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It was not pretty. In fact, it was downright ugly.
The Nets without KD dropped their second straight to the Cavaliers, 125-113. With the loss, Brooklyn drops to 9-8 on the season while Cleveland hits 8-7.
From defensive mistakes, excessive changes and reckless turnovers to the rebounding struggles underway, it wasn’t Nets night. Although their offense made a late resurgence, the defense wasn’t there as Brooklyn couldn’t buy a late save when they needed it most. On a positive note, the Nets shared the ball.
“We just have to find a way to play harder,” Nash said after the loss. “We are not a defensive formation and we have to be more proud of that. [We] I have to win over 50-50, challenge more shots, fight, scrap, scratch, and I think that’s what is most lacking in the scheme we’re bringing in now.
As for Joe Harris, he highlights the Nets’ defensive struggles over lack of training time and individual effort. He wants his teammates, including himself, to own that side of the ball.
“It’s difficult because we don’t have a lot of training time. We really try to put a lot of things on the fly, but I think a lot of it is individual pride, ”Harris said of defensive struggles. “I think, sort of, everyone needs to look at each other, lock in, focus and own that end of the ball.
When asked if Harris can see some defensive improvements that can be solved with schematic plays, he said it comes down to pride first and foremost.
“No, I don’t think it matters much what you write at this point. If the guys aren’t or if not everyone is accepted and not everyone is together, it’s hard to win in this league no matter how talented you have, ”said Harris. .
Kyrie Irving led the Nets in scoring the ball, finishing with 38 points to go along with a rebound and five assists in 31 minutes of play. Irving has now reached the 25+ mark in four straight games and in eight of his nine games he appeared this season.
James Harden followed Irving, scoring 19 points, distributing 11 assists and registering five rebounds in 37 minutes. Harden became the first Nets since Deron Williams (2012) to record a double-double in points-assists in four straight games. “The Beard” also made personal history in Friday’s loss, passing Allen Iverson (6375) in the NBA’s all-time free throw list, rising to 13th place. Next: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dolph Schayes with 6,712 free throws made.
As a team, the Nets ended the loss with 48.3% overall and 32.6% in depth while recording 15 turnovers. With strong turnovers, the Nets were outscored 50-29. Brooklyn was also dominated by Cleveland in painting (70-44).
Despite the early struggles, Nash wants his team to stay together despite the frustration. Harris said it better after the loss.
“Everyone is very frustrated right now. We talked about a number of things yesterday in our movie shoot and even before today’s game there were a lot of things we covered that we tried to clean up. The stuff we talked about was the stuff that hurt us again tonight.
“We can’t stay here and dwell on it. It’s such an early part of the season. The season is so young right now. We have so many games ahead of us and we have to stay together. We have a game tomorrow that we have to lock in and try to do well.
For the Cavaliers, Collin Sexton continued his dominance over Brooklyn, finishing with 25 points followed by (gulp) Jarrett Allen with 19 points to follow with six rebounds and a devastating poster on Joe Harris, who had his second tough game, by hitting only 2-of-7 3-point attempts and ending with eight points.
Now, let’s dive into a movie.
Movie room
The Nets have an over-switching problem. Complemented by trends of under-communication. James Harden spoke about some of the Nets struggling away from the ball after the game.
“I think individually our communication with the other four guys –– the four guys who don’t keep the ball –– has to communicate where the help is, where to send the dribbler, and just communicate and defend,” said Harden. “I think once our communication from the five guys is in sync, our defense will be much better. Looks like we’re on an island there. We all have to do a better job, including me, to communicate and help defensively, which will happen.
He was visible on the first Cavalier basket of the match.
Check out the Nets communication scheme on this Isaac Okoro back screen for Cedi Osman. Kyrie Irving, who originally guarded Isaac Okoro, points to Joe Harris to call the switch. Joe Harris, meanwhile, steps over that screen to stay with his original man, Cedi Osman, with no intention of changing. With two players converging on a Cavalier (Osman), Okoro gladly takes the clear path to the basket. TLDR; Kyrie Irving works within the confines of a switching defense, and Joe Harris plays more in a man-to-man cover by battling on screens to stay with his original mission.
Defending on the weak side of the floor has also been problematic for the Nets this season – especially lately. James Harden spoke about some of the Nets’ struggles to get away from the ball.
With Joe Harris paired with Larry Nance Jr. (a problematic all-night mission for Sir Buckets), Jeff Green does a proper spin for the double-team to force the ball out of Nance’s hands. DeAndre Jordan turns to Andre Drummond to remove the touch of paint. Where things go wrong is when Kyrie Irving fails to ‘fill the void’ and keep Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton moving to the ‘nail’ or the middle of the free throw line (it ‘s is what should have happened). Instead, Irving keeps the empty space near the top of the key (sort of almost-ish Sexton), forcing James Harden to “split the difference” and keep both Okoro and Darius Garland around the corner. Irving must make it easier for his teammates in defense.
