The crazy stats underscore Brooklyn’s shocking defensive turnaround that fueled its recent success

The The Brooklyn Nets’ defense looked like their biggest tank weapon for the start of the season. Jordi Fernandez’s team posted an NBA-worst 128.5 defensive rating during the 0-7 start. Fast forward to December, and the Nets are allowing the fewest points in the NBA (102.3).

When asked about his team’s shocking defensive turnaround, Fernandez thanked his assistant coaches for their stewardship and his players for their input.

“I think it’s a credit to the coaches to find a way to break things down, and when we get time to practice and watch film with the players and do our 1-on-0 work that they do, embracing the defensive side of the floor, and especially the players, because they’re the ones who put in the effort and buy into it,” the coach said. “We didn’t start well defensively at all. It was very bad. We didn’t get into a lot of things. Obviously we’ve evolved and made some adjustments, but now we seem to have a good rhythm with our physicality, with our communication, getting more stops in a row, making winning plays. We’re building our cooperative identity and giving credit to the defensive identity. The players for doing the job and then taking it out on the field.”

The Nets looked flustered and, frankly, disinterested defensively during their abominable start. However, their effort and understanding of Fernandez’s scheme over the past month has been a game-changer.

After their 0-7 start, The Nets are 8-12 overall and 8-9 in games when Michael Porter Jr. plays. They posted a 112.0 defensive rating during that span, seventh-best in the NBA, and a 16.5-point improvement over the first seven games.

Cam Thomas left the Nets’ lineup with a hamstring injury during the first game of that 8-12 stretch. Thomas has been extremely negative on the defensive end during his tenure. Replacing the 6-foot-3 guard with the 6-foot-9 Noah Clowney transformed Brooklyn’s starting lineup and provided an immediate defensive boost.

Inside the shocking defensive turnaround fueling the Nets’ resurgence

The Nets revamped their starting five Egor DeminTerrance Mann, Porter Jr., Clowney and Nic Clacton boasts an average height of 6-foot-9 and an average wingspan of seven feet. That length, along with Brooklyn’s improved effort, limits passing and driving lanes as well as shooting windows.

“I think we’re active all the time, we get a lot of deflections,” Demin said. “We’re active with our hands. We use our length and disrupt. And I think it all comes from defensive rebounds as well. Defensive rebounds and not letting them run and being physical.”

Brooklyn also benefited from adjusting its defensive scheme.

The Nets played one of the most aggressive defensive coverages in the NBA early in the season. They posted the second-highest lift on opposing ball handlers, often doubling up in the half court and getting their centers level when defending pick-and-rolls.

Although they have remained true to Fernandez’s aggressive philosophy, they have recently changed.

“I think it’s a mixture of a lot of things,” Fernandez said of his team’s defensive improvement. “It’s a better job of our guys closing with the bat all the way to the body, we’ve discouraged some of those threes. So there’s better awareness. Technique-wise, I think the coaches have done a great job putting these drills together, and we’ve had time to practice. The other thing is we’re switching more — we’re helping more, and you can make less shots, you can make less balls. The three-point line is easier.

“And then multiple efforts. We’ve had good game-winning plays where you have to get to the 3-point line to a good shooter and limit it to 3. So we’re happy with that. We’ve got a lot of work to do with defending the rim though, some containing the ball, especially in transition. So it’s important to keep getting better, but I’m happy with the three-pointer)”

The Nets have allowed the most points in the NBA (59.1 per game) during their 0-7 start. They rank seventh in their last 20 games, allowing 49.1 per game. They also went from dead last in defensive rebounding percentage to eighth during an 8-12 stretch.

The appearance of Noah the Clown played a significant role in these improvements. With Clacton and Dai’Ron Sharpe playing level in Fernandez’s aggressive pick-and-roll coverage, Clowney is often tasked with protecting the paint as Brooklyn’s short man. After a poor start defensively, the 21-year-old is averaging 1.3 blocks per game over his last 18 appearances.

The Nets wanted more from Noah Clowney in his low rotations.

This will be enough. pic.twitter.com/hS6gtMJh40

— Eric Slater (@erikslater_) November 22, 2025

DEFENSE ➡ ATTACK@NoahClowney‘s block sparks a break and brilliant @_clakton33 to finish pic.twitter.com/mf5FDFFU44

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklinNets) December 21, 2025

The Nets defense is better by 3.2 points per 100 possessions with Clowney on the floor, fourth-best among 17 forwards who have played over 600 minutes this season, according to CleaningTheGlass.

“(Noah) is big for us because of the way our defense is set up, a lot of times I’m not always on the edge,” Claxton said. “I might be on the perimeter helping out on defense or at guard, so that forces (someone to protect the rim). If Noah can be that kind of force down there as a short man, that really helps us out tremendously.”

Brooklyn has also defended the three-point line much better of late. Over their last 20 games, the Nets have allowed the third-fewest three-point attempts (33.1) in the NBA and opponents have shot 35.3 percent. Meanwhile, they are trying to be third (41.1 per game) while also shooting 35.3 percent.

As a result, they make 14.5 3-pointers per game compared to 11.8 by opponents, giving them an 8.1 point advantage at the three-point line each night.

The Nets seemed destined for one of the worst records in the NBA to begin the season. However, their defensive recovery has led them to play respectable basketball over the last seven weeks.

While Fernandez and his players are pleased with their improvement, they feel they can reach another level.

“Our defense was pretty solid last month,” Claxton said. “It’s been really good. We’ve just got to keep taking steps in the right direction. We’ve got a lot of interchangeable defensemen. There’s still a lot of areas we can improve on. We’ve just got to keep going.”