NBN Roundtable: How Did the Nets do After One Month?

Nov 23, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) talks to point guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With over a month of the NBA season already in the books, the NBN team discusses Brooklyn Nets’ topics ranging from Jeremy Lin, to three-point shooting.

NOTE: These submissions were compiled over the course of November, so they may not reflect the most current stats in particular categories.

Assess the Nets’ Play Without Jeremy Lin

Sandy Mui: When the Nets had a 4-7 record, I thought, maybe this wasn’t so bad and that it didn’t tell the whole story. Up to that point, the Nets were only blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers and (I guess) the New York Knicks. However, it increasingly became apparent that the Nets desperately needed Jeremy Lin back. Brooklyn held a 4-7 record two games into their seven-game losing streak, and I was just being too optimistic about the team’s outlook without Lin. This team looks different every night, considering how many various lineups Kenny Atkinson decides to use. It’s even more impossible for the Nets to develop a solid chemistry without their main playmaker on the floor, and especially when they have to depend on an inexperienced rookie to run the point. It’s understandable that the Nets would perform so poorly without Lin, but the longer we go with no word on Lin, the more frustrating it gets.

Grade: D

TJ Porreca: When Jeremy Lin went down with a hamstring injury, the immediate reaction was that Brooklyn was in trouble. Lin is one of Brooklyn’s best players and had become a leader on the team. To make matters worse, Brooklyn’s depth behind Lin was notably inexperienced. In Lin’s absence, rookie Isaiah Whitehead has done the best he can since being thrown into the fire. This is not a knock on Whitehead, but he simply doesn’t have the experience that Lin has. The Nets initially said Lin would be re-evaluated two weeks after injuring his hamstring. The reevaluation came and went, but it appears Lin is still a ways away from getting on the floor. Brooklyn had 2 wins when Lin got hurt. As of this writing, they have just 6 wins. The Nets have done the best they can with the circumstances they’ve been dealt, but the seven-game losing streak really set the Nets back as it pertains to their record.

Grade: D

Justin Witmondt: The loss of Jeremy Lin absolutely killed the momentum the Brooklyn Nets had. After winning two of their first five games, it seemed as though this team wouldn’t be as embarrassing as previously imagined. After all, two of those three losses were by a combined margin of just seven points. Lin went down, and the Nets managed to win two of their next four games. There was optimism. And then every bit of optimism was flushed down the drain. Nothing indicates that the Nets will win much, and it was difficult for them to break their seven-game losing streak. Remember, this losing streak began soon after the loss of Lin. The absence of Lin isn’t necessarily what is killing the Nets. What is killing the Nets is the need to overplay players such as Isaiah Whitehead and having to start Sean Kilpatrick when he has excelled as the sixth-man. Specifically, the offense is nowhere near as efficient as it was with the play-caller. Until Lin returns, the Nets will continue this downward trend.

Grade: D

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Christian Milcos: The Nets point guard debacle seems to have persisted into yet another season. It’s become abundantly clear that Jeremy Lin is one of, if the not the most important player on the Nets roster. Brooklyn has quickly become a team that was hovering around .500 to a bottom-three team in the league. Their only two real point guards are both rookies who were picked up outside of the first round. Lin and Brook Lopez‘s interplay on offense is being sorely missed. The Nets need their new starting point guard back desperately.

Grade: D

Charles Daye: “Brooklyn Grit” is the motto of the season for a reason. This team lacks scoring (what else is new?), but they make up for it with their hustle. Since Lin went down, the rookies have done their best trying to run an NBA offense. The positive is we have been able to see more of Isaiah Whitehead, and his tenacity has been encouraging. We have to remember: Atkinson originally wanted to send Whitehead to the D-League before Lin went down.

Grade: B+

Zach Cronin: At the time of Jeremy Lin‘s injury, Brooklyn was 2-3. Now, at the end of November and after a recently snapped seven-game losing streak, the Nets have just 6 wins. The Nets are noticeably worse without Lin running the offense, and they’re about the same defensively. His single biggest impact is as a floor general; someone who facilitates the offense and gets his teammates where they need to be. In his absence, Sean Kilpatrick, Isaiah Whitehead and Yogi Ferrell have been asked to fill that void, and it hasn’t worked. When the offense stagnates, Brooklyn is more apt to shooting ill-advised threes, and Lin prevents that by wiggling his way toward the basket and creating. Driving is Lin’s best skill, and that forces defenses to collapse harder than they would like. If they don’t, it’s an easy bucket. Furthermore, Lin has a better understanding of the offense than the younger guys, and he makes better decisions.

Grade: D