As the Brooklyn Nets begin training camp next week, one of several questions continues to be: Who is the roster's backup point guard?
Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving will shoulder most of the ball-handling responsibilities for the Nets this season. Despite this, Irving has frequently been used off the ball in his last two seasons and Brooklyn will utilize the 6-foot-11 Simmons in a variety of positions. Positionless basketball has become standard in the NBA, but the presence of a floor general remains an important part of orchestrating offenses and controlling games.
Goran Dragic filled that role for Brooklyn late last season. Dragic was critical of his time with the Nets, citing the players' focus on individual performances as opposed to the team, and signed with the Chicago Bulls this summer. The Nets come into the 2022-23 season without a true point guard. Nets general manager Sean Marks will likely make a move at some point to address the roster need.
For now, here are three players on the current Nets roster who can fill the backup point guard void.
Patty Mills
Mills had an up-and-down year in his first season with Brooklyn. The 13-year veteran was among the top 3-point shooters in the league early but cooled off down the stretch. A high workload in Irving's absence could be an explanation for his struggles late in the season. Mills played 81 regular-season games, averaging 29.0 minutes, the most of his career by far. He finished the season at 11.4 points and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range. Mills returned to the Nets on a two-year, $13.3 million contract after opting out of his player option this summer.
Mills' upside as a backup point guard is tied to two things: composure and shooting. While he is limited as a ball handler and passer, the 34-year-old has experience in pressure situations, playing in 94 playoff games and winning a 2014 championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Mills was a calming presence down the stretch of games early last season, frequently slowing things down and ensuring Durant got the ball in his spots.
The following play is a great example of this. Dallas began doubling Durant on every possession in the final minutes of this December win. Here, Mills gets the ball to Durant in the mid-post. When he receives the return pass off of the double, he uses a quick pass fake to freeze the doubler on the rotation before quickly getting the ball back to Durant:
While it may look like a routine play, these quick decisions, and high basketball IQ, are often what help to limit runs by opposing teams. Mills' shooting (38.6% from 3 for his career) also opens the floor and offers Brooklyn's stars a safety valve when in isolation.
Overall, his defensive deficiencies at his size as a 6-footer and limited ball handling aren't ideal for a point guard, but Mills can be effective as an experienced veteran in a reserve role.
Cam Thomas
Thomas enters his second NBA season with the Nets after playing 67 games as a rookie. The 20-year-old notched 8.7 points and 1.2 assists per game on 27.0 percent shooting from 3-point range. Thomas’ strength lies as a scorer. He excels when operating in the mid-range, shooting 53.8 percent from 3-16 feet last season. Thomas understands how to get to his spots as a ball handler, frequently probing off the dribble to utilize the mid-range or attack the rim. The guard led all freshmen in scoring during his lone college season, putting up 23.0 points per game for LSU in 2020-2021.
However, Thomas has averaged just 1.3 assists over 96 games in college and the NBA. If he hopes to fill a reserve point guard role in Brooklyn, he’ll need to significantly improve as a passer. Doing so would require the 2021 first-rounder to readjust his mindset and buy in to a new role. Thomas has shown glimpses of playmaking ability in limited spurts as a lead ball handler:
The former first-round pick has the quickness to blow by defenders and the handle to initiate the pick-and-roll. However, as a lead scorer for most of his career, his focus is often on creating his own shot as opposed to looking for his teammates. At 20 years old, Thomas is still learning how to play at the NBA level and has tremendous room for growth.
The guard needs to improve as a 3-point shooter if he hopes to fit alongside Simmons and/or Nic Claxton. Defensively, Thomas needs to gain a better understanding of positioning and show greater commitment overall. If he can improve in those areas, and focus a portion of his offense on using the advantages he creates to find teammates, the backup point guard position could present an opportunity for Thomas during his sophomore campaign.
Edmond Sumner
Sumner played the first four seasons of his career in Indiana before missing last season with a torn Achilles. The guard comes to the Nets on a one-year, partially guaranteed deal. The former second-round pick played point guard in college at Xavier before transitioning to shooting guard with the Pacers.
At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Sumner is a strong defender who uses his athleticism to challenge ball handlers on the perimeter. Offensively, the 26-year-old excels when attacking the basket, utilizing his long strides and quick first step to attack the rim. Sumner is not a threat from 3-land at 33.3 percent for his career and struggles to score in the mid-range. He handed out just 1.1 assists per game while in Indiana, but posted 5.0 assists per game in his last season as a point guard with Xavier. The Detroit native appeared on the Voice of the Nets podcast with Chris Carrino and spoke on his ability to adapt to new roles.
“I feel like I do a really good job of adjusting,” he said. “I'm in this position, they played me at the four today, they played me at the two, oh yeah, they want me to play the one. I feel like I adjust pretty well and I can be put in a lot of different positions.”
Overall, Sumner has the ball-handling ability to initiate the offense with experience at point guard. With four years as a role player in Indiana, he should understand what Brooklyn is looking for in a reserve at the position. He has clear limitations as a shooter, but his tough defense, athleticism and team-first attitude could serve him well in a backup point guard role.
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If the Nets are healthy, the backup point guard will see limited minutes during the season. But given Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons' injury history, a secondary ball handler has proven to be an important position during the grind of the regular season. Mills, Thomas and Sumner should have an opportunity to prove their worth at the position in training camp and early this season.
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