Everyone is familiar with the big void on the Nets. But there also might be a void of a big.
Kyrie Irving’s absence will always be felt, but opposing teams are exposing another hole, this one under the basket, through an otherwise fairly strong start to the Nets’ season.
There was little Brooklyn could do well against Golden State on Tuesday night, when one projected power dominated the other. And while the Nets will not win many games when Kevin Durant struggles, the disappearance of Blake Griffin was glaring.
Griffin scored four points against Golden State before adding just two points on 1 of 5 shooting in Wednesday’s 109-99 win over Cleveland. With two more misses from beyond the arc, he now is 0-for-20 in six games. Long-range shooting was supposed to be his way of reinventing himself as he aged.
In 26 games with the Nets last year, he shot at a 38.3 percent clip from deep, easily his best stretch in the NBA. That mark has fallen to 16.4 percent this year.
“He’s just having a funk. I think he’s got good looks, but I think he just hasn’t been in a good rhythm,” coach Steve Nash said before the Nets’ 109-99 win over the Cavaliers.at Barclays Center. “People go through stretches like that.”
Griffin’s defensive play is a bit less cut and dry, but it’s certainly not compensating for his offense. Foot speed is not a strength, but neither is Griffin’s vertical jump anymore. So when his shots are not falling, there is wonder about how he is helping the team.
Nash signaled the Nets need to be better at protecting the rim, which is a unique aspect of Griffin’s game. He cannot contest anyone in the air, but he has found a niche challenging from the ground. Entering play, he had drawn a league-high 11 charges this season after leading the league (with 22) last year.
Entering play Wednesday, the Nets were the ninth-best team in defensive rating. But in terms of points allowed in the paint, a team with title aspirations checked in at 17th (46.1 per game).
The Nets went all-in on their Big 3, which meant much of their other useful complements were shipped away. When the Big 3 becomes a Big Two, issues like rim protection and a big who can’t find the rim are maximized.
“We’re trying to stick by [Griffin] in that respect and allow him a chance to play out of it,” Nash said.
Nic Claxton rejoined the Nets last week after a non-COVID illness, but that does not mean he will be seeing the court anytime soon.
The 22-year-old center missed Wednesday’s game, his 12th straight contest watching from afar. The Nets have not revealed what he was stricken with, but they are leaving a long ramp for him to build back up.
“I think Nic’s got a ways to go. He’s got to really work on his conditioning,” Nash said. “I’m not sure when he’ll be back or when he’ll be back with the necessary thrust and dynamic ability to play the game at this level.”
“Hopefully it’s not too long, but I don’t think it’s in the next few games.”
Durant (1,687) moved past his coach, Nash (1,685), into 26th place on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list. Durant finished 2 of 3 from deep.