Brooklyn Nets Tumble to 21st in The Athletic's Power Rankings Amid Injury Woes

After a down week, the Brooklyn Nets have fallen in the Power Rankings.

© Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

With a 6-5 record, the Brooklyn Nets secured a respectable 16th-place finish in last week's The Athletic's Power Rankings. Now, injuries have caught up to them as the team entered the Thanksgiving break with a 6-8 record, not getting a win since the last edition of these rankings.

The issues with their lackluster defense and stale offense were evident in the past week as the Nets lost all three games to the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks.

“What if the shots stop falling? Can they create easy scoring opportunities for themselves?,” Zach Harper said on The Athletic. “They’re arguably the worst team in the league at getting to the free-throw line, especially when Ben Simmons is back.”

Ben Simmons is needed on the roster

Ben Simmons has missed the last six games for the Nets, and it has been a big-time struggle for the team. He is their main ball-handler and most imperious perimeter defender.

Additionally, head coach Jacque Vaughn emphasizes Simmons as the key component in their transition system. Playing at a fast pace becomes challenging for the Nets when relying on Spencer Dinwiddie, who is not typically regarded as an athletic point guard.

The team did have a decent backup point guard in Dennis Smith Jr. who could play with the pace and energy but he is also out with an injury of his own. The offensive strategy appears stagnant as they heavily depend on Dinwiddie to orchestrate plays or resort to isolating Mikal Bridges.

Tied his career-high 👏

Big-time effort from @mikal_bridges pic.twitter.com/mXFEVWezJh

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 23, 2023

The Nets’ three-point shooting remains reliable

Despite offensive challenges, the Nets maintain proficiency in three-point shooting, boasting an impressive 40.8% accuracy in the 2023/24 season. This is a good sign for the Nets because even if they’re struggling on offense, at least they can rely on their shooters to put points on the board when needed.

Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O’Neale, and Lonnie Walker IV have all been amazing as spot-up shooters, laying out a foundation for the Nets when their injured players return. 

Although this is a downgrade from the 16th spot they earned in the previous week but coach Vaughn and the Nets have a bright future when everyone gets healthy and find their rhythm again.

.@lonniewalker_4 with some gravy 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/YPRxZErIzn

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 23, 2023

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