Breaking Down Where Defense Broke Down

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the worst defenses in the league this season. I break down what has gone wrong for the 10-51 squad.

After the summer free agency period of 2016, there was some hope that the Brooklyn Nets could be sneaky good.

Whether it was the newly established culture by general manager Sean Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson or the “bunt-single” signings, pundits around the NBA believed the Nets could be sneaky competitive this year.

Atkinson’s system, the new signings and the overall new regime gave fans hope that while the Nets weren’t going to be good this year, that they’d be fun to watch, fighting in every game, and scrapping away with some W’s just on hustle and discipline alone.

So, the start to the 2016-17 season started out pretty much as expected; opening the season with a 4-5 record. But, after Jeremy Lin‘s hamstring injury suffered on Nov. 3, the Nets were never the same.

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Only winning another six games in their last 52 has really put a damper on this season. But it wasn’t all because of the loss of their floor general, who signed a three-year, $36 million deal last offseason. More importantly, it has been their poor defensive performances.

One of the things we expected in an Atkinson system was ball movement, hustle and a barrage of 3-pointers. We’ve seen flashes of a great, motion-style offense, one that mimics the play of the Atlanta Hawks (where Atkinson served as an assistant coach).

But we haven’t seen the defensive showing some Nets fans were expecting.

So, how bad has the Nets defense been? Who is to blame for the atrocious defensive outings? Let’s break it down.

Nets Defense By The Numbers: Bad Offense + Bad Defense = 10-51

The Nets currently are worst in the league in opponent first quarter points per game (29.4), opponent third quarter points per game (29.3) and opponent fourth quarter points per game (28.5), immediately putting them in a hole right out of the gate.

And while their defense struggles, their offense, in combination with their lackluster d, doesn’t outweigh their poor defensive play like some other top-tier teams in the league.

In comparison, the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference, overcome their porous defensive with one of the best offenses in the league.

Majority of the Players (Individually) Are Liabilities on Defense

When looking at each individual player’s rating (from a offensive points added perspective plus defensive points saved perspective), only one player has both a positive offense rating and positive defense rating, Caris LeVert.

The rookie out of Michigan has (just barely) been positively affecting the Nets both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

While nine of the 13 players has been what is considered a “defensive liability” on the floor, nobody has been worse than Sean Kilpatrick, who during the past week (Feb. 27-March 5) was a minus-10 in defensive points saved (the second-worst player defensively, Joe Harris, was a minus-6).

Breaking Down The Film

Atkinson has made it clear that the Nets will continue to switch on defense instead of fighting atop screens. However, on this play, Emmanuel Mudiay drives left while Isaiah Whitehead opens the lane for him to go with his off-hand.

While Justin Hamilton is helping on the drive, he sticks with Mudiay for the play, as he drives underneath the rim. He then draws Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the right block, giving Mudiay an easy kick-out to Juan Hernangomez for 3.

While the Nets continue to be lackluster in the pick and roll game, it shows in a match-up against the Heat. While Okaro White sets the screen up top for James Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fights through the screen, but not enough for Brook Lopez not to come out and defend Johnson.

It gave Brook the impression he was going to switch and guard White on the roll, so Brook came out to defend the jump-shooter. Despite James Johnson knocking down the jumper, it opens the lane for a free roller in White, showing poor communication on a simple PnR.

And, if the shot weren’t going down, White would’ve had an easy put back, with nobody reacting to box him out, leaving the roller wide open in the event of a missed shot.

Roster Construction

Some may think a majority of this has to do with roster construction rather than Atkinson’s system he’s implementing.

For me, it’s a combination of both. The Nets are indeed missing an interior presence that can block shots, rebound, and quickly outlet the ball to the wings for quick, transition basketball.

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With the modern NBA becoming such a wing-centric, length-focused league, the Nets simply lack the talent to truly play that style of basketball.

However, Marks has taken the first steps to turn this roster upside down. Marks has stressed players’ ability to guard multiple positions, one of the very reasons LeVert was taken by the Nets in the 2016 NBA Draft.

It’s no surprise he’s the only Nets player to have both positive offensive and defense ratings from a baskets-scored and basket-saved perspective.

All in all, Marks and Atkinson, in my eyes, have done what they can with what they have. From what we’re able to take out of this season you may ask?

Well, the Nets have quickly adopted a motion, three-point centric offense, but the sure misses from deep makes the defense vulnerable to long rebounds and easy buckets.

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As the Nets re-tool the roster this offseason, look for guys that can provide the length and athleticism to rebound, block shots, be quick to the ball defensively, and disrupt passing lanes while trailing a play to hit a top of the arc three.