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Nets are learning the hard way that their offense can’t rely only on Julius Randle
The Nets have started to move away from an offence centred on Julius Randle isolations, after a winless opening stretch showed that poor spacing and limited movement were stalling their attack. In their next six games they went 3-3, with more dribble handoffs and players moving with greater purpose helping the team find a better balance.
Across the first five games, Randle averaged 5.4 isolations and Brooklyn’s Offensive Rating was 104.8. In the following six, his isolations fell to 2.3, while Day’Ron Sharpe’s assists rose from 1.2 to 6.5; the team’s Offensive Rating increased to 113.4. Coach Jordi Fernández said the group was running the same plays with more purpose, as players learned how to fit their skills around Randle’s scoring.
In short
- Brooklyn’s early offence relied too heavily on Randle isolations.
- More movement and handoffs have coincided with a 3-3 run.
- The Nets’ Offensive Rating rose from 104.8 to 113.4.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The early results suggest Brooklyn was too dependent on Randle’s isolations: reducing them coincided with better ball movement, more assists from Sharpe and a higher Offensive Rating. A more varied attack may make it harder for opponents to focus on Randle and help his scoring fit within a more effective team offence.
The case against
Randle’s isolations remain a valuable way to create a shot when the offence stalls, and the numbers alone do not establish that cutting them caused the improvement. The later six-game stretch was still uneven at 3-3, so the team may need to preserve his individual scoring threat while building better movement and spacing around it.
Explained simply
Julius Randle is a forward who scores by creating shots for himself, including in one-on-one situations known as isolations. Brooklyn’s offence initially leaned heavily on those plays, with the other players often standing farther apart and having fewer chances to move the ball.
A basketball offence also depends on spacing and movement: players need room to attack and options to pass to. Coach Jordi Fernández leads the Nets, while Day’Ron Sharpe is one of the teammates who can help connect plays through passing and handoffs. How the team balances Randle’s scoring with those contributions matters because opponents can find it easier to defend an attack that relies on one player.