Three Takeaways From the Nets' Blowout Loss to the Rockets

The Brooklyn Nets (10-21) returned to the court for a big test against a Western Conference power, the Houston Rockets (21-10), on Thursday night.

The Nets were looking to ring in the new year with a win, but they'd have to do it very shorthanded. Brooklyn was down three starters, as Michael Porter Jr. (illness), Egor Demin (back), and Terance Mann (hip) all missed Thursday's game. Those absences showed in a big way as the Nets fell to the Rockets 120-96.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets home loss to the Rockets.

1. Nets really missed injured starters

This may seem obvious, but it's important to note. The Rockets are a strong team with championship aspirations, and beating them was already going to be difficult before Brooklyn announced three starters were going to miss the game. It was going to be near impossible with those guys out, and Thursday's game went about as poorly as you could expect.

Without Porter Jr. and Demin, the Nets' offense struggled mightily to find any consistency, and the defense suffered without the underrated contributions from Mann. If there was ever a game that shows the true impact MPJ has had with this team, it was this one. Without him, the Nets, who had played a ton of competitive basketball recently, completely crumbled.

2. Ziaire Williams was a bright spot

On a night when the Nets really struggled, Ziaire Williams was a rare bright spot. Getting the start with all the injuries, Williams did what he could to help a shorthanded roster compete. He finished the night with 14 points, two rebounds, and five steals while shooting 3-6 from the field and 6-7 from the free throw line.

This was just the third game in the past month that Williams reached double digits in the scoring department. After a strong start to the season, Williams has seen his minutes and production dwindle recently. The fifth-year forward has felt like the odd man out in Jordi Fernandez's rotation as of late, but this performance could be a turning point in his season. All things considered, this was a nice night for the former Memphis Grizzly.

3. Cam Thomas looks healthier

Another one of the few bright spots for the Nets on Thursday was Cam Thomas. In his third game back from a 20-game absence with a hamstring injury, Thomas continued to look healthier and healthier with a nice night off the bench. Thomas had a team-leading 21 points in 23 minutes off the bench.

While he's still coming off the bench for Fernandez right now, it's great to see Thomas starting to look like himself as he gets back into a rhythm. His pure ability to score the basketball is matched by nobody not named Michael Porter Jr. on this roster, which makes him a valuable piece. He could also be shipped off at the trade deadline and needs to build back up his value coming off an injury. Thursday night was a great step forward for Thomas in that regard.