Brooklyn Nets: Five Worst Games of the 2016-17 Season

Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dives to keep the ball in play during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107.Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dives to keep the ball in play during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107.Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dives to keep the ball in play during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107.Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dives to keep the ball in play during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 108-107.Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

As the Brooklyn Nets’ faithful watch the 2017 NBA Playoffs from their homes, it is time to reflect on the past five-and-a-half months of regular season basketball. While the Nets finished the season on a very strong note, there were several months of painful basketball that preceded.

When analyzing the Brooklyn Nets’ worst games of the 2016-17 season, two factors were taken into account: frustration factor and overall team performance. A couple of games on this list were relatively close, but a few bad decisions in crucial moments may have resulted in the Nets’ losses. This scenario only demonstrates the team’s poor ability to close out games, which in turn, heightens the frustration factor for viewers.

Needless to say, there were many more low points than high points for Brooklyn this season. This is to be expected when analyzing the worst team in the NBA. While some may still be focused on the Nets’ late season surge, there were multiple losing streaks of over 10 games and many painful losses in the months prior.

All in all, the Nets were able to compete with teams destined for the lottery. Their most impressive performances of the season came against Philadelphia and New Orleans, both of whom will be picking in the top 12. Furthermore, only six of Brooklyn’s 20 wins came against teams who qualified for the playoffs. Filling needs in the offseason such as adding another reliable wing scorer will ensure that the Nets’ darkest days are in the past.

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Honorable Mentions

  • Every game against Boston, Toronto and WashingtonThe Nets fared very poorly when playing the East’s top dogs this season.
  • Dec. 18, 107-97 win over the LakersPerhaps the least fulfilling win of the season. Despite an impressive performance, all the talk around the league the following day was about this play:

When analyzing the full schedule, there were over a dozen games that could’ve qualified for this list. However, some games are particularly hard to forget about. Without further adieu, let’s look back on the five worst games from the 2016-17 season.