The Nets recently wrapped up a 3-1 preseason that, while showing some positive signs, also highlighted a few concerning issues, particularly on defense.
Throughout the summer, Brooklyn emphasized enhancing their offense, which helped them secure three victories. However, their porous defense raises concerns that might undermine any aspirations for a breakout season.
“That’s definitely going to be crucial. Offensively, we’ll be able to keep up with anyone,” noted Michael Porter Jr. “I believe scoring isn’t the issue. But to be really competitive, we’ve got to tighten up defensively.”
This focus on defense stems from their poor performance in the final preseason game against Miami, which they’ve stressed needs improvement leading up to their opener against Charlotte on Wednesday.
In preseason games against the Hornets and 76ers, the Nets managed to be disruptive. Yet, they had to recover from a dreadful first half defensively to win against Washington, and they struggled to make stops in Miami.
“In two of the games, we played aggressively on defense, and I thought we did well,” said coach Jordi Fernández. “But in the other two, we really fell short in areas like transition defense and rim protection.”
“We need to figure out our identity, the aspects we can control, and execute consistently. It’s crucial not to rely solely on scoring or fleeting moments; focus on what builds a winning team,” he added.
The level of ball pressure has fluctuated significantly, impacting how effective their defense has been.
While Brooklyn ranked second to last in the league in both opponent field goal percentage (.498) and effective field goal percentage (.588) during the preseason, their Defensive Rating wasn’t terrible, largely because they finished among the top 10 in forcing turnovers.
In their first two games, they forced 47 turnovers, resulting in an average of just 99 points allowed. In the matchup against Washington, they pressured the ball effectively, leading to another 15 turnovers in the second half and limiting the Wizards to 50 points.
However, when opponents maintained possession, their struggles became evident. “In the initial two games, when we applied ball pressure, we generated turnovers—that’s how good defensive teams operate,” Fernández stated. “But in the game against Washington, allowing 70 points in the first half and 50 in the second was unacceptable. In the Miami game, we let them score over 30 points in each quarter, with one quarter reaching 43—it was just not sufficient.”
“To put it in perspective, we played well for 10 out of the 16 quarters, but six were abysmal. Our goal is to remain on the productive side,” he remarked.
Against Washington, the Nets managed just eight turnovers in the first half and gave up 72 points, while in Miami, with only 15 forced turnovers, they allowed a staggering 144 points on 58.5% shooting.
After trading away Nic Claxton, there were concerns about rim protection. Unfortunately, it appeared even worse than expected, especially with Day’Ron Sharpe facing foul trouble in Miami.
“Coach emphasizes executing our defensive fundamentals, focusing on the controllables, and doing everything with intent while maintaining intensity,” Sharpe said. “If we can apply that mindset for four quarters, we’ll set ourselves up well for wins.”
Mikel Brown Jr. insisted that the issues stemmed more from a lack of attention to detail rather than effort or personnel changes. “Coach always reminds us that we can play hard, but we also need to be smart and attentive to details. We’ve been hit-or-miss on that front, but we’re committed to improving daily.”
“It’s those tiny mistakes we can fix. We need to execute our shifts cleanly and consistently. We’re not completely breaking down defensive coverages; it’s about having the right mindset and maintaining that focus for the entire game. If we can clean up those little things, we should be okay.”
