Recap: Nets 91, Hornets 115
The Nets were out-rebounded, out-passed and outshot despite playing in Brooklyn and against a Charlotte team that sits right next the them in the conference standings. The game felt over after the first quarter, due to a 35-15 deficit sparked by the efficient play of Mo Williams compared to the passive play of Deron Williams.
In the battle of the Williams’ the Hornets were at a natural advantage, considering Marvin Williams added 18 points and seven rebounds. But the point guard battle was dominated in the first half by 11 assists by Mo Williams before halftime, as Deron Williams mustered only five in contrast and six for the game. The rest of the Nets didn’t make much noise offensively as the Hornets found easy baskets through halfcourt execution against the smaller Brooklyn lineup.
Joe Johnson: The power forward experiment continued for Joe Johnson with no success to speak of against the Hornets. He struggled to make an impact offensively and his undersized presence likely led to the rebounding advantage for Charlotte. D+
Mason Plumlee: The most efficient starter from Brooklyn clearly looked more effective compared to the rest of the Nets. His seven rebounds were enough to lead Brooklyn in a category that the team lost 49-38. B-
Deron Williams: Poor shot selection plagued Williams throughout his team-high 27 minutes of action, but six assists helped to get Plumlee involved early, despite the game long deficit. C-
Alan Anderson: He barely made his presence felt on offense and despite his single steal the Hornets scored the most while he was on the floor. Not the best matchup for Anderson. D
Markel Brown: Our editor, David Vertsberger, is attempting to coin #MarkelSanity, but that movement was on hold tonight as the young swingman failed to stand out from the mediocre perimeter play around him. C-
Thaddeus Young: As one of the only Nets players to bring a sense of energy, Young helped Brooklyn cut into the deficit at times, only for it to be reestablished while he was on the bench. The trio of steals and rebounds were timely, but it seemed like a game that he could have gotten more than his eight points on hustle alone. C+
Brook Lopez: He had the team’s only block, but we’ll hold off on the Defensive Player of the Year campaign for now. D+
Bojan Bogdanovic: Arguably the best player on the floor for the Nets had 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting and five rebounds. He looked engaged defensively, but it wasn’t enough to have a significant impact on the team’s effectiveness when he was on the floor. B
The Nets will attempt to bounce back against the Suns on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.
