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The biggest takeaways from Brooklyn's dominance over Washington
Despite a slower first half than usual, the Brooklyn Nets managed to dominate the Washington Wizards in the second half to get a 124-97 win. This was one of the most impressive Nets performances in the 2023/24 season as they dominated the second half and they didn’t give Washington any breathing room.
The Brooklyn Nets just got another win to take their record to 12 wins and nine losses. This was a strong performance for Jacque Vaughn’s Nets, which made them more confident and ready for the upcoming road trip. Here are some of the positive takeaways from the Nets’ performance.
The Nets’ big-man depth is constantly improving
Nicolas Claxton has been firmly established as a strong big man for a couple of years now, but his backup Day’Ron Sharpe has become one of the most impressive centers off the bench.
In this game, both centers had double-doubles, with Clax posting 13 points and 15 rebounds with two blocks, while Sharpe had 15 points with 11 rebounds. This kind of presence in the paint helped the Nets dominate the shaded area, as they scored 71 points there. This is their highest total points in the paint in a game for the 2023/24 season.
Expect these two centers to keep playing well, especially now that they’re both healthy. The Nets’ big-man depth beyond them was good, too as Trendon Watford and Harry Giles III both scored eight points during their short time on the floor.
Bridges is ready to take the All-Star leap
While this was a quiet game from Mikal Bridges with only 21 points, a top-tier performance was not needed. However, when he was on the floor, Mikal looked a level above the rest of the players on the floor. He was not only scoring from all over the court, but he was playing elite defense, including a flashy chase-down block on a jump shot.
He is willing to score, make plays, and defend to the highest level. Taking on that kind of responsibility is a good characteristic for a leader, and he is proving that he deserves to be called the Nets’ All-Star in February.
Cam Thomas needs time to regain his early-season form
While Cameron Thomas scored 17 points in this game, it was rather inefficient as he shot 7/18, good for 36.8%. That is not what he was doing earlier in the season before his injury, where he was averaging more than 26 points per game on good efficiency. He is still getting his legs under him, but when he does, expect him to return to that kind of form.
The Nets move forward to a tough road trip ahead on the West Coast. They will play some good teams, but with the team performing this well, it’s hard to go against the Nets’ chances of getting more wins there.
