Before going into the season, many fans expected the Nets to struggle coming out of the gate. Despite going against several contending teams such as the Celtics, Bucks, & Clippers, the Nets were able to make most of those games competetive. Despite missing several starters throughout the first 10 games, the Nets were able to fight their way to a .500 record.
The reason fans expected the Nets to be a poor team to start was due to the questions regarding players such as Ben Simmons & Cam Thomas. While Simmons is still struggling to score despite recovering from him back injury, he has been extremely impactful in other ways. In the 6 games Simmons has played this season, he's averaging 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, & 6.7 assists on 53% FG. Although he is not a threat to score, he is top 20 in both assists and rebounds while playing excellent on-ball defense.
(Graphic via Locked on Nets)
Despite having several doubters, Cam Thomas is turning into a star. Coming off the bench on opening night, Thomas had 36 points on 13-21 FG in just 25 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before going down from an unfortunate ankle injury, Thomas was blazing hot, averaging 26.9 points on 48% FG in the first 8 games of the season. In his first 3 games of the season, Thomas scored 30+ in each game, becoming the 2nd youngest in NBA History to achieve such a feat, youngest in Shaquille O'Neal.
(Graphic via YES)
Many fans expectd the Nets to be a defensive team that would struggle on the offensive end; however, it has been the exact opposite. After 10 games, the Nets are the 13th best offense and the 21st best defense in the NBA. The offensive overachievement can. be attributed to multiple factors, one being the fact that Cam Thomas is top 10 in points per game, being an elite on-ball shot creator. Another is due to Ben Simmons' ability to push the pace in transition and create open shots for his teammates with his playmaking. Many feared that playing two non-shooters in Nic Claxton & Ben Simmons would cause spacing issues. However, due to Claxton missing 8 of the 10 games, the Nets haven't had to deal with the spacing issues.
Defensively, while the offense benefits from missing a non-shooter, the defense has struggled. Claxton's ability to protect the rim has been greatly missed. In the first 10 games of the season, the Nets are allowing opposing teams to average 67.6% FG on shots less than 6 feet from the rim, the 2nd highest in the NBA. Eventually, to balance the offense and defense, Jacque Vaughn will have to make a decision regarding Simmons & Claxton, a problem that hasn't needed to be answered due to both players being injured at different times.
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