PHILADELPHIA — The Nets have considerably overcome shaky capturing this preseason by being crisp and hard-working.
Wednesday is what occurs when their effort and ballhandling take an evening off.
The Nets suffered a 117-95 preseason loss to Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Middle that had new coach Jordi Fernandez vexed, a efficiency that he stated flat-out wasn’t adequate.
They confronted a Philadelphia staff enjoying with out All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George.
And the Nets got here in main the preseason in quick break factors and third in assist-to-turnover ratio, due to selfless ball motion.
However that had been with Ben Simmons enjoying alongside Dennis Schroder.
With Simmons out (a scheduled time off to handle his restoration from surgical procedure), it left Schroder shouldering all of the playmaking duties, and being discovered wanting with 9 factors simply 4 assists and 5 of the Nets’ 20 turnovers.
“We weren’t sturdy with the ball, we didn’t transfer the ball. It’s pretty easy. We didn’t do what we had been imagined to,” Noah Clowney stated. “We turned the ball over, they leaked out, they received buckets off it. However I’m not gonna blame it on us lacking guys. We gotta do higher with the group we received.”
Worse but, they didn’t get again in transition and noticed the 76ers flip these miscues into 31 factors.
A talent-starved staff can’t afford that after the season begins.
“We went from two level guards to 1; that confirmed in taking good care of the ball. However the actuality is our true level guard Dennis had 5 turnovers,” Fernandez stated. “We can not afford him to play like this, as a result of he’s a extremely good playmaker, he’s a ground normal, he does the proper factor. So he needs to be higher.
“Clearly including one other level guard will assist us. However the actuality is 20 turnovers for 31 factors is unacceptable. When turnovers occur you’ve nonetheless gotta preserve enjoying. You’ve nonetheless received to get stops. And clearly in that second half, I really feel like we didn’t play as onerous as we may, like we’ve executed the primary two video games. And that’s what I advised the fellows, is now we have increased requirements on how we play and the way we compete. And that’s not the efficiency we need to have for certain.”
Cam Thomas had a team-high 17 factors, however on inefficient 2-for-8 capturing from deep robbed of playmaking.
Cam Johnson tried to fill the Simmons function of facilitating out of the excessive publish and on the elbows, handing out a team-high six assists together with his 11 factors.
However the want for a backup level guard was painfully clear with Killian Hayes nonetheless not having performed this preseason.
Shake Milton had 13 factors off the bench, however is a two-guard and had simply three assists.
The Nets performed with out beginning middle Nic Claxton and backup Day’Ron Sharpe.
Brooklyn gave up a 21-6 run early, capturing simply 2-for-12 throughout that dry spell to fall behind 28-16.
The Nets’ deficit swelled to 40-25 earlier than they received their footing. They responded by reeling off 11 unanswered factors, clawing inside 4.
However they received crushed up bodily.
The spindly second-year professional Clowney received the beginning at middle with Claxton, Sharpe and Simmons all sidelined, and bruising Andre Drummond not solely powered over him one play however knocked him to the ground and taunted him with a “too small” gesture.
“Our ball strain was not adequate. We received blown by rather a lot. We weren’t behind displaying our bodies,” Fernandez stated. “We’ve simply received to carry ourselves accountable to our normal.”
