OKC Thunder still in search of their first win of 2022: Nets Preview

Key Stats:

In the big three categories, the Nets rank eighth on offense (111.2), 11th on defense  (108.2), and their net rating is a plus +3.0 net differential which ranks ninth.

 Scoring:

The Nets score 111.6 points per game albeit that total was bolstered by the win in Chicago and rank seventh in the NBA. They allow teams to score 108.7 ranking 18th.

Rebounding:

On the glass, the Nets frequently struggle to compete grabbing 45.5 rebounds per game, 36.0 defensive boards, and 9.5 offensive boards which rank seventh, fourth, and 24th respectively.

The latter (offensive rebounding) is where opponents can take advantage of Brooklyn creating second-chance scoring opportunities and easy points in the paint.

Assists and Turnovers:

In terms of dishing dimes, the Nets average 25.8 assists per game ranking sixth, and notably the Big 3 account for 19.5 of those assists. Brooklyn averages 14.2 turnovers per game equating to the 18th rank.

Perimeter:

The Nets are a mid-of-the-league perimeter shooting club with an efficiency of 35.1 percent or 15th of 30 teams.

Brooklyn’s perimeter defense is one of their strengths as they hold the top spot holding teams to 32.2 percent from deep. How much of this is a factor of them not facing many top 3-point shooting teams we’ll see as the season progresses.

Miscellaneous Categories:

The key area the OKC Thunder will need to focus on is rebounding as the Nets will give up offensive rebounds and that leads to second-chance points so it’s not surprising that is the area where they struggle in the miscellaneous categories. Conversely, their strength is getting out in transition and scoring on the fast break.

• Points off turnovers: 15.6   – rank 17th
• Second Chance points: 12.4 – rank 21st
• Fastbreak points: 14.0 – rank sixth
• Points in the paint: 45.7 – rank 14th

Defensively the Nets don’t perform great in any one category and reside in the bottom tier for opponents’ points scored off turnovers as well as on the fast break.

Since they invest in stopping perimeter scoring this isn’t all that surprising.

• Points off turnovers: 17.1 – rank 25th
• Second Chance points: 13.6 – rank 20th
• Fast Break points: 14.2 – rank 27th
• Points in the paint: 46.2  – rank 16th

NOTE: Stats are courtesy of the NBA official site.