NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (0-5) appeared to have understood the message when it came to what they had to do so that they could get their first win of the season and move on from there. Brooklyn's next test came against the visiting Detroit Pistons (5-1) on Friday in the NBA Cup, but the Nets let go of the rope well before the final buzzer sounded.

The Nets lost to the Pistons 110-94 despite ending the first quarter with a 28-21 lead as Detroit seemed to give their punch back in the second quarter and Brooklyn wasn't able to recover. Backup center Mo Wagner came off the bench to put up 16 points and eight rebounds while forward Julius Randle had 15 points and eight rebounds in what was a struggle of a performance for him.

Guard Cade Cunningham led the way for the Pistons on the road with 20 points and five rebounds, but Brooklyn allowed five different Pistons players to score in double-digits. The Nets have not gotten off on the right floor overall and now, they are 0-1 in NBA Cup play despite having an encouraging performance earlier in the week against the Boston Celtics.

Here are the Nets player grades after Friday's loss to the Pistons:

Nolan Traore: C-

Traore started for the second-straight game, but he struggled against Detroit's defense more than he did against the Celtics as the Pistons forced the second-year guard to shoot mostly from the perimeter. Traore did a good job of scoring the ball when he was able to get into the paint, but he wasn't able to make good decisions with the ball in his hands.

Chaney Johnson: C+

Johnson made his way into the starting lineup for this game with Egor Demin being out of the rotation due to his right leg injury and he had a solid outing for the most part. Johnson didn't make much of an impact on the offensive end of the floor, but his energy on both ends of the court was palpable and probably the reason that he started in the first place.

Michael Porter Jr.: D

Porter was solid on the offensive end of the floor as he was able to get to his spots on the floor despite the Pistons doing everything they could to run him off the three-point line. Porter also did a good job of contributing on the glass, but he wasn't able to carry the offense the way that he had coming into this one and Brooklyn didn't have a way of making up for that lack of production.

Julius Randle: C-

Randle struggled to get going on the offensive end of the floor as the Pistons looked like they were intent on making his navigation anywhere on the floor difficult, especially inside the three-point line. Randle did a good job of helping in the rebounding phase of the game, but it was disappointing to see him turn the ball over as much as he did given his passing acumen.

Day'Ron Sharpe: C

This was a rough performance for Sharpe as he wasn't able to get himself going scoring around the rim and it seems like his offensive impact has been dwindling as the season has progressed. Sharpe was rebounding as much as he could while he was in the game and while he made some plays protecting the rim, the Nets just allowed the Pistons to have too many open shots.

Noah Clowney: C-

Clowney has continued to be a steady member of the rotation as he has embraced his role as a defender and rebounder while being able to hit the occasional open shot that he gets within the rhythm of the offense. Clowney was great on the boards despite facing the trees that Detroit can put on the floor and he made some nice plays on defense using his length.

Mo Wagner: B

Wagner continued his offensive resurgence in this one as he couldn't seem from anywhere on the floor, except for a dunk attempt that he definitely should have made. Wagner appears to look more comfortable within the offense, especially since he knows when he can get his looks after someone cuts off of him and gives him space to shoot his three-pointer as a result.

Keon Ellis: C+

Ellis came off the bench in this NBA Cup matchup despite Demin not being available, but the veteran seemed to settle into his role coming off the bench to still be a defensive disruptor and guy that can spread the floor. Ellis gave his best effort on the defensive end and he came up with some nice blocks while using his athleticism and length to bother his man.

Mikel Brown Jr.: C+

Brown continued in his role coming off the bench despite Demin being out of the lineup for the time being and the rookie struggled to shoot the ball from all over the floor. He did a great job of getting to the free-throw line and passing the ball, but outside of that, Brown is hoping to have a better performance on both ends of the floor the next time out.