Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) passes the ball during the fourth quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
What a tough week for Brooklyn Nets fans. The Nets finished the week with one win, and every game they lost could have been theirs. Here’s everything you might’ve missed during week 8.
1. Jeremy Lin Makes Return Against Rockets
It almost seems like it has been an eternity since Jeremy Lin played. With him back in the lineup, the Nets have been much more competitive this week.
2. Nets’ Second Half Rally Not Enough to Close Out Rockets
The Nets were very close to taking down one of the Western Conference’s best teams, but they failed to close the deal in the final minutes.
3. Despite Turnovers and No Lin, Nets Secure Win Over Lakers
The Lakers came into Brooklyn on a seven-game skid. The Nets made sure that their streak would not end in Brooklyn. Despite a dunk of the year entry by Larry Nance Jr., the Nets came out on top.
4. Atlanta Hawks Forward Mike Scott Makes Long Island Nets Debut
The talent level of the Long Island Nets continues to grow as the Atlanta Hawks assigned Mike Scott to the D-League. Since the Hawks do not have a D-League affiliate, they are allowed to assign players to any D-League team.
5. Nets Crumble in Final Minutes Against Magic
Another tough loss to add to the list this season. The whole game was close and every time it looked like the Nets could pull away, the Magic answered. In the end, the Magic came out on top.
6. Long Island Nets Get Second Straight Win Before Brooklyn Nets
If there are any positives about the Nets, it would be how well their D-League affiliate has been playing. Of course, the Nets have had help from Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott, but either way, it is nice to see a Nets team winning.
7. Brooklyn Nets Pay Tribute to Craig Sager
The biggest news going around the NBA this week was the passing of sideline reporter Craig Sager. Sager had lost to his battle with cancer after two long years of fighting. He was truly the best at what he did and will be missed by the NBA community.
8. Nets Lose to Sixers in Heartbreaking Fashion
To top the week off, the Nets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. This may have been a passing of the torch to the Nets for worst team in the league. Hopefully, the Nets can turn things around and win more than one game a week. To start the season, they were on pace to win more game than last season. But after the loss of Jeremy Lin, they have fallen behind. With Lin back, they could get back on track.
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Nets Record this Week: 1-3
Nets 118 – Rockets 122
Nets 107 – Lakers 97
Nets 111 – Magic 118
Nets 107 – 76ers 108
Thoughts
The Nets’ schedule this week was probably the weakest it has been since early November. Unfortunately, Brooklyn was unable to take advantage of this opportunity and dropped three more games. Their schedule this coming week will be rough with the Raptors, Warriors, and Cavaliers all slated to take on the Nets. This week could have boosted their confidence and gave them a few wins before going up against the league’s best in one week. However, they will be entering the week with a two-game losing streak.
Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives to the net as Philadelphia 76ers forward Hollis Thompson (31) defends during the third quarter of the game at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Player of the Week: Brook Lopez
Stat Averages for the Week
22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3 blocks, 46% FG, 13% 3pt FG
Aside from Lopez having his world rocked by Larry Nance Jr., he had a solid week. Lopez had a near triple-double in Sunday night’s loss to the 76ers with 22 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Even with Lopez consistently putting up 20 points a night, the Nets are still dropping games.
It is clearer than ever that Lopez won’t be able to carry this team to victory by himself. He needs more help in order for this team to start winning games. Lin may be able to assist him, but Lin is playing limited minutes after coming back from an injury that kept him out for a month.
Lopez’s three-point percentage took a big hit this week, dropping from 40 percent to 13 percent. This stat looks and sounds uglier than it really is. He shot 2-of-15 from behind the arc over the course of four games. Lopez taking 15 threes over the course of four games is about on par with how many he should be taking. The problem is he did not convert on as many as he normally does. With limited attempts from deep, that is why his percentage is so low.
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Where Lopez struggled again this week was rebounding. I don’t expect Lopez to become a rebounding juggernaut, but he had a game this week where he collected just one rebound in 32 minutes of action. This is unacceptable for a 7-footer like Lopez. Lopez is a talented player and understands the game well. At 7 feet tall, he should be able to put himself in a position to grab at least seven rebounds per game. Even that number is low, but if his teammates are grabbing some, then seven sounds fair.
Dec 16, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) and Brooklyn Nets guard Sean Kilpatrick (6) fight to control the ball during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Brooklyn Nets 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Where the Nets Did Improve
Every week, the Nets have needed to improve their defense and their rebounding. Well, this week, they finally did those two things. For the first time since week two, the Nets kept two opponents under 110 points in a game. Also, the Nets lost the rebounding battle again this week, but by only a slim margin. In all four games combined, the Nets were only out-rebounded by seven rebounds.
Now, the first thing everyone will do is point to the competition they had. I’ll agree these were all much weaker teams, but the Nets did well in areas that they normally struggle in. The Nets also had an opportunity to win every game this week. It is not a coincidence that the Nets had an opportunity to go unbeaten this week and played well in areas that they normally do horrible in.
If the Nets can find a way to make this consistent, keep playing good defense, and keep it close on the boards, we could eventually start seeing them string together some wins. This coming week will be a tough one, but if they keep up this level of play, they could walk away with at least one win.
