Nets' Rebounding Struggles Have Plagued Losses

A 3-16 record and the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference is just about where you'd expect the Brooklyn Nets to be at this point in the season. They're clearly rebuilding, taking each game as it goes, trying to position themselves for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Losing simply comes with the rebuild.

But what, specifically, is so poor about the on-court performance? Yes, the talent pool is slim, with Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton being the only significant contributors whom other teams would likely go after on the trade market. Cam Thomas is still injured, and Brooklyn is focusing on developing its five rookies.

The Nets currently rank 24th in offensive rating (111.6) and 29th in defensive rating (122.4). They can't score efficiently on one end, while giving up a whole bunch of points on the other. However, one stat reveals a major weakness in their 19 games played.

Brooklyn's leading rebounder is Porter at 7.4 boards per game. Nic Claxton, the team's paint anchor, is averaging 7.3 per game. From there, the third and fourth-best rebounders are Day'Ron Sharpe (off the bench) and Egor Demin (a rookie guard).

It's not necessarily that the Nets can't get second-chance opportunities; they rank 18th in offensive boards per game (11.1) and 16th in offensive rebounding percentage (30.8%). The problem is that they can't keep opponents from getting their own. Brooklyn ranks dead last in total rebounds (39 per game), defensive rebounds (27.9) and 28th in defensive rebounding percentage (66.4%).

On the offensive end, the Nets are so focused on scoring and creating additional chances, which plays a part in their offensive rating being higher than their defensive rating. However, Brooklyn lacks ball-stopping and rebounding on the other end, which is why the team is giving up nearly 120 points per game.

So who is to blame for the lack of boards? It doesn't necessarily fall on one person. Claxton's defense and rebounding have taken a slight step back, but his skill set is the best it's ever looked, being able to put the ball on the floor, facilitate more and score in transition.

The same can be said for Porter, who is getting way more opportunities as the leader in points. In general, Brooklyn is slightly better on offense, while lacking defense, but that's more or less the product you'll get in a rebuild.