Everyone knows that the Brooklyn Nets tank was driven by a poor offense. There were nights when they couldn’t buy a bucket and other than Michael Porter Jr., there was no reliable scorer on the roster.
But as Brian Lewis writes Tuesday, the defense wasn’t any good either.
The Nets had the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league last season at 118.2. All of the bottom-eight squads ended up going 26-56 or worse besides they Bucks, and they had the advantage of riding superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for much of the season. Almost without exception, lousy defense means losing kjyrbasketball.
Now, following a number of off-season moves, particularly with the trade for Julius Randle and the signings of Keon Ellis, Moe Wagner and Josh Minott, the team appears to have improved in physicality and the ability to disrupt their opponents’ offense, two areas where the Nets were particularly wanting. To be sure, we’re not talking about any All-Defensive team candidates, but with so much of the Nets rebuild, it’s incremental.
“Being a disruptor, that’s what our team is going to be known for, that’s what we want to be known for,” Sean Marks recently told The Post. “That’s the style with which Jordi and the coaches want to play, whether you’re playing out of position, whether you’re helping your partner out there, you’re scrambling to make up for it.
“But I think a physical brand [of defense is needed], and we brought in players who are physical. So that’s what we want to see. That’s contagious. And our rookies will learn from them having — the sophomores, too — having to go through that every day in practice. And then you go out there and do it for 82 games.”
Lewis also cited some positive numbers put up by Minott and Ellis. After coming to Brooklyn, Minott’s steal percentage ranked in the 98th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. As for Ellis, his steal percentage ranked in the 94th percentile in 2024-25 and in the 96th percentile for the Kings last season before being traded to Cleveland, where it fell to just 83rd percentile.
The Post writer argues that defense was also critical to the Nets choice of promising defender Mikel Brown Jr. over the “defensively-challenged” Darius Acuff at No. 6 in the June Draft.
The Nets also have installed Day’Ron Sharpe at the starting center position replacing Nic Claxton sent to Chicago in the three-team deal that brought Randle to Brooklyn along with Joshua Jefferson, the No. 28 pick. Marks spoke about how Sharpe, who had the Nets top individual defensive rating last season deserves the chance … and a new contract that will pay him $20 million over the next two years.
“From [Sharpe’s] standpoint, it’s an opportunity, right? And Day’Ron deserves that opportunity,” Marks said. “He’s put a lot of work in over the last couple of years. You can see the physical changes, you can see the confidence with which he’s played with.
“He’s been in our gym really religiously all summer long already. So he knows what’s ahead of him. And he knows the expectations that he’s put on himself. So again, excited to see — not only for Day’Ron, but for a lot of guys: Do they seize this opportunity?”
The Nets did lose some rim protection in the switch but as Lewis also points out, Claxton finished the season at the opposite end of defensive spectrum from Sharpe with the worst individual defensive rating (other than the departed Cam Thomas who left at the trade deadline.) Might the Nets give Noah Clowney back-up minutes at the 5 to take advantage of his 7’2” wingspan and shot-blocking potential? He seemed to show that ability back in April 2024 when he had games of seven and four blocks within a week. But like a lot of his game, he’s failed to show consistency, his career average only 0.6 blocks per game. Of course, he’ll have an added incentive. He becomes a restricted free agent in July.
Physicality should also be an area of improvement with the addition of Randle and Wagner in particular. Both are known as tough guys.
As Lewis reports, there’s a lot of enthusiasm for Ellis, the rangy 6’4” 26-year-old who played for Jordi Fernandez in Sacramento … and who the Nets signed to a two-year, $18 million contract, a nearly 400% jump in salary over what he made last season.
“There’s definitely familiarity with Keon,” Marks said of the relationship between Ellis and Fernandez. “And I think what we saw from Keon a couple of years ago was a young man that came into the league and obviously surprised some people with just the pace at which he played with, the poise, but also being a disruptor out there on the defensive end of the court as well.
“So for us, adding somebody that there’s a familiarity with, a young guy that fits our timeline and he’s played in big games, big moments and so forth.”
Ellis appreciates the kind words, but notes defense is a team concept.
“I think it’s just about the effort,” Ellis said. “I go out there and I just try to make it tough on guys. At the end of the day, you’re playing against the best players in the world. They’re going to score, they’re gonna get to their spots. You’re gonna have bad defensive games, you’re going to have good defensive games. But I just think the mindset of every night just trying to do the right things, be in the right spots, and just attack the gameplan, I think that’ll help everyone accomplish the goal.
“I’m not the greatest defender ever, but with team defense, everyone’s on the same page, that kind of helps everyone a little bit better. I think just me coming in, I’m more of a lead-by-example kind of guy, so I think just me going in and playing hard, that’s what motivates the next guy to go just as hard.”
- How the Nets can play to their strengths and improve their dreadful defense ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
