March 5, 2025 • 35 mins
In Episode 19 of The Backcourt Podcast, YES Network’s Sarah Kustok and NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan recap the week that was for the Brooklyn Nets, analyzing key performances and standout moments from the games. They also look ahead to the team’s upcoming stretch of crucial games and what’s at stake. The hosts dive into Day'ron Sharpe’s performance, including his career night against OKC, and discuss the return of D'Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas to the lineup.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You are now in the backcourt Nets fans. What's going on?
This is a Brooklyn Nets podcast presented by Ticketmaster. As always,
I'm Lucas Kaplan, writer for Nets Daily of Nets Film Focus,
and of course alongside me is Sarah Kustaks. Sarah, how
are we doing, Ruth?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
We're good. We're good.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Got back from San Antonio and ready to be home
for a game before we kind of head out and.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Head back and head out again. So this is this is.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
A tough stretch for for our Brooklyn Nets, and I'm
gonna be telling telling kind of where things head here
in this next week.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Full disclosure. We are recording on Wednesday at around eleven am.
And you flew back from San Antonio last night. I
can't imagine you got in before the sun rose. I hope,
I hope you fell asleep before the sun rose.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I did. I did. I did, Although maybe it should have.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It was it was close, so maybe I should have
taken the opportunity to see the sunrise.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But no, that was not the time we were.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We were.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
We were glad to be back home in our own beds,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You I feel like you will have an opportunity to
see the sunrise in the near future. You were you
saw the u SE usc U c l A Bonanza
Part two. That was an awesome game, and then Unrivaled
You're there and Brooklyn Spurs. So, uh, you had a
nice little tour of the country this past week.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I did. But it was good to despite the outcome,
good to close it out with with the Nets and
the Spurs. And yeah, I get an opportunity to see
obviously that's.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Always uh, always a fun arena and a fun place
to see. Good atmosphere, good crowd, despite some of the
changes obviously that that have taken place throughout the course
of this year with San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But yeah, but good to close it out there.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And uh before we get started obviously going through the
Nets per week since last time we talked, just a
bit of housekeeping. Brooklyn the other day signed Tyson atn
to a two way contract. So I just want to
congratulate him. If you don't know about him, it seems
like he was really made to play for the Nets.
(02:17):
You know. Not only has he been with the Long
Island squad, the G League squad this season, he's had
two thirty point games in the past Week. But he's
born in New York City, grew up in Jersey, played
for the PSA Cardinals. Of course, legendary au squad on
this coast. And he's DeAndre Jordan's cousin. So being a
(02:38):
Net runs in the family. So shout out to him
and a bit of personal news. I'm watching Severn's like
everybody else. I got swept up in it. It's as
good as they all say. Shout out to Zach Jerry,
who plays Dylan g So, Zach, if you ever want
to come on the show, he's a NETS fan. He
was born in Trenton, New Jersey. Wikipedia as he was
(03:00):
born in nineteen eighty seven. If you ever want to
come on and talk about like Kerry Kittles.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And how do we track him down? Hey, you give
me a heads up on this.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Let's get to work.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Let's get to work. Let's I went with their social
media to get you did. Let's use their social media
powers to see if we can make this happen.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Maybe I'll hop into DMS. I know you don't watch
a lot of TV, but uh, severance is I'm sure
you've heard a little bit of we have.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
If I have. When I this summer or the spring.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, no time, I'm man because it sounds right up
my alley.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Truly it is. It is as good as they all say.
I hate when the when the main stream is right,
but they are very right.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Oh, I love when the mainstreams right.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I like to have my little.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
That I don't want to get to.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
No, it's very good. And with that we can talk
about the Brooklyn Nets, who have played four games since
we last recorded, home against OKAC and Portland and then
on the road against Detroit and as we mentioned, the
San Antonio Spurs last night. You were in the building
for a couple of those. I guess, just generally speaking,
(04:09):
what are your impressions of the last week where you know,
a lot happened.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
A lot did happen, and I think there was a
lot of variance in what happened. Quite frankly, that Oklahoma
City game was tremendous and it was so much fun
to watch. You had a ok See team that came
in with the anticipation of how hungry they would be
coming off of a lost, flowing a lead, just so
many aspects of the way in which they had been playing,
(04:35):
and the Nets out of the gates at the tone.
They were excellent both ends of the floor, and I
think there's a theme as we get to what the
week looked like, obviously with some disappointing losses against Portland Detroit,
what things looked like in San Antonio, because so much
(04:55):
comes down to we talk a lot about the NETS defense,
and I do think the NETS defense is a huge
factor in so many areas in so many ways. But
sometimes two things just come down and making shots and
how both sides of the floor go hand in hand,
and when you're missing shots, teams get runouts. Turning the
basketball over was an issue in a handful of those games,
(05:16):
and I think when you look at the numbers of
a lot of these games, and there was again a
lot of disparity, and like it wasn't the same type
of losses or it wasn't the same type of issues.
But I think in the Oklahoma City game was a
perfect example of when this team comes together, executes a
game plan, is making shots so it allows them to
(05:37):
have a little bit more time to not be pressed
on the defensive side, get back in their half court defense,
communicate really well, ball screens, actions, all of those things.
How well prepared they were for the best team in
the Western Conference. It was so much fun and so
much fun to see just how they came together. And
then in the other games, that's you know, kind of
(05:57):
where it points to of the inability to shots, and
especially shots that we've characteristically see them make. You're not
only missing those shots, but oppress the defense a ton.
I think it led to some unforced turnovers and additional
turnovers and just allow teams to get into a really
steady rhythm. And I think that's a big part of
(06:18):
two just not getting stops, and some of it was
run out, some of it was you know, you look
at a game like San Antonio and Devin of Acela
for the season, thirty three percent the three point shooter
just goes absolutely off and can't miss a shot. Same
with the rest of the team. So sometimes there's just
those kind of nights and it's hard to determine how
(06:39):
much that deflates the other end and just lends itself
to some of those runs that the Nets had a
sense of resiliency and coming back just couldn't quite get
over the hump of ever really taking believe and taking control.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, I wanted to ask you it seems obviously coach
just talk a lot about not letting the results on
offense dictate your energy on the other and you know,
same thing sort of applies to the defense, that you
can create your energy that way. But man, you know,
Devin Vessel just for example, just hitting some great shots
(07:17):
at the end of the shot clock, when I thought
the Nets played pretty pretty strong defense, it's it feels
hard to not be I don't want to say deflated,
but that felt like the reason the Nets maybe couldn't
get it going. They couldn't really find solid ground to
push off of. I don't know if you can avoid that, really,
(07:37):
if you can avoid a little bit of letdown when
a guy is hitting shots like that, or when, as
you mentioned, you know, the Nets shoot I think twenty
four percent from three against Portland and then sixteen percent
from three against Detroit. The margins feel pretty thin, especially
after that OKC game, which was in the one twenties,
(07:59):
a lot of execution on both sides. It's funny for
a game that was in the one twenties. I felt
like they were pretty good on defense against OKC, and you.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Probably felt that way because they too were making shots,
you know, like there's just that feel and I agree,
I agree the same thing. And you have an Oklaho
and City team that is slon offensively, and you've got
a MVP candidate, potential front runner, and Shae giltis Alexander
orchestrating things. You've got so many other players that are
able to compliment what he does, and really really strong
(08:29):
offensive players to go along with excellent defensive players. And
so that's why it does feel that way, because you
feel like, you know what, You're still maintaining a great
amount of resistance. You're making shots tough, you're making possessions hard,
but you're also making shots and because of it, there's
that balance and I think that's I mean, you said it.
