The Nets Continue To Win and It Doesn’t Make Sense
The Nets defense is keeping them alive? Marvin Bagley III is good? I broke down everything notable from last night around the association.
Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks
This game was quite fun. Between all the star power on the court to the chippiness we got at the end of the game, this heavyweight fight between two Eastern Conference foes was great.
From the Hawks’ hot start to 73 combined points in the 3rd quarter, this game was a roller coaster. The Nets pulled away late after Atlanta got flat, picking up an impressive win on the road.
Let’s break down this battle between two Eastern Conference contenders, shall we?
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are not better than the Atlanta Hawks. When both teams are healthy, it’s not even close. That’s why winning this game against a better opponent shows me that the Nets can still contend. It might not be pretty, but hey, it works.
The defense held serve, slowing down one of the best offenses in all of basketball. James Harden rediscovered what this whole basketball thing is. All in all, you couldn’t ask for a better game if you’re a Nets fan.
Pick-And-Roll Defense
The Nets defense has continued to impress me this season. While their switching defense sometimes gets torched, it’s been the anchor of this team. After Atlanta scored 10 points in two minutes, the Nets held their own on that end of the floor.
Specifically, their defense on Trae Young was excellent. Young shot just 37% from the field, struggling to hit shots with the Nets all over him. The pick-and-roll defense deployed against Young stuck out to me.
Instead of trying to cover Young and the high-flying Capela/Collins rim-smashing duo, the Nets took away the most dangerous part of the Hawks offense. On screens, the big guy wouldn’t worry about Trae Young, instead just taking away the lob.
It would be the guard’s job to try and stay with Trae Young. It’s a risky strategy to give Young that much space in the lane, but it worked. The Hawks didn’t get many alley-oop attempts after the first quarter, as Brooklyn stuck with their game plan all night long.
KD’s neverending arms help him catch up to Young, allowing him to swat this shot out of bounds.
Remember what I said about risky? Allowing an All-NBA guard to get this type of shot in the paint is playing with fire, but it’s still a tough shot. Young is one of the few players in the league who can make it, but the Nets would much rather have him take that shot than Clint Capela get a dunk.
A well-timed DeAndre’ Bembry stunt forces Young to take an awkward left-handed runner. Sure, he did eventually score, but Young had to work for it. It sums up what the Nets were trying to do with Young all night. Make him work.
The Rover Is Back
Allow me to introduce The Rover. Bruce Brown has had a weird stint with the Brooklyn Nets. His perimeter defense is valuable, but the Nets have been reluctant to use the Miami pitbull at times.
When he’s on the court, Brown is a pest. Unlike most perimeter defenders, he can do some things on offense. But not in the ways you’d expect. Instead of standing in the corner, waiting to take an open 3, Bruce Brown plays a new position. The Rover.
He’s always waiting for an opportunity to score. He roams, seemingly without a purpose, suddenly bursting open for an easy score inside. Still confused about what Brown does on offense? Let me show you.
Initially, Brown looks like he’s going to clear to the weak side to give KD more room to operate. The defense assumes this as well. With everybody focused on KD, Brown gets back to the middle of the floor and waits for his moment to strike.
Brown gets the ball in the middle of the floor and scores. Ladies and gentlemen, the Rover.
I don’t know how the Nets are 18-8 and leading a brutal Eastern Conference. I don’t know how they’re winning games with that sorry excuse of a bench. I don’t know if James Harden will ever be an MVP-caliber player again. I don’t know if Steve Nash knows what he’s doing half the time.
With all of those things in mind, the Nets find ways to win. Some nights, it’s their gritty defense that bails out a sputtering offense. Other nights, they flex their might even without Kyrie. I think there are a lot of more talented teams in the NBA.
But one way or the other, the Brooklyn Nets are on top.
Atlanta Hawks
I hate the Atlanta Hawks but in the best way possible. When they have things going, there aren’t too many teams who can beat them. They were two wins away from the NBA Finals last year for a reason. But they are frustrating.
The Hawks have everything at their disposal to be contenders. While the Nets find weird ways to win despite their flaws, the Hawks are the opposite. Despite all of their riches, they find ways to lose.
Similar to whatever the hell is going on with the Lakers, the Hawks can’t seem to strike a balance between their high-end talent and production. And it’s frustrating to watch.
The Bench Unit Is Weird
While most people have criticized the Hawks’ defense this season, I have a spoiler alert for you. The defense isn’t as big of a problem as it seems.
