The Brooklyn Nets (0-4) were heading into the second night of a back-to-back when they went into their matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets (1-2) on Monday. Brooklyn was worse for the wear as the injury list continues to pile up, but they went into Monday’s game hoping to get their first win of the season that ultimately didn’t come close to happening.
The Nets lost to the Rockets 137-109 in a game in which Brooklyn trailed Houston by as many as 33 points in a contest that proved to be little more than a beatdown. Forward Terance Mann led the way for the Nets to the tune of 21 points and six rebounds as the veteran tried to impose his will on the game while forward Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points and two assists in the contest.
In this one, defense continues to be the main issue for the Nets as they allowed the Rockets to shoot 57.6% from the field and 50.0% from three-point land. Brooklyn will get to have a day off before Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, but with that being said, here are the Nets player grades following Monday’s blowout loss to the Rockets:
Ben Saraf: C+
Saraf eventually showed that he wasn’t afraid to take the three-pointer if opponents dared him to do so and it was encouraging to see him make a variety of three-pointers during his time on the floor. Saraf struggled shooting the ball overall, but he showcased his ability to pass the ball while showing that his on-ball defense is improving by the game.
Cam Thomas: D
Thomas did not have the offensive explosion that he has had to begin the season as he was unable to get to some of his spots on the floor due to the Rockets double-teaming on multiple occasions. Thomas was aggressive with the ball in his hands, but he also didn’t have his usual scoring touch as he was frustrated by the physicality that Houston showed in the paint.
Terance Mann: A
Mann had his best game of the season as he was probably the most aggressive he has been in looking for his own shot within the flow of the offense. Mann not only put forth a couple of massive dunks, but he remained engaged in the game even when the contest got out of hand and his activity on the defensive end was encouraging to see in the game.
Michael Porter Jr.: B-
Porter was efficient with his shooting despite the fact that he took some ill-advised shots, but he has also shown the ability to hit some tough shots early on this season. Porter struggled with turnovers as he had a hard time getting a rhythm with the ball in his hands and his defense left something to be desired with Houston constantly getting open under the basket.
Nic Claxton: C-
Claxton was going to have a long game as he was facing a frontcourt of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, but he held his own as he did his job of finishing most of his shots at the basket. Claxton struggled mightily with foul trouble throughout the game, but he also showed that he could be an option in the short roll to make nice passes spraying out to shooters.
Jalen Wilson: C
With Ziaire Williams out of the lineup due to a lower back/glute contusion, Wilson stepped into that role and played admirably even though his shooting wasn’t nearly as hot as it was against the Spurs. Wilson has always been a hard worker so even when this game got out of hand, he was giving his best effort on both ends of the floor, something that head coach Jordi Fernandez had to be happy to see.
Noah Clowney: D
Clowney is still trying to find his role coming off the bench, but his long-range shooting has just not been up to par and that doesn’t help his overall efficiency when he isn’t finishing well at the rim, either. Clowney will continue to see playing time as the Nets coaching staff wants to continue to develop him, but the hope is that is three-point stroke comes back at some point.
Day’Ron Sharpe: B+
Sharpe gave a great spark off the bench as he was active on both ends of the floor and seemingly couldn’t miss when he got the ball near the rim. Sharpe showed a little bit of everything in his offensive repertoire and while he dealt with some foul trouble as well, he got back to his bread and butter of going after every rebound like his life depended on it.
Tyrese Martin: B
Due to all of the injuries that the Nets faced coming into this game, players like Martin were being asked to step up and he did so with a solid performance on both ends of the floor. Martin did a good job of spreading the floor even though he has seen better days shooting the ball from three-point range, but his steadiness with the all in his hands was refreshing to see.
Nolan Traore: C-
Due to Egor Demin being ruled out with his left plantar fascia injury management, Traore was called on to play backup point guard and he had an uneven outing to see the least. Traore did not shoot the ball well, but it was encouraging to see him continue to shoot. Traore took relatively good care of the ball and the hope is that he’ll continue to grow with more playing time.
