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Spring is officially sprung and after a nice three-day rest the Cavs travel to Brooklyn for a back-to-back on Tuesday and Thursday against the Nets, who find themselves in a whole new world after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets are in 6th place with a 39-32 record, but since trading Irving they are 8-12. The game will be televised on NBA-TV at 7:30.
These teams played on Dec. 26 and the Nets won by 8 as Kyrie and KD combined for 62 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Four of the Nets’ starters in that game will not be starting this week, so that game is irrelevant. Darius Garland, possibly trying to out-duel Kyrie, scored 46 that night.
The reconstructed Nets have a big team; their starters are 6’6”, 6’6”, 6’7”, 6’8” and 6’11”. It doesn’t make sense to look at their season stats, but I was able to find a breakdown of their 10 games in March, which more accurately reflects the team they have now.
In March the Nets are 5-5 with a net of -0.3 points per game. They rank 25th in scoring. They are awful shooters, ranking last in field goal percentage at 44.2%.
They’re 5th in 3-point attempts per game but only 18th in 3-point percentage. They jack up almost 40 three-pointers per game which is about 45% of their total shots. They don’t pass much, ranking 24th in assists, and they are 28th in offensive rebounds per game. On the season they are last in second chance points at just 10.4 per game.
On the positive side, they protect the ball well (4th fewest turnovers) and they make a lot of free throws (20 per game).
Looking at their individual stats in March, SF Mikal Bridges is on fire, averaging 27.1 points on 48% from the field and 42% on 3’s. PG Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 18 points and 9 assists, but is only shooting 41% overall and 26% on 3’s. SF Cam Johnson is averaging 16.4 points, C Nic Claxton averages 13 points and 10 rebounds, and PF Dorian Finney-Smith averages 7 points on 32% overall. Finney-Smith is questionable with a right wrist injury.
The Nets don't have much of a bench with Ben Simmons out and having traded KD and Irving. Seth Curry and Joe Harris are the backup guards while Royce O'Neale is listed as the backup small forward, power forward, and center on their ESPN depth chart. O'Neale is only 6'6" so they are really lacking in big men behind Claxton and Johnson, who is hardly a big at 6'8", 210.
Defensively they’re average in opponent’s field goal percentage, 9th in blocks, 6th in steals, and 19th in defensive rebounding. Nic Claxton is 2nd in the NBA in blocks per game at 2.7.
Over the last two weeks (seven games) cleaningtheglass.com has the Nets with the 10th best point differential; ranking 25th on offense and 9th in defense. Maybe getting rid of Kyrie and KD improved them defensively; they have a great shot blocker in Claxton and a lot of length overall.
With Claxton in the paint the Cavs may have trouble getting buckets at the rim and with all that length on the perimeter it may be tough to get off uncontested 3’s. Last week the Nets held Sacramento, with the most efficient offense in NBA history, to 101 points. The Kings had scored more than 117 points in their previous 11 games. On Sunday Denver scored just 108 against the Nets. The Nets defense has improved by getting younger and longer.
Jarrett Allen is questionable and Ben Simmons is out for Brooklyn.
The Nets are in 6th place, 5.0 games behind the Cavs and just one game ahead of Miami. The Nets need to stay in 6th to avoid the play-in, so these games are huge for them.
The Cavs could use these wins because the Knicks have won 12 of 16 and are surging, although they lost at home to Minnesota last night, giving the Cavs a three-game lead with each team having nine to play. At four games behind Philly and three games ahead of New York the Cavs seem locked into 4th place. The Nets probably need wins more than the Cavs do.
Claxton averages 30 minutes per game so when he is out the Cavs should attack the rim if the 6'6" O'Neale replaces him. We could see newly signed Moses Brown, however. With Garland and Mitchell being guarded by a couple of 6'6" guys the approach should be to beat them off the dribble, get into the paint, draw Claxton to the ball and dish off or lob for a dunk or layup. I don't want to see the Cavs shooting contested 3's on the road against tall defenders. Donovan Mitchell is shooting under 29% on 3's in March.
