Inside The Nets

Jacque Vaughn believes the Nets still have much to learn

The Nets have much to learn from their collapse against the Clippers.
Marin Gabric|
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Brooklyn Nets

With only 5:33 left in the game, the Nets had a stable 114-103 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers. Mikal Bridges scored a transition layup after a superb defensive stop, but that would be the final point Coach Jacque Vaughn's team scored.

The Clippers mounted a comeback by going on a 22-0 run. LA played good defense, but Brooklyn should hold themselves accountable, given the squad veered away from the ball movement that helped them build the lead in the first place.

“It just tells you that our group is still learning lessons. Whether it's being organized after a free throw… Whether it’s taking the shots that you'd normally take throughout the course of a game that your teammates expect you to take. That piece of it, whether you’re down 6 or up 6, those are lessons for us to learn, especially on the road against a really good team,” Coach Vaughn said after the loss.

Vaughn wants the team to keep moving the ball

The Nets have two effective isolation scorers in Mikal and Cameron Thomas. The duo can do iso-plays multiple times a game, but it shouldn’t impede proper ball movement. Coach Vaughn has preached this since day one of the season when Ben Simmons was still the primary playmaker before his injury.

Brooklyn veered away from moving the ball in favor of breaking down defenders. Coach JV wants to see a free-flowing offense, and he got what he wanted against the Lakers and most of the Clippers game.

“We slowed down, tried to manipulate matchups and that's not going to work, not for our group. We can try it and see if we can beat dudes 1-on-1, but that's not how we built our lead,” Vaughn continued with his opinion about the Nets’ offense.

Players have to be willing to move the ball

The Nets played beautiful basketball early in the season when the offense relied on transition opportunities. The team kept running and pushing the pace, leading to success. Unfortunately, that has not been the consistent play style since Ben got sidelined.

Cam Thomas showcased his willingness to pass by becoming a playmaker against the Clippers. Cam’s growth as a playmaker is what JV wants to see because of the impact it can have on the team.

If the rest of the Brooklyn roster can do something similar to what Cam has been doing recently, the team will fare better in beating good teams.

The Nets fall apart in the fourth quarter in a crushing loss to the LA Clippers

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Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

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