The Nets got the kind of debut production they were hoping for from Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. on Wednesday night. They just didn’t get nearly enough stops to match it.
Brooklyn dropped its season opener 110-103 to the Hornets at Barclays Center, and the result felt like an all-too-familiar snapshot of the issues that buried last year’s 20-62 team. The scoring looked upgraded. The defense, especially late, looked shaky in all the same ways.
Randle made an immediate impact in his first game for Brooklyn, finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while shooting 11-of-18 from the field. He had 15 points and five assists by halftime and kept the Nets close while helping create looks for everyone around him.
That performance put him in select company. Randle became the fifth player in franchise history to post at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his Nets debut, joining Orlando Woolridge, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Seth Curry.
Porter gave Brooklyn another big lift with 26 points, seven rebounds and three steals. He hit five 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the third quarter alone, including a four-point play that helped spark the Nets after a quiet first half.
Head coach Jordi Fernández clearly made a point of getting Porter going after the break. Porter had scored just six points before halftime, but Brooklyn opened the second half with a run of actions designed to put him in rhythm. The response was immediate, and it helped erase a 10-point deficit.
For a stretch, the game had real back-and-forth energy. The Nets briefly moved in front, and there were seven lead changes through the first three quarters. But Charlotte kept finding cracks.
Dennis Schröder was a major problem by the fourth quarter. The former Net kept turning the corner, forcing help and opening up space for Charlotte’s offense to keep humming. He finished with 19 points and six assists, and his pressure against Brooklyn’s young guards added another layer to the Hornets’ edge.
The biggest issue, though, was Brooklyn’s coverage on ball screens. The Nets seemed stuck between hedging and switching, and that indecision let Charlotte’s bigs slip cleanly toward the rim.
When help came, the rotations behind it were late. That created room for shooters and made Brooklyn scramble possession after possession.
Charlotte also won the battle around the rim. Moussa Diabaté was relentless on the offensive glass, Ryan Kalkbrenner added to the interior damage, and the Hornets turned 14 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points. Naz Reid piled up 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while repeatedly taking advantage of the Nets’ defensive confusion.
The Hornets got more help from the perimeter too. Grayson Allen knocked down five 3-pointers and scored 21 points, while former Net Royce O’Neale chipped in eight.
Brooklyn’s young backcourt had a rough night. Egor Dëmin finished with four points on 2-of-10 shooting, and Nolan Traoré managed three points without making a field goal.
There were some encouraging signs elsewhere. Mikel Brown Jr. scored six points in his NBA debut and showed composure, including a right-handed three-point play in the first quarter. He also made a slick pass from underneath the basket to Randle for a second-quarter 3-pointer.
Noah Clowney added nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting, along with some much-needed physicality before fouling out in the fourth. Day’Ron Sharpe finished with eight points and eight rebounds, though Brooklyn still had trouble controlling the defensive boards.
The Nets shot 38.7% from 3-point range, better than Charlotte’s 31.3%, but that edge wasn’t enough to cover for 22 turnovers and the defensive breakdowns that kept giving the Hornets openings.
Randle and Porter delivered exactly the kind of offensive punch Brooklyn wanted. The rest of the roster, especially on defense, still has a lot to sort out.
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Nets Opener Put A Bigger Roster Concern Front And Center
Brooklyns season opener had the full reset treatment, with new uniforms, a new floor and enough early offense to give the building some energy. The Nets moved the ball well in stretches and got scoring contributions from Julius Randle, Egor Dmin, Michael Porter Jr. and rookie Mikel Brown Jr., but the first real test of the night came on the other end. Charlotte found too much comfort scoring inside, and Brooklyn went into halftime trailing with the kind of defensive slippage that can linger beyond one game.
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For Nets fans, the obvious subplot is how much Brown can offer right away without being pushed too hard. Jordi Fernndez has taken a cautious approach with the rookie guard, and the early plan points toward a bench role as Brooklyn prioritizes his long-term development and health over any rush to accelerate the timeline. [Read more 🡒]