Whatever day it was in the summer that the NBA decided to announce the schedule for the 2024-2025 season, Brooklyn Nets fans probably let out a deep sigh after watching two early games against the Boston Celtics.

For weeks, everyone who wanted to talk about the Nets this offseason only talked about how bad they would be in the campaign that had yet to unfold. In fact, they were given the lowest expected win total by most sportsbooks. You tell me that is the team that has to play the defending champions twice in three days in less than a month of the season? Adam Silver, you are a sick man!

But last week, the Nets gave the mighty Celtics all they could handle. They did it again tonight for one half – not the other – no, Certainly not the other. But between their early efforts tonight and their earlier efforts on Friday, Brooklyn made sure this early look at Boston didn’t become the breathtaking uppercut seconds in the first round that everyone expected it to be.

However, tonight alone they made an attempt. The Nets fell 139-114 at home. The ugly second half painted over the much more enjoyable first half, like motor oil over a Picasso. As we go through that and everything else, here are a few takeaways.

Ziaire Williams remains useful… at least

A rather raw prospect, Ziaire Williams has been floating around the NBA discourse for years, with many questioning his ability to operate as a consistent role player in the league — and just as many screaming that he “just needs an opportunity.” He’s essentially the East Coast version of Cam Reddish.

Tonight, and so far in this young season, he has added more support to the latter line of thinking. Z-dub took advantage of his second start of the season tonight, scoring 11 points in the first quarter while shooting 4-for-6 from the field and 1-for-2 on triples. Many of those points came from his willingness to cut and move off the ball with haste and purpose.

Williams’ beat on the rock and athleticism were on display early and often on the other end. While Jayson Tatum still got his (36/10/8), Williams kept him frustrated on almost every transition to the basket or side step three. In a league where two-way wings are in short supply, that versatility should bode well for both the Nets and his future.

“I think he did the right things because they cross-pollinated with their centers and he made them pay,” Fernández said after Williams’ match. “We told him that the things he did, he did very well, and he was very efficient for us. He understood exactly what he had to do.”

Williams also nodded back to his coach’s post game.

“Yes, 1000 percent man. Definitely,” Williams said when asked if Fernández’s coaching process has helped him so far this year. “Shoot, they’re just taking the dog out of me. That’s the most realistic way I can put it. Picking it up, being sloppy, just coaching me. That’s what I love, that’s how I was raised. My dad and my lifelong coach, Coach Mosely, cursed at me, yelled and sometimes said crazy things, but it was all out of love to make me better. And that is what Jordi does. He helped me get the best out of myself. I just have to keep giving it my all. “

The Memphis export’s tempestuous first quarter turned into a 23-point, five-rebound game for him. Those aren’t numbers that will jump off the page, but they do illustrate the marginal growth we’re looking for as fans. There is also talk that he can be a complementary piece in this competition. The 23-year-old Stanford player will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Nets could match any offer he might receive elsewhere.

Still small when it all stops

The Nets and Celtics could have compared injured greats tonight the way you would compare Pokémon cards to your friends at the elementary school lunch table. Personally, I was more of a baseball card guy, but let’s stick with one sport at a time.

Regardless, Dorian Finney-Smith, Al Horford, Ben Simmons, Kristaps Porzingis and Day’Ron Sharpe, wearing street clothes instead of white or green, made this a small-ball battle from the jump. Sure, the Nets had their starting big Nic Claxton and Boston got some good offense from Neemias Queta. Boston also gets a lot of their rebounding from their wings. But on the fringes of each team’s rotation, size beyond that was still paramount.

Regardless, Boston won the battle on the boards tonight, posting a +11 lead over the Nets. Twelve of them also came on the offensive end, leading to 18 second-chance points. That was almost enough to decide the match.

“You know, turnovers and threes off offensive rebounds, those are the worst plays in the NBA because it can bring your energy down,” Fernández recalled after the game. “It happened in that second half.”

The Celtics are still the Celtics, but given their own size limitations, you probably would have liked to see the Nets do better on the glass in this game.

Brooklyn would be wise not to attribute this solely to their own injuries. We know Sharpe, the team’s best pure rebounder, will be out for a while. Us too Good aware of Simmons’ injury history. So one way or another, this lack of height may persist and hinder the team. They’ll have to find a way around it.

Stars still shine

The word “star” has become something of a trigger word for Brooklyn fans. Players with that title have been responsible for some of the best and worst moments for the franchise since it moved to Brooklyn.

Last season was the first in a while where the team felt like it might not have any star players That important. The debate over whether or not they should abandon that ideology and trade one rather than pursue “team ball” seemed never-ending. Even as the team is more committed than ever to rebuilding, stories of star-hunting still grip them.

But tonight, when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took over this game in the third period to put everyone to bed early, it was the first time the team had to stare star value in the face all season.

While Nikola Jokic smoked Brooklyn with a historic stat line during his visit to the Clays weeks ago and Ja Morant gave us some highlights that have already gone triple platinum on Twitter, this was the first time it felt like the Nets were clearly beaten by either other two players from the ‘star’ category, who use their ‘star’ qualities, such as making contested shots from all parts of the field.

To the tank commanders: take it as a positive. There is no shortage of big names in this league, and if it is ever “one of those nights” for anyone facing the Nets, it will put you on a fast track to a loss, just like tonight.

If you’re more competitive, don’t lose your mind about it. The fact that it took this long to get a game like this should tell you enough about Fernández and his ability to play ‘team ball’ the right way.