At 1-10 after losing to the Toronto Raptors, with the 30th ranked defence in the league, one might think that's bad enough. But 30th doesn't cover the true pestilential stink of the Brooklyn defence. Coming into the contest against the Toronto Raptors, the Nets were allowing 129.8 points per 100 possessions. The worst defence last season allowed 120.2. That's an inconceivable gap between the Nets and a normal worst-in-the-league defence, the same as the gap between last season's 30th-ranked team and a top-10 defence.
"Ware did wind up playing 17 minutes on Saturday night compared to the 12 minutes Adebayo and Jovic played, and Ware looked good during his time on the court. He was 4/10 shooting for ten points, he knocked down a three, had a steal, and he was one rebound shy of a double-double. Ware was also +2 on the night in +/-."
The Miami Heat have continued with their plan to build a youth movement, and it was announced last night that forward Nikola Jovic was going to receive a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension that is fully guaranteed. The biggest knock on Jovic during his time with the Heat has been his health. He has missed over half the games he's been eligible for since being drafted in 2022.
When one thinks of Miami's roster, it's not hard to envision why rim protection is an issue at times. Bam Adebayo does a lot of good things on the defensive side, but he's not a shot blocker. Kel'el Ware started to come along during the back half of last year, but Miami doesn't really have a second big man to rotate for him.