Much was made of the Brooklyn Nets' lack of offensive firepower entering the 2023-24 season. Without a high-usage star, head coach Jacque Vaughn devised a clear offensive strategy: His team would take threes, and plenty of them.

The plan worked initially. Through 19 games, Brooklyn ranked sixth in offense while posting the NBA's second-best three-point percentage (39.0) on the league's sixth-most attempts (39 per game). However, as the NBA saying goes, “You live by the three and die by the three.” Lately, the Nets have fallen to the opposite end of that spectrum.

Brooklyn ranks 28th in offense during a 1-7 stretch over its last eight games, per NBA.com/stats. The team has posted the league's worst three-point percentage (29.2) during that span, but that hasn't stopped the Nets from jacking up triples at the NBA's fourth-highest rate (40 attempts per game).

Vaughn's squad shot 12-of-55 from deep (21.8 percent) during Monday's 96-95 overtime loss to the Miami Heat. Despite the abysmal numbers, the coach spoke confidently about the quality of looks his team has generated during the recent cold stretch.

“I think early on those were open looks. Just look at the first six minutes of the game. The first thing we talked about in the huddle was great looks, continue to get them. So I don’t think our looks are pressed,” Vaughn said postgame. “Overall, we’ve been talking about sharing the basketball and playing for each other… I’ll look at the tape tonight when I go home, but I would believe the majority of those 55 we tried to create good shots and good looks for each other. The ball just didn’t go in.”

Nets go cold on good looks from deep

Nets' Mikal Bridges with a question mark next ot him

The numbers back up Vaughn's assessment of his team's shot quality from beyond the arc. During this eight-game stretch, the Nets rank seventh in open three-point attempts (four-plus feet of space), averaging 34.0 per game, according to data compiled at NBA.com/stats. Yet, they've shot 30.5 percent on those looks, the NBA's worst mark and nearly four percentage points below the 29th-ranked team.

Three-point percentage with 4+ feet of space (last eight games)

  1. Clippers: 46.2%
  2. Pelicans: 43.6%
  3. Raptors: 41.4%
  4. Celtics: 41.1%
  5. Timberwolves: 40.4%
  6. Bucks: 39.8%
  7. Jazz: 39.8%
  8. Kings: 39.2%
  9. Pacers: 38.8%
  10. Knicks: 38.6%
  11. Suns: 38.6%
  12. Thunder: 38.4%
  13. Pistons: 38.1%
  14. Magic: 37.9%
  15. Cavs: 37.8%
  16. Hornets: 37.8%
  17. Grizzlies: 37.7%
  18. Nuggets: 37.5%
  19. Lakers: 37.4%
  20. Heat: 37.2%
  21. Wizards: 36.7%
  22. Bulls: 36.2%
  23. Mavericks: 36.0%
  24. Warriors: 36.0%
  25. Spurs: 36.0%
  26. Blazers: 35.6%
  27. Rockets: 35.0%
  28. 76ers: 34.5%
  29. Hawks: 34.3%
  30. Nets: 30.5%

Six of Brooklyn's top seven players in three-point attempts during the span are shooting 30 percent or worse. The Nets' top three offensive options—Mikal Bridges (29.0 percent), Cam Thomas (26.3 percent) and Spencer Dinwiddie (26.2 percent)—have been unable to find their stroke. After career-best starts from three, Dorian Finney Smith (25.0 percent) and Royce O'Neale (30.0 percent) have also cooled considerably.

Cam Johnson has been the team's top shooter during the stretch, converting 35.1 percent of his attempts, still well below his career average.

Brooklyn's next opportunity to snap out of its three-point funk will come Wednesday at the Portland Trail Blazers before a difficult four-game stretch against the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.