Brooklyn Nets: What We Learned from Preseason Loss to Philadelphia 76ers

We learned several lessons from the Brooklyn Nets' 106-96 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

While the Nets offense continues to impress, Brooklyn still has a lot of work to put in on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the paint.

With just one preseason game remaining before the regular season begins, let's take a look at what we learned from the Nets' loss to the 76ers.

Deron Williams Might Be the Best PG in the East

As if you didn't already know, Deron Williams is arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, and he put his skills on display against Philadelphia on Friday night.

D-Will netted 22 points in 36 minutes and, despite shooting 9-of-21, was still crazy impressive with a killer crossover-to-pull-up-jumper. Williams also grabbed three rebounds, dished four assists and swiped two steals to fill the stat sheet.

D-Will has been his typical sensational self during the preseason and has shown no signs of slowing down with Joe Johnson being added to the backcourt.

That crossover that Williams displayed, mainly in the second quarter, is what's going to ignite home games in the Barclays Center for the new-look Nets this season, a season in which they're looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006-2007.

The Nets D Is Still a Work in Progress

It was extremely frustrating to see the Nets allow the Sixers so many open looks on Friday night.

Brooklyn's defense allowed Philly to shoot 49.4 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and failed to boast a defensive threat in the paint.

The fact that Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen were able to combine for 23 points and five offensive rebounds is unacceptable. Overall, the Nets surrendered 46 points in the paint and 16 fast-break points, meaning their transition defense could use some work as well.

The Nets' shot-blockers didn't show up against the 76ers, as Brooklyn blocked just three shots and allowed a lot of Philadelphia big men to have their way on Friday night.

Going forward, Brooklyn needs to bolster its interior defense if it's going to contend for an NBA championship in 2012-2013.

Nets' 3-Point Shooting Needs Work

Brooklyn shot just 26 percent (6-of-23) from beyond the arc against the Sixers, and the three-point shot has become a glaring issue for the Nets.

From three-point range on Friday night, Gerald Wallace was 0-of-2, Williams 2-of-7, Joe Johnson 2-of-5, C.J. Watson 1-of-4 and Keith Bogans 1-of-4.

With Williams and Johnson both possessing a nice stroke from three, one would expect the Nets to improve in this department, but it's been a struggle so far.

Brooklyn shot 32 percent from three in its first preseason game of the season against Philadelphia and followed that with a 34 percent mark against the Washington Wizards.

In an Oct. 18 battle against the Boston Celtics, the Nets shot just 28 percent from downtown, only adding to their issues from beyond the arc.

Brook Lopez Is Poised for a Breakout Year

Coming off an injury-plagued 2011-2012 season, Brook Lopez is determined to get back on track in his new home, and from what we've seen so far, he's on point.

The seven-foot center was dominant against the Sixers, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 33 minutes of play. Lopez also added three assists and a block to the box score and was efficient shooting the basketball.

Lopez was 8-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe and was exceptional at drawing contact and turning it into three-point plays, especially in the first quarter.

While his defense most definitely needs a lot of work, there's no doubting his offensive production this preseason

Here's a look at what Lopez has done this season:

Date	Opponent	Points	Rebounds
10/13	Philadelphia	19	9
10/15	Washington	18	11
10/18	Boston	14	7
10/19	Philadelphia	23	9

Follow me on Twitter, as I, too, am poised for a breakout year: Follow @Pete_Schauer