You didn’t have to do much digging on Twitter to find someone making a snide remark about the Brooklyn Nets’ interior defense on Tuesday. To sum it up (nicely), Brooklyn did not defend the paint well as the Pistons won 122-111 over the Nets in Detroit.
Brooklyn’s defense has been a problem all season long, that’s far from a secret at this stage. But, it’s still hard to fathom given how strongly Steve Nash feels about his team being strong in that phase of the game. One would think he’d have found a way to adjust by now — or at least come up with a way to stop the 26th-ranked NBA team in terms of offensive efficiency.
Even with Jarrett Allen on the roster, the Nets struggled defensively. So, Brooklyn can only lean on that so much — plus, the clearly felt they needed James Harden. Not having Kevin Durant in Detroit also has a significant impact on the defense, too.
But more and more, this feels like the result of having an inexperienced head coach. Sure, the Nets can beat the tough teams, but every other night the defense is the topic of conversation after a Brooklyn game. Even though the Nets have one of the best offenses in the league by far, they are getting torched on the defensive end almost as badly.
Nash is putting an emphasis on defense and continues to preach pride to his players, yet there’s been little-to-no change. This isn’t just a team flaw; it’s become a huge problem.
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