The Brooklyn Nets have exceeded expectations early this season, and their high-powered offense has been a driving factor. Jordi Fernandez's squad has posted the NBA's sixth-best offensive rating on its way to a 2-3 record. With a roster lacking individual shot creation, the first-time NBA head coach pointed to his team's selflessness when speaking on their offensive success.
“I think that it’s been everybody being selfless as far as moving the basketball,” Fernandez said. “I think we’re around the top [of the league] in passes per game… The ball has energy, and I think if everybody touches the ball, everybody feels better. So that’s important for us. Touching the paint is important. We’ve been good at doing all those things that create good shots, whether it’s attacking the rim, [drawing] fouls, or [creating] catch-and-shoot threes. The guys have bought into it.”
The numbers back up Fernandez's assessment of his team's offense to start the year.
Nets keep the ball moving in first games under Jordi Fernandez
The Nets rank fourth in the NBA in passes made and ninth in potential assists. A large portion of that ball movement is a product of their aggressiveness attacking the paint. Fernandez's squad ranks fifth in drives per game.
That penetration has spurred ball movement, often leading to open threes. The Nets rank second in the NBA in catch-and-shoot threes attempted and fifth in total threes attempted. They're converting 37.6 percent of their three-point attempts, the league's ninth-best mark.
“This is how Jordi wants to play,” Dennis Schroder said. “We shoot a lot of threes, compete on the defensive end, pressure fullcourt. And everybody's competing, everybody's having fun, and that's gonna get us wins.”
The Nets have avoided settling for shots early in the shot clock, instead moving the ball and forcing teams to defend for extended periods. They are averaging 15.5 seconds per possession, the fourth-longest in the league, according to PBPStats.com.
“I think our pace in the halfcourt is good based on ball movement and body movement,” Fernandez said. “When you move like that, you’re really hard to guard because the possessions aren’t [ending] fast. I think our guys have done an amazing job… They've bought into it.”
Individually, the Nets have been led by a high-powered backcourt duo of Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas.
Schroder has played like one of the NBA's top point guards, averaging 24.6 points, 8.2 assists, and 2.8 turnovers on 55/55/87 shooting splits. The 12-year veteran and Nikola Jokic are the league's only players averaging 20-plus points and eight-plus assists on over 45 percent shooting.
Meanwhile, Thomas has continued to showcase his impressive scoring ability, averaging 27.4 points per game, the 11th-most in the NBA.
The Nets will attempt to continue their hot offensive start when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday before a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.
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