The Brooklyn Nets open 2022 training camp on Sept. 27. The team moves into this season with several additions poised to provide a shakeup to the rotation.

With that, here are three training camp battles to watch over the coming weeks.

3. Joe Harris vs. Royce O’Neale

Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are penciled into the starting five. Nic Claxton is also expected to start as Brooklyn’s only experienced center. That leaves one spot open on the wing.

Seth Curry started all 17 of his games with the Nets last season and returns after recovering from an ankle injury. However, Brooklyn should prioritize size on the wing after struggling to defend and rebound late last year. The Nets ranked 20th in defensive rating and their 113.5 points per game allowed to the Celtics last postseason is eight more than any other team Boston faced. That leaves Joe Harris and Royce O’Neale as candidates for the final starting spot.

Both have substantial experience as starters. Harris has started all but four of his games with Brooklyn over the last four seasons. O’Neale started 210 of 219 games with the Utah Jazz over the last three. Both have proven effective in complementary roles and bring different skills to the table.

Harris provides elite floor-spacing as a 43.9-percent shooter from behind the arc from three for his career. O’Neale offers increased defensive versatility, frequently guarding the opposing team’s top player throughout his time in Utah. He is also an effective floor-spacer at 38.1 percent from deep over five NBA seasons.

Given Simmons and Claxton are both high-level defenders and non-shooters, the Nets are likely to prioritize Harris’ shooting over O’Neale’s defensive versatility with the starters. Harris is more than an elite spot-up threat. The six-year Net has proven very effective as a movement shooter, frequently knocking down shots off curls, flare screens, pin-downs, and more. While O’Neale is respectable from three, he doesn’t offer this capability and is more comfortable on set shots.

Harris should be the favorite to round out the starting rotation, but O’Neale presents a solid option with his rebounding and high-level two-way play. Both should frequently be played alongside one another in closing lineups.

2. Markieff Morris vs. Day’Ron Sharpe

With Claxton starting at center, one of several questions continues to be: Who is the backup center?

Day'Ron Sharpe and Markieff Morris are Brooklyn's options for the time being. Sharpe is entering his second year after Brooklyn selected the center 29th overall in the 2021 draft. The big man played 32 games as a rookie, averaging 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Sharpe impressed with his high motor and physicality in limited minutes. At 6-foot-9, 265-pounds, the 20-year-old has the strength to bang on the boards, hold post position and finish through contact as a roll man. He has also shown flashes of outside shooting, knocking down 34.4 percent of his threes in 11 games with Long Island last season.

Morris comes to Brooklyn on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract. Despite this, the 11-year veteran appears to have been a priority this offseason. A recent report from Marc Stein said the Nets considered the signing “significant” and owner Joe Tsai made a personal recruiting pitch to the 33-year-old. Morris brings physicality to the court and a veteran presence to the locker room. The 6'9″ former first-round pick is expected to fill a small-ball five role this season.

Morris won a championship alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in 2020. He was a key piece of the Lakers' bubble playoff run, shooting 42.0 percent from three on 3.3 attempts per game. The Kansas product is a physical rebounder and defender. He's also an above-average passer in the frontcourt. Most importantly, he offers some threat of shooting at the five at 34.1 percent from three for his career.

Brooklyn has a need for a floor-spacing big to open the floor for Simmons. Morris' shooting and experience should give him the upper hand as a backup. However, if Sharpe continues to develop his three-point shot, along with his defense, finishing and rebounding, he could surprise fans in his sophomore season.

1. Patty Mills vs. Edmond Sumner vs. Cam Thomas

The backup point guard is another question mark that lingers heading into camp. Simmons and Irving will dominate the ball on most nights. However, both have checkered injury histories that make a secondary ball-handler an important need during the regular season. Goran Dragic filled that role briefly last year before bolting for Chicago this offseason. The Nets move into 2022-23 without a true point guard on the roster.

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Patty Mills, Edmond Sumner and Cam Thomas are all candidates to fill the role early this season. Mills was among the top three-point shooters in the league early last year before struggling late in the season. The 13-year veteran returns to Brooklyn on a two-year, $13.3 million deal after opting out of his player option. At 6-foot, Mills struggles defensively and is limited as a ball-handler. However, the guard shot 40.0 percent from three on 7.0 attempts per game last season and brings a high-IQ presence alongside Brooklyn's stars.

Sumner played four seasons in Indiana before missing last season with a torn Achilles. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, the Xavier product is the biggest and most athletic of the three guards. Sumner uses that length and athleticism to defend on the perimeter and attack the rim off the dribble. While he showed some improvement as a shooter in his last full season, the guard is not a three-point threat at 33.3 percent on just 1.6 attempts per game for his career. Overall, Sumner presents a defensive option who can handle the ball and initiate the offense when needed.

Thomas heads into his sophomore season after Brooklyn selected him 27th overall in the 2021 draft. The 20-year-old appeared in 67 games as a rookie, averaging 8.5 points and 1.2 assists per game. Thomas' strength lies as a scorer. The guard averaged 23.0 points per game at LSU in 2020-21, leading all freshmen in his only college season. He excels in the mid-range, probing off the pick and roll or pulling up off the dribble to create space for his shot. However, Thomas struggles as a three-point shooter (32.5 percent in college, 27.0 percent in his rookie season) and will need to improve from deep to impact games at the NBA level. He also needs to show greater commitment on the defensive end.

Thomas has not been tasked with a true point guard role thus far in his career (1.3 assists per game over 96 games in college and the NBA). He has the quickness and handle of an NBA point guard but often looks to generate his own shot rather than creating for others. If he can adjust his mindset offensively while improving as a three-point shooter and defender, the second-year guard offers the most upside of the three as a reserve point guard.

Mills is the most likely candidate to crack the back-end of the Nets' rotation given his experience and shooting. However, Sumner and Thomas present better ball-handlers and younger options at point guard. If they can improve in their areas of struggle, both could challenge for minutes throughout this regular season.