‘Disastrous’: Behind the Brooklyn Nets’ fragile two-point-guard Ben Simmons experiment
Ben Simmons is an oft-injured player on a $40 million expiring deal who is slated to be an unrestricted free agent. Here is Brooklyn’s shaky plan for him in a season where the Nets are trying to tank.
The Nets got a good look Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) at what their offence would look like when their two-point-guard line-up gets reduced to one. It was disastrous.
Considering the long-term and short-term questions surrounding Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder, the point guard position is going to be a key to the Nets’ season — from the starter(s) to the backups.
And while some might argue there aren’t any real on-court issues for a rebuilding team trying to tank for a lottery pick, remember: Organizations tank, coaches and players don’t. They try to win.
And for these Nets to win, they may need to come up with a point guard off the bench whom they can trust. Or at least quasi-trust.
A big part of the ugly 117-95 pre-season loss in Philadelphia was their sloppiness with the ball.
The Nets started Simmons and Schröder together for the first two pre-season tilts to impressive effect, and they went into Philadelphia with the NBA’s third-best assist-to-turnover ratio during the pre-season. But after scoring 11 points in 13 minutes against Washington, Simmons sat out against the Sixers, and the Nets proceeded to commit 20 turnovers that led to 31 points.
Schröder, shouldering the playmaking burden, had just four assists and five turnovers.
“We went from two point guards to one — that showed in taking care of the ball. But the reality is our true point guard Dennis had five turnovers,” Jordi Fernandez said bluntly. “We cannot afford him to play like this, because he’s a really good playmaker, he’s a floor general, he does the right thing. So he has to be better. Obviously adding another point guard will help us.”
By adding another point guard, Fernandez was referring to Simmons’ return to the floor for Friday’s pre-season finale against the Raptors (he had four points, eight rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes), not signing a free agent.
But let’s come back to that later.
With Simmons returning from a second microscopic partial discectomy in March, the Nets always planned to rest him in one of the four pre-season games. And yes, he clearly does help them: The Nets have played at a 45-win pace with Simmons in the line-up since his arrival and a 35-win pace when he doesn’t play (and that doesn’t include an 0-8 playoff mark).
Therein lies the rub: All too often, Simmons doesn’t play. He’s missed 189 of 246 potential regular-season games over the prior three seasons with the Nets and 76ers, and it would be foolhardy to bank on him not getting hurt this upcoming season.
(Speaking of wagering, betting houses have put Simmons’ games played over/under at 54.5.)
Regardless, just understand that Simmons is an oft-injured player on a $40 million expiring deal who is slated to be an unrestricted free agent. Schröder is also on an expiring deal — and at just $13 million, it’s an eminently movable one with value, should the Nets opt to go for a fire sale on their veterans before the trade deadline.
Questions about the starter(s) make sorting out the backup situation all the more important, especially with Fernandez seemingly intent on at least trying the dual-lead-guard look. And the Nets have far more worries at second-string point guard than they do at first string.
Oh, Hayes there
Amari Bailey and Killian Hayes were signed to Exhibit 10 deals, which are training camp invites. The 20-year-old Bailey is essentially unproven and could end up getting more seasoning with G League Long Island. Hayes was expected to be able to bring NBA experience and compete for meaningful minutes.
A former lottery pick in Detroit, Hayes has averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 assists over 210 career games, 145 of them starts. His biggest failing with the Pistons was not developing his 3-point shot (27.7 per cent). But since coming to camp with Brooklyn, he has been sidelined because of a sore hip, not yet playing a single minute.
“He’s rehabbing. … He’s been just working on getting back and getting right,” Fernandez said. “I would love to [see Hayes play], but we’ll assess him when we get back and see what we can do right there.”
Also working against Hayes is the fact that he’s ineligible for the Nets’ open two-way spot due to his four years of service time. That means for him to make the roster, the Nets would have to clear a standard spot for him.
Combo guard Keon Johnson, who has struggled to carry his Summer League form into the pre-season, seems to be the most likely candidate to cede his spot. Johnson is guaranteed another $700,000 on Wednesday, when the Nets open the season in Atlanta.
Would general manager Sean Marks make that decision on what is essentially the final roster spot without Fernandez having seen Hayes play in games, going just off camp performances?
“We’re not going to rush him because his health is our priority, same as every other player, so it’s no need to risk,” Fernandez said. “I know that he hasn’t played … [but] he’s done a great job. We have our own evaluation on him, and we’re very happy with him. Unfortunately, so far he hasn’t played again, so you guys … and the rest of the team cannot see him. But we have. He’s working on getting back, and he’s a good player.”
If Hayes doesn’t make the roster — unseating Johnson or anybody else — Fernandez appears to be preparing other options. Namely Shake Milton.
A late shake-up
Largely a combo guard for most of his career, Milton — who arrived as part of the megadeal sending Mikal Bridges to the rival Knicks — has played more on the ball this pre-season to mixed results.
“Not really an adjustment at all,” Milton said with a shrug. “I feel like I’ve been doing that since I got in the league, being on the ball and off the ball, so being able to do whatever the team needs me to do is honestly more important. That’s just how you’re able to create opportunities, whether it’s on the ball and creating for myself or others or off the ball, getting aggressive, just whatever needs to be done.”
Milton played just 30 per cent of his minutes at point guard last season, per Cleaning The Glass tracking, and a scant 17 per cent the season before that. He has shown a scoring touch this pre-season, but has been tasked with playmaking and shoring up his work on the other end of the floor.
“I want him to be better defensively,” Fernandez said. “I know he scored [against the Sixers]. That’s what Shake’s superpowers are. Obviously, I’m putting him in a tough spot because I’m asking him to bring the ball up and be a point guard. Is it going to happen during the season? I don’t know, but right now, that’s what I’m asking him to do.”
For now Fernandez and Marks have decisions to make at point guard, and that’s with Simmons healthy. They must assess their appetite for risk and whether they plan to add from the outside.
Asked whether the Nets would address backup point guard with the open two-way spot or go with the best player available after the final training-camp cuts around the league next week, Fernandez was noncommittal.
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“That’s going to be a discussion between myself, Sean and his team,” Fernandez said. “Once we go through these games, we’ll sit down and we’ll discuss how we feel. I like the guys that have been here for now.”
The guys Fernandez has at backup point guard are almost certain to be needed for major minutes this season. And just how much he likes them will play a role in what his rookie coaching campaign looks like.
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