The highest three groups within the NBA final season in offensive rebounds per recreation have been the Grizzlies, Raptors and Pelicans.
That trio, albeit not in that order, simply occur to be the Nets’ first three opponents this season.
With All-Star ahead Zion Williamson again within the New Orleans lineup for the primary time since Could 2021, the Nets have been positively dominated by the Pelicans on the boards in a 130-108 season-opening defeat Wednesday night time at Barclays Heart.
The Pelicans managed a whopping 61-39 rebounding edge — together with 21-9 on the offensive glass — leading to an astounding 36-4 benefit in second-chance factors of their blowout victory.
“My message to the fellows was simply the elevating our requirements of competitors,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash mentioned after the sport. “We gave up 21 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over [16 times]. We allow them to in our paint means too usually. Issues we had been getting ready for, we’ve been engaged on, and we simply didn’t execute.
“It’s a course of for our group, however on the similar time, there’s aggressive requirements and it’s a chance for us to develop each night time right here. However now we have to compete at a excessive stage. … That was an incredible sort of warning shot of what the usual is.”
These changes will have to be made rapidly, with a house recreation in opposition to Toronto on Friday night time and a go to to Memphis slated for Monday. The Grizzlies led the league with a median of 14.1 offensive rebounds final season, adopted by the Raptors (13.4) and the Pelicans (12.0).
The Nets completed 14th within the NBA with 10.3 offensive boards per recreation, however they didn’t retain veteran large males Andre Drummond, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin within the offseason.
Nic Claxton is the full-time beginning middle, and he’s backed up by 2021 first-round choose Day’Ron Sharpe. They mixed for 18 rebounds in opposition to the Pelicans, adopted by seven for Kevin Durant and 5 for Ben Simmons. Veteran energy ahead Markieff Morris performed solely three minutes off the bench.
“We’re by no means going to be the most important crew, we’re not going to guide the league in rebounds, however there’s nonetheless a stage of understanding that that’s a weak point for us,” Nash mentioned. “We’ve talked about it day-after-day. Now we have to come back again and double-team on the glass and flood it.
“That’s part of simply being aggressive and being conscious and understanding the place our weaknesses are and attempting to fight them from the beginning.”
Durant shook his head whereas noting the 36-4 disparity in second-chance factors off the postgame stat sheet, stressing “[you’re] by no means gonna win like that.”
“[They were] simply flying in,” Durant added. “You’ve received to field out a bit bit. They’re simply flying in and getting their palms on the basketball. … We’ve simply received to be higher transferring ahead. I’m glad we received a recreation arising right here in a day or so.”
Earlier than sitting out all of final season in Philadelphia and Brooklyn on account of psychological well being and again points, the 6-foot-10 Simmons had averaged 8.1 rebounds per recreation over his first 4 years within the league.
The Nets have been minus-22 in opposition to New Orleans within the 12 minutes that Durant, Kyrie Irving and Simmons have been on the ground collectively.
“It’s a grown man’s league and probably the most bodily crew wins,” Irving mentioned. “Now we have to enhance on these areas which are thought of weaknesses proper now and that’s boxing out and doing the little issues. These particulars are actually going to dictate our season. It’s how usually and the way constant are we going to be devoted to doing the little issues, which is boxing out, as you noticed?
“The identical performs that demoralize the followers at dwelling demoralize us as gamers on the courtroom once they persistently get second-chance factors and offensive rebounds they usually’re doing the little issues that actually resolve a recreation.”
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