Brooklyn Nets Can't Let Free-Throw Shooting Become Problem

The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of issues to figure out, but they can’t allow an opportunity for free points to become a consistent problem. 

On Saturday night, the Nets capped off their road trip with a 129-110 loss in Memphis in their first meeting against the Grizzlies this season. The loss pushed the Nets down to 3-9 and reinforced many of the problems that have plagued the squad through the first few weeks of the season. 

Although the Nets were without Michael Porter Jr., it was still a disappointing performance for the Nets, given how they performed in New Orleans a few days earlier. Although it was far from the only issue that kept Brooklyn from winning, free-throw shooting was a clear weakness throughout the night. 

The Nets finished the night shooting only 11-of-17 from the foul line. That 64.7% mark from the line was the worst of Brooklyn’s young season. However, it was the eighth time this season in 12 tries that the Nets have shot below the league average of 78.2% from the stripe. 

Sitting at 75.8% on free throws for the season, the Nets rank 25th in the NBA in percentage. While the difference between the Nets at 25 and the Grizzlies at No. 1 is less than 10%, those numbers become much more concerning when considering how much the Nets get to the stripe. 

Despite being in the bottom six in free-throw percentage, the Nets rank in the top six in free-throw attempts per game and fourth in free-throw attempt rate. 

For a team that’s hoping to sneak into the play-in later in the season, hitting free throws is a crucial part of the game. Considering the Nets have seemingly already accomplished the tough part of the equation in getting a high free-throw volume, they can’t let the easy part of making shots at the stripe hold them back. 

That issue starts at the top with Porter and Julius Randle, who combine for 12.4 attempts a night, but neither converts at even an 80% rate. Leaving so many points at the line over the course of a season can add up quickly, and with how many close losses Brooklyn has already had, it’s hard not to imagine what those matchups could’ve looked like with better free-throw shooting. 

The Nets have plenty of room for improvement in a variety of areas and plenty of time to spare, but converting at a higher rate on free throws is an improvement that simply can’t wait.