As anticipated, it wasn’t fairly.
Ben Simmons performed his first recreation in 470 days and he performed it alongside new teammates in a contemporary offense the Nets’ teaching workers just lately put in.
“That’s the one factor I assumed I'd be nervous however I wasn’t nervous,” Simmons stated on whether or not or not he had nerves in his first recreation again. “I used to be excited. To have that feeling to have the ability to come out and know you will play on a NBA ground particularly at Barclays with some nice gamers. It’s pleasure. Actually didn’t have any nerves.”
The outcome was predictable: to start out their first of 4 preseason video games, the Nets seemed rusty and at instances discombobulated, digging a gap as deep as 20 towards a Philadelphia 76ers group resting 4 key gamers — Joel Embiid, James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Danuel Home — on Monday.
After which Brooklyn’s photographs began falling, passes reached their targets, the protection picked up and the rating mirrored that of a group looking for itself earlier than the video games start to depend.
The Nets undoubtedly have a number of work to do in the event that they’re going to succeed in the NBA Finals stage that’s eluded them every of the previous two seasons, however for stretches of their 127–108 loss over a shorthanded 76ers group, they seemed promising — most promising of all being the movement of what was as soon as a stagnant Nets offense.
“Many of those guys haven’t performed collectively, so we’ve gotta undergo this,” head coach Steve Nash stated. “It’s gonna be ugly at instances, however because the half wore on, , we began to see glimpses of the potential, the best way the ball moved, the best way they had been hounding the basketball defensively. So I assumed Ben seemed fairly good total and was rising into the sport all through the half.”
Simmons began alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving towards his former group and assumed the purpose guard-facilitator function with Irving deferring to him to run the offense from tip. Every member of the new-look Brooklyn Massive Three tallied 19 first-half minutes earlier than sitting all the second half of their preseason opener.
Simmons logged six factors, 5 assists and 4 rebounds, hugging former teammates Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey earlier than the opening tip. Kevin Durant scored 13 factors on four-of-eight taking pictures, and Irving scored 9 factors on the identical taking pictures numbers.
With Simmons operating the purpose, the ball “hopped,” as Irving described of the new-feel offense a couple of days into coaching camp.
The Nets ran chunk of Spain pick-and-roll — that's when somebody screens for the screener to get a cleaner roll to the rim and to power the protection to assist off of a nook shooter — and after being absent nearly all of final season, the set seems to be a staple of the newly-installed offense.
After shaking off the rust, nook shooters reduce backdoor with some success and so they flared from the corners to present movement to the offense.
“There’s nothing like watching a basketball recreation when all people’s transferring with tempo and everybody’s touching the ball,” Irving stated in regards to the new offense. “Compared to final yr, there was simply a number of random isolation, and having Ben be capable of play the one, the 4, and the 5 provides some dimensions to our offense, and I believe that’s what makes us harmful is that means for us to be versatile, adaptable, and to be selfless.”
Simmons solely scored three baskets on six makes an attempt towards his former group, all on dunks and layups. He tried to again down former teammate Georges Niang on the low block, however after shimmying and making an attempt a turnaround fading leap shot, the ball was large proper and hit all backboard.
The Nets, nevertheless, aren’t anticipating Simmons to hit leap photographs. They’re anticipating him to make performs for his teammates, to defend the opposing group’s greatest participant, to push the tempo in transition and to complete on the rim.
On a rusty night time after a season-long layoff, he nonetheless checked all 4 bins.
On one fastbreak possession, Simmons discovered beginning middle Nic Claxton with a behind-the-head, no-look dump-off for a simple dunk on the rim. In a halfcourt set, Simmons posted up on the left baseline then rifled a cross-court cross to the best wing to seek out Royce O’Neale for a wide-open three. And on the ultimate possession of the primary half, Simmons reminded the Sixers why he made First Group All-Protection two consecutive seasons. He hounded Sixers guard Shake Milton and compelled a foul cross that resulted in a missed and hurried Philadelphia shot try on the buzzer.
That type of effort would have been welcomed towards Jayson Tatum within the playoffs final season.
Simmons’ highlights had been sprinkled, nevertheless, throughout minutes of indecision, an apparent product of a brand new participant adjusting to a brand new offense with new teammates. Typically he over-dribbled, different instances he picked his dribble up too quickly and too distant from the three-point line. He turned the ball over two instances to his 5 assists and turnovers may very well be a problem as a result of opponents will play the passing lanes understanding Simmons isn’t a score-first guard. The Sixers positive did.
Nash additionally confirmed off a couple of lineups followers ought to anticipate to see get regular-season minutes.
Simmons began alongside Claxton, Durant, Harris and Irving, however he additionally performed a hybrid level guard-center function with Claxton on the bench and O’Neale on the ground. Nash’s first substitution was transferring Harris to the bench in favor of O’Neale, who developed a robust popularity as a 3-and-D wing on the playoff contending Utah Jazz. O’Neale shot two-of-four from downtown for 11 factors and likewise assumed some ball-handling duties when the offense broke down. Harris, in his first recreation again after lacking most of final season following two ankle surgical procedures, shot two-of-seven from downtown and airballed two threes.
“As soon as we get our legs up underneath us [and] all people finds out what precisely what they need to do on the market, I believe we’ll be in fine condition,” stated Durant. “However for essentially the most half, , it could take a few days, a few preseason video games, a few weeks, who is aware of? However I believe guys are transferring in the best route.”
What’s clear, a minimum of via one measly preseason recreation, is that Nash lastly bought his want: aside from TJ Warren (foot – will likely be re-evaluated in November) and Seth Curry (ankle – anticipated to play in ultimate preseason recreation), his group is wholesome sufficient to start implementing advanced offensive units.
Simmons sits on the middle of the Nets’ means to get artistic offensively and in his first recreation as a Web, he flashed the versatile mix of dimension, talent and athleticism that can enable him to play each ball handler and screener within the Nets’ reinvented offense. That is the brand new period of Nets basketball, and after three extra exhibition video games, Brooklyn will take a look at its fullest power towards different groups in video games that depend.
()