The Brooklyn Nets (0-3) had a chance to notch its first win of the season during their second road trip of the campaign at Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs (3-0). Brooklyn came into the game without some of their rookie forwards, but the Nets were going to have guard Cam Thomas available despite his nasal fracture and he almost guided another incredible comeback.
The Nets lost at the Spurs on Sunday 118-107 despite Brooklyn coming back from a 26-point deficit thanks to the efforts of players like Thomas. Thomas had one of his best games in a Nets uniform as he dropped 40 points on 11-of-25 shooting from the field while forward Michael Porter Jr. had 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals of his own.
At the end of the day, Wembanyama proved to be too much for the Nets as he dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks on his way to keeping the Spurs undefeated through their first three games. Here are the Nets player grades following Sunday’s loss to the Spurs that keeps Brooklyn winless:
Ben Saraf: C-
Saraf’s scoring struggles continue as he can’t seem to grasp how he can consistently score on the offensive end of the floor despite how crafty he is with the ball in his hands. Part of the reason is that Saraf isn’t ready to shoot in an NBA game yet, but he has found a way to be useful through his passing. His long-range shooting and defending at the point of attack still needs some work.
Cam Thomas: A+
Thomas came into this game with a nasal fracture and suffered some bleeding in the second quarter of this one and yet, he found a way to pour on the points in leading his team back into the game. Most Nets fans know that Thomas is one of the best scorers in the league, but against San Antonio, Thomas was an engine onto himself and his teammates are following his lead.
Terance Mann: B-
Mann continues to start at the small forward spot for the Nets, but it seems that he is splitting time at that position with Ziaire Williams, depending on which one is playing well at a given time. Mann was solid on the offensive end, but his defensive impact was felt in this one as he was active in the passing lanes and was making matters tough for whoever he was guarding.
Michael Porter Jr.: B+
Porter did not have the kind of offensive explosion that he had against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he showed more of the kind of offensive player that he could be for the Nets when he locks in. Porter was efficient with his scoring, but he also made sure to look for his teammates, rebound, and made some nice plays on the defensive end to aid Brooklyn in its comeback.
Nic Claxton: C-
Claxton had a tall task ahead of him as he had to go up against Victor Wembanyama and the former Georgia Bulldog understandably did not get the better of the matchup. However, Claxton made sure to play within his role and did a good job of scoring at the basket, even with Wembanyama in the area. Claxton could have been more of a presence in the paint, but Wembanyama takes up a lot of space.
Jalen Wilson: A
Wilson did not appear in this game until the third quarter when Ziaire Williams had to leave the game due to his lower back contusion, but Williams was always ready to play when his number was called. Wilson had some solid defensive moments and he shot the ball from behind the three-point line well as the Nets made an improbable comeback against the Spurs.
Ziaire Williams: Incomplete
Williams struggled with his shooting in this one as he finally stopped hitting some of the open looks that he was getting in the first two games of the season. Williams was most likely headed for one of his poorer performances of the season before suffering a lower back contusion in the third quarter after attempting to block Bismack Biyombo’s shot.
Noah Clowney: D
Clowney struggled shooting the three-pointer in this one as he just couldn’t find his rhythm from that range, but he had some solid moments in this one outside of his shooting. Clowney is slowly understanding how to deal with NBA physicality and he is trying to impose himself on the defensive end and in rebounding situations where he can help the team thanks to his size.
Day’Ron Sharpe: B-
Sharpe got into foul trouble early in this game, but once he settled down and stopped picking up fouls for setting illegal screens, he was able to have a solid game against San Antonio’s bigs. Sharpe was efficient near the rim and he was active in the defensive passing lanes, but his lack of involvement on the boards and his turnovers also hurt the Nets at crucial times.
Egor Demin: C-
The rookie’s three-point shooting finally came back down to earth, but it was encouraging to see him continuing to shoot despite how many times he missed. Demin did a good job of getting involved in the rebounding phase of the game and while his ball-handling was shaky at best, he didn’t take the ball over as much as he could have as he continue to grow in that area of his game.