To think about the fact in Detroit the net shot
under sixteen percent from three, like, that's just not something
(08:52):
that's sustainable for any team, let alone a NETS team
that relies heavily upon the volume of three point shots
that they're taking.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And so sometimes you have those nights.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
But I don't know if I would say it's hard
to determine how much it's, you know, more of a
emotional aspect and response of what your energy looks like
on the defensive end, or just a simple fact that
it makes it hard. This is the best league in
the entire world, with the best players in the world.
So you give them an extra second, you give them
(09:25):
a runway, you give them an opportunity to create early offense,
and it's just really hard to stop. And so I
think he saw a lot of that with all of
these teams. And again, a player like Fassel finishes eight
of eleven from three, but I think he think it
was eight and nine before he missed, so like, but
everyone else was doing that, and so yeah, it just
(09:48):
it becomes challenging. And I think that's where the questions
that come back to, you know, in terms of game
plan in terms of guy's averages, because that's why it
said quite a bit throughout the broadcast. You had players
and it's all all about improvement. Especially san Antonio was
a team similar to sometimes when we talk about with
Brooklyn that they're missing key players, right Victor Wembinama goes
out and it changes the whole composition of what that
(10:11):
team looks like and how they play. But it's the
same token. It allows young players to have a freedom
have extra higher usage, higher volume of shots, and looks
that they're getting in a change in what they're doing.
And I'm sitting there too and watching this, and I'm like,
we're looking.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
At the Spurs team.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
That's what thirteenth in the West and out of the
plan or wherever they're sitting. It's like, Yeah, they still
have Darren Fox and Harrison Barnes and a up and
commer Instafoncastle, Devin Vassell played out of his mind.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, and Viselle.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
It's not like you, It's not like you, you haven't
seen that before, Chris Paul, Like you know a Bismack Biambo,
which granted they just signed him off of two ten days,
but he's a vet in this league that you give
him point guards and players that could put it on
point like.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
He's going to be.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So I say all that to say that you cannot
overlook teams the same that other teams feel when you're
playing a net team that may not know a ton
about a Tyree smartn or may not know a ton
about you know, Jalen Wilson, you name it. Given opportunities
teams when they are playing well, when they're hungry, when
they're motivated, that will happen. And I thought overall, what
(11:22):
stood out to me most, and I'll pointed to the
San Antonio game.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I thought it was a hard fought game.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I thought, especially early on, it just it wasn't a
lot was going the way to the Spurs, and and
I think maybe then that trickled into what things look
like in the second half, or a little bit of
a more deflation in what you were seeing. But I
thought early on that first half, I was like, this
is back and forth in the Spurs are just hitting
some really tough shots, and the next shots that they
(11:49):
would normally make just weren't going down.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Yeah, there was kind of a through line to where
Okac was an emotional high. You're down a few starters
and you play a great game against the number one
team in the league or the West, you know, give
the Cleveland Cavs credit. Then you kind of have this
letdown game against Portland where Jordy Fernandez postgame, you know,
says we didn't play hard enough. And when you don't
(12:13):
play hard enough, that's obviously the hook line and sinker,
that's the whole story of the game. They have to
go to Detroit the next night and they're down big
in the third quarter, and despite not shooting from three,
they bring it back to within single digits. And it's
an impressive, very impressive, gutty performance led by the bench
in the second half that Jordi, you know, can at
(12:35):
least sleep with at night knowing that the team gave
full effort. And I felt like the Spurs game, as
you said, the Nets played well enough to have a
lead going into halftime in terms of I thought shot quality,
forcing a lot of turnovers, but the Spurs just hit
enough shots to where it was a pretty even game.
(12:57):
And as soon as the Nets offense just went cold
for like three four minutes in the third quarter, Spurs
blew it open. And you know, it wasn't even the
Nets turning it over a ton, it was just every
long rebound, every turnover that did happen the Spurs capitalized on.
I feel like the way, you know, we've talked a
(13:18):
lot about Brooklyn's aggressive defense. I feel like the way
they play defense has an almost thinner margin for error
compared to maybe more conservative defensive schemes like you know,
playing and drop less ball pressure. I don't know if
that makes sense, because NBA defense is so hard regardless
of what you do but to me, it feels like,
(13:40):
you know, because they're putting themselves in rotation right, they're
they're attacking the ball and then scrambling around behind it.
In my opinion, or at least, I'm kind of maybe
open to the idea that like they they're even less
able to like be a second late than an average
NBA team. I don't know if you feel that way.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, absolutely, Like that's a whole part of it.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And that stood out most to me exactly what you're saying.
In the Oklahoma City game, they were early at every point.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I think we at some point talked about Dayron Sharp.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
But I will apply this to a lot of players
that one of the biggest parts about defense one positionally
beat in the right spot, but two when you're getting
there in the timing of it and when you're not
thinking and oftentimes when you are just reacting and it's
reading reacting. You can say the same thing about offensively
guys and getting the spots they want to on the floor.
Thinking takes time, and so if you're taking a half
(14:36):
second to think about where you're supposed to be or
what you're doing, or is he coming or is are
we switching this are we standing, We're going over under
whatever is bliz hedge, where.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Am I supposed to be?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
That's enough time for the best players in the world
to be able to get to where they want to go.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And it does. It puts you in rotation, it gets
you off the mark.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
So to your point, when you're playing that aggressive, that
much pressure, that reliant upon your teammates in the way
things look in totality because of how much they're utilizing
one another, and whether it's the doubles, whether it's in
the second where players are coming from, and that is
characteristic of teams.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Across the board.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
But that's where I think sometimes you get really exposed
and exposed in ways that it seems like much more
major breakdowns than what they are, or a lack of effort,
and there may be some ebbs and flows, but I
will say this consistently, this team plays so hard and
they have an excellent understanding of what they're supposed to
(15:34):
be doing, where they're supposed to be, the game plan
to game plan discipline, but just sometimes it exposes itself
in different ways because on the other side, you got
a bunch of other guys too that are some of
the best players that understand where they're trying to get
to and that's.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
The fun of it.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
That's why you compete, that's what happens. But I think
to your point, this pressure defense, in some ways it
benefits you a ton when you're able to turn teams over,
when you're able to disrupt them, when you're able to
extend their defense or extend their offense. And we talk
so much about the nets defense extending offenses in a
way that is beneficial, but it other times teams become
(16:09):
smart about how they're able to attack it in certain moments.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And that's why you see guys like too many Kamara
hit four threes, Vicell go off because these guys aren't
the primary ball handlers. Right, So yesterday dearon Fox and
Chris Paul get out of their hands real quickly. Then
the nets are in rotation, and now Vissel catches a rhythm.
