That’s the way you make an impression in your latest teammates.
With Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson watching from the sidelines, the Nets lit up Barclays Center in a 116-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. It was an unlikely victory given the circumstances: The Nets traded Kyrie Irving Sunday and moved Kevin Durant in a take care of the Phoenix Suns early Thursday morning.
Bridges and Johnson have been the highlights of the Durant deal.
And they watched gleefully, usually leaping out of their seats because the shorthanded Nets upset a Chicago group with two stars accessible in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
General Manager Sean Marks’ imaginative and prescient for the way forward for this group is evident, although it must be examined towards much more formidable opponents than a dysfunctional Bulls group that mustered simply 5-of-26 taking pictures from downtown as a group.
The Nets are going to be a group that performs quick, shoots a ton of threes and defends for 48 minutes. Their latest additions all match the invoice.
Bridges is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who can create his personal shot. Johnson is a prototypical 3-and-D wing, as is Dorian Finney-Smith, who got here to Brooklyn together with Spencer Dinwiddie as a part of the Irving commerce.
Dinwiddie stays a two-way playmaker, able to guarding the purpose of assault, placing stress on the rim, lighting it up from three and creating photographs for his teammates. He completed with a team-high 25 factors to go together with six assists and 5 rebounds. Ben Simmons stays a defensive stopper, and Nic Claxton, who didn’t play resulting from proper hamstring tightness, is one other Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Brooklyn has a excessive defensive ceiling. Where the offense comes from might rely upon the rotation.
The Nets performed enjoyable, they performed free, they usually shot 17-of-44 from downtown, led by Joe Harris, who shot six-of-nine from deep on the evening.
After three straight 40-point video games, Cam Thomas shot 3-of-16 from the sphere and completed with 20 factors.
LaVine completed with 38 factors on 16-of-25 taking pictures from the sphere, however the Nets’ wing defenders stifled DeRozan, who shot 5-of-13 for under 14 factors.
Defense would be the calling card for the new-look Nets. They at the moment are 2-2 in video games with out each Irving and Durant prior to now week. Next, they’ve a real take a look at: Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers come to city on Saturday.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com