3 Nets takeaways from 116-86 loss to the Raptors

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NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (23-50) were hoping to end their losing streak against one of the teams that they were favored to beat in the Toronto Raptors (26-47) as this season comes to a close. However, Brooklyn ran into a Toronto team that was looking to continue winning games as they head into next season with a squad that they hope can make a playoff appearance.

The Nets lost to the Raptors 116-86 in a game that was essentially decided after the first quarter where Brooklyn trailed Toronto 32-18 after the first 12 minutes. Nic Claxton had one of his best games of the season for the Nets with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks, but he did not get much help from his teammates as Brooklyn shot just 35.6% from the field and 19.5% from three-point land.

There were many issues for the Nets that occurred in this game, but defense was arguably the most glaring miscue as six different Raptors scored in double-figures, led by Orlando Robinson's 23 points. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday's 116-86 loss to the Raptors:

Nic Claxton​

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While it came in another blowout loss, Claxton had one of his best games of the season to the tune of 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks. In a game where Brooklyn could not get anything going on the offensive end due to the Raptors' immense defensive pressure, Claxton was one of the few players that was able to get to his spots on the floor and make plays in the face of that pressure.

Claxton seems to have turned things around over the last week or two as he appears to be more aggressive on the offensive end while also taking more chances on the defensive end when it comes to protecting the rim and challenging shots. This was his second-straight game notching at least 19 points and seven rebounds while also being the first game that he's had more than two blocks since Mar. 1.

Despite Claxton's efforts, head coach Jordi Fernandez had this to say about why his team lost by 30 points:

"I think the ball pressure (from the Raptors) really set the tone throughout the game. You look at the points off turnovers, we (gave up) 30 points. They scored 30 points out of our 20 turnovers, and that difference with the points that we scored off their turnovers, it was a 23-point difference. Plus, the difference out of the second chance (points) and the free-throws all combined is 32 points. We lost by 30, (but) they didn't shoot a great percentage, 42% from the field and 30% from three. We should have given ourselves a chance, and we didn't because we didn't take care of that possession game. It's plain and simple: we've been better than this. We have to show up the next day and be better."

Dariq Whitehead​

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Whitehead saw minutes for the Nets for the first time since Mar. 4 and when it comes to playing significant minutes on the floor, Whitehead hasn't played close to the 25 minutes that he saw against the Raptors since Jan. 22. Whitehead has spent the majority of this season in the G League and while that is typically okay, he is nearing the end of his second season after being the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

At this point, it's hard to know what the Nets have in Whitehead given that he's played so little at the NBA level that this rebuild could be going better if Whitehead was being evaluated as much as Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson are. Either way, Whitehead playing as much as he did against Toronto could be a sign that Brooklyn is willing to put him on the floor to finish the season.

Here's what Fernandez had to say about how Whitehead played against the Raptors and what he expects to see from the former Duke Blue Devil going forward:

"Obviously, these minutes are very important for us to see, to see these guys playing at this level, some of the younger guys that haven't played yet. He's done a great job with our club in Long Island, and now he's got the opportunity. These minutes have to be used properly with intention. Those minutes are very important for us to see and for him to take advantage of it. When those minutes are there for you, you have to take them and take advantage. We got to watch the film. He had a couple of good actions, but he made a couple of shots. Defensively, he got lost a few times. But, we all make mistakes. We're going to correct it."

Trendon Watford​

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Watford continued his solid play for the Nets coming off the bench as he scored at least nine points for the sixth-straight game along with shooting at least 50.0% from the field over that span. While Watford isn't stretching the floor as much as Brooklyn hoped coming into this season, he's shooting 31.4% from deep following the loss to Toronto, he is doing just enough to keep defenses honest.

The Nets coming out of the All-Star Break have been disappointing from a win-losses standpoint, but players like Watford have shown that they can still do their part in the face of losing. Fernandez has been trying to find the right combination of players that can help the team be more competitive against teams like the Raptors, but this may be the point of the season where guys are playing through the adversity.

Here's what Watford had to say about whether a loss like this is a setback for what Brooklyn is trying to build:

"I wouldn't say it's a setback. Obviously, we wanted to beat this team that smacks us by 30 but no, we know what we got to do. We know we wanted to beat this team so we just got to lock in these next nine games and work towards what we trying to do. I think we've been a team that has formed an identity all season. We just can't let that slip just because we got nine games left. We just got to be who we've been this whole season. Win or lose, we can't go out like that, like how we went out tonight."

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 116-86 loss to the Raptors

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