The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2023-24 season facing a new reality without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving: they are no longer built to succeed in the half court offensively. Aware of this, the team began crafting a new identity centered on Ben Simmons' elite transition ball handling and passing ability.
But with Simmons sidelined by a hip injury, Brooklyn's transition attack has dissipated, resulting in the NBA's worst offensive rating over the last three games.
How Ben Simmons bolsters Nets' offensive attack
“It’s a realization from our guys. Half-court offense for us is difficult, at the end of the day,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said Friday. “That’s why we’ve preached from Day 1 the importance of playing with pace and getting the ball out, make or miss. That covers up some sins, some offensive rebounds. That covers up some shotmaking by the other team by putting pressure on them.
“There’s no secret: Ben gives us an energy, a pace. Like it, love it. We miss it, we need it, it’s a part of who we are, it’s the way our team is built. We’ll try to figure out who can aid in pushing the pace for us. But the realization for us is that’s how we need to play. That’s the most important thing.”
In seven games before Ben Simmons' injury, the Nets posted the league's seventh-best offensive rating, his elite fast-break orchestration a main reason why. With Simmons, the Nets rank second in the NBA in fast-break points, averaging 20.6 per game. Without him, they rank 22nd, mustering 12.7.
The three-time All-Star is adding 4.5 points per 100 possessions in transition this season, ranking in the 94th percentile among NBA players, per Cleaning the Glass. Take these plays where Simmons directs teammates down the floor before grabbing rebounds and firing pinpoint full-court passes:
Or these where he's pushing and threading the needle on passes for open threes or layups:
Or these where he's running the floor and beating opposing defenders to the rim:
“Ben is unlike a lot of human beings that play this basketball game. With his ability to push the basketball, we’ll always be at a deficit in transition if he's not playing,” Vaughn said Sunday. “You just have dudes who just can't push it as fast. We'll continue to try to encourage them to do that, but Ben has a special talent of being able to push the basketball, make or miss, and get us shots. Just without him, we will miss some of that element for sure.”
Nets injuries leading to offensive woes
Whatever half-court offensive success the Nets were having has gone by the wayside without Cam Thomas, their top scorer, who has been sidelined for the last two games with an ankle sprain. The breakout guard ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring at 28.7 points per game before his injury.
Without Ben Simmons' elite fast-break passing and Thomas' high-level shot creation, the Nets have seen both their transition and half-court offense neutralized. Over the last three games, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie have taken the role of Brooklyn's top offensive creators. The trio has struggled to find a rhythm, shooting a combined 34.3 percent from the field and 23.7 percent from three with 22 assists and 17 turnovers.
Thomas will be reevaluated on Nov. 22, and Vaughn continued to call Simmons day-to-day before Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards. Simmons injured his hip while planting awkwardly on a floater during a Nov. 6 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The former No. 1 pick's three-game absence is cause for concern after his injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign. After undergoing surgery on a herniated disc during the 2022 offseason, Simmons missed three extended periods in the first half of last year due to knee, calf and back ailments. He was then forced out at the All-Star break and later shut down due to a nerve impingement in his back.
Despite this, Jacque Vaughn insisted Friday that Ben Simmons' hip injury is unrelated to his prior back issues. The Aussie's next chance to return will come Tuesday when the Nets attempt to get their offense back on track vs. the Orlando Magic.
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