Nets' pressure defense has forced opponents into taking bad shots
New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) battles against Nets center Nic Claxton (33) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert
Through 11 games, the Nets are forming an identity led by their defense. Their principles are taking a fuller shape.
The Nets’ reliance on heavy ball pressure doesn’t lead to many steals or blocks. But it’s forcing teams into bad shots by speeding them up on offense, starting with defending ball-handlers at full court.
Wednesday’s game against the Celtics at Barclays Center set up as an indicator of how the Nets’ style can work. When the teams met last Friday in Boston, the Nets held the Celtics to just 26.4% from three-point range (14-of-53).
It was a season-low in percentage for the defending champions. While the Nets lost in overtime, they did a great job making the Celtics work.
“Our ball pressure kind of funnels teams into the paint, and then we're trying to converge,” Cam Johnson said at shootaround Wednesday. “Obviously, I think we can be better defending at the rim and defending in the paint, but I think it has improved our three-point defense.”
The numbers back it up. The Nets lead the NBA in opponent three-pointers made per game and are third in opponent attempts and eighth in percentage. It’s one reason the Nets have hovered around .500 so far (5-6, entering Wednesday).
Few defenses can fully contain the Celtics’ NBA-leading barrage of 50.8 threes per game. But the Nets’ formula did its job Friday, and it’s worked keeping them in close games most of the early season.
For coach Jordi Fernandez, ball-pressure trumps gambling for steals. Dennis Schroder and Ziaire Williams are two of the main defenders guarding full-court, but others take the challenge. Even Cam Thomas, not known for his defense, has done it at times.
Creating missed shots and deflections are just as important because it gets teams out of their rhythm. It also means quicker rotations to run defenders off the three-point line.
Having active hands got the Nets in heavy foul trouble in the season’s first week. But that foul pace has slowed down and Fernandez is seeing his team be more disruptive, especially on the perimeter.
“A lot of times you play against very good offensive teams, like we've played,” Fernandez said Monday. "So yeah, you do your job with your ball pressure. One is creating events, creating turnovers because of your ball pressure, and the other one is you trying to gamble. So we don't want that. We don't do that.”
It’s still a work in progress, especially in the paint. Per Cleaning The Glass, the Nets are seventh-worst in opponent field-goal percentage at the rim. Part of that comes from lack of size, with Nic Claxton coming off the bench to start the season
Still, in a league that thrives on the three-point shot more than ever, the Nets’ defense under Fernandez has figured a way to limit it somewhat as part of their overall plan to defend more aggressively.
“It's great to see that everybody has bought into it,” Schroder said. “But that's how we want to play for 82 games. We want to be out-competing the opponent, and we've been doing it so far.”
Simmons, Finney-Smith out
Ben Simmons was ruled out Wednesday with tightness in his left calf. Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) missed his second consecutive game.
Simmons was added to the Nets’ injury report after shootaround and was initially listed as questionable. Fernandez said he’s day-to-day as the team was awaiting MRI results.
Wednesday was the first game Simmons missed this season due to a new injury. He’s missed three games because he hasn’t been cleared to play both ends of a back-to-back after back surgery last March. He played 22 minutes in Monday’s win over the Pelicans and mentioned that he was cramping up in the second half. When asked postgame about it, he said he’d be fine for Wednesday.
Fernandez said he wasn’t aware of the cramping before they ordered the MRI.
As for Finney-Smith, Fernandez said he wants him to be at “200%” before he’s cleared to play.
“I want him whenever he's ready to give me everything,” Fernandez said. “ ...[Players'] bodies are like the most important thing for us, and their health. And whenever he's back, he's going to give everything he has. No need to rush.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
