Live by the Three, Die by the Three
We are now seven games into the season, but one thing seems abundantly clear: defense remains a major issue. It’s a rarity to see them string together consecutive defensive stops, but more alarming is the fact that they’re giving up a high percentage of the shot worth the most points: the three-pointer.
The Brooklyn Nets have now faced the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Each team has relentlessly lit up the Nets’ defense, with almost every team shooting better from deep against the Nets than the regular season. To put this into perspective, here’s a quick overview of how teams shot against Brooklyn, as opposed to against the rest of the league:
Chicago Bulls: 50% (14/18) against Brooklyn, 38.1% on the season
San Antonio Spurs: 9/22 (40.9%) against Brooklyn, 33.3% on the season
Memphis Grizzlies: 9/23 (39.1%) against Brooklyn, 26.4% on the season
Milwaukee Bucks (2): 17/43 (39.5%) against Brooklyn, 35.7% on the season
Atlanta Hawks: 8/22 (36.4%), 35.9% on the season
Los Angeles Lakers: 7/23 (30.4%), 31.5% on the season
To make matters worse, not only can Brooklyn not stop the three, but they can’t make one either. The Nets are shooting just 23.6% this season. If the Nets want to win a game this season, they need to start making some shots from long distance.