These teams played on Dec. 26 and the Nets won by 8 as Kyrie and KD combined for 62 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Four of the Nets’ starters in that game will not be starting this week, so that game is irrelevant. Darius Garland, possibly trying to out-duel Kyrie, scored 46 that night.
The reconstructed Nets have a big team; their starters are 6’6”, 6’6”, 6’7”, 6’8” and 6’11”. It doesn’t make sense to look at their season stats, but I was able to find a breakdown of their 10 games in March, which more accurately reflects the team they have now.
In March the Nets are 5-5 with a net of -0.3 points per game. They rank 25th in scoring. They are awful shooters, ranking last in field goal percentage at 44.2%.
They’re 5th in 3-point attempts per game but only 18th in 3-point percentage. They jack up almost 40 three-pointers per game which is about 45% of their total shots. They don’t pass much, ranking 24th in assists, and they are 28th in offensive rebounds per game. On the season they are last in second chance points at just 10.4 per game.
On the positive side, they protect the ball well (4th fewest turnovers) and they make a lot of free throws (20 per game).
Looking at their individual stats in March, SF Mikal Bridges is on fire, averaging 27.1 points on 48% from the field and 42% on 3’s. PG Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 18 points and 9 assists, but is only shooting 41% overall and 26% on 3’s. SF Cam Johnson is averaging 16.4 points, C Nic Claxton averages 13 points and 10 rebounds, and PF Dorian Finney-Smith averages 7 points on 32% overall. Finney-Smith is questionable with a right wrist injury.
The Nets don't have much of a bench with Ben Simmons out and having traded KD and Irving. Seth Curry and Joe Harris are the backup guards while Royce O'Neale is listed as the backup small forward, power forward, and center on their ESPN depth chart. O'Neale is only 6'6" so they are really lacking in big men behind Claxton and Johnson, who is hardly a big at 6'8", 210.
Defensively they’re average in opponent’s field goal percentage, 9th in blocks, 6th in steals, and 19th in defensive rebounding. Nic Claxton is 2nd in the NBA in blocks per game at 2.7.
Over the last two weeks (seven games) cleaningtheglass.com has the Nets with the 10th best point differential; ranking 25th on offense and 9th in defense. Maybe getting rid of Kyrie and KD improved them defensively; they have a great shot blocker in Claxton and a lot of length overall.
With Claxton in the paint the Cavs may have trouble getting buckets at the rim and with all that length on the perimeter it may be tough to get off uncontested 3’s. Last week the Nets held Sacramento, with the most efficient offense in NBA history, to 101 points. The Kings had scored more than 117 points in their previous 11 games. On Sunday Denver scored just 108 against the Nets. The Nets defense has improved by getting younger and longer.
Jarrett Allen is questionable and Ben Simmons is out for Brooklyn.
The Nets are in 6th place, 5.0 games behind the Cavs and just one game ahead of Miami. The Nets need to stay in 6th to avoid the play-in, so these games are huge for them.
The Cavs could use these wins because the Knicks have won 12 of 16 and are surging, although they lost at home to Minnesota last night, giving the Cavs a three-game lead with each team having nine to play. At four games behind Philly and three games ahead of New York the Cavs seem locked into 4th place. The Nets probably need wins more than the Cavs do.
Claxton averages 30 minutes per game so when he is out the Cavs should attack the rim if the 6'6" O'Neale replaces him. We could see newly signed Moses Brown, however. With Garland and Mitchell being guarded by a couple of 6'6" guys the approach should be to beat them off the dribble, get into the paint, draw Claxton to the ball and dish off or lob for a dunk or layup. I don't want to see the Cavs shooting contested 3's on the road against tall defenders. Donovan Mitchell is shooting under 29% on 3's in March.
