Jordi Fernandez not afraid to blast Nets’ leaky defense
Jordi Fernandez certainly put one Nets issue on blast.
The team’s first-year coach has shown early in his tenure that he’s not afraid to publicly call out problems that need to be addressed.
On Sunday night, he was as animated as he has been all year.
Fernandez lamented the Nets’ leaky defense after the team’s 118-113 loss to the Bucks at Barclays Center.
They blew a 12-point lead late in the third quarter and later allowed the Bucks to score 26 points in the final six minutes of the game.
He notably threatened that “if our guys who wear a Brooklyn Nets jersey don’t play harder defense, they don’t have a place in our roster.”
There’s good reason: The team’s defense has fallen apart.
The Nets have a 116.6 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) — sixth-worst in the NBA.
It has sunk other areas of optimism, like the league’s 13th-ranked offensive rating at 113.1.
Taking a deeper look, one area stands out: 3-point defense.
The Bucks shot 15-for-31 from behind the arc against the Nets on Sunday — a stellar 48.4 percent.
Dec. 8. NBAE via Getty Images
For the season, opponents are shooting 37 percent from deep against the Nets, ninth-worst in the league.
But the Nets give up just 35.3 3-point attempts per game, the fifth-fewest.
When they do give up 3-point looks, they’ve tended to be of high quality.
“A lot of 3s,” Dennis Schroder said after Sunday’s loss. “We didn’t get back with urgency. A lot of 3s were open. We gotta look at film and get better.”
In Sunday’s loss, Fernandez took blame for having his defense double-team Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the game, which allowed him to kick out to open shooters behind the arc.
“You do it aggressive. You force the catch out, you come double with a good angle, you rotate with urgency,” Fernandez said. “We did it in the first half, we defended the 3-point line. At that point, with the two-possession game, I own it — probably just stay home for a possession or two. And we got punished. We didn’t do what we were supposed to. What we did is stretches. We didn’t do consistently.”
The Nets have been better inside.
They are surrendering 48.7 points per game in the paint, 18th-most in the league.
It’s still below league average, but represents a better mark than how they are on the perimeter.
Nic Claxton getting his legs underneath him should only help with that.
He recorded a season-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in Sunday’s loss and was plus-3.
And Dorian Finney-Smith’s return can help both inside and against shots from deep with his ability to guard both wings and bigs.
He returned on Sunday after missing the previous four games with an ankle injury and recorded nine points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal and was plus-2.
And, perhaps most of all, Fernandez’s public challenge can certainly help.
“No defense to finish that third [quarter]. No defense to finish the fourth,” Fernandez said. “That’s how you win and lose games in the NBA. … You look at the offensive line, it’s pretty good. It’s just our defense was worse than bad.”
The Nets appreciate Fernandez’s honesty.
“That’s what really good coaches do. They hold you accountable. They hold you to a high standard. They’re straightforward,” Claxton said after the loss. “They tell you what they expect from you. That’s what we need, especially with a younger team. We definitely feed off of that.”
Following Sunday’s loss, the Nets will have four days off before their next game against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Friday.