoot a whopping 53.3 percent, including 17 successful three-pointers out of 36 attempts.

The Nets (0-1) had an unprecedented five first-round picks in the June draft, and all but one—Danny Wolf, who was late—played. Ironically, part of the goal during this rebuilding season is to give the rookies playing time. Plus, there’s the added bonus of a potential top lottery pick next year.

So, it’s safe to say more nights like this could be ahead. A lot more. Possibly even several in a row.

Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 25 points, while LaMelo Ball contributed 20 points and eight assists.

The only Nets players who really made any impact were centers Nic Claxton (17 points) and Dayron Sharpe (14 points on 6-of-7 shooting), who attempted to keep the team competitive with their putbacks. However, Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., the expected offensive leaders, never found their rhythm.

Even though Thomas had struggled during preseason, he ended up with 15 points but shot poorly at 2-of-9. Porter wasn’t much better, finishing with only 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting and 2-of-7 from three-point range. If they can’t get it together, Brooklyn’s chances look pretty bleak.

Ben Saraf was the only rookie to start, taking on the point guard role instead of lottery pick Egor Demin. Saraf had a decent outing with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists, and no turnovers.

Demin, who came off the bench, scored 14 points and collected five boards. Fellow point guard Nolan Traore and winger Drake Powell saw limited time during garbage time. And, well, that was quite uneventful.

The Nets brought Demin back cautiously after a torn plantar fascia kept him sidelined for much of training camp and preseason. But as he gets more playing time, expectations from him will increase.

His aggressiveness in the paint will be crucial, especially as Brooklyn’s first teen lottery pick in 15 years. He faced difficulties getting past defenders during his final year at BYU and in the summer league in Las Vegas.