3 Takeaways from Brooklyn Nets Crash Out vs Orlando Magic

Out with the old year, old roster too.

A last-second shot ricocheting off the rim, moments after blowing a late-game lead, was a sight all too familiar for the Brooklyn Nets last year. Whether it was a failed Mikal Bridges isolation possession or a clanked Cam Johnson three after darting around a screen, the clutch rarely favored the boys in black and white in 2023-24.

Drowning in their credulous attempts to stay afloat for the play-in tournament, each loss was equally humiliating and maddening for fans and players alike.

Last night, Brooklyn followed that script once more. But although a scoreless six-minute stretch during the fourth quarter isn’t something even the most decorated tank commanders probably enjoyed watching, the fumbled win didn’t cut as deeply as any from last year.

That’s what trading for your own picks back and dealing your most valued pieced for even more will do for you. The Nets indeed lost a tough one in Orlando, falling to the Magic by a 102-101 final score, but at least this time it wasn’t for nothing. Here’s what went down.

The Veterans’ Value was Greater than You Thought

The Nets being open for business as sellers is what’s dominating their news cycle right now rather than their actual play this season. The people care more about a trades with contenders rather than a losing team’s losing efforts. Shocker, right?

Just prior to tipoff yesterday, Brooklyn agreed to a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers to bring home prodigal son D’Angelo Russell, wing prospect Maxwell Lewis, and a triad of second rounders for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. The deal came in the wake of some chatter between Brooklyn and the Memphis Grizzlies over another deal involving DFS — and not long after another win the front office may not have asked for vs the Bucks.

So with each veteran “unavailable” in the truest sense of the word, the Nets were shorthanded yesterday, both in terms of abled bodies and stoicism on the court. The latter was most clear down the stretch of the game, where Brooklyn went scoreless from the 7:16 to 1:32 mark of the fourth.

During that run, Brooklyn’s possessions included a Day’Ron Sharpe fadeaway middy, a well-contested hook shot, a deep three from Wilson where his defender got around the screen, a Thomas floater that went over the top of the backboard, and three turnovers. All but one of those shots were of the isolation nature.

At least on the court, the Nets clearly missed Milton, who has the ability to help set his teammates up for good looks having tallied 12 assists and just one turnover in his last game with Brooklyn.

As for Finney-Smith, the Nets missed his switching, skills as a help defender, and controlled closeouts, which all surely would have come in handy during Brooklyn’s collapse. It’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback after a game like that, but the first of Christian da Silva’s many buckets to fuel the comeback was made easy thanks to a wild closeout from Noah Clowney.

It’s hard not to think of Finney-Smith there — and the guy whose minutes he’ll now absorb — and the exceptional start-and-stop skills he’s shown as a closeout defender all year. The same goes for his size, as Orlando pulled down three offensive rebounds leading to seven second chance points during their run.

The falloff after losing Milton and DFS won’t be as substantial as the one the offense experienced after losing Schröder, but every vet helps build your team’s foundation that’s often relied up on in crunch time. The Nets just lost two of them, and the negative on-court results were quick to surface.

Cam Thomas Doesn’t Rust Like Everyone Else

Cam Thomas didn’t have a “Cam Thomas” performance last night, at least by his standards. But for a guy who didn’t play in over a month, he wasn’t half bad either.

“It’s definitely good to be back on the court playing, definitely — you get a shot for your first shot, it feels good for the game,” he said postgame. “But still, to my standards, I think I still need a few more games to get back into the game flow, get game reps. Some of the shots I was missing today, I don’t normally miss those.”

Misses included, CT shot 6-of-18 from the field, 3-of-7 from deep, and 10-11 from the line. He resumed his spot as the game’s leading scoring, dropping 25 points along with six assists and six rebounds.

Entertaining as Thomas’ first make back was, it was born out of a near-turnover. He also missed a handful of floaters down the stretch, a shot he’s made a habit of burying since coming into the league. Under further review, a bit of rust was indeed there.

Some…but not a whole lot. The touch on Thomas’ shot still looked relatively polished with him shooting 6-12 on jumpers outside of his last-second prayer. He also looked in rhythm manipulating the defense around him to catch defenders off guard to earn those 11 trips to the line.

So in the end, the high standard we and Thomas himself hold him toward might argue he’s got some cobwebs to still clear out. But by all other standards, the Bayou Bucket is back.

Jalen Wilson is Getting Back on Target

Brooklyn’s final heartbeats before their game-fumbling fiasco last night were pumped by none other than Jalen Wilson. The sophomore swingman finished the game with 16 points while shooting 4-5 from deep, at one point hitting three triples on three straight possessions early in the fourth to put the Nets up 17 with about seven to go.

It was a welcome sight for those hoping to see the Nets emerge victorious and Wilson stockholders, as the ex-Jayhawk entered this contest in something of a slump from range. Prior to the San Antonio game, the Summer League MVP had hit just one of his last 19 shots from beyond the arc. Outside of these last two games, he was shooting 22.2% from deep in December, despite hitting at a 37.5% clip in October and November.

But against the Spurs, he started to find nylon rather than iron, going 3-of-6 from deep. He then followed that up last night with an even better performance via his 4-of-5 markup. One fair game shooting the ball could be mistaken for fortuity, but one followed by a red-hot night argues he’s turning things back around.

It’s also worth noting Wilson drained two free throws that put the Nets up one with six seconds to go last night. While his shooting from the stripe has remained pure all season, that’s a high-pressure moment for a second-year man he hadn’t experienced yet — and he handled it like a seasoned pro.