The Brooklyn Nets got their first preseason win Wednesday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, 107-97. The Nets' focus looked noticeably different from two losses last week with the team playing a fast-paced, physical brand of basketball.
Ben Simmons turned in his best performance with the Nets thus far, posting seven points, eight rebounds and 10 assists while playing outstanding defense on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The first-year Nets star's passivity was a significant storyline following a loss to Miami last week. Simmons acknowledged he needed to be more aggressive postgame, and that change in mindset was evident Wednesday.
The impact of new offensive assistant Igor Kokoskov was on full display once again. Brooklyn's offense looked outstanding with the ball moving crisply off various actions and non-stop movement. The Nets shot 51 percent (43/84) from the field and posted 32 assists in the win.
With that, we go to the film to break down the positive developments for Brooklyn with the season opener under a week away.
The offense
Brooklyn's offense Wednesday looked night and day from the iso-heavy version the team became accustomed to last season. The Nets ran Chicago action (pindown screen into a dribble handoff) as one of the main sets to initiate their offense. The set was often run for Kevin Durant and proved highly effective.
Here the Nets show the action to the frontside before working to a second-side action for Durant, who comes off the screen and handoff with Antetokounmpo trailing. He works off the handoff with two options: kick to Patty Mills for a 3-pointer or hit Day'Ron Sharpe on the roll. Durant makes the correct read with Jevon Carter recovering to Mills and finds Sharpe for a wide-open dunk:
Durant's incredible shooting ability makes this set very difficult to defend. If defenders choose to go under he can pull up for an open triple. If they go over he is at an advantage working downhill. And if they switch he has a mismatch against a big man.
The Nets ran the same action on the first play of the game, but this time with a flare screen and roll off the handoff. Nic Claxton sets the pindown for Kyrie Irving, who comes off for a handoff to Durant. Claxton then sets a flare screen for Durant. The handoff between Durant and Irving leads Carter to hesitate and get out of position, forcing Brook Lopez to rotate and leaving Claxton open on the roll:
Dribble handoffs were a mainstay of Brooklyn's offense in the win, particularly from Simmons. Defenses often sag off Simmons given his lack of an outside shot. The Nets used this to their advantage by running dribble handoffs for Irving and Durant to generate open mid-range jump shots:
Pushing the pace was once again a noticeable emphasis from the Nets in the win. Brooklyn has three terrific outlet passers in Simmons, Irving and Durant. Both Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe run the floor extremely well as big men and found themselves benefiting in transition. The team also has an assortment of sharpshooters that can spot up from 3-point range on the break:
Whether off of turnovers, rebounds, or made baskets, the Nets were looking to advance the ball quickly. The transition attack will be a staple of Brooklyn's offense this season.
Ben Simmons gets aggressive
Simmons took just three shots in Brooklyn's loss to Miami last week. While that number was concerning, his overall lack of aggression was the bigger issue. The three-time All-Star's playmaking for others is undoubtedly his best attribute. However, that skill is nowhere near its full effectiveness without an aggressive mindset, something head coach Steve Nash emphasized at practice Tuesday.
“Ben's gotta be aggressive,” Nash said. “That’s where playmaking comes from. If you’re not aggressive, playmaking becomes hard. If you’re trying to put pressure on the rim, that’s when playmaking becomes easy. Getting him back to that burst, that athleticism, that ability to just out-physical people, that’s a huge component of his playmaking.”
“He’s not just gonna come down and put his back to people and zip balls around the gym,” he continued. “He’s gotta break the paint and make plays, whether it’s in transition or in the half court.”
Simmons heard his head coach and came out with a different demeanor in Milwaukee. Getting downhill and creating advantages to utilize his incredible passing ability is the bread and butter of Simmons' offensive game. Here he rejects a high ball screen and works hard downhill before finding a rolling Sharpe for a lay-in plus the foul:
Simmons also looked for his shot more in the win. Nash played the point guard without Durant or Irving to close the first quarter in a lineup where he would act as the lead scorer. The Aussie broke out his floater off high ball screens, making the first and getting his own rebound for a putback on the second:
Simmons looked to be getting his handle back Wednesday night. At 6-foot-11, the 26-year-old is among the best ball handers the league has ever seen at his size. He used a smooth behind-the-back dribble twice in the second quarter, first to get by a defender and draw a foul and the second in transition to find Cam Thomas on an alley-oop:
The most impressive part of Simmons' performance may have been his defense on Antetokounmpo. He drew the assignment and defended the six-time All-Star better than any Net in the last three seasons. Brooklyn held Antetokounmpo to 6-of-21 shooting and forced him into four turnovers:
Simmons' lower body strength and length allow him to hold position and challenge Antetokounmpo vertically better than any player the Nets have had in prior seasons. While a very small sample size, the newly acquired Net getting the best of the two-time MVP is a very encouraging sign.
While Simmons' offensive mindset was significantly improved from Brooklyn's last preseason game, he still has opportunities to be more physical and aggressive. These two clips are great examples of spots where the former No. 1 pick can better utilize his size and strength. On the first play, Simmons gets a switch in the post with George Hill covering him. A similar situation presented itself against Miami with Kyle Lowry guarding Simmons down low. Despite having seven inches and over 50 pounds on Hill, Simmons does not look towards the basket and immediately throws a skip pass.
On the second, Durant rejects a screen from Simmons and finds him rolling to the basket. He attempts to go under Bobby Portis and misses a reverse layup. This is a spot where you'd like to see Simmons elevate and finish strong through contact above the rim, something he made a living on in the past:
Increased physicality in these spots will likely come as Simmons regains full strength following offseason back surgery. Overall, his mindset and aggressiveness were a major improvement Wednesday.
Pick-and-roll defense
Brooklyn employed a switch-heavy defensive scheme last season. The team often struggled in the scheme late in the season given an undersized backcourt. While this year's roster is better equipped to switch often, the Nets ran a significant amount of drop coverage when defending the pick-and-roll Wednesday.
They “iced” side ball screens in the win and it proved effective. When icing screens, the up defender forces the ball handler baseline by turning his body parallel to the sideline. The screener's defender then hedges until the up defender can recover. Here Simmons and Irving ice the side ball screen between Carter and Antetokounmpo. The Bucks then re-screen with Simmons dropping and Irving recovering, leading to an eventual turnover:
https://streamable.com/y4i0pf
Here Sharpe plays drop coverage on the high ball screen between Hill and Lopez. Thomas works over the top and Sharpe recovers to closeout to Lopez. Sharpe and Thomas then ice the re-screen, leading to a forced 3-ball late in the shot clock:
Whether the Nets continue with this pick-and-roll coverage remains to be seen. Brooklyn will field lineups that will be able to overwhelm ball handers on switches using their size and length. Nash and defensive assistant Jacque Vaughn will likely switch up the schemes based on personnel.
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Brooklyn's performance Wednesday was highly encouraging following two sluggish losses to open 2022-23 action. The Nets wrap up the preseason in Minnesota Friday night before the season opener at home against New Orleans on Oct. 19.
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