Player grades: Cam Thomas scores 26 as Nets lose to Lakers 129-126 in preseason opener
The Brooklyn Nets played their first game of the preseason on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena and lost 129-126.
For the Nets, Cam Thomas had 26 points and two assists while Lonnie Walker IV had 14 points and two steals off the bench. Spencer Dinwiddie had 12 points and Ben Simmons had 10 points.
For the Lakers, Rui Hachimura had 19 points and five rebounds off the pine while Austin Reaves had 18 points and two assists. D’Angelo Russell had 14 points and Taurean Prince had 13 points.
In the first half, both teams shot the ball incredibly well in an up-tempo kind of exhibition. However, in the second quarter, the Lakers took off as Brooklyn’s shooting began to cool off.
In the second half, both teams began the way that they began the first half by scoring a lot of points and playing little defense. Brooklyn found a way to get back into the game as Los Angeles started to come back to Earth with its shooting and it made for an intense and fun game down the stretch.
Here are the Nets player grades from Monday’s preseason loss:
Ben Simmons: B
Simmons played better than expected as he looked to be moving a lot better this time around than he was last season. It was evident that Simmons was ready to be on the floor in real-game situations and that he was prepared for this preseason game. While he was hesitant to shoot the ball initially, Simmons seemed to overcome that as the game went on and it looked like he allowed himself to play free and with momentum.
Spencer Dinwiddie: B-
Dinwiddie played in this game essentially as the off-guard while Ben Simmons played point and it seemed to work out. Unfortunately, Dinwiddie was limited to just catch-and-shoot actions and while he can be effective in that area, he can also be effective going downhill and driving to the rim. Like Dinwiddie talked about during his availability for Media Day, he is showing his ability to hit shots late in the possession.
Cam Thomas: A
In what is probably the second-most exciting thing to Nets fans about this game is that Thomas was starting in this game. Similar to Dinwiddie, Thomas played more of an off-ball role as Simmons had the ball in his hands whenever he was on the floor. However, when Thomas got the ball in his hands, he did a great job of scoring the ball and looking for players cutting to the basket as some indication of how much he has been working on his playmaking game.
Mikal Bridges: C
Bridges had a decent outing in this one as he didn’t do anything that wasn’t expected of him coming into this one. His shot was not on, but that’s not so important in a preseason game. One thing to watch out for as the preseason goes on is his ability to make plays for others. While Bridges’ main role for Brooklyn will be to score, he will need to tighten up his ability to pass the ball if he is going to be a dominant offensive player for the Nets.
Nic Claxton: C+
Claxton had a typical performance in that he protected the rim as best he could with the way that the Nets were guarding the pick-and-roll and he held his own when he had to switch onto some of the quicker players on the Lakers. Claxton did a good job of driving to the rim and he seems to be more comfortable with beginning his dribble outside of the paint within the offensive set being run.
Dorian Finney-Smith: C
Finney-Smith had a tough time shooting the ball and while his shooting percentage from deep doesn’t matter in the preseason, the hope is that he can be better shooting from three when the games become real. Finney-Smith did everything else within his role well. However, there were a few moments where Finney-Smith tried to make something happen off the dribble and it seemed to go nowhere most times.
Day'Ron Sharpe: Incomplete
Sharpe’s night ended earlier than anticipated as he rolled his left ankle with a little over four minutes left in the first quarter. He wasn’t in the game for long when the injury happened so little can be taken away.
Lonnie Walker IV: B-
Walker had a tough time shooting the ball in the early going, but his shooting began to pick up as the game went on. Walker has a unique skill set in that he has a decent shot from three-point range and he’s athletic enough to drive to the rim and finish amongst the trees in the paint. He did a good job of getting to the free-throw line and his role could be similar to Cam Thomas’ bench scorer role if he gets hot.
Royce O'Neale: C+
O’Neale had a solid all-around kind of game as he hit some threes, albeit most of them of the dreaded heat-check variety, and he played some good defense. He was active on the glass and he made some nice plays when the ball was in his hands. As Nets Wire has covered previously, O’Neale seems to be battling with Dorian Finney-Smith for the starting power forward spot, but given the starting lineup in this game, both players could be coming off the bench.
Dennis Smith Jr.: C-
Smith had a game that was somewhat indicative of what he can do on the floor for the Nets. His overall shooting numbers were not good, but he was aggressive driving to the rim and proved to be one of the few playmakers that Brooklyn has on the roster.
Darius Bazley: B
Bazley did not shoot particularly well from the field in this one, but after not shooting the ball when he had open looks in the early going, he started to take the shots that came to him. The confidence to take those shots is more important than the attempts becoming makes at this point. His defense was spectacular and that will get him minutes with the way that his length and agility impact the game on the defensive end.
Harry Giles III: C+
Giles looked ready to play and didn’t seem hesitant with any particular movement. Giles has an extensive injury history, but for a guy as talented as him, it is impressive to see him still be able to make an impact on the floor.
Noah Clowney: C
Clowney got his first test of the NBA and despite some ugly-looking plays, he looked like he was figuring the game out in real time. Clowney spent a good amount of time guarding Christian Wood and it did not end well at all. However, instead of Clowney getting scared or withdrawing from the game, he still kept his head in the game and ended up making some nice plays as a result. It’s widely known that he has to put on some muscle to be competitive guarding big men, but he looks like he’s getting the hang of things.
Jalen Wilson: C-
Wilson could not find the basket in this game, but it was good to see him being aggressive with the ball in his hands like he was during summer league. Wilson is a unique player as he will probably have to play some power forward in the NBA, but at the moment, he’s too small to guard forwards like the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura.
Armoni Brooks: B
Brooks did what he was brought in to do after the performance that he had during the summer league: shoot the three-ball. If Brooks is going to find his way on the floor at some time this season, he has to focus on how he can get his shots and make them at an league-average percentage.
Trendon Watford: B
Watford was impressive in this game because of how much he is able to do in a “point-forward’ style role, similar to Ben Simmons. Watford, as a big man, is able to initiate the offense and is even able to run some pick-and-roll actions and make something happen off the dribble. Watford could find some minutes just for the fact that he has a combination of abilities that only a couple other players on the roster have inside a big man’s body.