During the 2020-21 regular season, the Hawks had a 112.1 defensive rating. This season, they have a 110.4 defensive rating. They have been a better defensive team than they were this season. So if you’re wondering why I’m not talking about the defense, there’s your reason.
Anyway, onto the real focus. The Hawks are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, their bench being one of the most talented units in all of basketball. But this season, the Hawks’ bench hasn’t been great.
Atlanta’s Bench In 2022
32.2 points (23rd)
39.2% FG (29th)
-0.4 plus/minus
Even with Cam Reddish, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Williams as regulars off the bench, the production hasn’t been there. I think there are a few reasons for this. For one, all three of the players I mentioned are microwave scorers. They aren’t exactly consistent, but when they get going, they get going.
It’s a risky strategy to employ three microwave scorers off the bench. The Jazz have Jordan Clarkson, but they have the more consistent Joe Ingles and Rudy Gay alongside him. The Hawks don’t have those reliable options, those steady hands to hold the bench unit up when their microwave scorers are struggling. That’s why it’s time to make a change.
What I mean by that is to go younger. The Hawks drafted two rookies this past season, Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper. Both are talented, both are players who can contribute.
With Onyeka Okungwu still recovering from shoulder surgery, Johnson would be like Okongwu 2.0. A hyper-athletic forward who can guard multiple positions. Johnson had a great showing in Las Vegas for the Summer League, showing why he deserves minutes.
The same goes for Sharife Cooper, who Atlanta stole in the 2nd round of the draft. Sure, Cooper is undersized and he can’t shoot from the perimeter. But his upside is too alluring not to play him regular minutes. Cooper was arguably the best passer in the draft, a master in the pick-and-roll. Instead of Delon Wright, who has been terrible this season, why not bring in Sharife to be the backup guard?
The bottom line is this; the Hawks need more steady hands. Relying on such inconsistent players on a nightly basis isn’t working. Finding some more consistent, steady players would solve the bench problem.
The Kings Are…Different With Alvin Gentry At The Helm
When the Kings fired Luke Walton, it was a day of rejoicement for me. The cancerous coach who had driven this team to the ground was gone. While the Kings still have numerous problems, having Alvin Gentry at coach did wonders for my blood pressure while watching Kings games.
Gentry has been the interim head coach for nine games now, where the Kings are 5-4. I think that this is a big enough sample size to see what the Kings have been doing differently.
Different Rotations
The easiest change you can see while watching the Kings is the different rotations. There are a lot of new players getting more minutes with Gentry. There are also a lot of players whose roles have shrunken with the new coaching change.
Terence Davis
MPG Before Gentry: 12.8
MPG With Gentry: 24.3 points (6 starts)
The Kings have gone to a three-guard starting lineup. Davis starts with Haliburton and Fox, giving the Kings another weapon. And it’s worked. Davis has averaged 17.1 points per game since the coaching change, perhaps hinting at a Buddy Hield trade down the line.
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley played just 4 games with Luke Walton at the helm. At one point, he was a healthy scratch in 11 straight games. Similar to his career timeline, he was going nowhere. But he’s found a second life this season with Gentry at the helm.
Marvin Bagley With Alvin Gentry as Coach
21.5 minutes – 10.1 points – 7.3 rebounds – 61% FG
Bagley has been quite good in his new role. He’s a great offensive rebounder, he’s been shooting over 40% from 3, and more than anything, he’s getting a chance to prove himself.
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
In 1850, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr said that; the more things change, the more they stay the same. This quote has a deeper meaning than basketball, however, it’s true for the Kings. Even with Luke Walton gone, they are still a mess.
Their roster construction still has problems. They have a lot of question marks for their future, with guys like Marvin Bagley and Buddy Hield unsure of what their futures hold. Don’t get me started on the front office. From their poor draft selections to their inability to build a decent team, the Kings aren’t going anywhere with the guys currently upstairs.
The defense continues to hold this team back. It’s been a worse defensive showing with Gentry than it was with Walton, as shocking as that is to say.
Sacramento’s “Defense” With Alvin Gentry
115.7 DRtg (25th)
68.3 Opponent Restricted Area FG% (24th)
47.5 Opponent FG% (23rd)
22.9 Opponent FTA (25th)
12.3 Opponent Off. Reb (30th)
119.2 Opp PPG (29th)
While Alvin Gentry might give this team some new looks, the Kings are still the Kings. And for the foreseeable future, that might never change.
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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