Nets enter season opener after 3-1 preseason exposes rim-protection flaws

Brooklyn ranked second-worst in preseason opponent shooting at 49.8%

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h2 min read

What happened: The Brooklyn Nets closed their preseason at 3-1 with wins over the Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards before dropping their finale to the Miami Heat. Coach Jordi Fernández pointed to sharp swings between ball-pressure quarters and stretches where transition defense and interior stops broke down, while forward Michael Porter Jr. emphasized locking in defensively alongside the revamped offense.

Why it matters: Following the departure of Nic Claxton, Brooklyn's interior defense relies heavily on forcing live-ball turnovers to mask half-court vulnerabilities. When opponents protected the ball and center Day'Ron Sharpe ran into foul trouble against Miami, the Nets struggled to protect the paint.

By the numbers: Brooklyn ranked second-worst in the NBA during the preseason in opponent field-goal percentage (.498) and effective field-goal percentage (.588), while ranking top-10 in opponent turnovers, turnover rate, and points off turnovers. The Nets forced 47 combined turnovers across their first two preseason wins (allowing 99.0 points per game), yielded 72 first-half points to Washington before forcing 15 second-half turnovers to hold the Wizards to 50 points after intermission, and surrendered 144 points on 58.5% shooting in Miami with at least 32 points allowed in every quarter.

What to watch: Brooklyn hosts the Charlotte Hornets in Wednesday's 2026-27 regular-season opener.

Sources

Yahoo NBA 2026-10-17T06:21:09.990634+00:00

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NBAAnalysisBrooklyn NetsCharlotte HornetsMiami HeatChaney JohnsonDay'Ron Sharpe

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