Brooklyn is in the process of sealing a high NBA Draft pick. One insider revealed how the Nets approached Saturday's "tanking" idea.
The race to the top of the NBA Draft order is here, which features the Brooklyn Nets.
Many fans and analysts across the league have scrutinized how teams approach their lineups. This despite the new scrutiny from the league office about player participation. Already Adam Silver fined two teams -- the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz -- for "tanking."
However, even the Nets noticeably rolled with a far different lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday morning. One that even Nets insider for ClutchPoints Erik Slater caught in the end.
The Nets fell in a narrow 104-97 defeat. Slater revealed the type of lineup head coach Jordi Fernandez opted to roll with in this comeback bid.
"Brooklyn came back from 28 down to take the lead with 3:23 remaining despite playing a late-game rotation fully comprised of rookies, two-ways, and a 10-day contract. But they could not get over the hump," Slater revealed on the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter.
E.J. Liddell and Tyson Etienne were among the "two-day" players who entered the game late. And the latter delivered a new season-best 11 points after coming in averaging less than three points per game.
Kicker is, Silver can't investigate if the Nets were purposely "tanking" as the players on the floor gave the Nets a chance to win.
"The Nets aren't messing around tank-wise. This is the second straight clutch game that they are not closing with a single starter. And yet, they just took the lead with three minutes remaining. The 76ers are ice cold," Slater posted before the final score.
Even leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. wasn't on the floor, yet still drew a technical foul late in the game after arguing with a referee call. Porter still watched rookie center Danny Wolf lead all Brooklyn scorers with 15 points. Josh Minott delivered 14 points after hitting 24 in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Ben Saraf was one more surprise in dropping 13 points with Fernandez liking his growth on the afternoon.
But are some of the veterans welcoming the final minutes of rest? Noah Clowney is one taking some notable rest minutes late in games, despite his team being close enough to win. Clowney delivered a succinct response, though.
Brooklyn goes to 17-50 overall on the season. The franchise is projected to fall inside the top five once the league's draft lottery selection order is made on May 10.
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