Through 13 games, the Nets defense ranks in the bottom third of the league and really struggled last game against Joel Embiid and the Sixers. But it wasn’t just that one game. Things had been trending in this direction for a few games.
Should a team that has Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton, Ben Simmons (when healthy) and many of their other players be in this spot? Sure, injuries have played a part, but is that the whole story?
The Locked on Nets guys dive into some of the numbers and try to figure out what is going on here.
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20 Comments
What player do you guys want the Nets to trade for and who do you think would make them true title contenders¿
Excellent pod as always guys. You bring up some excellent points. Not a fan of this pathetic defense. Wish we had nick nurse or kenny…
If we can't play a lick of defense and things could be even worse according to the stats..may want to just full send and trade our surplus of wings and stick to young guys and outscoring opponents.
Face it we arent going anywhere in the playoffs as currently constructed with JV as coach. Something has to give
I think the bjggest thing people have to realize is that since the superstar era started in 2019, the Brooklyn Nets haven't been able to establish long term stability and sustainability.
Injuries have played a part as they are now but the toxic drama was a real dagger that ruined any momentum Brooklyn tried to build.
Now its mainly the fact that since game one the team hasn't been whole and has been putting out multiple different lineups…
Unfortunately that type of inconsistent structure doesn't make for consistent success and Brooklyn has not been able to stack up against the top teams in the league so far….
If this team was healthy the loss margin for Brooklyn wouldn't be as bad as it has been the last few games…
But given the unknown with Ben Simmons back injury and our veteran's futures on this team past next season, the trade deadline will be a big marker for Brooklyn to decide what legitimate direction they want to take towards getting back into contention whether that's a longer rebuild, short rebuild that leads to trading for a star sooner than later or keeping things as is and giving this new core another season together….
@Doug Norrie You evaluated the Nets defense and then said it's not a good time to evaluate the Nets defense after playing the the 76ers. LOL
I think it's a good thing that we played against some tough team early in our schedule. It's as good of a way as any to gage how good or bad we are as a team. Now that we have an ideal how bad we match up against a title contender, strategies and corrections could be made.
It's going to take time for the Nets to build chemistry and cohesion, even if we had a totally healthy roster. When key players, in the rotation, miss games because of injures, that task become harder because the chemistry and cohesion get delayed. I'm optimistic about Cam T's return and continuing where he left off. I think Ben's condition is chronic.
“Ben Simmons lovers” is crazy 🤦🏽♂️ 😂
Lets gooo nets !
So The nets did have the hardest schedule in the NBA this season to start No, they're not a defensive team yet but eventually I think they will figure it out. Offensively even JV didn't think the offense would come along that quick. He thought the defense would have been quicker. So far has not
Yeah we need to make some moves…Spence can go…Ben can go due to his availability always being in question and being an offensive liability and Mikal NEEDS TO SHOW UP AS OUR LEADER. Great locker room guy but his efficiency has dipped significantly and he’s not the all-star we projected him to be 11 games in. Lonnie Walker is the best bright spot…not to mention CT. And obviously injuries plague us rn
Before the theme music plays, the answer to the question is YES, the Nets are a bad defensive team. Let's look at the stats: 115.3 defensive rating as of November 21st. That's good for 23rd in the League. For reference, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 1st with a 106.5 defensive rating and the Miami Heat are 10th with a 110.7 defensive rating.
When Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas return, will our defense improve? Yes.
Will our defense improve to the point where we can advance past the 1st Round? I doubt it because Jacque Vaughn insists that small-ball is the answer
It’s actually improved since Ben Simmons has been out
24:36
That's nonsense. Ben IS our best player because he can (1) facilitate, (1) rebound, and (1) defend. He can't shoot (1).
How many of OUR players can equal (3) like Ben Simmons, based on the stats? 🤔
"You don't build a winner by buying the best players. You build a winner by assembling the best players that fit together."
Now point out the enigma…
Ben Simmons is the second best player on this team so far this season based on his impact.
Cam Thomas is the first best so far and claxton is the third best.
Crazy part is that I feel like Lonnie Walker and Royce, and finney smith are 4, 5 and 6 so far.
Our supposed two best players in bridges and Johnson have both been horrible so far, and the worst part is that their defense dropped off a cliff out of nowhere. Both of them have provided little to nothing so far on both ends.
what do you expect…..vaugn and marks are incompetent…..
Fantastic podcast guys! Your take on Ben Simmons might not sit well with his enthusiasts. While I knew the defensive and offensive stats, I honestly didn't expect such a deep dive from you guys. About 75% of Locked On Nets commenters seem to be Simmons fans, consistently shaping the narrative in his favor. It leads me to believe that, eventually, you'll critique Jacque Vaughn and Sean Marks for their indecisions—players can't always bear the blame. Moreover, due to injuries, it appears we've swapped Ben Simmons/Cam Thomas for Nic Claxton/Cam Johnson. Claxton has strengthened our defense, but Cam Johnson doesn't match Cam Thomas's offensive contributions. The insight about Dallas sticking with Luka despite defensive issues resonated with me. In our game against Dallas, Jacque Vaughn's decision to switch offense/defense with a hot Cam Thomas showed a tactical lapse. It's proven that to beat Luka, you need to match his firepower, as seen when Kawhi steps up offensively because defensively PG and Kawhi get cooked by Luka. The modern game is influenced by offense, and the NBA won't allow elite offensive players to be shut down by teams lagging on offense like the Nets. We won't get favorable calls. We all know there's a bit of WWE in the NBA. So don't take your offensive firepower off the floor. In the modern NBA, your best defense is a great offense.
Ralen Watts is a well known prostitute in Dallas and works out of Vegas, L.A., New York and sometimes in Dubai. Ralen is said to be one of the girls that flipped on Mally Mall to avoid jail time for prostituzione. She served time for scamming and abandoned her kids when they were younger. Not entering back into their lives until they were way older. Ralen has been getting exposed for nearly 20 years for her shady ethics. Royalty needs to be careful because Ralen is only in it for herself. She uses any one she feels that she can get something out of. She might actually have Royalty prostituting since that's her line of work.
Yea i haven't really seen Ben fully go into Defensive mode this year,hes had effort moments,but unless he gets back to being somewhere near his best physically then ya won't see it,if he does,then hes one of the best
can someone tell me why EVERYONE is trying to push cameron johnson and mikal bridges as the stars of this team it is so obvious to anyone who watches the games the keys should be in cam thomas pocket . u can’t even get a nice cam thomas jersey online city edition nothing new . he clearly best player this year ain’t no one trying buy cameron johnson less than mediocre jersey lol
1- other teams scrubs play like superstars every time this team steps on the court.
2- they give up way too many corner threes to scrubs
3- the refs hate the nets, no way around that. The one way physicality is prevalent almost every night.
4-the biggest defensive lapse this team has is is over pursuing shooters and falling for pump fakes. Like almost every damn time you see someone flying by in the air. Or just running past cause they fall for a jab step against someone who can't drive. Like it makes no sense