Now Stefan Castle hits a couple jump shots which or
attacks off the catch too. You know, that's a little
(16:33):
bit more of his strength. But it's hard, you know,
it's hard, like and a lot of these rotations are unscripted,
they're like not it's tough to practice them when the
ball gets swung side to side, and now you're recovering
and you're not sure if you should if this is
your rotation, but maybe it is, and you fly out
there anyway, and they're playing hard, and frankly, you know
(16:55):
they were due for a little bit of regression to
the mean in terms of opponent three and shooting. I
think opponents over that fantastic seven and three stretch where
thirty percent from three maybe twenty nine percent from three,
they were always gonna have a couple of games where
they played good defense and opponents hit threes. So now
you know it's time for them to respond. And like
(17:16):
you said, that's the beauty of basketball. And I don't
think they are embarrassing themselves out there with the you know,
defensive effort. It's just time to you know, respond to
a challenge.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
Hey that fans dunks, dimes and no looks are great
on TV, but nothing compares to catching them irl. And
that starts with buying tickets a ticketmaster, the official ticket
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(17:51):
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your courtside, Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
That brings me to a pretty positive point, which is
I wanted to throw Brooklyn's finest in here a little
earlier because I want to give it to Dayron Sharp
for you know a number of things he's done this week,
but especially that OKAC game. It feels like we've talked
about him a ton all season. What like, what are
(18:19):
you most impressed surprised by when you think you know
about meeting Dayroon? This is fourth year in the league
and it's almost over, which is crazy to me. But
you know, you think about him first two years in
the league kind of on the fringes of the nets,
rotation had some good moments when he played. But what
is you know, the biggest change in your perception of
(18:40):
him over these last you know two years year?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Oh, he's grown, He's sure, that's what you would anticipate.
How old is Dayron now twenty three years old?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I should know this exact age, But.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Like you've seen the way that he has dedicated himself
to his craft and been very serious about understanding what
it takes to be a professional. And I think he
came into the league and Dayron has always been a
light and an energy in a very effroivescent personality to
have around the locker room and have around the team,
(19:13):
and always worked really hard and played really hard. But
I think the refinement of how he understands he transformed
his body and he understood the importance of that and
it's not just about conditioning. Died all of those things.
Like you see, you can look at him as his
rookie year, and again this happens with a ton of
players that come in and what it looks like for
(19:35):
a couple of years to understand what that means and
how that affects their play on the court. I think
that Oklahoma City game was an extraordinary example of him
putting together all the pieces of things that he's worked on,
and not often do you get it in that type
of run and that type of game environment where you
could visually see like I feel like you could visually
see him understanding roles of the facilitation. There were so
(19:58):
many aspects of that game that, yes, the the offensive
rebounding and extra possessions.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It's so valuable for a team, and he does that instinctually.
And you should not overlook the fact of him understanding
his strength as angles, his bait, all of these things,
the quickness off his feet that add to that. But
to me, it was the understanding of how to operate
offensively the ways they were using him at different points
of attack. The screening component, Like the screening component is
(20:25):
big and people again, I think the underappreciation of the
quick players that are excellent screeners that doesn't just have
to be bigs of knowing exactness of angles, what that means,
the exactness of timing when you're slipping off a screen,
when you're.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Moving like whatever you need to do.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Timing in the half a second is so critical. Those
type of things you started to see with Dayron just
to me and that game alone. And then also defensively,
his communication where he was at on the floor. We've
talked a lot about how he's really embraced this pressure
type of defense and what he's doing on the pick
(21:04):
and roll defense. So that's a long way to say
the compilation of a lot of things that I think
that have been implored upon him and areas to improve,
areas to work on. He got an opportunity, He got
an opportunity in the starting role, and he survived in
a way that I think is really positive for what
that could mean for another step forward, and it's not.
(21:26):
You know, the next step then is consistency. But what
a really tremendous sewing in a big stage, big game,
big opportunity that he was able to perform in that way.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Just for any listeners that don't have the stat line
memorized like I do, it was twenty five points, fifteen boards,
five assists, two steals, three blocks, and he hit a
couple threes. And the crazy thing is that I felt
like a lot of his best plays did not show
up in the statu sheet, hedging, recovering, flying around the floor, screening,
So for a game in which he put up monster numbers,
(22:03):
it was like it was even more than that one
of my favorite plays.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I posted a little video on social media just going
through a lot of his possessions. He had a play
with about three forty five left in the fourth where
the nets ran double drags, which is the ball handler
brings it up and he gets two high screens cam
Johnson set one day Ron set the other cam Johnson
(22:29):
then came off a day Ron screen curling towards the ball.
Cam Johnson's defender tried to cheat it and go underneath.
Day Ron seamlessly flips the screen, so now it's a
flare going the other way. Slips to the or, rolls
to the basket, catches it the ball in the short roll,
takes a dribble, immediately finds an open shooter, shot comes
(22:50):
up short, so he doesn't get an assist. He doesn't
get a rebound because he was right in position for it,
but the ball took a bounce that was unfavorable to
have anyway. Stuff like that where he's just creating good
offense and doesn't get an assist, And the same thing
on defense where he's trapping near half court and then
scrambling around and making sure all of his bases are covered.
(23:13):
So I have talked about him a lot on this pod,
and it's just all around impact and you mentioned facilitation,
So you'll be happy to know that his assist rate
is nearly double what it was his first two years
in the league, a career high, and it hasn't been
at the expense of his turnovers, so you can look
(23:35):
at all sorts of stuff like that, Like his fouling
was big problem his first couple of years in the league.
It prevented him from staying on the court and contributing
the rebounding that we all know. He had career low
in fouls, career high in combined steel and block rate.
So numbers, film, all that stuff shows you day Ron's improvement,
(23:59):
and that brings us to perhaps, you know, my journalism
professors might call it a buried lead, but another fourth
year Net is back. Cam Thomas back in the lineup.
Has played two games after missing twenty with a left
hamstring injury and really about three months because he injured
(24:20):
his left Handy came back for a game and a half.
Never wasn't quite right, so the Nets, you know, he
had to sit out again. Now he's back, Hammy seems good.
D'Angelo Russell also returned from a five game absence in
San Antonio, so the Nets have their starting backcourt back.
They haven't played a ton of time together, but it's
certainly an exciting pairing to have. What did you notice
(24:43):
from those two guys in San Antonio.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I think it was one great to see them both
back on the floor together. I'll start with D'Angelo Russell.
There's a distinct difference in how the scene and how
this offense is able to operate with a point guard
of his caliber, of how he orchestrates things the players
he finds. I continue to be so impressed with the
way he throws the needle on a pass or toss.
This guy's open or is able to have a really
(25:10):
good sense of just how to lead guys to whether
it's a back door cut or read off of their defender.
But things just seem so much smoother with and which
would make sense, which goes without saying, but there is
just a feel of control and composure that I think
has been so valuable for this team and despite the
fact they did not come away with a way in
(25:32):
San Antonio, the numbers bear it too, So it's the
eye tests you see in the numbers as well. For
cam Thomas, you had mentioned it like it's important to
remember what a significant chunk of time that he had missed.
It's not just in the last you know, however, many
games straight. It's so much more than that. So while
he seems to flawlessly just step right back into playing
(25:54):
how we anticipate him to play in shop making. There's
aspects of the game that I think steal needs. Then
reacclamation two and great to see him on the floor.
I thought it was super solid, but I do think
there was times and that's part of it in terms
of the offensive functioning with players in and out and
what things looked like with lineups, of continuing to find guys,
(26:17):
and there was a handful of times. I know Cam
Thomas can make a shot over anyone at any time,
no matter what the coverage can be. But there were
circumstances on the floor, especially when a team in the
nets that weren't shooting that well and the Spurs were
shooting so well that he was getting a double. He
had an open, open teammate that I would like to
(26:37):
see okay, and there was some possessions ball was popping.
