Inside The Nets

Three key takeaways from the Nets' season opener

The Nets lost to the Cavs by just one point, but had both a lot of good and bad during the course of the game.

Peter Sunjic

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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In the 2022-2023 season, the Brooklyn Nets finished as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45-37 record. This season, Head Coach Jacque Vaughn is “excited to have the group together from the start of the year,” he said in an interview a few weeks ago, after having “three separate teams” last season.

Now that the group is together, Coach Vaughn is optimistic for the upcoming season, encouraged by the way his team performed last night despite the loss. However, Vaughn alluded to some crucial aspects of the Nets game after the tight loss.

1. Offensive consistency will be a point of emphasis

At times, it looked like two separate units of the Nets were out on the floor last night. “We got off to a slow start, so we had to fight back from the beginning,” said standout Cam Thomas post-game.

Thomas’s 36 points off the bench weren’t enough to will the Nets to victory, though the bench scoring 64 of the team’s 113 points is very encouraging for the depth of the squad. However, the starters must be better going forward on the offensive end.

Ben Simmons is not expected to drop 30 points a night, but Spencer Dinwiddie’s 5 points, along with Mikal Bridges' 9 through the first three quarters are not enough for the Nets to contend in the stacked Eastern Conference.

2. Nets need to take better care of the ball

The Nets started off poor offensively, but if there was one thing to look forward to, it was the fact that they only turned the ball over twice in the first quarter.

When mounting a comeback it is crucial to make the most of every possession, and the best way to do that is not give the ball away carelessly to your opponents, which is exactly what Brooklyn did in the fourth quarter. 

Ten fourth quarter turnovers ultimately lost Brooklyn the game, yet still, it is encouraging that with 18 turnovers they only lost by 1 point.

3. Continuing physicality

The Nets impressed with their rebounding, which was helped in part by the absence of Cavs' center, Jarrett Allen. Nevertheless the battle of the boards was encouraging to see, with the Nets out-rebounding the Cavs 50-38.

Ben Simmons led the way with ten, while Nic Claxton and Royce O’Neale finished with seven each. Nic Claxton finished with three blocks as well, establishing himself as a physical force in the paint.

“We have to be the more team, more accountability, more physical, more disruptive, more communicative,” said Coach Vaughn. “We will be in games, and this was a great test at the start of the season.”

Cam Thomas reflects on his 36-point performance against Cleveland Cavaliers

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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