Nets vs. Timberwolves preview: Still looking for that 1st win

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Another one on the board. The Brooklyn Nets started decently against the Philadelphia 76ers, gradually let go of the rope, and wound up getting demolished at home in front of the fans at Barclays Center

last night. They are now 0-6 on the season and things are NOT looking good.

the opponent tonight is a bit bruised, but still in the fight. The Minnesota Timberwolves are shorthanded these days, but they’re still competing and hope to break through this season and get to the NBA Finals for the first time. They beat the Charlotte Hornets on the road Saturday night to improve their record to 3-3.

Where to follow the game

Peacock is the place to be! WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:00 p.m. ET

Injuries

No Haywood Highsmith. Drake Powell reaggravated an ankle injury last night and did not return to the game. It is likely he sits this one out. Night two of a back-to-back so we’ll see if anyone else sits.

Anthony Edwards is out.

The game

Minnesota’s defense has been a cause for concern early in the season. They are currently 23rd in defensive rating and 23rd in rebounding as well. It’s rocky right now, but as Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage notes, there’s room for optimism in the Twin Cities:

Here’s the issue with the Timberwolves: Their defense breaks down when Gobert is off the floor. For the Wolves, who are attempting to build a defensive identity around gritty, physical play, the steep drop-off without Gobert is unsustainable. That isn’t to say Gobert solves all of Minnesota’s problems. The offense similarly goes from a 129.4 offensive rating (1st in the league) to a 110.6 (26th).

The Wolves will likely have to find a balance between the two. They will have to embrace the Gobert minutes and find ways to improve the offense. More importantly, when Gobert isn’t on the floor, the defense must be considerably better to alleviate Finch’s concerns about their defensive identity.

For as shaky as the Wolves defense may be right now, they’re a heck of a lot better than the Nets. The issue with Brooklyn is they just don’t appear in sync at all on defense. Blown coverages, late rotations, and just a general lack of resistance all around. It makes for a draining, frustrating watch for Nets fans at home and in the arena.

To that point, Jordi Fernandez fell on the sword for the team in postgame last night:

I mentioned it on social media, and I’ll say it here as well: It’s hard to invest hard to invest your time, dollars, and attendance at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn Nets if they’re gonna play like this every game, especially at home. I think the majority of Nets fans are on board with a rebuild and increasing lottery odds so they can get back to respectability and contention. However, before you get there, you still have to give people something worth connecting to and real effort in the interim. Jordi Fernandez is going to fall on the sword for his players, but ultimately, it’s up to them to execute the gameplan or at the very least work harder to make up for mistakes and breakdowns. They’ve all played basketball long enough to know better than this.

With this being night two of a b2b, we’ll see if the rookies get real playing time. It’s been a struggle for the guards, but they’re going to have to learn on the job and finding their comfort level against NBA caliber opponents.

Jaden McDaniels has taken on more with Edwards recovering from injury, and it will serve the Timberwolves well going forward. He’s doing some more ballhandling and paid it off with a season high six assists on Saturday night in Charlotte. McDaniels has made strides each season he’s been in the league and next to a healthy Edwards, Minnesota will be a pain in the neck to deal with come playoffs time.

Player to watch: Julius Randle

With Edwards out, Randle has taken on the mantle of lead scorer and shot creator. So far, so good! Julius has shot at least 50 percent from the field in every game so far. He’s been knocking down his fair share of three pointers, but he’s at his most dangerous when he’s putting his head down and finishing through and over defenders

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That’s how you do it! For the Nets, they’re going to have to ensure they bait Randle into heavily contested midrange jumpers.

When a team is as down bad as the Nets are, the most experienced player on the team has to help get them back on the right track. For Brooklyn, that’s Michael Porter Jr. The Nets need more from everybody, and that starts with MPJ. He grabbed 17 rebounds last night, but shot just 7-23 from the field in 31 minutes. Brooklyn needs an efficient 20+ points from him every night and a lot more attention to detail on the defensive end. Teams go by their veterans and as the most senior player on the club, it’s up to former NBA champion MPJ to help get things in a better place.