Jordi Fernández has made clear he desires the Nets to play at a quicker tempo, a philosophy that started to take form in his first season as head coach. That begins with having a roster of flooring generals who can execute constantly with out operating out of gasoline.
Whereas the workforce drew criticism for drafting 4 ball handlers in June — three of them level guards — after which including one other in Kobe Bufkin earlier than coaching camp, Brooklyn believes it now has the personnel to completely notice Fernández’s high-tempo imaginative and prescient.
With that, the Nets’ level guard battle is formally underway. Simply two days into camp, the guards are studying shortly what that competitors would require.
“It’s fast, you better be in shape,” Bufkin stated. “I’m glad I was in shape when I came in.”
The Nets’ level guard struggles final season have been no secret, and the stats advised the story. They ranked twenty ninth within the NBA in factors per sport (105.1), twenty eighth in tempo (96.73), twenty fourth in assists (25.2), twenty third in turnovers (15.2), twenty third in quick break factors (14.3) and twenty eighth in factors within the paint (43.5).
It underscores a workforce that lacked stability on the place. Whether or not it was Ben Simmons, Dennis Schröder, D’Angelo Russell or Keon Johnson operating the present, the Nets struggled to generate offense effectively or with tempo whereas turning the ball over far too typically. Their failure to generate transition probabilities or rating inside served as a continuing reminder of what the workforce lacked.
That’s why Brooklyn leaned right into a guard-heavy draft class. The strategy is straightforward: usher in as many as potential, let competitors type it out, and hope one emerges because the long-term reply at level guard.
“I don’t think you ever have enough ball handlers,” Fernandez stated. “Making plays for others is always important. Obviously, you need players that are able to take multiple attempts and score in bunches, but those are easier to defend if you don’t have paint touches and the ball reversals that really move the defense side-to-side. So right now, with all that playmaking and size, it just makes it way better.”
A part of what makes this place battle compelling is the number of expertise every guard brings to the ground. Egor Demin, like Simmons, brings uncommon measurement and playmaking to the place. Nolan Traore is a blur in transition, whereas Ben Saraf takes a extra deliberate, methodical strategy. Bufkin, the one one with prior NBA expertise, arrives in Brooklyn with a stronger really feel for the league’s tempo and physicality.
Who will get the beginning nod issues lower than how the group features collectively. There will probably be moments when a guard is requested to steer the offense alone, and others when a number of ball handlers share the ground. The problem for Fernández will probably be mixing these kinds right into a system that retains the offense shifting.
“We have a lot to sift from; a lot of guys can handle the ball,” Terance Mann stated. “So, I don’t think it’s just going to be one guy doing all the work running the team. It’s going to probably have to be multiple dudes with that job.”
What’s clear is the guard who commits most on protection could have the clearest path to regular minutes. For Fernández, enjoying quick is simply as a lot about making use of strain on the defensive finish as it’s about pushing the tempo on offense.
“Defense has been the main vocal point,” Bufkin stated. “You have to find a way to stop people.”
