The Brooklyn Nets (11-25) began a three-game road trip with Sunday’s game at the Memphis Grizzlies (17-22) against a Grizzlies team that would be missing Ja Morant due to a calf injury. While Brooklyn would be missing forward Michael Porter Jr. due to rest, they still had a chance to beat Memphis on the road and they just couldn’t finish strong.
The Nets lost at the Grizzlies 103-98 despite leading 98-90 late in the fourth quarter, but Brooklyn allowed Memphis to close the game on a 13-0 run. Forward Noah Clowney largely struggled with his offensive game as he scored 17 points, but it was 4-of-17 shooting from the field while forward Tyrese Martin had 17 points and three rebounds off the bench.
This matchup against Memphis was interesting not just because of the stars that missed this contest, but also because rookie Cedric Coward, whom Brooklyn passed on to select Egor Demin, went off for 21 points and eight rebounds. The Nets begin their current road trip on the wrong foot so here are the Nets player grades following Sunday’s loss at the Grizzlies:
Egor Demin: C
Demin did a good job of shooting the ball from three-point land despite the fact that the offense was running through Noah Clowney and Danny Wolf for the most part. Demin wasn’t particularly aggressive with his offensive touches, but he remained within his game while also taking care of the basketball and distributing it to his teammates.
Terance Mann: C-
Mann has been asked to do plenty of tasks during his time on the floor and in this one, he had to perform in his normal role of defending the best perimeter player on the other team while also contributing to the offense. More to the point, Mann handled the ball for the majority of his time on the floor with Egor Demin so that is an interesting dynamic to watch throughout the season.
Danny Wolf: B
With Porter out for this game due to rest, Wolf was called upon to be the starting small forward and he didn’t disappoint with the extra playing time. Wolf has had some rough games recently due to his shooting touch not being there, but that wasn’t the case in this one as he was able to get to the rim and finish over Memphis’ backline while also providing his all-around impact on the defensive end.
Noah Clowney: C-
Clowney struggled with his three-point shot in this one despite getting some good looks throughout the game, showing the streaky nature of his shot. What was encouraging to see from Clowney was his willingness to continue shooting the shots that he can make as the offense needs him to remain aggressive if he’s going to be a consistent contributor within the scheme.
Nic Claxton: B-
Claxton had a solid outing while having to go against Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale for the majority of his time on the floor. Claxton played within himself by not forcing any shots that he could reasonably make against his defender while also providing the rebounding and rim protection that the team wants to see from him in every game he plays.
Jalen Wilson: B
Wilson’s spot in the rotation has been shaky at best, but with that being said, he came into this game ready to play and had one of his best games of the season to this point. Wilson had his shot falling from three-point land and as he always does, he made many of the little plays that head coach Jordi Fernandez loves to see from him, like chasing down loose balls and sprinting the floor.
Day’Ron Sharpe: A
Sharpe came into this game playing like his hair was on fire as he was all over the glass on both ends of the floor while also providing some added offense within the flow of the scheme. Not only did Sharpe grab virtually every rebound that came within his area code, but he did a great job on the defensive end by always keeping active hands in the passing lanes.
Tyrese Martin: B+
Martin, similar to Jalen Wilson, has an uncertain role in the rotation with the team mostly-healthy, but in this one, he made the most of his minutes, especially when the Nets needed a spark. Martin had one of his best shooting performances of the season as he seemingly couldn’t miss from three-point land and he brought some defensive tenacity to the table as well.
Cam Thomas: C+
Thomas struggled shooting the ball in this one as he couldn’t find much daylight against some of the Grizzlies’ defenders, including forward GG Jackson. While Thomas had a rough game shooting the ball, he did a great job of drawing defensive attention and that gravity led to some of his teammates open looks that he was able to exploit when being double-teamed.
Nolan Traore: B-
Traore did not shoot the ball well once again, but it was encouraging to see him being aggressive with the ball in his hands, especially in transition. While Traore’s offensive game will come and go as he learns what his sweet spots are in the NBA, he made some nice passes over the course of his time on the floor that shows he’s learning from the in-game reps as one of the point guards.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades: Noah Clowney drops 17 in 103-98 loss at Grizzlies
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
