Player grades: Jalen Wilson drops 21 as Nets lose to Bucks 144-122
NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center on Wednesday for the second leg of a back-to-back and lost 144-122.
For the Nets, Jalen Wilson had 21 points and 10 rebounds while Trendon Watford had 17 points and five rebounds. Dennis Smith Jr. had 14 points and Noah Clowney had 14 points.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists while Khris Middleton had 27 points and 10 assists. Cameron Payne had 18 points off the bench and Malik Beasley had 17 points.
In the first half, Mikal Bridges combined for 14 points in the first quarter to get the Nets off to a good start of being competitive with the juggernaut Bucks. However, once the second quarter came, Thomas and Bridges sat for the night to allow players like Jalen Wilson and Noah Clowney to get some valuable NBA experience.
In the second half, some of the younger players for the Nets, led by Smith, were able to give the Bucks a legitimate battle in the third quarter thanks to some outstanding play out of Smith and Wilson. However, in the fourth quarter, the Bucks pulled away as Brooklyn’s younger player struggled to keep up with Milwaukee’s starting unit for the entire time.
Here are your Nets player grades following Wednesday’s loss:
Dennis Smith Jr.: A
Smith had an solid offensive performance and he had some highlight plays in this game that perfectly showcased how athletic he is in the open court and when he gets going downhill. He could not get anything going from the perimeter which isn’t surprising given that Smith’s jumpshot comes and goes. Smith had some instances where he got chippy with some of the Bucks and he even took a charge on Giannis Antetokounmpo, showing just how tough he is. Smith started to catch a groove as the game went on and at one point, he was single-handily keeping the Nets in the game.
Cam Thomas: B
Thomas played the entire first quarter and got off to a hot start with his scoring as he looked to be on his way to a 40-point kind of night. Adrian Griffin praised Thomas for his scoring ability, even calling him elite, and this game showed why he scored 45 points in his last game against the Bucks. Curiously, Thomas did not play after the first quarter despite being one of the guys who could use all the time on the court that’s available so that he can refine the weaker parts of his game. Jacque Vaughn felt differently and wanted to make sure that players like Thomas got their rest.
Mikal Bridges: B
Bridges had a great offensive game for the time that he was on the floor. Bridges only played in the first quarter as this was essentially a “rest” game for some of the players that play more minutes for the team. Bridges looked more comfortable on the offensive end of the floor and it looks like there was some carryover from the Pistons game.
Royce O'Neale: C
O’Neale was one of the players who had a short night as Jacque Vaughn made it a point to rest certain players or give some guys the night off because of nagging injuries and/or a heavy minutes load so far this season. For the short amount of time that O’Neale was in the game, he played pretty well despite having to play undersized.
Day'Ron Sharpe: B+
Sharpe played solidly in this one and ironically, he did not play as much as some of the younger players did in this one which seems to be a good sign for where he stands within the rotation. Sharpe has not played a lot of minutes in any one game, but he has had a consistent role throughout this season and it seems that Jacque Vaughn wanted to give him some rest too. On the floor, Sharpe had some good moments, but he also struggled to stay out of foul trouble, especially when guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Trendon Watford: A-
Watford was one of the players who saw extended minutes in this game which makes sense given that he is not a consistent part of the rotation. In this contest, he was able to show his total game as he was constantly attacking on the drive and he used his unique blend of size and mobility to get plenty of free-throws. Watford showed that he could play some good defense in addition to his ball-handling and passing ability that he always puts on display.
Harry Giles III: C-
Giles saw some minutes in this one which is technically an upgrade for him in terms of playing time, but he still played sparingly compared to some of the players that had a lot of time on the court. Giles was good in the rebounding aspect, but other than that, he struggled and that was disappointing to see.
Jalen Wilson: A
Wilson had an incredible showing in this one as all of his appearances up to this point have been mere teases at what he can do for the Nets when given the time. Wilson had his struggles on the offensive end of the floor as he couldn’t get much to go from the mid-range or three-point range. It was great to see Wilson be so aggressive as he was constantly driving to the rim and generated a lot of free-throws. Up to this point, Wilson has shown that he will play hard and will compete in every aspect of the game. The next step will be contributing on the offensive end in tangible ways.
Armoni Brooks: C
Brooks did not have a good offensive game, but it was good to see him being willing to take some of the shots that came his way. Brooks’ main calling card is shooting the ball and while he didn’t do that too well in this one, he found a way to contribute in other ways, including on the boards. The team has some capital invested in Brooks given that he’s one of their three Two-Way players so the hope is that his shot gets more consistent as this season goes on.
Noah Clowney: B-
Clowney saw extended minutes for the first time this season and it was a mixed bag in terms of what he brought to the floor in this one. He had a good offensive showing as he was pretty effective near the basket and had some nice moments finishing some of Milwaukee’s back-line players. Clowney did a good job of rebounding the basketball, but this game also showed what isn’t surprising: he has a ways to go in terms of building his NBA body. But, all things considered, Clowney played well against the Bucks.
Dariq Whitehead: C
Whitehead had some run in this one, but the results were mostly disappointing aside from a few flashes of his talent. He did not take many shots and he also didn’t seem to have any touch on his shots, but he was also called up from Long Island earlier in the day so he could just have tired legs. Whitehead did a good job rebounding the basketball and he made some nice passes to his teammates when the opening was there.
Keon Johnson: C
Johnson showed a good amount in this contest as he did not light up the scoreboard, but he did showcase just how athletic he is, whether the ball is in his hands or not. He showed some nice touch from the three-point line, but when it came to finishing at the basket, this game showed that he still needed some work in that part of his game. Johnson made an impact in almost every category and it’s clear that he has NBA-level athleticism. The question is whether he can develop his skills enough to contribute for a team at the NBA level.