He made great plays. I think he ended up with
five assists, six assists, and he had five.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Really early on.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
So there was a lot of plays that he made,
got in the middle of the floor and created you know,
for Nick or for Dayron or others that he found.
But that's and we've probably said that's what I wanted.
He's got so much gravity on the floor that I
want to see more of that. There was a handful
of possessions. I distinctly remember where he drew too, and
he had I think Cam Johnson to his right wing
(27:09):
wide open. And so those are the plays that it's like, oh,
you got your best threequance sheet, run to get it
to them or behind I mean, And there's aspects of
that that again, some of it is growth, some of
it is just like your vision on the floor, timing,
All of those things come back.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
But I will continue with him.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I just think he's so skilled and so talented and
such an incredible force on the floor, especially in the
offensive end. Continue to use that in a way that
it balances the offense for everyone. And there's always the
defensive end, like that's and that's for every player. You know,
that's going to be important part of how this team
plays and how they function. And so I think understanding
(27:47):
that and understanding even too like shot selection can lee.
We talk a lot about turnovers, but shot selection two
is really important for what that does to press your defense.
So for all those reasons, I'm just excited to see
them play more together, see everyone playing more together, because
I don't think it's just those two is how it
fits within at the context of all these players in
this entire offense.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Yeah, this can only mean good things for the Nets,
and it can only mean good things for their offense,
which you know was kind of struggling before the past,
or I guess still is. It's been struggling despite a
really strong performance in San Antonio on Tuesday night. But
the Nets have been this year. They have been fifteen
(28:31):
fourteen and a half points better per one hundred possessions
with D'Angelo Russell on the court versus off of it.
That's six points better on offense, and with camp Thomas
they've been three points better, but nine points better on
the offensive side of the floor. So just shooting gravity,
all of that stuff that you mentioned. But I do
(28:53):
think that you know, you talked like camp Thomas will
mention shots the way the ball's coming off his hand.
That's obviously tough to get back when you've been out
essentially for three months. However, I you know, also see
reading the court, like dynamic situations. The game's moving so
fast and there's like five guys all moving around that
(29:14):
you have to account for that stuff takes time as well.
I do think the way the Spurs were guarding him
really put a you know, highlight on his playmaking. He
would come off a pick and roll and not only
would the two guys be there, but a third guy
in the gaps would be all the way over helping
on camp Thomas, which really kind of sped up his
(29:36):
decision making. Made a few nice passes Early obviously has
to keep his foot on the pedal in that regard,
but personally, I thought there was a difference from Portland
his first game back to San Antonio. I thought San
Antonio was actually a step in the right direction. Obviously,
he had one assist in three turnovers against Portland, six
(29:57):
assists and one turnover against San Antonio, And while that's
not always exactly totally representative of a guy's playmaking, I
think that was a pretty good place to start. And
the one thing I'm really excited for with this backcourt
is that, and you saw it against San Antonio where
camp Thomas was able to get up a lot more
three point attempts. Camp Thomas might be better off the
(30:21):
ball than he is on the ball, and I don't
mean that as a slight the way he can catch
and shoot, how explosive he is, like off the catch.
He had that play last night where he caught it
on the right wing, took a dribble or two and
took Bismack Biambo on chest to chest, hung in the air,
finished a layup. He over the past two years, percentergy
(30:43):
Sports is in the eighty eighth percentile of spot up
possessions in terms of points per possession. So when he's
spotting up and it directly leads to a shot or
pass from him, it's elite offense. And I feel like
that makes sense with what we know about him and
his skill set.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Right, Yeah, no, without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
And with that we shall move on to of course,
your favorite part of the episode, My favorite part two.
Unless you have anything else to say, I think it's
time for trivia.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Let's do trivia. I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
This is like an impossible question, but I just I
think it's fun day run. As I said, twenty five
fifteen five, two and three and two three pointers, very
simple question. How many players in NBA history have reached
those numbers in a game? So the five major stack
(31:43):
categories and he hit a couple of threes. Very good,
guess it's nine. He became the ninth. He became the ninth. Okay,
he became the He became the ninth. So it was
eight others so only three off. Okay, that was that's
really impressive. I take on like thirty or forty, like,
I don't you know, are you.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Gonna name me? Are you gonna make me a name
of people that have done it?
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Or no?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
I thought that wasn't true.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Oh, okay, that would have been tough. I can pull
it up. But it's you've got a couple Josh Smith
is Josh Smith's in there as well, Okay, Lebron.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
No q, Yeah, no question on that one.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Bee okay, question Kat as well, and uh I believe
if you remove.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
But to that point, yeah, and to that point, like
that's really it's a really big deal.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
And there was a lot of things we keep talking about,
but there was a lot of things from that game
that stood out and just the totality of it. And
I feel like that's really telling to say that that
stat line in NBA history has only happened now nine times.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Is something?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, this was no this was no regular stat line
Boogie Cousins did it twice, Joel and b Nikolovucevic and
you soof Nurksh and those other guys I mentioned. That's
the whole shout out to Nets legend Derek Coleman. He
was the only guy with twenty five fifteen and then
multiple blocks, multiple steals, multiple threes. So if you move
(33:11):
the assists, Derek Coleman got it. I wanted to shout
out him in a great stat from nets pr Sarah,
do you have anything else to add?
Speaker 2 (33:19):
No, I'm just excited for the week.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I said it earlier. I think this is a good opportunity.
We've seen the Nets rise the train levels when they
played some of the best teams in the league, or
just really great competition or an ability to kind of regroup. Yeah,
from the way this last week has went, and it's
not to say that it is been down, but I
(33:41):
think there's a really good opportunity to just kind of
see what things look like a Warrior's team.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
With the addition to Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
You get to see this but playing really well and
get off with the big win against the Knicks at
the Garden. Obviously, go to Charlotte, but then a Lakers
team that has been extraordinary. We can welcome our old
friend Dorian phony Smith back to back to Barclays and
just what Lebron James has been doing this year. Obviously
see them with Luka Doncic, and that's gonna be a
challenging back to back because you got that with Cleveland,
(34:09):
and then go to Chicago, a Chicago team that you're
essentially competing with for that play in spot. So I
think you look at all of those things and it's
this is this is a very to me at this
point of the season, relatively significant week for Brooklyn. And
I'm excited for them because I think with this group,
we've seen them rise to really great levels of compete
(34:32):
when they're presented it with these challenges, and I think
this week presents a really big challenge.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And as we record the Nets just two losses back
in the playing still in a dead heat with Chicago.
Big week for them, great, fantastic, My favorite part of
the sports calendar coming up, college conference tournaments, March madness,
unrivaled playoffs, close to the regular season NBA playoffs. It's
(34:57):
just a fantastic, fantastic time to be a basketball fan.
Fantastic time to be a NETS fan. We really thank
you guys for listening to us. And I was excited
about the Lakers game coming to town, just to see
Lebron and to welcome Dori and Finny Smith back. And
now now I'm gonna be watching Luka Doncic barring fingers
crossed injury in the next week. But I Steph's coming
(35:22):
to town. It's a fun time. It's a fun time
all around. And Sarah and I thank you NETS fans
very much for listening to the pod. This has been
episode nineteen of The Backcourt, a Brooklyn NETS podcast presented
by Ticketmaster. Go like and subscribe and rate five stars
and all that stuff you do wherever you get podcasts,
and until next time next week, we will see you guys.
