3 Nets takeaways from 110-103 loss to Naz Reid, Hornets to open season

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (0-1) began their 60th season showing off their classic uniform and going through all of the eras of Nets basketball to get fans excited for the upcoming season. Brooklyn can always put on a good show, especially after a legend like Vince Carter addresses the crowd before a game, but the Charlotte Hornets (1-0) got the better of the Nets .

The Nets lost to the Hornets on Wednesday 110-103 despite the fact that Brooklyn seemed within striking distance for the majority of the game thanks to their two stars. Forward Julius Randle had 33 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists while forward Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points and seven rebounds as the Nets couldn't get much offensive production out of anybody else outside of those two.

In addition to the overall offensive struggles, the Nets also had plenty of defensive issues as they allowed the Hornets to score 20 second-chance points and guard Grayson Allen to pile up 21 points off the bench. Brooklyn had hoped for a win after all of the pageantry heading into the game, but they will have to play better if they're going to win more games than they did last season.

Julius Randle Could Be One Of The Missing Pieces

When Randle was acquired by the Nets via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the question became what kind of player he would be for a young team that was led by Michael Porter Jr. and Egor Demin last season. In the season-opener against the Hornets, Randle showed his ability to affect the game in multiple ways and could be the driving force of a positive season.

Michael Porter Jr. Does It On Both Ends Of The Court

Porter had a slow start to this game as he had just six points in the first half, but he quickly turned that around in the third quarter as he had 12 points in the quarter. In addition to finishing the game with 26 points, Porter also had plenty of impact on the defensive end of the floor as he racked up three steals by using his length to be disruptive in the passing lanes.

The NBA has also been tough for young point guards and this season, it seems that the Nets will be playing three of them: Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr., and Nolan Traore. While Brown had the best performance of the trip, he still had some moments where he looked like he was speeding up to get to his spots, but that is understandable. The hope is that Demin will shoot better as the season goes on and that Traore can settle down when the ball is in his hands.