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After three years of game-planning for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, opposing coaches will be met with a revamped Brooklyn Nets squad in 2023-24. While the Nets lack a superstar, the new-look roster is filled with versatile two-way players.
Ben Simmons presents one of the league's top passers and defenders if healthy. Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are plus defenders with elite spot-up shooting and growing repertoires as on-ball creators. Spencer Dinwiddie and Cam Thomas offer high-level shot creation and catch-and-shoot ability. And Nic Claxton emerged as one of the NBA's top defenders while making significant strides offensively last year.
The Nets will hang their hat on that two-way versatility this season, and 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said it's what makes Brooklyn an interesting team to prepare for.
“It’s an interesting team. They have a lot of positionless guys. They have a lot of guys bringing the ball up the floor. They have a lot of guys that initiate offense,” Nurse said. “They run the same play 25 times in a game, but it may never look the same because there are two different guys in an initial action that they started the offense with. So, a lot of moving pieces.”
Nurse emphasized Brooklyn's pace after studying film ahead of the matchup with the Nets, who have attempted 42 threes per game through two preseason games, the eighth most in the league.
“The pace is really up here in Brooklyn. They’re playing super-fast, make or miss,” Nurse said. “Just in general, they’re really good at the drive and kick, spread you out game. They’ve got a lot of wings and a lot of shooters. They’ve got a lot of guys that can take it off the bounce and that is certainly a system that they’re playing.”
The driving factor behind Brooklyn's up-tempo offense is the improved aggressiveness of Ben Simmons, who has said he envisions the team playing a “run and gun” style.
After a summer rehabbing his surgically repaired back in Miami, Simmons' confidence and fluidity are a stark contrast to what he was able to do during 42 appearances last season. Nurse pointed to the former Sixers star's improved driving ability when discussing his upside in Brooklyn's offense.
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“He looks very good. He looks in shape. He looks confident, very aggressive,” the Philly coach said. “And it looks like they’ve got a package of stuff in for him, so he looks ready to go.”
“Ben is really a pass-first guy. He's big and strong and has a good first step to get into the paint. Sometimes you gotta decide how much help you’re gonna use on him. Are you gonna let him go down one one-on-one? It just kind of depends because he will eat you up a little bit at the rim with his physicality if you don’t send some help. And if you do send help he’s pretty good about firing it out to shooters.”
Ben Simmons looked sharp in the first half 🙌
10 PTS
4/6 FG
3 AST pic.twitter.com/R3zxTQf1mT— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 10, 2023
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has been pleased with Simmons' ability to generate shots in transition thus far in training camp. The coach said the three-time All-Star regaining the assertiveness of his Philadelphia days remains priority number one ahead of opening night.
“I just want him to continue to build his confidence by just making plays,” Vaughn said. “I have not said one thing about him throwing an around-the-back pass or trying to shovel a pass, I want him to do all those things. That's what makes him special.”
“I was a little concerned we weren't gonna be able to shoot threes at the level that we did last year. So far we have been, and a big part of that is the pace that he creates for guys. And that's without Cam Johnson even playing for us. I just want him to continue to build his confidence, his motor skills by doing the things he's done before that make him special.”
