Nets Allowed 3rd-Fewest Points in Paint Last Season

The Brooklyn Nets were one of the best paint defenses last season, allowing 44.2 points in the paint, the third-fewest.

Brooklyn bested the Boston Celtics, who allowed 0.1 more points in the paint. Nic Claxton played a significant role in shutting down the paint, averaging 1.1 blocks per game.

Claxton recorded 24 multi-block games, including a season-high four against the Washington Wizards last November. His rim protection anchored the team's December run as they finished with the No. 1 defensive rating.

They held teams to 104.6 points per game, a shocking jump from the 113-plus points it allowed earlier in the season. Brooklyn allowed a month-high 120 points against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 29 and a month-low 81 against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 21.

General manager Sean Marks traded Claxton to the Chicago Bulls in a four-team trade to acquire Julius Randle. Marks didn't address the team's need for rim protection with Day'Ron Sharpe starting and Moritz Wagner as the backup.

Sharpe averaged 0.4 blocks, and Wagner averaged 0.1 blocks last season. It begs the question of whether Brooklyn can continue its dominance as a top paint defense.

Coach Jordi Fernández runs an aggressive defensive scheme and often blitzes the pick-and-roll ball handler. Wagner said he prefers playing a disruptor role over anchoring the paint as a rim protector.

He's embracing the chaotic nature of defense and had a promising showing against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The ninth-year veteran finished with four steals, forcing a majority of star center Joel Embiid's turnovers.

Brooklyn has forced 46 turnovers this preseason, adopting a new defensive identity. Forcing turnovers is another key factor in limiting points in the paint.

Julius Randle and Chaney Johnson added two steals to the Nets' 14. The Nets want to play hard on defense and create easy offense on the other end.

Elite playmakers are Brooklyn's kryptonite to its paint defense. Philadelphia's star-studded starting lineup had multiple easy dunks set up by LeBron James.

James is a mastermind at manipulating the defense and creating advantages for his teammates. He found a cutting Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe for highlight finishes in the first half.

The Nets' lack of rim protection may lead to regression in paint defense, but their increased intensity on the perimeter can mitigate the need for a defensive anchor.

Brooklyn has built the foundation for one of the NBA's better defenses, and Fernández aims to build on last season's strengths.