3 Nets takeaways from 132-100 loss to Ben Simmons, Clippers

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NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (23-51) were understandably feeling good after the signing of Drew Timme to a two-year contract earlier this week. With Ben Simmons and the Los Angeles Clippers coming to town on Friday, Brooklyn was hoping that they could end their 5-game losing streak at home in front of their fans before they go on the road.

Unfortunately for the Nets, they did not get their intended result as they lost to the Clippers 132-100 in a game that essentially was over in the second quarter with the way that Los Angeles turned it on in the period. Keon Johnson had 13 points and two steals while Timme had 11 points and 10 rebounds in his NBA debut for a Nets team that needed as much as they could get against one of the better teams in the Western Conference.

Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Clippers as he put up 31 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in what was arguably his best game of the season against a Brooklyn team looking like they know that the season is close to an end. Here are three Nets takeaways from Friday's loss to the Clippers:

Drew Timme​

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Timme saw his first action in the NBA not long after signing his first multi-year deal in the league, representing an exciting 24 hours for the former Gonzaga Bulldog. While head coach Jordi Fernandez would not spoil the surprise during his pregame media sessions, Timme entered the game in the first quarter as the backup to center Nic Claxton and he did not disappoint.

Granted, Timme was part of a blowout because of how well the Clippers played, similar to what happened when these teams faced off in Los Angeles earlier this season. Timme came off the bench to put up 11 points and 10 rebounds despite having to go against Ivica Zubac and Ben Simmons for the majority of his minutes on the floor, two players who couldn't be more different in play style and body type.

Here's what Timme had to say following his NBA debut with the Nets:

"It was great. To get the experience, to get the opportunity to actually play in impactful minutes, too. I was nervous as crap out there, but it was awesome. It was a dream come true. I like this feeling, I don't want it to end. I got to keep working hard so I can keep doing this."

Young Players​

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With the Nets eliminated from contention for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, it has been interesting to see Fernandez give more minutes to the players that have not played as much this season, players like Dariq Whitehead, for example. Part of this rebuild will involve the Nets having to figure out what they have in their younger players in the event that this team significantly changes in the offseason.

Not only did no starter play more than 23 minutes in Friday's blowout loss, but seven different players saw at least 10 minutes of playing time off the bench for Brooklyn. While some fans have wondered what took the Nets so long to give minutes to some of the younger players once the season was clearly over, the point is the organization is doing that now, making the final eight games of the season important from an evaluation perspective.

Here's what Fernandez had to say during pregame about what the team is trying to achieve to end the season:

"Our thought process always (is) whoever's out there is going to play as hard, as connected as they can, to compete and fight for the game. We'll have some younger guys that we may have to make decisions (on) throughout the summer, and it's important to give them a look. So, if we find the opportunity while being competitive, for sure."

Tyson Etienne​

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Like Timme, Etienne made his NBA debut and he played well during his time on the floor, showing how aggressive he is on the offensive end while displaying an ability to shoot the ball at the NBA level. Etienne played just 10 minutes in this one so time will tell if that kind of production will hold over the final eight games of the season, but the early results are encouraging.

Given how the past couple of games have gone, it will be interesting to see how much time Etienne will see on the floor as this season comes to a close. At the moment, the only point guard on the roster aside from Etienne is D'Angelo Russell, a player who has not played over the past month or so. It's possible that Russell could see more rest days down the stretch, especially with how his right ankle has been bothering him all season.

Here's what Fernandez had to say about the debuts of Etienne and Timme:

"Congratulations to Drew and Tyson with their first points in the NBA, which is pretty awesome. But, we gotta be better. I gotta find a way to engage our players better, to play the right way. That's what we've done so far, is whether you win or lose, you play the right way with the right intentions. That makes you gives yourself a chance. That continues, and now the most important game is the next game, and it's tomorrow, and we want to be better."

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 132-100 loss to Ben Simmons, Clippers

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