The Brooklyn Nets (11-25) begin a three-game road trip Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies (17-22), who are without Ja Morant with a calf injury. While Brooklyn will be without forward Michael Porter Jr. due to rest, they still had a chance to beat Memphis on the road, but they were unable to finish the game strong.
The Nets lost to the Grizzlies 103-98 despite leading 98-90 late in the fourth quarter, but Brooklyn allowed Memphis to go on a 13-0 run to end the game. Forward Noah Clowney struggled on the offensive end, scoring 17 points, but made 4 of 17 shots from the field, and reserve forward Tyrese Martin scored 17 points and 3 rebounds.
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This game against Memphis was interesting not only because the stars were missing for this game, but also because rookie Cedric Coward (Brooklyn selected Egor Deming) had 21 points and 8 rebounds. The Nets started their current road trip on the wrong foot, so here are the Nets players’ grades after Sunday’s loss to the Grizzlies:
Yegor Demin: C
Although the majority of the offense ran through Noah Clowney and Danny Wolfe, Deming excelled from three-point range. Deming’s offense isn’t particularly aggressive, but he’s still in the game while also taking charge of the basketball and distributing it to his teammates.
Terrence Mann: C-
Mann is asked to do a lot during his time on the court, and in this case, he has to fulfill his normal duties of guarding the other team’s best perimeter player while also contributing to the offense. What’s more, Mann spends most of his minutes on the court with Yegor Deming on the ball, so it’s an interesting dynamic to watch throughout the season.
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Danny Wolfe: B
With Porter out for the game due to rest, Wolfe was named the starting small forward and he did not disappoint with the extra playing time. Wolfe has had some tough games lately due to his poor shooting touch, but that wasn’t the case in this game as he was able to break through the Memphis backline and get to the rim while providing an all-around impact on the defensive end.
Noah Clooney: C-
Clowney struggled from 3-point range in this game, although he had solid performances throughout the game, showing the inconsistent nature of his shot. What’s encouraging to see from Clowney is his willingness to continue to throw the shots he can, because the offense needs him to stay aggressive if he wants to be a consistent contributor in the scheme.
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Nick Claxton: B-
Claxton had to contend with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Joc Landale for most of his time on the court, but he performed well. Claxton plays within himself and doesn’t force any shots he can legitimately take on defenders while also providing the rebounding and rim protection teams want to see in every game he plays.
Jaylen Wilson: B
Wilson’s spot in the rotation is shaky at best, but that being said, he came into this game ready to go and had one of his best games of the season so far. Wilson’s shot came from 3-point range, and as always, he made many of the little moves that head coach Jordy Fernandez likes to see, like chasing the ball and sprinting.
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Daron Sharpe: A
Sharpe played this game like his hair was on fire as he was all over the glass on both ends of the floor while also providing some extra offense in the flow of the scheme. Not only did Sharp grab nearly every rebound in his area, but he also did a great job on the defensive end, always keeping active hands in passing lanes.
Tyrese Martin: B+
Martin, similar to Jalen Wilson, has an uncertain role in the rotation when the team is mostly healthy, but in this one game he made the most of his playing time, especially when the Nets needed a spark. Martin is having one of his best shooting performances of the season, he doesn’t seem to miss on 3-pointers, and he brings some defensive toughness to the mix.
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Cam Thomas: C+
Thomas struggled to shoot in this one as he couldn’t find much sunlight against some of the Grizzlies’ defenders, including forward GG Jackson. While Thomas’ shooting hasn’t been great, he does a good job of drawing defensive attention, and that gravity has resulted in some of his teammates being able to take advantage of open opportunities when double-teamed.
Nolan Traore: B-
Traore once again struggled with his shot, but it was encouraging to see how aggressive he was on the ball, especially in transition. While Traore’s offensive abilities will change as he learns his best position in the NBA, he also made some nice passes during his time on the court, which shows that he is learning from his reps in the game as one of the point guards.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player ratings: Noah Clowney drops 17 points in 103-98 loss to Grizzlies
