In their most recent game, the Brooklyn Nets got demolished on the glass 62-42, falling to the Miami Heat 106-93 in their fifth game of the year. Brooklyn (2-3) is trying to scrape by as they adjust to the training camp bombshell of losing Kyrie Irving due to the superstar's vaccination status.
Irving, at 6-2, wouldn't solve the Nets' rebounding woes. Still, he would help on the offensive end enough so that things like this might simply matter less. For now, one major hurdle is the team being out-positioned and out-muscled on the glass.
In Irving's absence, the Nets are willing to sacrifice. But there are some things (like effort) which head coach Steve Nash has referred to as “non-negotiables.”
On Wednesday the Nets actually played sound defense. At least initially. Harassing shooters, walling off drives, they didn't come out flat or lifeless. But they kept giving up offensive boards, surrendering 17 in total. It can be an especially deflating play.
Addressing reporters last season, per Peter Botte, New York Post, Nash offered the following:
“Rebounding, that’s going to be a process all year for us,” Nash said. “It’s not a natural inclination for our lineups to be strong rebounding lineups, so we’re going to have to gang rebound. We’re going to have to make some habits and be greedy down there.”
The 2021 group ranked 19th in rebounds per game a season ago. Through five contests, this group ranks 20th, hauling in just over 53 bricks per game. Buck Williams isn't walking through that door anytime soon so it will continue to present a challenge.
Do they just not want it enough?
It's cliche to suggest things like defense and rebounding are simply matters of want or will. Sure, there is truth there, to be fair. But following the loss to the Heat, Kevin Durant talked about ways in which the issue may also involve scheme, communication, and what his coach often refers to as “connectivity” as well.
“Sometimes we got two (players) contesting the ball on the jump shot,” explained Durant. “And then that leaves the glass vulnerable. But it wasn’t a lack of effort, I don’t feel like. Feel like we did a great job initially on them defensively, stopping the ball, stopping penetration, Duncan Robinson not getting open for 3s, I think we emphasized that. But they got second shots at the rim after the initial stop. But overall our physicality and our defense was there.”
James Harden echoed a bit of that theme, suggesting that all of the different lineup combinations the Nets have utilized, (73 total unique 5-man combos) may need some time to get on the same page.
“It’s gotta be a team effort, you know we gotta gang rebound,” offered Harden. “Especially the lineups, different lineups that we have in the game. We gotta make sure to put a conscious effort on gang rebounding. Put bodies on guys, and at the end of the day we gotta fight.”
It sounds like a combination of effort as well as scheme might be required to bounce-back in the rebounding category.
After the latest home-loss, Nash talked about the team's biggest weakness, and how they might fix the problem.
“…. it’s an Achilles Heel for us giving up offensive rebounds,” said Nash. “And we gotta keep working and it’s just gotta continue to be a priority. But obviously tonight (Miami's 17 offensive boards) is way too many.” He continued “it’s just gotta be a priority, you just gotta want it. You can't be leaning down the other end of the court. We all gotta be coming back in and trying to gang rebound.”
For now it sounds like the keys to cleaning the glass will be making sure they don't run two defenders at one shooter leaving the paint wide open, making sure they're not leaking out for fast-break opportunities before the possession has been secured, and simply stepping up their effort levels.
Of course if Irving was available this whole rebounding thing might be less of an Achilles heel and more of a sidebar.
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