Brooklyn Nets Struggle to Shoot in Preseason Loss

Brooklyn will need to work on knocking down deep shots if they want to stay competitive or build players' value.

Oct 8, 2024; Oceanside, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) defends a shot by Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) in the second half at Frontwave Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets fell to the Los Angeles Clippers last night, 115-106, in the Nets' first preseason game of the 2024-25 NBA season. There was a lot to like from Brooklyn's side of the ball, with plenty of players in double figures. However, there was a glaring issue when taking a look at the box score at the end of the game.

The Nets, while losing by just nine points, shot 29.7% from deep, and 43.0% from the field. The field goal percentage isn't as much of an issue as the three-point percentage is, as the Clippers shot 40.0%. Brooklyn went 11-for-37, while LA went 12-for-30, so there weren't stark differences in attempts to not compare the two.

The Nets have solid shooters on the roster, too. Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, and Dennis Schroder, veterans all rumored to be on the trade block, just happened to be the team's top three-point scorers. Last night they combined to go 3-for-9 from deep.

Just five of the 15 players who played last night shot 40% or better from three. Those five were Schroder, Cam Thomas, Dariq Whitehead, Shake Milton, and Jaylen Martin. If you wanted to narrow it down by players who shot the three-ball more than two times, Thomas would be the only one with that percentage (he went 2-for-4).

The problem isn't too glaring for a team kicking off a rebuild. The Nets have no real expectations of staying competitive in the NBA this season, as the focus is turning toward the future. However, strictly from a play-style standpoint, perhaps it's just from it being the first game back after a long offseason, but Brooklyn's shooting struggles were evident in the preseason loss.

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