(35:44):
Thank you
You are now in the backcourt Nets fans. What's going on?
This is a Brooklyn Nets podcast presented by Ticketmaster. As always,
I'm Lucas Kaplan, writer for Nets Daily of Nets Film Focus,
and of course alongside me is Sarah Kustaks. Sarah, how
are we doing, Ruth?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
We're good. We're good.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Got back from San Antonio and ready to be home
for a game before we kind of head out and.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Head back and head out again. So this is this is.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
A tough stretch for for our Brooklyn Nets, and I'm
gonna be telling telling kind of where things head here
in this next week.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Full disclosure. We are recording on Wednesday at around eleven am.
And you flew back from San Antonio last night. I
can't imagine you got in before the sun rose. I hope,
I hope you fell asleep before the sun rose.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I did. I did. I did, Although maybe it should have.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It was it was close, so maybe I should have
taken the opportunity to see the sunrise.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
But no, that was not the time we were.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We were.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
We were glad to be back home in our own beds,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You I feel like you will have an opportunity to
see the sunrise in the near future. You were you
saw the u SE usc U c l A Bonanza
Part two. That was an awesome game, and then Unrivaled
You're there and Brooklyn Spurs. So, uh, you had a
nice little tour of the country this past week.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I did. But it was good to despite the outcome,
good to close it out with with the Nets and
the Spurs. And yeah, I get an opportunity to see
obviously that's.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Always uh, always a fun arena and a fun place
to see. Good atmosphere, good crowd, despite some of the
changes obviously that that have taken place throughout the course
of this year with San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But yeah, but good to close it out there.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And uh before we get started obviously going through the
Nets per week since last time we talked, just a
bit of housekeeping. Brooklyn the other day signed Tyson atn
to a two way contract. So I just want to
congratulate him. If you don't know about him, it seems
like he was really made to play for the Nets.
(02:17):
You know. Not only has he been with the Long
Island squad, the G League squad this season, he's had
two thirty point games in the past Week. But he's
born in New York City, grew up in Jersey, played
for the PSA Cardinals. Of course, legendary au squad on
this coast. And he's DeAndre Jordan's cousin. So being a
(02:38):
Net runs in the family. So shout out to him
and a bit of personal news. I'm watching Severn's like
everybody else. I got swept up in it. It's as
good as they all say. Shout out to Zach Jerry,
who plays Dylan g So, Zach, if you ever want
to come on the show, he's a NETS fan. He
was born in Trenton, New Jersey. Wikipedia as he was
(03:00):
born in nineteen eighty seven. If you ever want to
come on and talk about like Kerry Kittles.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And how do we track him down? Hey, you give
me a heads up on this.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Let's get to work.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Let's get to work. Let's I went with their social
media to get you did. Let's use their social media
powers to see if we can make this happen.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Maybe I'll hop into DMS. I know you don't watch
a lot of TV, but uh, severance is I'm sure
you've heard a little bit of we have.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
If I have. When I this summer or the spring.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah, no time, I'm man because it sounds right up
my alley.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Truly it is. It is as good as they all say.
I hate when the when the main stream is right,
but they are very right.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Oh, I love when the mainstreams right.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I like to have my little.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
That I don't want to get to.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
No, it's very good. And with that we can talk
about the Brooklyn Nets, who have played four games since
we last recorded, home against OKAC and Portland and then
on the road against Detroit and as we mentioned, the
San Antonio Spurs last night. You were in the building
for a couple of those. I guess, just generally speaking,
(04:09):
what are your impressions of the last week where you know,
a lot happened.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
A lot did happen, and I think there was a
lot of variance in what happened. Quite frankly, that Oklahoma
City game was tremendous and it was so much fun
to watch. You had a ok See team that came
in with the anticipation of how hungry they would be
coming off of a lost, flowing a lead, just so
many aspects of the way in which they had been playing,
(04:35):
and the Nets out of the gates at the tone.
They were excellent both ends of the floor, and I
think there's a theme as we get to what the
week looked like, obviously with some disappointing losses against Portland Detroit,
what things looked like in San Antonio, because so much
(04:55):
comes down to we talk a lot about the NETS defense,
and I do think the NETS defense is a huge
factor in so many areas in so many ways. But
sometimes two things just come down and making shots and
how both sides of the floor go hand in hand,
and when you're missing shots, teams get runouts. Turning the
basketball over was an issue in a handful of those games,
(05:16):
and I think when you look at the numbers of
a lot of these games, and there was again a
lot of disparity, and like it wasn't the same type
of losses or it wasn't the same type of issues.
But I think in the Oklahoma City game was a
perfect example of when this team comes together, executes a
game plan, is making shots so it allows them to
(05:37):
have a little bit more time to not be pressed
on the defensive side, get back in their half court defense,
communicate really well, ball screens, actions, all of those things.
How well prepared they were for the best team in
the Western Conference. It was so much fun and so
much fun to see just how they came together. And
then in the other games, that's you know, kind of
(05:57):
where it points to of the inability to shots, and
especially shots that we've characteristically see them make. You're not
only missing those shots, but oppress the defense a ton.
I think it led to some unforced turnovers and additional
turnovers and just allow teams to get into a really
steady rhythm. And I think that's a big part of
(06:18):
two just not getting stops, and some of it was
run out, some of it was you know, you look
at a game like San Antonio and Devin of Acela
for the season, thirty three percent the three point shooter
just goes absolutely off and can't miss a shot. Same
with the rest of the team. So sometimes there's just
those kind of nights and it's hard to determine how
(06:39):
much that deflates the other end and just lends itself
to some of those runs that the Nets had a
sense of resiliency and coming back just couldn't quite get
over the hump of ever really taking believe and taking control.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, I wanted to ask you it seems obviously coach
just talk a lot about not letting the results on
offense dictate your energy on the other and you know,
same thing sort of applies to the defense, that you
can create your energy that way. But man, you know,
Devin Vessel just for example, just hitting some great shots
(07:17):
at the end of the shot clock, when I thought
the Nets played pretty pretty strong defense, it's it feels
hard to not be I don't want to say deflated,
but that felt like the reason the Nets maybe couldn't
get it going. They couldn't really find solid ground to
push off of. I don't know if you can avoid that, really,
(07:37):
if you can avoid a little bit of letdown when
a guy is hitting shots like that, or when, as
you mentioned, you know, the Nets shoot I think twenty
four percent from three against Portland and then sixteen percent
from three against Detroit. The margins feel pretty thin, especially
after that OKC game, which was in the one twenties,
(07:59):
a lot of execution on both sides. It's funny for
a game that was in the one twenties. I felt
like they were pretty good on defense against OKC, and you.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Probably felt that way because they too were making shots,
you know, like there's just that feel and I agree,
I agree the same thing. And you have an Oklaho
and City team that is slon offensively, and you've got
a MVP candidate, potential front runner, and Shae giltis Alexander
orchestrating things. You've got so many other players that are
able to compliment what he does, and really really strong
(08:29):
offensive players to go along with excellent defensive players. And
so that's why it does feel that way, because you
feel like, you know what, You're still maintaining a great
amount of resistance. You're making shots tough, you're making possessions hard,
but you're also making shots and because of it, there's
that balance and I think that's I mean, you said it.
