The stat that shows Brooklyn’s defense has gone from bad to worse

The Nets’ defense has had some positive moments throughout the 2020-21 season, but it’s largely been ineffective.

“Defense is our number one priority.”

That’s what Steve Nash said during the Nets’ town hall back in October. He’s preached that since he became Brooklyn’s head coach.

“Protecting the paint and guarding the basket is going to be the bedrock of our defense,” he continued. “Without sharing all of the principles we’re building and all of the things we’re designing right now, I can just assure you we realize to win a championship we gotta be a strong defensive team with great cohesion, clear understanding of our principles and be able to execute them with variation every night because every team we play is gonna be different.

“So, [defense] a priority. It’s something we spend the bulk of our time working on during this period. We’re enjoying it, we feel good about it. We have to build something that is easily taught and obtained by our players that can continue to grow on the foundations we’ve set.”

Yet, by the time the Nets got to mid-January, Nash expressed stated Brooklyn is “not a defensive roster,” with the team’s best interior defender, Jarrett Allen, being among those moved to acquire James Harden.

Then there was Sunday, when the Nets gave up at whopping 149 points in their loss to the Washington Wizards — a team that had lost their previous three.

Brooklyn has had moments throughout the season, but there hasn’t been a real sign the Nets have accomplished much when it comes to resolving their defensive problems — especially when you consider their defensive rating since acquiring Harden is the worst in the NBA, per StatMuse.

This post originally appeared on NetsWire. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=bKi3tAOAfJ-1133385-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json