Jordi Fernandez didn’t sugarcoat what he saw from the Nets in their preseason finale.
After Brooklyn’s 144-128 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday, the second-year head coach pointed straight at the defense as the issue that stood out most. Miami did it without center Bam Adebayo, but still carved up the Nets for 144 points, shot 59% from the field and finished with 32 assists.
"[The problem was] just defense. I mean, it was a very poor defensive game," Fernandez said following Wednesday's 144-128 loss at the Miami Heat in Brooklyn's preseason finale, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Fernandez was even more direct when talking about the way the game unfolded in each half.
"[It’s the] second time that we’ve given up in one half 70 points, 69 in the first half, 75 in the second. That’s unacceptable. And if we want to be a competitive team, we have to play better defense than that," Fernandez continued.
Brooklyn’s offense, at least, showed signs it can hold up. The Nets scored at least 114 points in all four of their preseason games, and the addition of former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle figures to help that end of the floor even more.
But the bigger concern right now is what’s happening on defense. Brooklyn allowed 122 points to a Washington Wizards team that did not play forward Anthony Davis before Wednesday’s loss to Miami, and Fernandez and his staff will be looking hard at that stretch as they sort through possible fixes.
The bigger-picture numbers from last season underline why this matters. The Nets finished 30th in offensive rating at 108.7 and 26th in defensive rating at 119.0, so the offseason addition of Randle should at least give the offense a boost. Even in the preseason finale, though, the problems kept showing up, as Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly posted a triple-double in only 24 minutes and eight other players scored in double figures.
For now, Brooklyn’s defense remains a work in progress.
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The problem is that the other end has not come nearly as far, and the gap is getting harder to ignore. Coaches and players have talked openly about the need to defend better, but the concerns go deeper than effort or execution, especially in the paint after the Nic Claxton trade. Brooklyn is still searching for a way to turn that acknowledged weakness into something more workable before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]