While slowly trending in the right direction, the Brooklyn Nets still have a ways to go if they plan to compete for a playoff spot.
Following years of futility, the Nets have a roster flushed with young talent and a coach in Kenny Atkinson who appears to be a perfect fit.
Atkinson understands the potential he has in his young team but also sees, according to an article posted by the New York Post, a glaring weakness on defense that needs to be corrected.
“We’ve kind of stayed at the same level defense-wise over the past two seasons. I’d really like to take a jump and improve that area,” said coach Kenny Atkinson, in the Post's article by Brian Lewis. “We were 30th in the league in creating turnovers. That’s an area where upping our activity, that’s a big area for us this year of improvement.”
The Nets have been toward the bottom of the league in overall defense the past two years. They finished 25th overall last year with a defensive rating of 108.5 and were just 23rd in the 2016-2017 campaign with a 108 rating.
Brooklyn also had trouble generating turnovers a year ago, finishing dead-last in that department.
Brooklyn has the type of long and athletic players to make a drastic improvement from last year's defensive numbers. Players such as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll will be looked upon to lead the defense end this season.
Center Jarrett Allen also profiles as a great rim-protecting piece as he enters his second year in the league.
There are many other players who are capable of bringing it defensively, now Atkinson must get them to buy in.
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