Jalen Wilson a Key Takeaway As The Nets Fall To The Thunder

The Brooklyn Nets (17-52) continued a tough homestand on Wednesday night against the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder (55-14).

The Nets would be without Michael Porter Jr. once again as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Ben Saraf, who had been playing some great ball recently, also missed the game with a foot injury. Brooklyn was blitzed from the opening tip and ended up dropping the game 121-92.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets lopsided loss to the Thunder.

1. First-Half Offense Struggles

To say that the Nets' offense in the first half struggled might be the understatement of the season. Brooklyn put up just 24 points in the first half on Wednesday, shooting just 9-38 (24%) from the field. They were an even worse 1-16 (6%) from behind the arc, as only Tyson Etienne could find the bottom of the net from three.

Etienne was the leading scorer in the opening 24 minutes with five points. Only one player, Jalen Wilson, hit more than one field goal. For comparison, the Thunder had seven players hit multiple shots in the first half. Out of all the poor starts this season for the Nets, this might take the cake as the worst.

2. Jalen Wilson Showed Up

Not many Nets bothered to show up on Wednesday, but Jalen Wilson was one of the few who did. The 6-foot-6 wing out of Kansas finished the night with 15 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. He was the best player on the court wearing a black-and-white jersey.

It hasn't been the season Wilson was hoping for, as he's seen himself in-and-out of the rotation amid very inconsistent play. Games like the one on Wednesday show what he can do at his best, especially on the offensive end of the court. There are a lot of roles open on next year's team, and Wilson will be one of many fighting for minutes.

3. The Divide Is Huge

It was abundantly clear to anyone who watched this game just how much better the Thunder are compared to the Nets. They're not marginally better. They're so much better that it looks like these two teams don't belong in the same league. Games like these are a great reminder to the entire organization just how far they have to go in their rebuild.

Oklahoma City wasn't healthy either, and they still clobbered the Nets in Brooklyn. The Thunder should be the team that Sean Marks models his rebuild after. Acquiring depth and draft picks through savvy moves, and eventually landing the superstars needed to help reach the next level. It's possible for Brooklyn, but they'll need to be very smart with their decisions, starting this offseason.