When Cameron Johnson returned to Brooklyn from his summer vacation, he had to hit the ground running. Literally.
As new coach Jordi Fernandez welcomed his players back in September, he had a clear message: Play hard or don’t play at all. As the Brooklyn Nets searched for an identity while the front office looked for its next franchise centerpiece, the first-time head coach knew his team had to be about effort and connectivity more than anything. So his staff implemented a rigorous conditioning program before training camp even started, ensuring his players would be ready.
“Obviously, at first, it’s uncomfortable picking up full court, crashing the boards, and playing at that high, high, high level that they ask of us every day. But (the coaching staff) prepared us for it,” Johnson said recently. “With everybody having that baseline of prep, (Fernandez) can honestly expect it out of us.”
Fernandez’s team was off to a head start by the time camp had officially arrived. Defensive concepts were clicking more easily. There was a different spark to this Nets squad.
There are always a few teams who have solid starts and then flame out by midseason. The Nets (5-7) aren’t even .500, but that can be said about most teams in the Eastern Conference. Making the Play-In Tournament would be an impressive feat after the front office made a deal with Houston to return the Nets’ top pick in the upcoming draft, a clear signal that the franchise wants in on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
Many analysts and even Vegas picked them to be the worst team in the NBA. Yet, they find themselves tied for sixth place a few weeks into the season. The Nets have been one of the most well-orchestrated teams in the league despite the doubts of even the most measured critics.
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect us. It’s just somebody saying something,” Ben Simmons said. “So unless they’re in the gym with us dictating what’s happening, it’s just somebody saying something. I can’t take it any type of way. We put in a lot of work and play hard. That’s what happens when you work hard, play hard and get better every day. You get better.”
It’s started on defense, where the Nets are operating on a string. Few teams in the league are as connected in their defensive rotations at the moment.
Entering Thursday’s games, the Nets defense ranked third in points per shot allowed on contested 3s, per Synergy Sports. They also are sixth in points per possession allowed on drives. The Nets have a knack for getting underneath a shooter as early as possible to throw off the rhythm of the play, contesting effectively without allowing easy drives.
Johnson and Ziaire Williams frequently get into position quickly enough that their length deters shots, while Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas have been dedicated to closing out as well. A lot of teams have scoring guards who don’t put in the extra effort — sprinting to a shooter late in the clock, but everyone across the roster is upholding their defensive principles.
They are particularly good at communicating on switches and coverages in tight spaces to avoid the mistakes that lead to uncontested 3s. Because their centers are mobile and have long reaches, it’s hard for teams to take one defender out of the play to gain an advantage.
While Schröder is doing well to hold up his end of the bargain on defense, he’s having the best offensive season of his career. He was shooting 46.2 percent on 3-pointers entering Friday, which may seem like a significant outlier for a player who has only shot above 35.1 percent once in his career. But this is a continuation of his hot shooting when he arrived in Brooklyn in February.
The Nets’ shot profile has played a key role in keeping them in games, ranking fifth in the league in 3-point attempts. The Nets are fourth in points per chance on midrange shots, but just 23rd in frequency, per Synergy Sports.
Thomas has a spot from the left elbow where he is automatic, so he will run some actions to get that shot. But otherwise, there’s hardly any midrange shooting within the flow of the offense. Brooklyn is not a good post-up team, but it will enter the ball into Nic Claxton when he buries a guard in the paint.
It’s all bits and pieces of a coherent program, just devoid of consistency.
Entering Thursday, the Nets were eighth in first-half net rating at plus-4.5 and then 25th in the second half at minus-8.3, per NBA Stats. Good teams tend to respond to halftime deficits with strong third quarters, so it’s no surprise that period has been Brooklyn’s weak point.
The Nets are still susceptible to allowing big scoring runs when they poke the bear. That’s when things can slip away, forcing them to fight uphill.
Against Boston on Wednesday, Brooklyn led for most of the first half and then were run over in the third quarter. By the fourth, the offense had collapsed and the defending champs cruised to a much easier victory than their overtime win over the Nets last Friday.
Brooklyn is pushing the best teams, but it isn’t in control yet. Johnson said the successful Phoenix Suns teams he was a part of controlled those runs and swings. While it helps to have Chris Paul manipulating the game and Devin Booker, who can score on anyone, the Nets can control their ability to bounce back when a more skilled opponent locks in.
The Nets are at a stage where they are still figuring out who they are in the fourth quarter, which is fine. It’s all about keeping their foot on the gas and playing the same way all 48 minutes.
“Trust. Trust in it and see the results of it. You just gotta go through the process,” Johnson said. “As you go through the process and you find how to do it and how it works, it just gets ingrained in your DNA. It’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s how you become a good team in the NBA.”
(Photo of Keon Johnson, Cameron Thomas and Donovan Mitchell: David Liam Kyle / NBAE via Getty Images)
