Brooklyn Nets: Explaining team’s poor defensive rebounding
Explanations for poor rebounding of the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn was 12th in defensive rebounding in 2019-20 (73.6 percent), so it’s not as if this an issue that carried over from last season. The Nets also return their top two and four of their top five defensive rebounders (per defensive rebounding percentage). Among players that played at least 30 games and averaged at least 10 minutes last season, the below were the team’s five best rebounders (only Wilson Chandler isn’t back).
2019-20:
DeAndre Jordan: 22.0 mpg, 29.3 percent defensive rebounding percentage (percentage of available rebounds a player grabs while on the floor)
Jarrett Allen: 26.5 mpg, 22.6 percent
Wilson Chandler: 21.0 mpg, 16.4 percent
Taurean Prince: 29.0 mpg, 16.2 percent
Rodion Kurucs: 14.5 mpg, 14.1 percent
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Given that all but one of the team’s top rebounders is back, it’s worth exploring whether any of these players are underperforming as rebounders this season. First, it’s worth noting that while each of Jordan, Allen and Prince have played in all seven games and are averaging at least 15 minutes, Kurucs has only played 12 total minutes thus far (has a lot of competition for playing time). Given players that have appeared in at least five games and averaged at least 10 minutes, the below are Brooklyn’s top defensive rebounders this season.
2020-21
DeAndre Jordan: 19.1 mpg, 25.6 percent defensive rebounding percentage
Jarrett Allen: 22.9 mpg, 24.1 percent
Kevin Durant: 34.1 mpg, 15.1 percent
Taurean Prince: 15.1 mpg, 14.0 percent
Kyrie Irving: 33.5 mpg, 10.6 percent
What stands out from these numbers? While Jordan’s defensive rebounding percentage has fallen from 29.3 to 25.6 percent, Allen’s percentage has actually improved from 22.6 to 24.1 percent. Prince’s rebounding has dipped slightly from 16.2 to 14.0 percent. Additionally, Irving posted a 12.0 percent in 20 games last season (slight drop-off so far), while Durant had a 15.3 percent two seasons ago with the Golden State Warriors (roughly the same this season).