Inside The Nets

Biggest takeaways from the Nets' 94-96 loss to the Timberwolves

The Nets almost beat the Western Conference’s best team.
Peter Sunjic|
© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

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Brooklyn NetsMinnesota Timberwolves

After a couple of games where the team almost got the win, the Brooklyn Nets added another entry to that growing catalog with a 94-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nets had a huge chance to tie the game with two seconds left, but Mikal Bridges missed both free throws.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the standout, scoring 27 points and grabbing ten rebounds. Cameron Thomas had another superb performance off the bench for Brooklyn, scoring 25 points to lead his team. Nic Claxton also had another solid game with 16 points and 11 rebounds, holding his own against the Wolves’ big-man duo of Towns and Rudy Gobert.

It was a heartbreaking result for the Nets, even though they showed promising signs. Take a look at the takeaways from what happened in the game.

The Nets are struggling to create free-throw opportunities

Brooklyn only had 16 free-throw attempts, distributed across three players. Cam had most of the shots from the charity stripe, making all ten attempts. Spencer Dinwiddie had one attempt while Mikal had five, missing the two shots to tie the game at 96 in the final seconds.

While the Wolves also shot 16 free throws, the Nets’ issues were prominent. Brooklyn relies on Cam and Mikal to create easy points at the charity stripe while most of the team is camping beyond the three-point line. The offense’s effectiveness will wane if they do not attack the paint.

Brooklyn needs more size to keep up

KAT dominated the Brooklyn defense, no matter which coverage Coach Jacque Vaughn tried. The Nets could’ve kept up if Day’Ron Sharpe was healthy, but without Sharpe in the mix, Towns dominated no matter which defender was on him.

With Sharpe and Ben Simmons returning soon, Brooklyn will get a much-needed boost in the size department. When two of the tallest Nets players return to the rotation, the team will fare better against teams like the Timberwolves or the Pelicans.

Vaughn should consider putting Thomas back in the starting lineup

Putting Dorian Finney-Smith into the starting lineup was a brave decision by Coach Vaughn, but it has not worked out. In the meantime, Cam has been superb off the bench and projects to be even better if he gets the starting role back.

It might be time for Coach Vaughn to stop the DFS starter experiment and pivot back to Cam because the former LSU Tiger is arguably the team’s best player, at least offensively. Making him play backup minutes likely won’t pan out for the 22-year-old, especially when he described his minutes as “random” before the game.

Ben Simmons' return to the Brooklyn Nets lineup is imminent

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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