The Brooklyn Nets have been abysmal from three-point land over the past ten games. During that ten-game stretch, Coach Jacque Vaughn's team has buried the second-fewest threes by a team with only 10.9 three-pointers per contest.
Brooklyn is shooting 29.2% from long range during that stretch, the worst mark in the league by far. The struggles with shooting reared their ugly head again in the Nets’ 95-96 loss to the Miami Heat, having 55 total attempts but only making 12 long-range shots.
“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 to create looks and continue to get them. I don’t think our looks are pressed,” Vaughn said when asked about his team’s three-point struggles.
“I would believe that majority of those 55, we tried to create good shots and good looks for each other, the ball just didn’t go in.”
The Nets are creating open looks
As Coach JV said, the Nets created open looks for each other through ball movement but continued to miss shots. It is unfortunate because this team was one of the best shooting teams earlier in the season.
The Nets were the most prolific three-point shooters in transition. Brooklyn has slowed down since then and struggled to start those fast-paced plays.
Other teams have adjusted to how the Nets play because scouts know Vaughn’s players will look to get their rhythm from three. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra made his team play a drop-scheme defense early in their game but switched to a 2-3 zone afterward. He made this adjustment because he was Brooklyn was struggling to hit from beyond the arc. It eventually worked as the Nets continued to long-range shots.
Brooklyn’s shots will eventually fall
Brooklyn has faced a challenging shooting slump in recent games, leading to multiple losses for a team that displayed proficiency in perimeter shooting earlier this season.
Despite the discouraging loss to Miami, there's optimism that continued efforts will eventually result in improved shooting, with the open looks created in the game potentially setting the stage for success in future matchups.
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