Nets’ new stars deliver, but familiar defensive problems persist in opening loss
· Yahoo Sports
By the fourth quarter, Dennis Schröder was getting wherever he wanted. The former Net kept turning the corner, forcing help behind the play and leaving Brooklyn scrambling to cover the openings the Charlotte Hornets found.
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Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. spent Wednesday giving the Nets a chance. Their teammates couldn’t supply enough defensive stops to finish the job.
Brooklyn fell 110-103 to the Hornets before a sellout crowd of 17,548 at Barclays Center, beginning its 2026-27 season with an uncomfortable reminder of the weaknesses behind last year’s 20-62 finish. The offense looked different with two established scorers. The defense often looked familiar.
Randle finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in his Nets debut, shooting 11-of-18 from the field. He had 15 points and five assists by halftime, creating opportunities for teammates while keeping Brooklyn within six.
The three-time All-Star became the fifth player in franchise history to record at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his Nets debut, joining Orlando Woolridge, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Seth Curry.
Porter added 26 points, seven rebounds and three steals. He made five 3-pointers, including three during a 12-point third quarter.
After Porter scored just six points in the first half, head coach Jordi Fernández opened the second with several actions designed to get him involved. Porter responded with a four-point play and a scoring burst that helped Brooklyn erase a 10-point deficit.
The Nets briefly moved ahead, and seven lead changes through three quarters reflected how closely the teams traded blows. Charlotte kept finding somewhere else to attack.
Brooklyn’s ball-screen coverage was a recurring problem. Defenders hesitated between hedging and switching, leaving Charlotte’s screeners free to slip toward the rim. Guards wound up defending Naz Reid before the Hornets had even developed their offense. Once Brooklyn sent help, late weakside rotations gave shooters room to operate.
Charlotte also kept possessions alive underneath. Moussa Diabaté worked relentlessly on the offensive glass, and Ryan Kalkbrenner contributed to Brooklyn’s struggles inside. The Hornets finished with 14 offensive rebounds and outscored the Nets 20-8 on second-chance opportunities.
Reid added 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, repeatedly exploiting Brooklyn’s defensive confusion.
Schröder scored 19 points and handed out six assists, complementing his fourth-quarter drives with aggressive defense against the Nets’ young guards. Grayson Allen buried five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points, while another former Net, Royce O’Neale, contributed eight.
Brooklyn’s backcourt struggled to answer. Egor Dëmin finished with four points on 2-of-10 shooting, and Nolan Traoré scored three without making a field goal.
Mikel Brown Jr. scored six points in his NBA debut, offering encouraging flashes of composure. He converted a right-handed three-point play in the first quarter and later delivered an impressive pass from underneath the basket to Randle for a second-quarter 3-pointer.
Noah Clowney supplied nine points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting and some needed physicality before fouling out in the fourth. Day’Ron Sharpe added eight points and eight rebounds, although Brooklyn struggled to control the defensive glass throughout the night.
The Nets shot 38.7% from deep compared with Charlotte’s 31.3%, but committed 22 turnovers and couldn’t keep the Hornets from exploiting their defensive breakdowns.
Randle and Porter supplied the offensive production Brooklyn envisioned when it brought them together. The Nets still have plenty to solve around them, particularly on defense.
Brooklyn returns to action Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.