During a stomach-churning and potentially season-altering 12-game slump, the only Nets win came against the Pistons, who trailed by 133 points. His field goal percentage is 43.1 percent, the worst in the league. He gives up 121.6 points per game and allows at least 110 points in each game. And, unsurprisingly, he's also slumped at the free-throw line (70.7 percent).
In almost every area, they were beaten, often with terrible results.
But the most obvious contradictions appear beyond the arc.
Throughout this 2-10 stretch since Dec. 14, the Nets have finished last in both 3-point shooting percentage (32.5 percent) and 3-point shooting defense (opponents shoot 43.4 percent).
The Nets have allowed an average of 15.6 threes per game during this span, the worst in basketball.
Brooklyn is averaging 11.4 triples per game during this span, effectively sacrificing 12 points per game from deep.
Even if the Nets outperform their opponents in rebounding and hustle, the difference in shooting ability will be too much to overcome.
The Nets have to knock down the most valuable shot in basketball more than most teams.
They only have a few players who can consistently break down defenders off the dribble, and they don't have many traditional low-post threats to compensate for their poor outside shooting.
GM Sean Marks built the team around 3-and-D types in Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neal, and to some extent Mikal Bridges, but the Nets suddenly had They became the worst team in terms of batting power. Protect deep shots.
Offensively, the problem is new.
Through the first 23 games, the Nets were the third-best team in the NBA at 38.9 percent from 3-point range.
Amid this slump, they entered Thursday's offseason at a season-high 17th place.
After Wednesday's most recent five-game losing streak in Houston, Cam Thomas noted the team is still finding open shots off corner kicks that result in goals.
“That's what we want. Drive-and-kick 3s,” said Thomas, who shot 0-of-2 from deep on a night when the Nets shot 7-of-32. I'm hitting the shots I want,” he said. “I don't think we're taking any really bad shots. We've been taking good shots all year. We just haven't made them.
“I really don’t know, it’s crazy.”
By and large, they still continue to knock down corner threes.
First 3-point shot since December 14th. USA TODAY Sports (via Reuters Con)
But on deep shots on the break (those Trey attempts outside of the corners), the Nets shot an NBA-worst 28.4 percent over that span.
The recession affected everyone but Johnson.
Over the past dozen games, Thomas has shot 33.9 percent from deep (35.6 percent in his first 23 games), Finney-Smith has shot 31.5 percent (previously 44.5 percent), Bridges has shot 29.4 percent (38.4 percent), and O'Neal It was 28.8%. (previously 40.3) and Spencer Dinwiddie at 27 percent (previously 33.5).
Brooklyn missed Lonnie Walker IV and lacked a scoring touch off the bench.
Thomas has suffered greatly in the sporadic playing time and is probably trying to adjust his game to find shots not just for himself but for others, but not himself.
On Wednesday, Finney-Smith made 1-of-11 3-pointers, but the Nets are hoping that's the bottom of the ball.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to gamble anything with my life.” [Finney-Smith] 1-for-11, Cam Thomas won't take a shot in two games,'' head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “We're going to get out of this, our guys are too hardworking. They're going to get back in the gym and get a chance to take shots in the gym. Watch the ball go in.
“And we will turn this around.”
The Nets will look to solve their 3-point scoring problem starting Friday against the Thunder at Barclays Center. The Thunder also happen to lead the NBA in shooting percentage from downtown at 39.7 percent.
Brooklyn has been the fourth-worst in limiting opponents from deep this season (38.5 percent), and has been particularly porous during this downturn.
The three-man defense has been a problem for the Nets in the 2023-24 season. The Nets often didn't turn on screens and tinkered with their defense to improve rebounding, but were beaten by an offense that took advantage of the increased space away from the hoop.
The Rockets crushed the Nets from enemy territory (19 of 39). Bourne attributed that in part to the help he had to send to protect big man Alperen Sengan.
However, despite adding defenders, Sengun poured in 30 points.
The Nets are being exploited everywhere, but especially outside the arc.
“I want you to think of it as just a miscommunication,” O'Neal said of the loss of threes against the Nets. “I might be a little behind in rotation or something. I think I need to be more cautious.”
