The Nets recreation in opposition to the Raptors on Sunday had every kind of lottery ramification. And each lineups confirmed it.
For months, Toronto has craftily massaged its endgame rotations to tank.
However with the sixth spot within the lottery standings at stake, each groups put forth lineups extra befitting Las Vegas Summer season League.
Taking part in with out their total beginning 5, the Nets even handed Drew Timme and Reece Beekman their first-ever begins.
And in the long run, they fell 120-109 earlier than 17,007 at Barclays Middle — a loss that can really feel like a win to the pro-tank crowd.
That is actually 12 months Zero of the Nets rebuild, struggling for the possibility at a excessive lottery choose subsequent month.
The Nets are 25-53 — simply 16-43 after a 9-10 begin — and appear all however assured of going into the lottery with the sixth-best odds.
Fifth-place Philadelphia has misplaced 11 straight and is decided to not win for the remainder of the season.
And after Saturday’s loss, the Nets lead the seventh-place Raptors by 3 ½ video games with simply 4 to play.
Sixth seems a fait accompli.
With the chance of ending fifth, the Nets would have a 9 p.c probability to win the lottery and declare Duke star Cooper Flagg in addition to a 37.2 p.c shot at a prime 4 choose.
Their most certainly touchdown spots are seventh (29.8) or eighth (20.5). The Nets even have three extra first-round picks, from the Bucks, Suns and cross-river rival Knicks.
With starters Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney already dominated out for the season, Cam Johnson (again), D’Angelo Russell (ankle) and Day’Ron Sharpe (knee) had been all damage Saturday and Nic Claxton was merely rested in opposition to Toronto.
The Nets had been led by Timme, who was simply signed from the G-League on March 28. Standing in for Claxton and Sharpe at heart, he had 13 factors and 7 rebounds.
Beekman bought the nod at level guard and had a team-high 14 factors and 5 assists however posted a horrid minus-26.
“They’ve been put in conditions that they haven’t earlier than, and I feel that’s all the time a optimistic when it’s important to carry out outdoors your consolation zone,” coach Jordi Fernández mentioned of the inexperienced guards. “If a mistake occurs, it’s not on them. So long as they struggle exhausting, it’s on me as a result of I’m placing them in that place.
“It’s good to see what we now have. We’ve been put in conditions that I’ve been working performs for gamers that with a full roster in all probability I’d’ve not carried out it. … However then they get to point out you loads of issues and that’s the way you see growth differently … I feel that’s all a optimistic. Gamers educate us in what positions we should always put them, and it’s important to simply be prepared to observe them do their greatest.”
What the Nets did was path by 23.
They allowed a 12-4 run within the first quarter, then surrendered 12 unanswered later within the interval.
The Nets watched the Raptors put eight scorers in double figures — led by Jonathan Mogbo’s 17 factors and 11 rebounds — together with all 5 reserves who noticed motion.
In opposition to Toronto, they shot 10-for-35 from deep with 23 turnovers.
“Very pleased with how the season has gone, from the connection with possession, entrance workplace, the route of the imaginative and prescient, the plan, the execution, the place we’re at, very, very, very pleased with us. We’ve got a vital summer season in entrance of us, for apparent causes,” Fernández mentioned, in an understatement.
“So far as myself — studying each day. I feel that’s been my strategy since Day 1. You don’t know what this job is till you do it, the quantity of issues it’s important to take care of — like media twice on recreation days. However I feel you be taught, you be taught each single day, and that makes you a greater coach, and also you’re extra ready than the day after. I consider that subsequent season I’ll be even higher as a result of I’ll have extra days and extra video games below my belt.”
