Three Takeaways From the Nets' Road Loss to the Cavaliers

Following a week off for the NBA's All-Star break, the Brooklyn Nets (15-39) returned to action for a road matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21).

The Nets would be without starting center Nic Claxton (ankle) on Thursday and had to face one of the hottest teams in the entire league. The game went about as well as you might expect, with the Nets being on the wrong side of a lopsided 112-84 loss to the Cavaliers.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers.

The first-half defense left some to be desired

The Nets' defense didn't return from the All-Star break in the first half, as they were virtually non-existent in the opening 24 minutes. Cleveland scored 70 points, shot 64% from the field and 57% from three, and out-rebounded Brooklyn 28 to 16. Jarrett Allen had a game-leading 15 points, taking advantage of Claxton's absence.

It was evident from the start that Brooklyn's defensive effort was not up to snuff. Jordi Fernandez called a timeout less than a minute into the game after a pair of defensive miscues. That start to the game set the tone for the rest of the night. This was a poor defensive effort from the Nets.

Ochai Agbaji showed up

In just his second game as a Net, Ochai Agbaji might have been the best player on the court wearing a black and white jersey. The former Toronto Raptor failed to score in his Brooklyn debut, but was much better against Cleveland on Thursday. He had 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Agbaji could be an interesting piece for the Nets' rebuild going forward. He'll turn 26 in April, so he fits the timeline fairly well. He's a career 7.3 points per game scorer, with intriguing size and defensive upside. He fell out of favor in Toronto, but could be a sneaky under-the-radar pickup for Sean Marks and Brooklyn. Games like he had on Thursday will go a long way toward that becoming a reality.

The tank is on

If it wasn't already apparent before the All-Star break, the tank is officially on for the Nets and numerous other NBA franchises. There's probably going to be a lot more games just like this one, where key players sit out for various reasons, and that results in a poor performance and a loss for Brooklyn.

With the quality of the upcoming NBA draft class, you can't blame the Nets for wanting to put themselves in the best possible position to snag a franchise-changing player. The future is bright in Brooklyn, but the rest of this season could see many more performances just like this one. The only question that remains is whether it will all be worth it.