Brooklyn Nets 2022-23 Season Preview
Brooklyn Nets 2022-23 Season Preview
How good can Ben Simmons/KD/Kyrie be?
Welcome to the 2022-23 previews for every NBA team! These breakdowns are designed to look at stats, film & anything I found interesting in my preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
If you liked this breakdown feel free to share it & if you have any other scenarios, plays, or thoughts on any future breakdowns let me know in the comments below!
🏀Resources:
Basketball Playbooks | Coaching Clinics | Coaching Membership | Newsletter
👉🏻Follow:
🗒️ Previous Breakdowns:
Rockets | Magic | Thunder | Pistons | Pacers | Trailblazers | Spurs | Wizards | Knicks Hawks | Clippers | Timberwolves | Cavs | Bulls | Raptors | 76ers | Nuggets | Bucks | Nets | Heat | Warriors | Suns | Celtics | Grizzlies
Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Stats
I have no idea what to make of the Nets’ stats from last season, it was the weirdest season of any NBA team, so I am looking at these with a skeptical view. The specific stats are from after the Harden trade.
Net Rating: +1.0 (16th)
Offensive Rating: 114.7 (8th)
Good
In a bizarre stat, the Nets actually ranked very high in OREB% - grabbing back 28.8% of their misses after the trade. This shocked me, and looking at their overall numbers it was around the same around 27%. I was a little curious how this would translate to this years team since Drummond & Brown both departed, but Simmons has always been a very good offensive rebounder ranking in the 100th percentile for his position.
Bad
Shot profile for the Nets is always a talking point. When you have prolific skill players like KD/Kyrie they are going to shoot wherever they want even if it is not the most efficient shot overall. The Nets ranked 4th in the NBA in mid range shots, but 2nd overall in long mid range shots - attempting 14% of their shots from long mid range. I honestly don’t think it matters too much in the grand scheme of things but adding Simmons to a team that already doesn’t shoot 3’s doesn’t feel like it would help. Overall I think Simmons adds to their shot profile, he has consistently ranked in the 100th percentile in the frequency of shots at the rim and Harris/Curry will likely increase their overall amount of 3s taken.
Ugly
Turnovers, especially after the trade, were an issue for the Nets offense. Turning the ball over 14.5% of the time the Nets ranked 26th in the NBA in TOV%. I am not sure that this will improve too much, but limiting these turnovers will be important if the Nets want to compete against the best defenses in the East.
Defensive Rating: (113.6 21st)
Good
Brooklyn’s switch-heavy scheme was mixed more with Drop coverage than normal last year, but their ability to force the offense into tougher shots remained before and after the trade. While they didn’t have great individual defenders, their ability to muck things up for opposing offenses was great - ranking 8th in the NBA in eFG% defense with opponents shooting 53.4%.
Bad
The Nets defense fouled its opponents quite a bit, ranking 28th in the NBA in defensive FT Rate. I don’t know how much this will improve, playing smaller lineups and more aggressive overall due to lack of size & rim protection will likely continue to lead to more fouls.
Ugly
Although a good offensive rebounding team, the Nets are a TERRIBLE defensive rebounding team - a theme for the last few years. For the season they were dead last allowing teams to rebound their misses back 28% of the time, 30th in the NBA. This didn’t improve much post-trade, going up to 29% of the time and ranking 27th. An area of concern going into this season.
Film
Simmons Initiating
Simmons continued his basic initiating and actions like he did in Philadelphia by bringing up the ball. He can initially look for drive and kick options creating for himself or others.
This also allows him to go into quick hand off/flip actions and get the Nets scoring earlier in the offense.
5-Out to 4-Out
The Nets are going to be running lots of 5-Out to 4-Out actions with Simmons ending up in the Dunkers spot and available for drop-offs and finishes.
Weird Spacing
Inevitably this will lead to weird spacing with Simmons and another big playing on the floor, a few examples of this from preseason.
Guard Guard Ballscreen
When it comes down to it and the most important moments, the Nets will have guards set ballscreen for KD/Kyrie to find the weak points.
The Nets offense is predicated on simple, flow actions that allow their best players to make plays - so setting ballscreens for them with the weakest defenders is one of their go-to actions.
Punch KD
Getting the ball to their best players in space is crucial for the Nets, but one of their favorites for them is to post up KD.
KD’s ISOs (97th percentile in % time) and Post Ups (58th percentile in % time) are a huge piece of his offensive skillset. KD prefers the right side of the floor to operate, using 57% of his post-ups on that specific side.
Wide Pin
Simple actions again here, running basic wide pindown action for shooters and players like KD to try and get him open.
Stack Horns Pin (ATO)
In After Time Out situations, the Nets prefer to setup the play with “Stack” actions and having a player come off a screen around the elbow to get open.
They will then have a guard set a pindown screen for the player in the corner - usually KD.
Stack Miami (ATO)
They will also run this action into a handoff into a ballscreen - what I call “Miami” action.
Stack Nash (ATO)
Fitting that Steve Nash would run this play and action, where the player comes off the Stack screen and then it goes into a double ballscreen.
The guard who initiated the play sets the first screen and the big sets the second - a pass into a double ballscreen like this is what I call “Nash” action.
Stack Elbow ISO (ATO)
Another basic option is to have the player come off the Stack screen and Isolate at the Elbow.
In the preseason the Nets used this action to setup two different plays - they both flowed into a Horns look with the first set a Flare screen for Kyrie:
This ends up in Flare screen/Ball screen look at the Elbow - like Elbow Get:
Another counter they ran was to hand it back to the point guard Kyrie and then go into the similar Flare/Chase action - Kyrie takes advantage and gets a drive to the lane off it.
If you liked this breakdown feel free to share it & if you have any other scenarios, plays, or thoughts on any future breakdowns let me know in the comments below!
🏀Resources:
Basketball Playbooks | Coaching Clinics | Coaching Membership | Newsletter
👉🏻Follow:
🔎Explore:
5-Out Breakdowns | Space & Pace Clinic | NCAA “Delay” Series Playbook
Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Outwork Yesterday.
Coach Pyper