The Brooklyn Nets (1-8) did not have the kind performance that they wanted in their first game of the NBA Cup on Friday as they suffered a blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons. Brooklyn understands that while each loss hurts, there will be a new game to see if they can earn a win, but they had one of their toughest tests of the season to this point as they visited the New York Knicks (6-3).
The Nets lost at the Knicks on Sunday 134-98 in a game that became a blowout from the first quarter with the way that New York was scoring at will against Brooklyn’s defense. Forward Michael Porter Jr. led the way for the Nets to the tune of 25 points and four rebounds while rookie forward Drake Powell impressed on the road with his 15 points and three assists of the bench.
It seems that Brooklyn has not figured out how to improve their defense as they allowed Jalen Brunson and the Knicks to shoot 54.5% from the field and 45.9% from three-point land for the entire game. The Nets will have to do what they can to lessen the amount of points they give up, but in the meantime, here is the Nets stock report following Sunday’s loss at the Knicks:
Egor Demin: B-
Demin got his first taste of playing in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd and he seemed to not be too rattled as he took good care of the ball and made some solid plays. Demin looks to be given the grace to grow as the starting point guard and in each game, it seems like he’s getting more confident and able to contribute in ways outside of his passing and shooting.
Terance Mann: D
Mann was not particularly involved in this game as most of the shots came from Porter as the former Atlanta Hawks veteran is trying to help Demin run the offense. Mann did a good job of passing the ball and tried to bring the defensive intensity to motivate the rest of his teammates, but the Knicks’ offense was too much for Brooklyn to even consider stopping.
Michael Porter Jr.: B
Porter did a great job of scoring the ball from all over the floor and this was probably the first game this season where he didn’t resort to just throwing up shots from three-point land. To that point, Porter seemed to make more of an effort to get into the paint and make things happen that way, something that the Nets offense could use against teams like the Knicks.
Noah Clowney: D
After how he played in the past three games coming into this one, Clowney seemed to have the kind of performance that put into perspective just how feast or famine he can be at times. Granted, what Clowney has shown since entering the starting lineup has been encouraging to see, but when facing a team with physical players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, Clowney still has to figure out how to navigate those matchups better.
Nic Claxton: C+
Claxton had another tough task on his hands as he was going to be matched up against Karl-Anthony Towns for the majority of the game and the duel between the two went about as expected. With that being said, Claxton did a good job of being aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, but he struggled to hold his own against Towns the entire game.
Jalen Wilson: D
Wilson has been unable to find his shooting touch from long-range and that has limited his offensive impact, especially with his inability to put pressure on defenses with the ball in his hands. Wilson did a solid job of getting involved on the boards, but outside of that, he wasn’t able to affect much on the defensive end of the floor, along with the rest of his teammates.
Ziaire Williams: B
Williams did a good job of scoring the ball overall as the Knicks were daring any of Brooklyn’s supporting players to make shots from the perimeter as they focused their attention on Porter. This was probably Williams’ best overall game this season as he shot the ball well while defending without fouling and really making things hard for Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
Day’Ron Sharpe: Incomplete
Sharpe played well during his time on the floor, but he noticeably played just 12 minutes as he was dealing with tightness in his left hamstring. Sharpe brought his usual effort on the glass to the game and at moments, he made matters tough for someone like Karl-Anthony Towns that isn’t the most tenacious on the boards, at least when compared to someone like Sharpe.
Tyrese Martin: C-
In the wake of Cam Thomas being out for the next month or so and with rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf in Long Island, Martin has been called upon to bring some production off the bench as a guard/forward hybrid. However, Martin has not been shooting the ball well and isn’t providing the kind of passing efficiency that impresses someone like head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Drake Powell: B
Powell has had a slow start to the season due to his repeated ankle injuries, but since he has come back, he has been impressive to watch on both ends of the floor. Powell did a great job of scoring the ball against the Knicks and what has been encouraging to see from him is his ability to make things happen off the dribble, showing that his ceiling is higher than originally projected.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 25 in huge loss to Knicks
