As preseason concludes, fans prepare to enter the 2023-24 season with a mixed bag
coming from the poor preseason performance from the Brooklyn Nets.
While there’s plenty to be excited about with the resurgence of former All-Star Ben Simmons, showing signs of life after the disappointing season prior, and with young Nets Guard Cam Thomas receiving a much larger role, the overall team performance of the Nets left much to be desired after 4 preseason games.
Negatives
While many fans expected the Nets to be a defensive juggernaut due to the Nets having 3 former Defensive Players of the Year in Nic Claxton, Mikal Bridges, & Ben Simmons, the team defense of the Brooklyn Nets was poor, to say the least.
Amongst all the teams that played in preseason, the Nets had a 109.2 defensive rating, ranking 23rd in the NBA. The Nets struggled to hold onto the ball, averaging 18.8 turnovers per game, making them 10th in turnovers per game.
Despite having terrific playmakers in Ben Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie, the Nets were only 17th in assists per game with 26.3 assists per game. Although the Nets did shoot an excellent percentage from 3PT, they were 18th in 3PTA.
While many players had positive performances throughout preseason, the Nets' rising star Mikal Bridges greatly underperformed, averaging 14 points on 36.6% FG, 36.8% 3PT, & 71.4% FT. While it should be noted that Bridges is likely to be tired after representing the United States in FIBA and is saving his energy for the regular season, a poor preseason performance is never a positive.
Positives
Many fans expected the offense to be a struggle, an understandable opinion given the
Nets are running two non-shooters in Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons. While at times, the offense did look stagnant, the Nets were able to post an impressive 116 offensive rating, ranking them 2nd amongst all teams in preseason, only behind Real Madrid, who only played a single preseason game.
The Nets were also ranked 2nd in TS%, 4th in EFG%, 1st in 3PT%, 7th in
FT%, and 6th in FTA. Not only that, but the Nets, despite not performing well on the defensive end, were ranked last in fouls per game, preventing their opponents from getting free points on the charity stripe.
More importantly, the Nets ranked 11th in rebounding, arguably the biggest problem the Nets had last year. Although there were games where the Nets did struggle to end possessions with a rebound, the overall team rebounding has shown improvements.
Notable Performances
Arguably the best individual performance relative to expectations came from former All-
Star Ben Simmons. In 22 mpg, Simmons averaged 6.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7 assists on 47.8% FG. While his numbers seem underwhelming, Simmons more than passed the eye test, attacking the rim, creating open looks for his teammates, and even attempting mid-range shots.
Much to the surprise of many fans, Cam Thomas started in place of the injured Cam
Johnson, and was finally receiving the opportunity fans have been demanding for the last year.
Thomas showed promise, leading the Nets in scoring with 16.3 ppg on 53% 3PT. While Thomas needs to work on his shot selection and defense, he has incredible upside. He, alongside Simmons, are the Nets' X-Factors that can raise the floor of this team.
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