He Brooklyn Networks They gave the reigning champions all they could handle on Friday night, keeping pace from start to finish with Boston before finally fall short in overtime by a score of 108-104. Now 4-5 on the season, Brooklyn has proven it can compete with almost anyone, playing exciting basketball as one of the biggest surprises in the young NBA season.

There were a lot of keys to follow in this game and the results were mostly positive throughout the night.

Cam Thomas comes out of his shooting slump, but sees his playing ability drop

After a minor two-game scoring slump, Thomas exploded against Boston, scoring 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting overall and going 4-of-9 from deep. It was refreshing to see the key youngster regain his stroke so quickly and should serve as a reminder to skeptics that he has all the tools to be an elite scorer in the league.

Unfortunately, the The positive developments in his game did not continue. as Thomas had seemingly made adjustments to involve others more efficiently as he tallied six assists in the win against Memphis while struggling to make shots. Against the Celtics, however, he reverted to his shoot-first style, which while efficient, resulted in only 1 assist that night.

We have yet to see a game this year where Thomas clicks as a scorer and playmaker, which is the The next step you must take to demonstrate that you are a fundamental piece for the rebuilding franchise.

The starting eleven changes its image

Nic Claxton was inserted into the starting lineup for the second straight game, and the first with Ben Simmons available at J.Ordi Fernández fulfills his plans to return Claxton to the starting eleven. The corresponding move was to bench Simmons, however, both players played at roughly their season minutes per game averages.

While this move should pay long-term dividends by further splitting up the primary ball handlers, Brooklyn’s second unit struggled along with Simmons, who was just 8 of 27 from the field (29.6%) and 0-for-10. in triples.

For his part, Simmons put together a line of 8 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in addition to having ample time with the starters. At this point, it’s time to accept that this is what Simmons is as a player, a guy who does a little bit of everything, but seemingly excels nowhere. That has value, but not in his current contract.

As for Claxton, it is clear that he is not fully fit yet, as he was only 1-3 from the field, but he contributed in other ways with a total of 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. His performance should only improve as the season progresses and this new lineup should help balance size and ball handling in games.

Cameron Johnson continues to increase his value

Johnson put together another solid game, scoring 18 points while also being an unusual force on the boards with 8 rebounds and adding 4 assists. He’s been spectacular to start the season, now averaging 16.8 points per game on shooting splits of 45.6%/36.5%/83.3% while playing decent wing defense.

he is the The biggest veteran trade chip left for the Nets and performances like this will only increase its value. There will be problems when trying to move it due to its Great contract that counts for 27 million dollars this season for the teams that are above the platform.as the new CBA makes moving past the second platform an increasingly unpleasant proposition.

Unfortunately, most contending teams are too close to the deck to see the appeal of dealing with the financial ramifications of passing on the second deck to acquire a role player; However, if Johnson can continue to play at this high level, he may very well win over some. teams that could be the missing piece to fight for the championship.

Both teams were ice cold from beyond the arc.

This is both a testament to Brooklyn’s defense and an unfortunate referendum on their three-point consistency. Boston leads the league in triples attempts per game at a whopping 51.4 per game, while ranking 13th overall in three-point percentage at 36.0%. The Nets stifled Boston’s long-range blitz, limiting them to just 14 connections on 53 attempts, which was good for just 26.4%.

On the other hand, the Nets are currently sixth in the NBA in three-pointers attempted per game with 39.9, but rank only 20th in connecting efficiency with a mediocre 34.8%. Last night, they let Boston do to them what they did to Boston, making just 10 of 38 from three, which was good for just 26.3%.

Brooklyn’s efficient three-point defense will keep them in many games as Jordi Fernandez looks to mold the team into a suffocating defensive unit, however, without the efficiency of their own long-range shooters, especially off the bench, the impact of that strong The defense will be silenced.

What’s next for Brooklyn

The Nets will have a brief respite on Saturday before traveling to Cleveland for a Sunday night showdown against old friends Kenny Atkinson, Jarrett Allen, Caris Levert and the red-hot Cavaliers. Cleveland is 10-0 to start the season and is coming off a 136-117 dismantling of the Golden State Warriors.

It will be interesting to watch the battle between Cavs star Donovan Mitchell and Cam Thomas, as Mitchell is what many hope Thomas can become. Cleveland’s size between the aforementioned Allen and his towering frontcourt partner Evan Mobley will prove to be a major challenge for Brooklyn.

Another key for Brooklyn will be if its ninth three-point defense (34.1%) can stop Cleveland shooters who lead the league in team three-point percentage with an astonishing 42.7% success rate.

This is a game Brooklyn will likely lose, but if they play hard and together like they have so far this season, and their key players continue to take steps forward in their development, it will be a metaphorical victory for a team focused on culture and player. development.