To think about the fact in Detroit the net shot
under sixteen percent from three, like, that's just not something
(08:52):
that's sustainable for any team, let alone a NETS team
that relies heavily upon the volume of three point shots
that they're taking.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And so sometimes you have those nights.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
But I don't know if I would say it's hard
to determine how much it's, you know, more of a
emotional aspect and response of what your energy looks like
on the defensive end, or just a simple fact that
it makes it hard. This is the best league in
the entire world, with the best players in the world.
So you give them an extra second, you give them
(09:25):
a runway, you give them an opportunity to create early offense,
and it's just really hard to stop. And so I
think he saw a lot of that with all of
these teams. And again, a player like Fassel finishes eight
of eleven from three, but I think he think it
was eight and nine before he missed, so like, but
everyone else was doing that, and so yeah, it just
(09:48):
it becomes challenging. And I think that's where the questions
that come back to, you know, in terms of game
plan in terms of guy's averages, because that's why it
said quite a bit throughout the broadcast. You had players
and it's all all about improvement. Especially san Antonio was
a team similar to sometimes when we talk about with
Brooklyn that they're missing key players, right Victor Wembinama goes
out and it changes the whole composition of what that
(10:11):
team looks like and how they play. But it's the
same token. It allows young players to have a freedom
have extra higher usage, higher volume of shots, and looks
that they're getting in a change in what they're doing.
And I'm sitting there too and watching this, and I'm like,
we're looking.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
At the Spurs team.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
That's what thirteenth in the West and out of the
plan or wherever they're sitting. It's like, Yeah, they still
have Darren Fox and Harrison Barnes and a up and
commer Instafoncastle, Devin Vassell played out of his mind.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, and Viselle.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
It's not like you, It's not like you, you haven't
seen that before, Chris Paul, Like you know a Bismack Biambo,
which granted they just signed him off of two ten days,
but he's a vet in this league that you give
him point guards and players that could put it on
point like.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
He's going to be.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So I say all that to say that you cannot
overlook teams the same that other teams feel when you're
playing a net team that may not know a ton
about a Tyree smartn or may not know a ton
about you know, Jalen Wilson, you name it. Given opportunities
teams when they are playing well, when they're hungry, when
they're motivated, that will happen. And I thought overall, what
(11:22):
stood out to me most, and I'll pointed to the
San Antonio game.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I thought it was a hard fought game.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I thought, especially early on, it just it wasn't a
lot was going the way to the Spurs, and and
I think maybe then that trickled into what things look
like in the second half, or a little bit of
a more deflation in what you were seeing. But I
thought early on that first half, I was like, this
is back and forth in the Spurs are just hitting
some really tough shots, and the next shots that they
(11:49):
would normally make just weren't going down.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Yeah, there was kind of a through line to where
Okac was an emotional high. You're down a few starters
and you play a great game against the number one
team in the league or the West, you know, give
the Cleveland Cavs credit. Then you kind of have this
letdown game against Portland where Jordy Fernandez postgame, you know,
says we didn't play hard enough. And when you don't
(12:13):
play hard enough, that's obviously the hook line and sinker,
that's the whole story of the game. They have to
go to Detroit the next night and they're down big
in the third quarter, and despite not shooting from three,
they bring it back to within single digits. And it's
an impressive, very impressive, gutty performance led by the bench
in the second half that Jordi, you know, can at
(12:35):
least sleep with at night knowing that the team gave
full effort. And I felt like the Spurs game, as
you said, the Nets played well enough to have a
lead going into halftime in terms of I thought shot quality,
forcing a lot of turnovers, but the Spurs just hit
enough shots to where it was a pretty even game.
(12:57):
And as soon as the Nets offense just went cold
for like three four minutes in the third quarter, Spurs
blew it open. And you know, it wasn't even the
Nets turning it over a ton, it was just every
long rebound, every turnover that did happen the Spurs capitalized on.
I feel like the way, you know, we've talked a
(13:18):
lot about Brooklyn's aggressive defense. I feel like the way
they play defense has an almost thinner margin for error
compared to maybe more conservative defensive schemes like you know,
playing and drop less ball pressure. I don't know if
that makes sense, because NBA defense is so hard regardless
of what you do but to me, it feels like,
(13:40):
you know, because they're putting themselves in rotation right, they're
they're attacking the ball and then scrambling around behind it.
In my opinion, or at least, I'm kind of maybe
open to the idea that like they they're even less
able to like be a second late than an average
NBA team. I don't know if you feel that way.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, absolutely, Like that's a whole part of it.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And that stood out most to me exactly what you're saying.
In the Oklahoma City game, they were early at every point.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I think we at some point talked about Dayron Sharp.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
But I will apply this to a lot of players
that one of the biggest parts about defense one positionally
beat in the right spot, but two when you're getting
there in the timing of it and when you're not
thinking and oftentimes when you are just reacting and it's
reading reacting. You can say the same thing about offensively
guys and getting the spots they want to on the floor.
Thinking takes time, and so if you're taking a half
(14:36):
second to think about where you're supposed to be or
what you're doing, or is he coming or is are
we switching this are we standing, We're going over under
whatever is bliz hedge, where.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Am I supposed to be?
Speaker 3 (14:47):
That's enough time for the best players in the world
to be able to get to where they want to go.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
And it does. It puts you in rotation, it gets
you off the mark.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
So to your point, when you're playing that aggressive, that
much pressure, that reliant upon your teammates in the way
things look in totality because of how much they're utilizing
one another, and whether it's the doubles, whether it's in
the second where players are coming from, and that is
characteristic of teams.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Across the board.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
But that's where I think sometimes you get really exposed
and exposed in ways that it seems like much more
major breakdowns than what they are, or a lack of effort,
and there may be some ebbs and flows, but I
will say this consistently, this team plays so hard and
they have an excellent understanding of what they're supposed to
(15:34):
be doing, where they're supposed to be, the game plan
to game plan discipline, but just sometimes it exposes itself
in different ways because on the other side, you got
a bunch of other guys too that are some of
the best players that understand where they're trying to get
to and that's.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
The fun of it.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
That's why you compete, that's what happens. But I think
to your point, this pressure defense, in some ways it
benefits you a ton when you're able to turn teams over,
when you're able to disrupt them, when you're able to
extend their defense or extend their offense. And we talk
so much about the nets defense extending offenses in a
way that is beneficial, but it other times teams become
(16:09):
smart about how they're able to attack it in certain moments.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And that's why you see guys like too many Kamara
hit four threes, Vicell go off because these guys aren't
the primary ball handlers. Right, So yesterday dearon Fox and
Chris Paul get out of their hands real quickly. Then
the nets are in rotation, and now Vissel catches a rhythm.
