Less iso, more motion for Nets' offense with Ben Simmons handling the ball
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons against the Miami Heat in a preseason game on Oct. 18, 2023. Credit: AP/Marta Lavandier
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn hasn’t discussed offense much in preseason, choosing to instead focus on defense.
Yet when the regular season starts Wednesday, there still are questions about what the offense will look like. It’s been encouraging that Ben Simmons has looked healthy, and the Nets have pushed the pace more when he plays.
Simmons has opened the floor with his passing as he had at least seven assists in each of the last three Nets games. It led to more catch-and-shoot opportunities for Spencer Dinwiddie and more freedom for Mikal Bridges to be a shot creator.
But the flip side is Simmons didn't score. He had just one preseason game, out of four, where he had double-figure scoring and shot 0-for-4 against the Heat.
Is that a concern? Vaughn didn’t think so.
"I won't mention too much of offense and all of our guys fit in that same bucket,” Vaughn said Tuesday. “I’m more concerned about how they impact winning, how they impact making their teammates better.”
The only players Vaughn talked to about offense are Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Vaughn wants Johnson, who missed the preseason due to injury, to shoot for at least 10 three-pointers a game and Finney-Smith to attempt eight, with more from the corner.
Having Simmons, he added, allows for the offense to be motion heavy, and his facilitating enhances that. It's one reason Vaughn wants to move away from the Nets being third last season in isolation plays, mostly from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“We need body movement. We need ball movement. We need pace, and Ben provides that for us,” Vaughn said. “Looking forward to the strengths of this team, taking advantage of that and kind of creating a cohesiveness where we understand how to get each other open and play together.”
Part of those strengths means using Mikal Bridges differently than last season. After Bridges was traded for in February, he fit into similar plays run for Durant since the Nets couldn’t tailor too many sets for him.
Vaughn said Saturday the Nets were only beginning to install specific plays for Bridges. There still will be pick-and-roll and isolation plays but with Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie handling the ball, Vaughn wants to take advantage of how Bridges -- and Johnson -- can cut to the basket and play off-ball.
Bridges was fine with more options to score.
“I don't think iso is to none of our strengths. Maybe Cam Thomas more than anybody,” Bridges said. "Don’t get me wrong, we can, but that's not our best fit. So [it’s] just finding what’s good for us.”
At best, it might not matter if Simmons scores or not. Instead of a liability, Vaughn is betting on Simmons offsetting that by creating better scoring opportunities for others.
It’s why his healthy preseason was encouraging for an offense still under construction.
“You get good looks and he's going to be aggressive,” Bridges said. “He’s going to find everybody open. But you’ve definitely got to adjust and be ready to run, because he gets it and he just wants to sprint. You’ve just got to always just have your head turning and be ready to use your track shoes.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
