Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry is 6 ft flat. Nets star Ben Simmons is 6-foot-10.
But when Simmons had Lowry one-on-one within the excessive submit with a transparent peak benefit within the third quarter of Thursday evening’s matchup, he tossed the ball out to the perimeter to his teammate, Kevin Durant.
And when Durant did what any good teammate would do – get the ball again to the person with the mismatch – Simmons posted up Lowry, took one dribble and kicked the ball again out to the perimeter.
O’Neale missed the frivolously contested three.
Thursday evening’s matchup between the Nets and Heat was solely the second of 4 preseason video games — and it was a recreation each Kyrie Irving (paternal go away) and Joe Harris (ankle upkeep) watched from the sidelines — however the 109-80 loss to a shorthanded convention rival underscored a obtrusive space for concern the Nets might want to tackle in the event that they’re positioning themselves for a protracted playoff run.
Simmons doesn’t have a lot of an inclination to assault the basket.
It’s accountable to understand that Thursday evening marked simply Simmons’ second recreation after 480 days away from NBA basketball. It marked simply his second recreation after offseason again surgical procedure, and simply his second recreation with new teammates, with newly put in techniques on each offense and protection.
It’s additionally accountable to understand that the offense had rather more pop Monday evening with a completely wholesome beginning 5 that featured each Irving and Harris in opposition to Simmons’ former 76ers group.
But whereas Simmons and his lack of a jumper have been a lot the subject of dialog, it’s Simmons’ lack of an inclination to place stress on the rim that was a priority. After all, it’s placing stress on the rim that forces an opposing protection to contract, and when the protection contracts, Simmons’ playmaking abilities — coupled with the Nets’ perimeter shooters — will be deadly.
If Simmons isn’t going to assault the rim, nevertheless, and he’s not a menace from wherever remotely near the three-point line, the Nets are nearly enjoying four-on-five basketball. Against an elite defensive group just like the Heat, that was Brooklyn’s undoing on the offensive finish Thursday evening.
Simmons might have tallied extra assists had his teammates transformed on a few of their open appears to be like. On one play, for instance, Simmons rifled a one-handed cross in transition to a streaking Durant, who pulled up on the fastbreak for his trademark, in-stride three.
The shot didn’t drop, however there’s a great deal of historic proof proving it would drop at many junctures this season. The sequence was proof that if the Nets keep it up via what Nash described as a interval that’s “going to be ugly at times,” there’s potential for a dynamic offense given all of Brooklyn’s weapons.
But Simmons additionally handed up on possessions which have been advantageous for him to attain. On one other possession, together with his again to the basket on the baseline, he threw an over-the-head dump-off cross to a teammate reducing subsequent to him. The cross was tipped away and intercepted.
The cross was predictable as a result of Simmons didn’t — and doesn’t — look to attain. He turned the ball over six instances to solely 4 assists in 25 minutes via the primary three quarters earlier than head coach Steve Nash benched the starters and key reserves for the ultimate stretch of the sport. Some of the turnovers have been telegraphed passes from a participant not trying to rating.
And such is the state of affairs for the Nets, as a result of that is who Simmons is as a participant. He is likely one of the most bodily gifted gamers in all of basketball — a close to seven-footer with supreme athleticism, physique and playmaking abilities — however his reluctance to assault the basket usually bails out opposing defenses.
Durant completed with 22 factors on 8-of-12 taking pictures from the ground however confirmed some frustration when he by accident threw the ball away trying to get the ball to O’Neale, kicking off a Heat quick break and placing them on the road.
Nash warned issues would look ugly early because the Nets alter to each new rotations and new schemes, and ugly described their loss to the Heat on Thursday. It’s solely preseason, however the identical will be stated for the 2 different Eastern Conference contenders who’ve blown the cap off the Barclays Center.
Next up: 5 extra days of coaching camp earlier than touring to Milwaukee to face Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks on Oct. 12.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com