Brooklyn Nets: 5 biggest disappointments from 2017-18 NBA season

BOSTON - APRIL 11: Brooklyn Nets' head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second quarter. The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets in a regular season NBA basketball game at TD Garden in Boston on April 11, 2018. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /

2. Defense wins –€” and loses –€” championships

From one side of the ball to the other, the Nets were significantly flawed. Even as offenses get progressively more efficient in the era of analytics, when the game clamps down, the team that holds down the fort best usually comes out on top. Several defensive metrics expose the fact that the Nets were incapable of that.

Brooklyn forced turnovers at the lowest rate in the league, which was merely 10.8 percent of the time. When a team lets the opponent keep the ball, that’s just more time for the attackers to get their ideal shot off.

As a result, opposing teams got off 2.9 more shots per game than the Nets did. Considering that the Nets were outscored by 3.7 points per game, those extra three shots make a world of a difference.

Like my previous article about the five biggest takeaways, most of these contrary disappointments are about “the little things.” But when little things add up, they make for one big mess.

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