3 Nets takeaways from 117-91 loss at Timberwolves

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The Brooklyn Nets (26-55) had been given a wakeup call by head coach Jordi Fernandez following Thursday's 133-109 loss to the Atlanta Hawks about playing hard until the season is over. With Brooklyn going on its last road trip of the season, it was one last time for the team to prove its mettle at the Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33), but it just wasn't their game.

The Nets lost at the Timberwolves 117-91 after losing the first and third quarters by a combined 25 points due to how well Minnesota was playing on both ends of the floor. Keon Johnson led the way for the Nets with 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists while Trendon Watford had 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists to help Brooklyn make some kind of comeback.

Rudy Gobert absolutely carried the Timberwolves in this one to the tune of 35 points and 11 rebounds as no one on the Nets was able to get between him and the basket without sending him to the free-throw line. Here are three Nets takeaways from Friday's loss at the Timberwolves:

Keon Johnson​

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Johnson showed some significant improvement in the way that he approached the game as he did a great job of handling the ball in the pick-and-roll. While Johnson has spent most of this season playing off the ball, injuries have forced head coach Jordi Fernandez to put Johnson in a spot to handle the ball more than usual and he did what was asked of him.

Johnson had one of his better all-around games as he put up 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists while shooting the ball efficiently and picking up just one turnover. Time will tell if Johnson is ready to play in that kind of role when next season comes around, but if Friday's game in Minnesota is any indication, Johnson could be ready to take the next step.

Trendon Watford​

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Watford displayed his ability to get into the lane repeatedly and score at the rim, even against the likes of Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid defending the rim. While Watford has not shown the ability to be a reliable contributor from the three-point land, at least on high volume, he has shown that he can be counted on to score at the basket whenever the Nets need a bucket.

What has been a welcomed sight to see from Watford has been his presence on the boards over the past couple of games, especially with Brooklyn missing Day'Ron Sharpe to help with the rebounding. In a game where Drew Timme was the only center in the rotation, Watford came up huge in the rebounding department while also being the secondary playmaker that the team has counted on him to be.

Reece Beekman​

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Beekman is an interesting player to evaluate given that he is one of the Two-Way players on the roster and may not be back next season if the Nets decide to go another way. One of Beekman's weaknesses has been his lack of offensive firepower at a point guard spot that requires him to at least be a threat to do something in the scoring department if opposing defenses are going to respect him.

Despite the fact that the Timberwolves were leaving Beekman open as one of the ways to limit Brooklyn's offense, he did not let that lack of attention deter him from doing his job and he actually showed his ability to hit some shots. If he can combine his defensive prowess and passing ability with some kind of scoring punch, Beekman will be an intriguing player to monitor for the Nets.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 117-91 loss at Timberwolves

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