Nets continue passiveness in defending three-pointers, and they pay the price for it

The Nets are allowing the fourth-most three-point attempts averages for opponents, and the shooting practice made by the Kings killed them.

© Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Within the Brooklyn Nets' large-scale issues at the defensive end this season is their horrifying reputation of allowing opponents to shoot lights out beyond the arc.

Their recent dooming loss against the Sacramento Kings proved to be a recent example of their careless effort in guarding the three-point line. The Kings — a known lights-out shooting team — were given a bigger space than what they could have ever imagined on Monday night. 

As a result, they mercilessly punished the Nets by recording a franchise-record 25 made treys out of a jaw-dropping 45 attempts en route to a 131-118 demolition.

The Kings set a FRANCHISE RECORD of most 3PM in a game with 25 in their win over the Nets 🤯 pic.twitter.com/a2CzurLAVY

— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2023

Throughout 22 games, the Nets have allowed the fourth biggest three-point shooting makes for opponents (38.3). The efficiency of this mark (36.3%) might be located in the middle portion of the league rankings, but the volume they permit for opponents to fire long bombs will always be a huge point of concern that will continue to hinder their intent to rise.

Stick to the plan

For a team that boasts the deepest plethora of wing units, it is truly difficult to imagine Brooklyn’s ongoing defensive woes on the perimeter.

From the viewpoint of Mikal Bridges, it will always be basically about how they respond to the directives of their schemes and try to make it hard for opponents to launch three-pointers.

“We’ve just got to execute our game plan. Knowing when to rotate, we’re helping trying to get the ball out of the paint,” Bridges said. “So, we’ve got to be just locked in on knowing when to step up. And when one guy is helping you, he’s trusting his brother to step up, and if he doesn’t, it’s going to be wide open. So we’ve just got to just follow the game plan and lock in on it.”

Strengthen the defense

Cam Johnson also shares the same sentiment with Bridges. As they move forward, the defensive effort will always be monitored in hopes of mending the wounds inflicted by the shooting foes.

With their next four opponents on the road holding an average of 35.4 count in three-point attempts per game, the challenge is now on for Brooklyn to improve their outside defense and maintain it for the next matches to come.

“It seems like some of them were looks … were a little bit too open. But some of them were contested looks that you can somewhat live with, so I’ve got to go back and look at that again,” he said. “Just putting us in rotations, putting us in rotations and kicking back and then playing with the quick-decision mentality.”

Nic Claxton on how accountability is being preached in the Nets locker room