Now Stefan Castle hits a couple jump shots which or
attacks off the catch too. You know, that's a little
(16:33):
bit more of his strength. But it's hard, you know,
it's hard, like and a lot of these rotations are unscripted,
they're like not it's tough to practice them when the
ball gets swung side to side, and now you're recovering
and you're not sure if you should if this is
your rotation, but maybe it is, and you fly out
there anyway, and they're playing hard, and frankly, you know
(16:55):
they were due for a little bit of regression to
the mean in terms of opponent three and shooting. I
think opponents over that fantastic seven and three stretch where
thirty percent from three maybe twenty nine percent from three,
they were always gonna have a couple of games where
they played good defense and opponents hit threes. So now
you know it's time for them to respond. And like
(17:16):
you said, that's the beauty of basketball. And I don't
think they are embarrassing themselves out there with the you know,
defensive effort. It's just time to you know, respond to
a challenge.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
Hey that fans dunks, dimes and no looks are great
on TV, but nothing compares to catching them irl. And
that starts with buying tickets a ticketmaster, the official ticket
marketplace of the Nets in the NBA. Ticketmaster get you
to the game so you can catch every highlight in person,
from seeing your favorite Nets stars up close to hearing
the squeak of the sneakers on the hardwood. Put that
(17:51):
jersey collection to use and get tickets a ticketmaster. There's
no better brag than saying you saw it live, see
your courtside, Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
That brings me to a pretty positive point, which is
I wanted to throw Brooklyn's finest in here a little
earlier because I want to give it to Dayron Sharp
for you know a number of things he's done this week,
but especially that OKAC game. It feels like we've talked
about him a ton all season. What like, what are
(18:19):
you most impressed surprised by when you think you know
about meeting Dayroon? This is fourth year in the league
and it's almost over, which is crazy to me. But
you know, you think about him first two years in
the league kind of on the fringes of the nets,
rotation had some good moments when he played. But what
is you know, the biggest change in your perception of
(18:40):
him over these last you know two years year?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Oh, he's grown, He's sure, that's what you would anticipate.
How old is Dayron now twenty three years old?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I should know this exact age, But.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Like you've seen the way that he has dedicated himself
to his craft and been very serious about understanding what
it takes to be a professional. And I think he
came into the league and Dayron has always been a
light and an energy in a very effroivescent personality to
have around the locker room and have around the team,
(19:13):
and always worked really hard and played really hard. But
I think the refinement of how he understands he transformed
his body and he understood the importance of that and
it's not just about conditioning. Died all of those things.
Like you see, you can look at him as his
rookie year, and again this happens with a ton of
players that come in and what it looks like for
(19:35):
a couple of years to understand what that means and
how that affects their play on the court. I think
that Oklahoma City game was an extraordinary example of him
putting together all the pieces of things that he's worked on,
and not often do you get it in that type
of run and that type of game environment where you
could visually see like I feel like you could visually
see him understanding roles of the facilitation. There were so
(19:58):
many aspects of that game that, yes, the the offensive
rebounding and extra possessions.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It's so valuable for a team, and he does that instinctually.
And you should not overlook the fact of him understanding
his strength as angles, his bait, all of these things,
the quickness off his feet that add to that. But
to me, it was the understanding of how to operate
offensively the ways they were using him at different points
of attack. The screening component, Like the screening component is
(20:25):
big and people again, I think the underappreciation of the
quick players that are excellent screeners that doesn't just have
to be bigs of knowing exactness of angles, what that means,
the exactness of timing when you're slipping off a screen,
when you're.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Moving like whatever you need to do.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Timing in the half a second is so critical. Those
type of things you started to see with Dayron just
to me and that game alone. And then also defensively,
his communication where he was at on the floor. We've
talked a lot about how he's really embraced this pressure
type of defense and what he's doing on the pick
(21:04):
and roll defense. So that's a long way to say
the compilation of a lot of things that I think
that have been implored upon him and areas to improve,
areas to work on. He got an opportunity, He got
an opportunity in the starting role, and he survived in
a way that I think is really positive for what
that could mean for another step forward, and it's not.
(21:26):
You know, the next step then is consistency. But what
a really tremendous sewing in a big stage, big game,
big opportunity that he was able to perform in that way.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Just for any listeners that don't have the stat line
memorized like I do, it was twenty five points, fifteen boards,
five assists, two steals, three blocks, and he hit a
couple threes. And the crazy thing is that I felt
like a lot of his best plays did not show
up in the statu sheet, hedging, recovering, flying around the floor, screening,
So for a game in which he put up monster numbers,
(22:03):
it was like it was even more than that one
of my favorite plays.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I posted a little video on social media just going
through a lot of his possessions. He had a play
with about three forty five left in the fourth where
the nets ran double drags, which is the ball handler
brings it up and he gets two high screens cam
Johnson set one day Ron set the other cam Johnson
(22:29):
then came off a day Ron screen curling towards the ball.
Cam Johnson's defender tried to cheat it and go underneath.
Day Ron seamlessly flips the screen, so now it's a
flare going the other way. Slips to the or, rolls
to the basket, catches it the ball in the short roll,
takes a dribble, immediately finds an open shooter, shot comes
(22:50):
up short, so he doesn't get an assist. He doesn't
get a rebound because he was right in position for it,
but the ball took a bounce that was unfavorable to
have anyway. Stuff like that where he's just creating good
offense and doesn't get an assist, And the same thing
on defense where he's trapping near half court and then
scrambling around and making sure all of his bases are covered.
(23:13):
So I have talked about him a lot on this pod,
and it's just all around impact and you mentioned facilitation,
So you'll be happy to know that his assist rate
is nearly double what it was his first two years
in the league, a career high, and it hasn't been
at the expense of his turnovers, so you can look
(23:35):
at all sorts of stuff like that, Like his fouling
was big problem his first couple of years in the league.
It prevented him from staying on the court and contributing
the rebounding that we all know. He had career low
in fouls, career high in combined steel and block rate.
So numbers, film, all that stuff shows you day Ron's improvement,
(23:59):
and that brings us to perhaps, you know, my journalism
professors might call it a buried lead, but another fourth
year Net is back. Cam Thomas back in the lineup.
Has played two games after missing twenty with a left
hamstring injury and really about three months because he injured
(24:20):
his left Handy came back for a game and a half.
Never wasn't quite right, so the Nets, you know, he
had to sit out again. Now he's back, Hammy seems good.
D'Angelo Russell also returned from a five game absence in
San Antonio, so the Nets have their starting backcourt back.
They haven't played a ton of time together, but it's
certainly an exciting pairing to have. What did you notice
(24:43):
from those two guys in San Antonio.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I think it was one great to see them both
back on the floor together. I'll start with D'Angelo Russell.
There's a distinct difference in how the scene and how
this offense is able to operate with a point guard
of his caliber, of how he orchestrates things the players
he finds. I continue to be so impressed with the
way he throws the needle on a pass or toss.
This guy's open or is able to have a really
(25:10):
good sense of just how to lead guys to whether
it's a back door cut or read off of their defender.
But things just seem so much smoother with and which
would make sense, which goes without saying, but there is
just a feel of control and composure that I think
has been so valuable for this team and despite the
fact they did not come away with a way in
(25:32):
San Antonio, the numbers bear it too, So it's the
eye tests you see in the numbers as well. For
cam Thomas, you had mentioned it like it's important to
remember what a significant chunk of time that he had missed.
It's not just in the last you know, however, many
games straight. It's so much more than that. So while
he seems to flawlessly just step right back into playing
(25:54):
how we anticipate him to play in shop making. There's
aspects of the game that I think steal needs. Then
reacclamation two and great to see him on the floor.
I thought it was super solid, but I do think
there was times and that's part of it in terms
of the offensive functioning with players in and out and
what things looked like with lineups, of continuing to find guys,
(26:17):
and there was a handful of times. I know Cam
Thomas can make a shot over anyone at any time,
no matter what the coverage can be. But there were
circumstances on the floor, especially when a team in the
nets that weren't shooting that well and the Spurs were
shooting so well that he was getting a double. He
had an open, open teammate that I would like to
(26:37):
see okay, and there was some possessions ball was popping.
