The Brooklyn Nets (17-51) returned to the Barclays Center for a matchup against the Western Conference Portland Trail Blazers (33-36).

The Nets would once again find themselves down five players, as the injuries continue to mount for the team. Coming off a strong effort in Philadelphia on Saturday, Brooklyn had a chance to put everything together on Monday against Portland. Instead, it was more of the same. A slow start sealed the Nets’ fate as they dropped the game 114-95.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets home loss to the Trail Blazers.

1. Nets Poor First Half

Another game, another subpar first-half performance from the Nets. Since they returned to action after the All-Star break, Brooklyn has consistently put themselves behind the eight ball with disastrous first halves of play. They trailed by 24 at the break on Monday, effectively ending the game before the halftime entertainment even took the court.

These poor starts become even worse after the Nets make some sort of push in the third quarter. They’ve turned in some really solid quarters in the second half of games recently, but it hasn’t led to any wins because the deficit is too big to overcome. Whether it’s juggling the rotation or changing the scheme, Jordi Fernandez needs to do something to address the slow starts.

2. Ben Saraf Continues To Shine

Ben Saraf has been the final of the Nets’ five 2025 first-round picks to really get a chance to show what he can do. And things are starting to come together for the 6-foot-6 guard. He put together another strong all-around performance on Monday, finishing the game with 15 points, four assists, and four steals.

It was the fourth game in a row in double-digits for Saraf, who’s giving Fernandez some key minutes off the bench with all the injuries. He got to the line, forced turnovers, and finished at the rim with ease. After a tough first month in the NBA, it looks like his time in the G-League did Saraf a ton of good. The Nets’ 2025 class is looking better and better by the game.

3. Brooklyn’s Starters Let Them Down

With the recent lineup decisions from Fernandez and the franchise, the Nets’ starters aren’t seeing any minutes in the fourth quarters of games. Brooklyn has looked better at the end of games with a ragtag group of bench guys in there, which isn’t a great look for the starters. The starting five totaled just 33 points on Monday and combined for a plus/minus of -97.

Outside of Nic Claxton, no starter looked good at any moment in this game. While it’s understandable with three rookies in there, you would hope for a better effort from some guys looking to establish their roles heading into next season. Until the Nets get healthier, there are huge concerns with that unit going forward.