Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Without Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to lead the way, the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Brooklyn Nets in a 116-85 rout during Brooklyn's home opener.
Turning to Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson—23 points—for leadership, the prospective title contender prior to the string of bad luck found little help beyond the starting core.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn enjoyed a balanced attack from a multitude of stars, most notably Deron Williams who set the tone with consistent production on offense and bountiful effort on defense. Though they certainly had odds stacked in their favor, few could have predicted such dominance from the Nets through 48 minutes of action.
| Brooklyn Nets | Grade | Oklahoma City Thunder | Grade |
| Deron Williams | A | Serge Ibaka | B |
| Joe Johnson | B+ | Reggie Jackson | C+ |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | B+ | Perry Jones III | B- |
| Mason Plumlee | A- | Sebastian Telfair | B+ |
| Rest of Team | A | Rest of Team | D |
Brooklyn Nets
Deron Williams: A
The Nets floor general got off to a hot start and never looked back. Finishing with 17 points, Williams was instrumental in leading the Nets' scoring corps and facilitating the team's other talents. With nine assists, his orchestrating played a major role in setting the tone for Brooklyn's high-powered ball movement.
Williams was both productive and efficient—4-of-8 from the floor, perfect from the charity stripe—and led the team with a game-high plus-27. Though it was a balanced effort from the team's entire cast, Williams was undoubtedly its frontman and deserves mention for his role in the blowout victory.
Joe Johnson: B+
Johnson, on the heels of a 34-point performance against the Detroit Pistons, picked up right where he left off as the team jumped out to an early lead. Finishing with a balanced stat line of 13 points, six assists and six rebounds, the 2-guard got it done from everywhere on the court.
Though the team often relies on him for instant offense when it struggles elsewhere, he remained a valuable asset even as the team clicked on all cylinders.
Brook Lopez: B+
In his 2014-15 debut, the Nets' starting center found his offensive groove from the start. Ending the night with 18 points, the interior scoring machine was one of two Brooklyn Centers who enjoyed a solid night against a short-handed Thunder team.
He did only grab six boards and was the only non-garbage time player to register a negative plus-minus, but Lopez looked good in his return to the hardwood.
Mason Plumlee: A-
Much of Plumlee's success came off uncontested buckets inside, but the Duke product was nonetheless an important factor in the Nets' win. With plenty of hard dunks to put extra emphasis on his team's complete dominance over Oklahoma City, Plumlee was as flashy as he was productive—totaling 10 points (5-of-9 shooting) and a team-high eight rebounds on the night.
Even on the shots that he missed, Plumlee looked good—clearly having added to his offensive repertoire during his summer experience with Team USA. He's only going to get better as the season progresses, but if Monday night was any suggestion of where he's headed, Nets fans have a multitude of reasons to get excited about their backup big.
Rest of Team: A
It was an all-around dominant win for the Nets, who found balanced production beyond their leading men. Headlined by Alan Anderson's 18 on 7-of-8 shooting, the team's bench was as solid as its starting lineup.
The team also found success behind Bojan Bogdanovic, who continues to shine after a stellar FIBA campaign over the summer. He had 12 points, connecting on half of his 10 attempts.
Overall, the Nets executed near perfection on both ends, and from the top to the bottom, their roster performed admirably in their home opener.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Serge Ibaka: B
Serge Ibaka's stat line—15 points (7-of-11) and nine rebounds—was solid as expected. With Westbrook and Durant sidelined, Ibaka has been thrust into a lead a role on both ends of the floor.
However, despite efficient production on the offensive end, he looked out of tune with the rest of the team, particularly Reggie Jackson who returned for his first game of the season. That he couldn't lead the team to victory doesn't qualify his night as a poor one, but as the team's leader, he did little to improve the games of those around him.
Reggie Jackson: C+
Jackson looked springy and confident in his return but ultimately finished with 8-of-20 shooting (2-of-8 from deep)—a less-than stellar shooting performance in a time when OKC needs top-tier production from its breakout sensation of 2013-14. He proved to be an upgrade over Sebastian Telfair, who struggled in the Thunder's opening contests despite a strong outing tonight.
Still, Jackson's night left much to be desired, and he'll have to find his shot if Oklahoma City wants to survive this extended period without its two superstars.
Perry Jones III: B-
Perry Jones didn't live up to the hype that he established in the team's opening few games, but he played well nonetheless. Receiving way too much attention from defenders due to his team's lack of depth and overall talent, he still managed 16 points on 50 percent shooting.
He did little to stand out but put forth a solid effort on both ends. However, he—like many a Thunder star before him—hurt himself late in the game and is questionable for Oklahoma City's next contest.
Sebastian Telfair: B+
Telfair was terrible during his time as the team's starting point guard—shooting poorly and contributing little to a dilapidated Thunder starting lineup.
However, coming off the bench in wake of Jackson's return, the high school standout put forth a noticeably stronger effort. Though it took him a while to find his groove, he finished with 16 points on 50 percent shooting—including a perfect stretch in the third quarter in which Oklahoma City eyed a potential comeback.
He was ultimately thrust into the starting lineup after Andre Roberson fell victim to injury, but it was overall a solid night from a player who has struggled to date.
Rest of Team: D-
Though "Rest of Team" really only applies to four or five guys, it's worth noting how little the Thunder's "other guys" contributed in the loss.
Steven Adams was alright offensively and on the boards with nine points and nine rebounds, but he struggled significantly on defense. Beyond him, those not named earlier went 2-of-16 from the floor.
Coming Up...
The Nets, now 2-1, will next host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, while Oklahoma City (1-3) will look to rebound in Toronto Tuesday night.