He made great plays. I think he ended up with
five assists, six assists, and he had five.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Really early on.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
So there was a lot of plays that he made,
got in the middle of the floor and created you know,
for Nick or for Dayron or others that he found.
But that's and we've probably said that's what I wanted.
He's got so much gravity on the floor that I
want to see more of that. There was a handful
of possessions. I distinctly remember where he drew too, and
he had I think Cam Johnson to his right wing
(27:09):
wide open. And so those are the plays that it's like, oh,
you got your best threequance sheet, run to get it
to them or behind I mean, And there's aspects of
that that again, some of it is growth, some of
it is just like your vision on the floor, timing,
All of those things come back.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
But I will continue with him.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I just think he's so skilled and so talented and
such an incredible force on the floor, especially in the
offensive end. Continue to use that in a way that
it balances the offense for everyone. And there's always the
defensive end, like that's and that's for every player. You know,
that's going to be important part of how this team
plays and how they function. And so I think understanding
(27:47):
that and understanding even too like shot selection can lee.
We talk a lot about turnovers, but shot selection two
is really important for what that does to press your defense.
So for all those reasons, I'm just excited to see
them play more together, see everyone playing more together, because
I don't think it's just those two is how it
fits within at the context of all these players in
this entire offense.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Yeah, this can only mean good things for the Nets,
and it can only mean good things for their offense,
which you know was kind of struggling before the past,
or I guess still is. It's been struggling despite a
really strong performance in San Antonio on Tuesday night. But
the Nets have been this year. They have been fifteen
(28:31):
fourteen and a half points better per one hundred possessions
with D'Angelo Russell on the court versus off of it.
That's six points better on offense, and with camp Thomas
they've been three points better, but nine points better on
the offensive side of the floor. So just shooting gravity,
all of that stuff that you mentioned. But I do
(28:53):
think that you know, you talked like camp Thomas will
mention shots the way the ball's coming off his hand.
That's obviously tough to get back when you've been out
essentially for three months. However, I you know, also see
reading the court, like dynamic situations. The game's moving so
fast and there's like five guys all moving around that
(29:14):
you have to account for that stuff takes time as well.
I do think the way the Spurs were guarding him
really put a you know, highlight on his playmaking. He
would come off a pick and roll and not only
would the two guys be there, but a third guy
in the gaps would be all the way over helping
on camp Thomas, which really kind of sped up his
(29:36):
decision making. Made a few nice passes Early obviously has
to keep his foot on the pedal in that regard,
but personally, I thought there was a difference from Portland
his first game back to San Antonio. I thought San
Antonio was actually a step in the right direction. Obviously,
he had one assist in three turnovers against Portland, six
(29:57):
assists and one turnover against San Antonio, And while that's
not always exactly totally representative of a guy's playmaking, I
think that was a pretty good place to start. And
the one thing I'm really excited for with this backcourt
is that, and you saw it against San Antonio where
camp Thomas was able to get up a lot more
three point attempts. Camp Thomas might be better off the
(30:21):
ball than he is on the ball, and I don't
mean that as a slight the way he can catch
and shoot, how explosive he is, like off the catch.
He had that play last night where he caught it
on the right wing, took a dribble or two and
took Bismack Biambo on chest to chest, hung in the air,
finished a layup. He over the past two years, percentergy
(30:43):
Sports is in the eighty eighth percentile of spot up
possessions in terms of points per possession. So when he's
spotting up and it directly leads to a shot or
pass from him, it's elite offense. And I feel like
that makes sense with what we know about him and
his skill set.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Right, Yeah, no, without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
And with that we shall move on to of course,
your favorite part of the episode, My favorite part two.
Unless you have anything else to say, I think it's
time for trivia.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Let's do trivia. I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
This is like an impossible question, but I just I
think it's fun day run. As I said, twenty five
fifteen five, two and three and two three pointers, very
simple question. How many players in NBA history have reached
those numbers in a game? So the five major stack
(31:43):
categories and he hit a couple of threes. Very good,
guess it's nine. He became the ninth. He became the ninth. Okay,
he became the He became the ninth. So it was
eight others so only three off. Okay, that was that's
really impressive. I take on like thirty or forty, like,
I don't you know, are you.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Gonna name me? Are you gonna make me a name
of people that have done it?
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Or no?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
I thought that wasn't true.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Oh, okay, that would have been tough. I can pull
it up. But it's you've got a couple Josh Smith
is Josh Smith's in there as well, Okay, Lebron.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
No q, Yeah, no question on that one.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Bee okay, question Kat as well, and uh I believe
if you remove.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
But to that point, yeah, and to that point, like
that's really it's a really big deal.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
And there was a lot of things we keep talking about,
but there was a lot of things from that game
that stood out and just the totality of it. And
I feel like that's really telling to say that that
stat line in NBA history has only happened now nine times.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Is something?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, this was no this was no regular stat line
Boogie Cousins did it twice, Joel and b Nikolovucevic and
you soof Nurksh and those other guys I mentioned. That's
the whole shout out to Nets legend Derek Coleman. He
was the only guy with twenty five fifteen and then
multiple blocks, multiple steals, multiple threes. So if you move
(33:11):
the assists, Derek Coleman got it. I wanted to shout
out him in a great stat from nets pr Sarah,
do you have anything else to add?
Speaker 2 (33:19):
No, I'm just excited for the week.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I said it earlier. I think this is a good opportunity.
We've seen the Nets rise the train levels when they
played some of the best teams in the league, or
just really great competition or an ability to kind of regroup. Yeah,
from the way this last week has went, and it's
not to say that it is been down, but I
(33:41):
think there's a really good opportunity to just kind of
see what things look like a Warrior's team.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
With the addition to Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
You get to see this but playing really well and
get off with the big win against the Knicks at
the Garden. Obviously, go to Charlotte, but then a Lakers
team that has been extraordinary. We can welcome our old
friend Dorian phony Smith back to back to Barclays and
just what Lebron James has been doing this year. Obviously
see them with Luka Doncic, and that's gonna be a
challenging back to back because you got that with Cleveland,
(34:09):
and then go to Chicago, a Chicago team that you're
essentially competing with for that play in spot. So I
think you look at all of those things and it's
this is this is a very to me at this
point of the season, relatively significant week for Brooklyn. And
I'm excited for them because I think with this group,
we've seen them rise to really great levels of compete
(34:32):
when they're presented it with these challenges, and I think
this week presents a really big challenge.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And as we record the Nets just two losses back
in the playing still in a dead heat with Chicago.
Big week for them, great, fantastic, My favorite part of
the sports calendar coming up, college conference tournaments, March madness,
unrivaled playoffs, close to the regular season NBA playoffs. It's
(34:57):
just a fantastic, fantastic time to be a basketball fan.
Fantastic time to be a NETS fan. We really thank
you guys for listening to us. And I was excited
about the Lakers game coming to town, just to see
Lebron and to welcome Dori and Finny Smith back. And
now now I'm gonna be watching Luka Doncic barring fingers
crossed injury in the next week. But I Steph's coming
(35:22):
to town. It's a fun time. It's a fun time
all around. And Sarah and I thank you NETS fans
very much for listening to the pod. This has been
episode nineteen of The Backcourt, a Brooklyn NETS podcast presented
by Ticketmaster. Go like and subscribe and rate five stars
and all that stuff you do wherever you get podcasts,
and until next time next week, we will see you guys.
(35:44):
Thank you
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