Just a few hours before tipoff, it was announced that Ben Simmons would be resting during the preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers. After this news was released, it was assumed that it meant Cam Thomas would be getting more on-ball playmaking opportunities. As during the previous preseason games, while Thomas flourished as an off-ball shooter, it is critical for him to develop his skills as a team creator. As the game versus the Sixers progressed, it appeared that coach Jordi Fernandez had no intention of giving Thomas an opportunity at point guard despite Simmons’ absence.
For most of the game, the Nets either had Dennis Schroder run the offense, starting off each possession with the ball in his hands. If Schroder was not initiating actions, Fernandez, as expected, ran a dribble handoff (DHO)-heavy offense, utilizing Noah Clowney as an offensive hub. Of the Nets' 20 total turnovers, 7 of them were committed by Schroder and Clowney combined. Coming from Sacramento, who led the NBA in handoff possessions, it makes sense that Fernandez wants to implement a DHO-focused offense with plenty of ball movement; however, the offense in the half-court has looked hideous so far. While I have no issues with Clowney operating as an offensive hub, the issue is how reliant Fernandez is on his veterans, particularly Dennis Schroder.
Leading the Nets in minutes played, Fernandez relied on Schroder to run the offense; however, he was not happy with Schroder’s decision-making on offense, commenting on the number of turnovers he had during his postgame interview.
While it is clear that the Nets need to maintain the veterans' value in order to trade them, it is a disservice to Cam Thomas if his development is further stunted in favor of servicing the veterans. There were few possessions where Thomas would bring the ball up full court; he spent most of the time operating off-ball as a catch-and-shoot player, or he would sprint towards Noah Clowney to receive a telegraphed DHO, resulting in Thomas operating in single coverage with less time on the shot clock. There is no issue with wanting to utilize DHOs and seeing whether or not the bigs can develop playmaking attributes; however, Cam Thomas’ development is the priority, and having him run Pick & Rolls in order to get easier shots or for him to be in a position to pass more is critical for his development and the team’s long-term success. One of the biggest critiques of Thomas’ game has been his passing. It is difficult to criticize the lack of passing if he’s going to spend the start of most possessions as a spot-up shooter.
The Nets lost this game 117-95. Despite the loss, there were many positives. When the Nets weren’t overusing Schroder, the ball movement was fantastic, leading to several open 3s, resulting in the Nets shooting 12-31 (38.7%) from 3PT in the 1st half. The Nets were able to capitalize on their offesnive rebounding, scoring 17 2nd chance points. However, coach Fernandez was upset with the team’s lack of effort, particularly Noah Clowney’s effort against Andre Drummond—a positive sign from Fernandez, showing he isn’t afraid to call out any player on the team. It is still early. Fernandez has all the makings of a great coach; however, in the regular season, he must be ready to lean into this young core and give players like Cam Thomas more reign on the offense.
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