Where did the Brooklyn Nets rank statistically in the 2021-22 regular season?
The 2021-22 season did not end the way the Brooklyn Nets might have hoped. A sluggish first-round performance against the Boston Celtics saw the club make an early playoffs exit, and the Nets now have some major questions to answer.
Big decisions loom large for general manager Sean Marks, who has openly acknowledged the disappointing year that was for Brooklyn. Where the team goes next is unclear, but having perennial MVP-candidate Kevin Durant at the helm certainly helps.
It’s worth remembering just how much tumult and chaos the 2021-22 season offered the Nets. Few teams faced such dire circumstances, self-inflicted or otherwise. And all the same, Brooklyn was among the NBA’s best clubs for most of the year. Let’s take a look at the Nets’ statistical rankings for the 21-22 regular season:
Offensive Rating: 10th (113.2)
The Brooklyn Nets were always designed to be an offense-first team, especially with the original big three of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. The assumption was that the over-powering scoring potential of this trio would overcome any defensive liabilities.
As we all know, however, the Nets big three never really materialized. For a variety of reasons, getting all three of these former All-Stars on the floor together proved difficult. Often head coach Steve Nash was left with just a single star player available. The rest of the roster, meanwhile, just didn’t provide enough lift to elevate the Nets’ offense.
Defensive Rating: 20th (112.3)
The same problems that dogged the offense laid waste to Brooklyn’s defense. The roster was designed to maximize scoring, even when that meant sacrificing defensive potential. They were never going to be an elite team by this measure.
The Nets did rank seventh in opponent field goal percentage. The club’s speed and length gave it some defensive mojo. That said, the same issues with availability and consistency hampered Brooklyn’s chances of finding any rhythm on defense.
Net Rating: 15th (0.9)
Despite the star potential, the aggregate version of the 2021-22 Nets was perfectly pedestrian. On any given night, whichever stars were available could step up and run with the best of them. But just as often, Brooklyn could struggle against mediocre opponents.
If you ignore the names and past accomplishments, this number shouldn’t be surprising. A play-in team winning a single postseason game sounds perfectly average, which is unfortunately exactly what the Nets were this year.
Points per game: 9th (112.9)
At times the Nets could really light it up. This was especially true toward the end of the season, punctuated by a 150-108 win over the Magic in March. Even with just two-thirds of the big three available, Brooklyn had a lot of scoring pop.
Unfortunately, though, availability issues really hampered the Nets. Durant played in just 55 games, a significantly higher mark than either Irving, 29, or Harden, 44. Together, maybe Brooklyn could have broken scoring records in the regular season and beyond. That isn’t how things shook out.
Rebounds per game: 14th (44.4)
Between Andre Drummond’s exit or Blake Griffin’s steep decline, the Nets frontline rotation was also rather choppy, independent of the drama surrounding the big three. Nic Claxton led the team in rebounding with 6.3 per game in the playoffs, but Drummond and James Harden logged the most boards per contest during the regular season.
Claxton and especially Bruce Brown were unexpected highlights for the Nets. They gave Brooklyn a little bit of juice on the glass, but more importantly represent a real opportunity for the team to pivot away from such a disappointing season.
Assists per game: 10th (25.3)
Even if Brooklyn’s big three had been healthy or available, assists and passing would still need to be a learned instinct. KD, Irving, and Harden are masters of the iso game, and rookie head coach Steve Nash would have needed to work hard to implement a system that encouraged passing.
The injury to Joe Harris and Patty Mills’ down year didn’t help here either. The types of players who would be integral to a pass-first offense didn’t or couldn’t show up as advertised.
Turnovers per game: 17th (14.1)
For a team that played at about an unimpressive pace and was only slightly above average in terms of assists, the Nets committed a huge number of turnovers. This was a club who never really got into gear, which often gave opponents a leg up.
Steve Nash has work to do. The stars have work to do. The front office has work to do. This club is too talented and roster too expensive for another lackluster showing. The 2021-22 Nets were average at best, and somethings gotta give.
