Three Takeaways From the Nets Tight Loss to the 76ers

The Brooklyn Nets (17-50) continued their road trip in the City of Brotherly Love for a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers (36-31).

The Nets were without a ton of key contributors, as Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, and Drake Powell all missed the game. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as well, leading to a game featuring plenty of reserves. Those reserves gave fans a great game, as a massive comeback effort from Brooklyn came up just short in a 104-97 loss.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets road loss to the 76ers.

Turnovers Were A Problem

The turnovers were a huge problem for the Nets on Saturday afternoon. They committed 14 of them in the first half alone, finishing the game with 17 turnovers. The 76ers took advantage, getting out in transition and making the Nets pay for their mistakes.

With many regulars out of the lineup, it makes sense that there was some discombobulation that led to turnovers. But some of the mistakes on Saturday were just poor IQ plays from some guys that are better than that. The Nets don't have the star power or talent currently to overcome this many turnovers. They need to be better in that aspect from now on.

Chaney Johnson Fills The Stat Sheet

In just his fourth NBA game, Chaney Johnson had a decent afternoon against Philadelphia. He finished the game with five points, ten rebounds, three steals, and a block. While he didn't have a crazy scoring game, his ability to contribute in other aspects of the game helped Brooklyn hang around and make a little run in the fourth quarter.

The 23-year-old former Auburn Tiger has the frame that NBA executives can salivate over, and he's showing off some good stuff early during his professional career. While Johnson will never be an NBA star, he could end up being a decent addition to the roation going forward if he keeps playing like this. Another diamond in the rough find from Sean Marks.

This Team Is Scrappy

The Nets trailed by 28 points at one point on Saturday. They took the lead late in the fourth quarter after an incredible comeback effort. Even down numerous starters and quality players, this team never gave up and turned this game into a tight back-and-forth contest. While they came up short in the end, there was a lot to like about the effort.

The lineups consisted of rookies, guys on two-way contracts, players on their second or third teams this season, and they still made a run. This game, more than any other one this season, showed the winning culture that Jordi Fernandez is building in Brooklyn. This franchise will be scrappy and hard to play against going forward.