Finally, after missing the play-in tournament and a summer of blockbuster trades leading to the Nets getting their own 1st-round picks back from the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets are back! Going against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, there was plenty of excitement regarding fan favorite Cam Thomas, the stunning sophomores Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson, as well as the regular season debut of coach Jordi Fernández.
Many fans are eager to lose games for the sake of possibly winning the lottery and drafting a generational prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft; however, to the horror of many fans, the Nets led 55-51 after the 1st half. Offensively, the Nets generated several high-quality looks from 3, utilizing Ben Simmons' transition playmaking. The Nets shot 8-22 from 3PT in the 1st half (36.4%). Defensively, the Nets did a great job of keeping Trae Young from scoring, forcing him to be more of a passer, with him scoring 9 points and 8 assists in the 1st half. The Nets did a wonderful job guarding the perimeter, holding the Hawks to 4-15 3PT shooting (26.7%).
In the 2nd half, the Nets started off sloppy, with Ben Simmons picking up 3 fouls in a span of 5 minutes, totaling 4 fouls in the 3rd quarter. The Nets did a poor job taking care of the ball, with Simmons and Schroder combining for 11 turnovers for the game. Offensively, the Nets relied heavily on Schroder’s ball-handling, slowing down the offense, limiting ball movement, and not generating good looks as it became difficult to get the ball into Thomas’ hands.
The 4th quarter is where things got interesting, as Nic Claxton hit Dyson Daniels with a hard foul to the head during a transition layup attempt. Claxton was hit with a flagrant 2 and ejected. Following that play, the Nets turned it over yet again, with Cam Thomas fouling DeAndre Hunter in transition. While that play wasn’t upgraded to a flagrant, it led to a skirmish between him and Onyeka Okongwu, resulting in a double technical. The Hawks proceeded to take a 10-point lead following the fouls. The game was assumed to be over, but that was when Cam Thomas took over. Scoring 20 points in the 4th on 8-10 FG, Cam Thomas totaled 36 points on 14-27 FG along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Thomas became the first player in franchise history to score 35+ in consecutive season openers, also scoring 36 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2023-24.
The Nets lost this game 120-116, but that is precisely what the Nets want: competitive losses in a tanking season. There were some concerns regarding the minutes distribution; Ziaire Williams and Noah Clowney played less than 20 minutes tonight, with veterans Schroder and Cam Johnson playing over 30 minutes. Schroder & Simmons were careless with the ball, leading to the Hawks scoring off their turnovers. Defensively, the Nets were physical, but they were too physical, committing 32 fouls, more than they had in any game last season, resulting in the Hawks taking 46 free throws. Something coach Fernandez would comment on postgame.
Nets fans should expect losses this year; however, as tonight showed, the losses don’t have to be boring or bad. Tanking can be fun and competitive as long as you enjoy the process and focus on individual player development. This may be a losing season, but it will be the season in which we build the new foundation of this team.
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