Three Takeaways From The Nets' Lopsided Loss To The Lakers

In the midst of trade deadline drama, the Brooklyn Nets (13-36) returned to the Barclays Center for a marquee matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers (30-19).

The Nets haven't been involved in any trades yet, so they had their entire roster available to them on Tuesday against Los Angeles. That didn't seem to matter much as the Lakers took care of business early, cruising to a 125-109 win over Brooklyn.

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

1. Everything Went Wrong In The First Half

Everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Nets in the first half. They didn't defend well at all, surrendering 69 points as the Lakers shot 59% from the field. Brooklyn was out-rebounded, turned it over 11 times, and shot 2-20 from behind the arc. Outside of Michael Porter Jr. and a late push from Egor Demin, no one showed up in the opening 24 minutes for the Nets.

Slow starts have plagued this team lately, and it nagged them again on Tuesday. They trailed by 22 at the end of the first quarter, and the game was effectively over after 12 minutes. This kind of losing does no good for a young team looking to gain valuable experience during a tough season. The Nets need to be more competitive going forward for the development of their young players to be successful.

2. Day'Ron Sharpe Is A Bright Spot

Not much went Brooklyn's way on Tuesday, but backup center Day'Ron Sharpe was one of the lone bright spots. The fifth-year pro is currently playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career, and turned in another great performance against Los Angeles. Sharpe had 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He had an incredible ten offensive rebounds and was 9-12 from the field.

While the counting numbers are impressive, it was Sharpe's effort that really stood out. He was chasing after fifty-fifty balls, battling for rebounds, and giving a ton of energy on defense. On a night when much of the Brooklyn roster did none of that small stuff, it was nice to see Sharpe giving it his all. He continues to show that he's a foundational piece of this rebuild.

3. Change is Coming

With the trade deadline coming up on Thursday afternoon, the Nets' roster could look very different by the time they tip off against the Magic on Thursday night. Cam Thomas and Terance Mann could be on the move. But, the biggest domino to watch is Michael Porter Jr. It wasn't a great night for MPJ, who had 21 points on 6-15 shooting, including a 0-9 night from behind the arc.

There's a decent chance that Porter Jr. will be moved sometime between now and the deadline. If this was the last game for MPJ in a Nets uniform, fans should have fond memories of his time in Brooklyn. He put together a great season, had some clutch moments and big games, and could ultimately fetch the Nets some great assets. It might not be a long stint, but Porter Jr.'s time in Brooklyn could wind up being very important for the futureof the franchise.