No Cam Thomas, no Nic Claxton, no Cam Johnson, no Ben Simmons, no Dorian Finney Smith, no problem. The Nets, who have fallen just short against top teams all season, pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in the NBA this season, taking down the Golden State Warriors 128-120 in the second half of a back-to-back on the road, coming back from 18 down to pick up the victory.
Yesterday, we discussed how the Nets need to decide what kind of team they are, and Monday night’s win made that even more difficult. Here are three takeaways from the Nets’ improbable come-from-behind victory.
1: Jordi Fernandez is legit
When the Nets hired Jordi Fernandez this past summer, there were a lot of unknowns surrounding the new rookie head coach. However, just 18 games into the season, Fernandez hasn’t just met expectations but has exceeded them and entered himself into the conversation as one of the league’s top coaches.
After Johnson and Thomas both were forced to miss the fourth quarter due to injury, Fernandez was forced to improvise, sending out a crunch-time lineup of Trendon Watford, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, Keon Johnson, and Dennis Schroeder. Although this is a far cry from the best five the Nets can put on the floor, the group didn’t just succeed; they thrived. Hitting big shot after big shot and keeping the Warriors from shooting themselves back into the game.
While many Nets fans were hoping they would be bottom feeders in the league in order to have a chance to draft one of the top prospects, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which a Fernandez-led team is that bad. After years of coaching turmoil, it seems as if the Nets have finally found their leader.
2: Trading for Dennis Schroeder was one of Sean Marks’ best moves
In his age 31 season, Dennis Schroeder has been one of the biggest surprises this season for the Nets. After going to the Nets at last season’s trade deadline in a move that saw Spencer Dinwiddie go to Toronto, Schroeder has been everything the Nets have needed and more, both on and off the court.
Going head-to-head with Steph Curry, Schroeder held his own, dropping 31 points and dishing out seven assists in the victory. Schroeder went 10/18 from the field and four of eight from three in the contest. Schroeder led both teams in scoring and tied with Curry for the game lead in assists. Schroeder led the team to a huge victory that started with aggressiveness in the second half.
“Just being aggressive,” Schroeder said after the game. “Being aggressive, shooting my open shots, and my teammates screen great for me. The Golden State Warriors are No. 1 in the West. They’re a hell of a team. But this shows our character, everyone being ready, working every single day, even if they don’t get the minutes. We were just playing the right way and got the win.”
It will be interesting to see how the Nets handle Schroeder going forward, whether they keep or trade their veteran guard.
3: Ziaire Williams is playing to the best of his abilities in Brooklyn
Acquired from the Grizzlies in a trade this past summer, it was unknown what role Williams would play with the team. However, down Claxton and Sharpe, the Nets were forced to play small ball for almost the entire game. And when called upon, Williams rose to the occasion.
In the game, Williams scored 17 points and posted 10 rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes tonight. The double-double was the second of Williams’ career and the first as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Williams did it all in a season-high 34 minutes.
Williams shined for the Nets outside his normal role, and he has continued to do so this season. So far, Williams is averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. The points and rebounds totals are the highest of Williams’ four-year career. He is one of many players who is benefiting most from having Fernandez as his head coach.
