Three Takeaways From The Nets' Home Loss To The Spurs

The Brooklyn Nets (15-43) continued a tough homestand with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs (43-16) on Thursday night.

Brooklyn was still looking for its first win after the All-Star break, as they battled a Spurs team on the second night of a road back-to-back. The Nets will have to wait a little longer for that win after they fell to San Antonio 126-110 at the Barclays Center.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets home loss to the Spurs.

1. Day'Ron Sharpe Was Sharp

It was another game with a strong performance off the bench for Day'Ron Sharpe. In just 19 minutes, the 24-year-old posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Against a tough Spurs interior defense, Sharpe was able to have a lot of success and be a positive note for his team.

Now in his fifth NBA season, the big man from North Carolina is finally putting everything together. He's found a more consistent scoring touch, is dominating the glass, showing off some passing instincts, and playing solid defense. He should be a building block piece for the Nets as the rebuild continues.

2. Nets Defended Wemby Well

Victor Wembanyama is one of the very best players in the entire league. The 7-foot-4 center is a true alien, able to beat opposing defenses in a multitude of ways. He looked surprisingly very human on Thursday, a big credit to Brooklyn's defense. He finished the night with just 12 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes on 3-9 shooting.

Brooklyn has struggled defending opposing teams' number one options all season, but they did a great job contesting with Wembanyama on Thursday. Give a ton of credit to Nic Claxton, Sharpe, and the rest of the defense for not letting Wemby beat them. While it didn't lead to a win, this was still a positive development for Brooklyn.

3. Egor Demin Flashed Elite Playmaking Skills

The Nets' 2025 lottery pick has shown a lot of good signs this season, particularly in his shooting from behind the arc. But an element of his game that hadn't been as fleshed out was the playmaking. That changed in a big way on Thursday for Egor Demin, who had a career-high nine assists on the night.

Demin's playmaking skills were at their absolute best against San Antonio, as he dropped numerous dimes to his teammates. Despite scoring just six points, Demin finished as just a -3 in the game, largely due to those assist numbers. That's an element of his game that could be a game-changer for him and the franchise's ceiling going forward.