Three thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets’ loss to the Denver Nuggets

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández’s first game against one of his former teams, the Denver Nuggets, ended in a loss of overtime which showed the ups and downs of reconstruction.

“To me, the fact that we fought a team like this means a lot to our group… So proud of our guys,” Fernández said. The first-year head coach was an assistant with the Nuggets under Mike Malone for six seasons, from 2016 to 2022.

Brooklyn is now 1-3 on the season. Dennis Schröder led the team in scoring and assists with 28 and 14, respectively. Cam Thomas added 26 points. Four Nuggets players scored more than 20 points: Nikola Jokić, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook.

In terms of injuriesTrendon Watford and Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring) remained out for the Nets. Cui Yongxi had an assignment with Long Island in the G League after being named to their training camp roster. Ben Simmons won’t be playing back-to-backs for a while, Fernández said, so he’ll be available Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies since he didn’t play against Denver in the front portion of this two-night series.

Noah Clowney received his first start of the season – and fifth of his NBA career – as the lead center at center alongside Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Nic Claxton continued to come off the bench.

Here are three takeaways from the fourth regular season game for the Nets:

Ziaire Williams completed with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while also throwing in four assists, three rebounds and one block.

Williams ‘has things you can’t learn’ per Nets general manager Sean Marks, but his shooting might actually say the opposite of that. After making four of his five 3-pointers against Denver, the Brooklyn wing is 8-for-12 from deep to start the season. He didn’t just adopt easy spot-up looks while moving and moving in threes, either.

Williams explained that his shooting improvement started to take shape last year: “(Assistant coach) Anthony Carter from Memphis was the first person to teach me how to jump into a shot instead of a one-two. That gave me much more momentum and flow.”

But Ziaire didn’t just shoot threes. He was also cutting and catching a lob, running outside in transition and crashing the boards. All of Williams’ shots came from three, curiously on the right side of the floor, or at the rim.

The former 10th overall pick seems aware that this opportunity with the Nets is something of a rethink in the NBA. In Memphis, Williams was eventually usurped in the pecking order by newer, healthier and sometimes more productive wings. So far this season with the Nets, he has been solid, but not spectacular.

Williams is in the final year of his contract ($6.1 million). this season) and will be a restricted free agent next summer after not coming to terms with Brooklyn before the extension deadline. More games like this will help the Nets prioritize him, or else other teams will covet him.

The Nets are being cautious with Nic Claxton and continue to bring him off the bench as he works his way back after missing the entire preseason due to hamstring soreness. But he is clearly the team’s best central player and possibly their best player.

In 26 minutes, Claxton achieved his second double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. His three blocks also reflect his two-way impact, and his two assists showcase the more expansive touches that make Jordi Fernández the Brooklyn great.

On a night when Noah Clowney got his first start, the contrast between the second-year forward and the veteran Claxton was noticeable. Clowney continues to promise, but he needs to lock down his assets better. In 15 minutes, he missed both of his shot attempts and only collected three rebounds. Claxton, on the other hand, is much more of an event creator and game-finishing player near the basket.

That said, the Georgia product couldn’t do anything — and neither could any other Net — against Jokic, who finished with an absurd triple-double: 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists. Posting the three-time and reigning MVP was essentially a cheat code for the Nuggets, especially in the second half.

“What they do is put the ball in Nikola’s hands and he controls the game,” Fernández said. He called Jokic “an incredible player who put in an incredible performance.”

Claxton will not play on the second night of the Nets’ back-to-back games against Memphis so the team can manage his hamstring. It will be interesting to see if Fernández adjusts his rotation on the pitch or if he largely alternates between Clowney and Ben Simmons, who will be available, as was the case in preseason.

The Brooklyn Nets are already one of the youngest teams in the NBA, but it seems like the buzz for any player over the age of 25 is leaning toward being traded elsewhere. GM Sean Marks and the organization are seemingly keeping their veterans updated about any talks that might take place, but for now Brooklyn doesn’t seem to be in a rush to move its more established players.

Against Denver, it was those players – Dennis Schröder, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith – who propelled much of the Nets’ performance. The three vets together scored 65 points, with Schröder in particular playing a great game. By halftime, the German point guard had the most points and assists he had ever had in two NBA quarters.

Cam Johnson was typically hot from three on, making six of his 10 shot attempts from downtown. The 28-year-old also continues to put the ball on the floor and make smart decisions. Finney-Smith was active on both ends, though he was cold (7 of 27 in the first four games of the season) and missed a wide-open corner kick that would have won the game for Brooklyn. However, fans calling for an improvement in the Nets’ lottery odds won’t blame him.

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