Brooklyn continues to stumble in the new year, this time losing by 16 to a struggling Clippers team.
The Brooklyn Nets are now losers of five of the last six games. But Friday presented an opportunity to take advantage of another sub .500 team in the Los Angeles Clippers.
Unfortunately the Nets were blown out of Barclays Center. Time to drop five takeaways from the 121-105 defeat.
1 -- Time to start another campaign
Michael Porter Jr. is getting a push to make the NBA All-Star game. Time to launch another push -- Egor Demin for the NBA's All-Rookie Team.
Or heck, even Rookie of the Year.
Demin has sprouted the last two games, this time dropping 19 to lead the night. But he's now the first Nets rookie to deliver consecutive five three-point games per the team's PR department.
Obviously he faces fierce competition with Cooper Flagg for ROTY. But Demin looks like a future All-Star in the making.
2 -- Brooklyn is inconsistent at finishing
And it seems like a new mistake each time.
Against Orlando, it was the inability to finish in overtime. On Friday, it was attempting to erase a 24-point deficit...but the game already was out of reach.
Brooklyn either falls into a habit of getting behind big early or struggling to finish out.
3 -- Michael Porter Jr. had this rare night
An off shooting night.
Porter fired from deep nine times...missing all nine shots. He ends going 0-for-9 from three-point land.
Porter still became the second-leading scorer with 18 points. He'll need to reclaim his behind the arc touch the next time he's on the floor.
4 -- Cam Thomas noticeably off here
As talented of a scorer he is, Thomas has lacked in this area...
Cohesion with the Nets rookies.
It clearly stems from the time he spent nursing his left hamstring. Demin rose to starter during that time. Danny Wolf and Drake Powell earned starter duties too. Thomas, though, will need to find a way to establish consistent chemistry with these first-year guys as he continues to get his legs back.
5 -- Nets may need to bring this past starter back up
Day'Ron Sharpe demoted to bench duties as Jordi Fernandez lured Terence Mann back to the starting lineup.
Mann became effective with eight points, four assists and three steals. But he got limited on the rebounding side (three on the evening).
Sharpe scored six off the bench but grabbed nine boards. Brooklyn may need to swing back to Sharpe to out-rebound teams.
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