Things on the offensive side were similarly, well, embarrassing. Below, Kyrie Irving climbs the floor in semi-transition, and Joe Harris defines what is called an “elevator” screen, which is a ball screen tilted so that the screen is parallel to the line. opposite base. The screen is usually done with a swiftness almost like a sneak attack.
Irving doesn’t see the screen coming. Literally. He runs straight into Harris’ body, his eyes glued to the ground while trying to shake Collin Sexton, and it causes Irving to lose his dribble slightly. The Nets reunite again and try to engage in a dribble-transfer flow between Irving and DeAndre Jordan, but that too is only going too badly. Cedi Osman reads the play like a book, Irving puts her hands on her knees in defeat rather than coming back in defense, and that’s all she wrote.
The effort just has to be better.
Flip a switch? Get the flip out of here!
Look, the defense has been a stuu-ggle the last couple of games. It’s easy to glance at the list, it’s an almost overwhelming source of high-end talent, and say, “Things will work out!”
But the way this group protects its own baskets is of real concern. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Nets have had the 26th best defense since the first two games of the season – a blowout against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 and a blowout against the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day.
Yep. You are reading this correctly. Brooklyn was one of the last five defenders.
Kyrie Irving, well aware of the situation, spoke about the improvements needed in Brooklyn as a defensive group after the game.
“We know what won’t work is flipping a switch,” Kyrie explained. “We have to take these games and take them as seriously as possible in terms of learning. We can’t just use our experience, we really have to take our time to focus on what we want to accomplish. We’re also playing shorthanded to try to figure that out. Having said that, we just want to stay focused on the goal. Every day is used as progress. “
And then the key phrase of the night …
“We don’t want to be the ‘reverse the change’ team. We do not. We want to be the team that consistently dominates and we will get there.
Arrival of Norvel Pelle?
No word yet – at least officially – on the Nets signing Norvel Pelle, the 6’10 ”center. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Pelle, who played in Philly last year. He will have to pass NBA health and safety protocols. His rim protection could have helped tonight.
And after
The Nets will be back in action on Saturday when the team host the Miami Heat. This will be the last time in Brooklyn’s first-half schedule that the Nets face the same opponent in back-to-back games, with the team hosting the Heat again on Monday, December 25.
The tip-off for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET and will air on YES Network.
For a different perspective, check out Fear The Sword, our sister site on SB Nation covering the Cavaliers.
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Box Score: Cleveland Cavaliers 125, Brooklyn Nets 113 – NBA.com
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Game Highlights: Cleveland Cavaliers 125, Brooklyn Nets 113 (Video) – NBA.com
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Highlights: Kyrie Irving | 38 PTS, 5 AST (Video) – NBA.com
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Highlights: James Harden 19 PTS, 11 AST (Video) – NBA.com
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Nets fall at Cavs, 125-113 (Video) – Ian Eagle & Richard Jefferson – YES Network
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Nets Post Game Plus: BKN @ CLE (Video) – Nancy Newman & Sarah Kustok – YES Network
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Steve Nash on loss to Cavs (video) – YES Network
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Joe Harris on hard loss to Cavs (video) – YES Network
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James Harden on Friday loss to the Nets (video) – YES Network
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Sexton scores 25, Cavaliers beat Nets without Durant 125-113 – Brian Dulik – AP
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Collin Sexton carries riders in front of the net – Larry Fleisher – Reuters
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Nets defense grilled again as Cavs sweep – Brian Lewis – New York Post
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Nets defense struggles against Cavaliers again – Greg Logan – Newsday
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The Nets Need All The Defensive Help They Can Get – Greg Logan – Newsday
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Nets’ defensive problems in full view in second straight loss to Cavaliers – Kristian Winfield – New York Daily News
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Steve Nash says Nets need to look inside to improve defense – Kristian Winfield – New York Daily News
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Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers to rehabilitate Achilles – Malika Andrews – ESPN
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CAVALIERS 125, NETS 113: KYRIE IRVING SCORES 38 FOR BROOKLYN – Tom Dowd – Brooklyn Nets
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NETS VS. CAVALIERS: DEANDRE JORDAN, JOE HARRIS AND STEVE NASH TOP QUOTES – Tom Dowd – Brooklyn Nets
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GALLERY: NETS VS. CAVS – Brooklyn Nets
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The Cleveland Cavaliers dominate the second half and again pass Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets, 125-113 – Chris Fedor – Cleveland Plain-Dealer
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