Brooklyn Nets grades: Nets take care of business in Detroit
The Nets woke up on Sunday and soon after heard the news that James Harden (rest) and Paul Millsap (personal reasons) would not be available in their matchup with the Detroit Pistons. This meant everyone had to step up to fill the voids these two brought offensively, and that’s exactly what they did to pull out a victory.
In the first half, Brooklyn put together a 13-point lead, but they took their foot off the gas and allowed Detroit to get back in the game. The Pistons’ ball pressure then began turning up a notch as they forced 17 turnovers, exploiting the Nets since they were without their primary ball-handler James Harden.
Once the team solved this problem, Kevin Durant (51 PTS, 9 ASTS, 7 REBS) just kept causing absolute chaos for the Pistons. This was one problem that they along with the rest of the league can’t solve when matched up with Brooklyn. What made matters worse was the fact that Durant was hot.
The former MVP was getting everyone involved, particularly Patty Mills (18 PTS, 4 3PM) and Cam Thomas (13 PTS). When it came down to closing out the game in the final period, the team as a collective clamped down defensively to hold Detroit to 13 points in the quarter.
Brooklyn ended the game shooting it at 47% from the field and 39% from three. The Nets also made sure to get out on the fast break, outscoring Detroit 25-18 in that category. As for their activity on the glass, the team outrebounded the Pistons 43-40 by the final buzzer.
Steve Nash and his squad will be back at it again on Tuesday to take on the Toronto Raptors.
Kevin Durant: A+
Kevin Durant (51 PTS, 9 ASTS, 7 REBS) was left with no choice but to go off this game. On 16-of-31 shooting from the field, which still could have been better, the forward made the Pistons scramble hopelessly in trying to stop him. His ability to go 14-of-15 from the stripe and 5-of-10 from downtown was super impressive. What put the icing on the cake for the Nets star was logging 41 minutes to guarantee the victory.
Although Durant gave the ball up five times, most of this had to do with James Harden not being available. To add on, the Washington native was getting a little too excited towards the end when he was about to crack 50 points. I know the adrenaline pumping through his veins was a factor, but Durant could have definitely ended this game more efficiently.
Patty Mills: A
Patty Mills (18 PTS, 4 3PM) and his shot is kind of back, but not quite there yet, at least not at the rate we know he could knock down shots at. Mills logged 35 minutes to go 7-of-17 from the field overall. In regards to his three-point shooting, the Australian went 4-of-10 from behind the arc.
His defense was there as usual and so was his sneaky instincts to get out in transition to get easy buckets. As for his ability to step up with ball-handling responsibilities and some shot creating activity (5 ASTS) amidst James Harden’s absence, it was vital for the win.
LaMarcus Aldridge (15 PTS, 5 REBS) was causing absolute destruction in the first half for Detroit. The man shot 50% from the field, which is pretty regular of him. His relentlessness to get to the stripe six times only added more insult to injury for the Pistons. To touch on his activity on the glass, it improved compared to last game versus the Atlanta Hawks.
Cam Thomas: A+
Cam Thomas (13 PTS, 4 ASTS, 3 REBS) resorted to his original offensive bag with James Harden out and the Nets needed it. In 29 minutes, Thomas went 6-of-11 from the field and he’s showing strides of improvement in his defense. It’s no wonder why he finished the game with a team-high of +27.
Even so, again, the rookie has to get his three ball right. Going 1-of-4 from deep is not ideal, especially when Harden comes back. Nevertheless, Thomas is capable of fixing this, he looks so much more comfortable out there as of late.
Bruce Brown: A
Bruce Brown (8 PTS, 5 REBS) is a menace to society because of his defense. Although Brown didn’t get at least one shot up from three, he went 4-of-7 from the field, making his presence felt everywhere on the court. His floater is also starting to get back to the regular efficiency it was last season: Automatic. Nets head coach Steve Nash definitely feels the pressure to put Brown back in the starting lineup.
Nic Claxton: A-
Nic Claxton (2 PTS, 2 REBS) continues to be a cheat code defensively and that is why he is closing out games. It was hard to get him more involved offensively though because he is most effective on that end when playing alongside James Harden.
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