Brooklyn Nets: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18

Weakness No. 1: Perimeter defense

Last season the Nets gave up 112.5 points per game, the second-most in the league. Their defensive statistics are to be taken with a grain of salt though. The pace that the team played at encouraged opponents to put up shots at an above-average rate.

The real issue for Atkinson and the Nets were the lack of forced turnovers. Their go-to backcourt duo — when healthy — was Lin and Sean Kilpatrick. The undersized backcourt often had trouble with bigger guards shooting over the top, as well as staying in front of some of the quicker guards in the league.

In 2018 that problem is not going to be resolved. The newly acquired Crabbe had an abysmal defensive rating of 114 last year, and was a big part of the reason for Portland’s poor defense.

Mozgov will help immensely with his ability to bother shots with his length, but even so, Russell, Lin, Crabbe and Kilpatrick are all guards known as offensive-minded players. Atkinson is certainly the coach to help these players to develop better defensive habits, but only so much can be done in a year.