BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Fresh off a rebound, Ben SimmonsTwo dribbles were required before streaking was possible. Kyrie Irving for an easy layup in the third quarter of the Nets’ 109-105 win Friday against the Raptors.
A few minutes later, he was playing out of the paint and found Kevin DurantThe perimeter watched as the 6-foot-10 forward drained his second consecutive 3. Simmons completed the vision within four minutes. BrooklynWhen he joined the team, Simmons fed Durant and Irving all over the court while trying to keep a few for himself. Simmons, who was playing in his first game since June 2021, finished the game with six points and a total of 10 rebounds as well as eight assists. When asked about guarding Simmons, he also had a similar scouting report to Toronto coach Nick Nurse.
Running the break pic.twitter.com/Cxfk9kjbNq
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022
Triples back-to-back for KD🎯 pic.twitter.com/S9Gs9G5WD5
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022
“I think he really gets it off the floor, either via himself or via the throw ahead,” Nurse said. “He’s got really good vision in the fast break, and he usually can spray it all over, you know, I mean, like he can he can start coming off there and he can find guys you know, on the weak side just as well as he can right in front of him and in transition.”
Royce O’Neale’s 3 off an Irving pass, despite his shooting 1-for-6 to that point, sealed the win for the Nets. Brooklyn is now 1-1 as the team heads into a crucial second week. They travel to Memphis, Milwaukee, and then play back-to-back against Brooklyn. Dallas. Saturday: Indiana visits.
Here are five thoughts on the Nets’ first win of the season.
Ben gets full run
After Brooklyn’s loss to the PelicansSimmons, In 23 minutes, fouled out, Irving did his best “Apollo 13” impression in the locker room and told Simmons that “fouling out is not an option.” Steve Nash attributed Simmons’ foul trouble to rust, and Simmons said he played “too excited.”
Simmons played a lot of the game on Friday while keeping his fouls to a minimum. He attacked the basket and scored his first points with a jumper. He found his teammates in transition, on the perimeter and at low levels. He also helped to keep the Rookie of Year in place defensively. Scottie BarnesJust 17 points, and 11 in the second half.
“Every time he gets in the paint, he causes problems,” Nash said. “Ten rebounds, eight assists, couple blocks. He’s starting to show the player he can be, and I think he’s still got a ways to go. I am very proud of him. He shook off a first night and I thought was much more aggressive.”
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022
Nash has called Simmons “the engine” of the team, and Friday he was humming. On Wednesday, he was stalling. There’s still plenty to learn. The Nets were outscored 18-9 by Toronto on fast-break points. Brooklyn was just 3-for-8 in such attempts. Simmons is still getting acclimated, and the Nets will be built to run better once they’re fully healthy.
Three of the biggest
Durant, Irving, and Simmons were a combined plus-7. However, all three players performed in spectacular fashion. They had 21 assists together. Brooklyn’s ball movement was significantly improved from Wednesday, when the offense was flat. Durant missed his five first shots but rallied to shoot 8 for 18 with 27 points. When Toronto tied the score at 100, Brooklyn’s stars took over. Irving and Durant responded with back to back baskets to keep the Nets on top. Irving scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 50 percent to keep the Nets ahead in crunch-time.
When we needed it most…@KDTrey5And @BucketsONeale00 DELIVERED. pic.twitter.com/RZud53xLMo
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022
Beautiful and beautiful ball movement pic.twitter.com/uavPqoG0IT
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 22, 2022
Brooklyn was barely able to outrebomb the Raptors 44-41. Simmons had 10, Durant five and Simmons had 10. This is a surprising number for a franchise player. Nash was able play all three stars well, playing Durant for 35 minutes, Simmons 32 and Irving 40 minutes. Hypothetically, Simmons should be able to play longer as the season goes on, once he’s settled.
“I’m building,” Simmons said of his status.
It’s just the second game of the season, but Brooklyn’s trio showed the problems it can create when all three are clicking. Irving and Durant can score at will. Durant can create and help others on the boards, while Irving can assist with the playmaking. Simmons can fill in for the gaps. Simmons said it’s early for the three of them but agreed that Friday’s win showed promise.
“We’re just getting a feel for each other,” Simmons said. “Nothing just pushing the pace finding where guys are going to be at you know, I’m becoming a roller, so getting in tune with that and get comfortable doing that. So it’s gonna take time, but we’re getting better each day.”
Joe Harris returns
Harris was injured in Oklahoma City on Nov. 14, 2021 and had to play in his first NBA match. He needed two surgeries last season, the second of which Harris said was reconstructive and required doctors to take “a bunch of spurs off my navicular.” But the Virginia product returned in time for his T-shirt night and even modeled it before the game.
Joe Harris models tonight’s promotional shirt of himself. This could be a Times Square sign. pic.twitter.com/h1u8OlUTXu
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) October 21, 2022
Harris stepped off the bench to cheering applause, and he made his first attempt at a 3-pointer. He played only 18 minutes, making his first three-point shot. Nash said Harris’ playing time came down to how he felt. Brooklyn shot just 30 percent from 3 in its season-opening loss to New Orleans, and Harris’ lone 3 and the spacing he provided were able to improve it to 37 percent against Toronto. Simmons said Harris’ presence made it easier to make plays because he’s played against him enough to know what he has. “I love Joe,” Simmons said.
“It was just great to see him out there,” Nash said. “He’s an important player for us. It is crucial for our group to get him back on track as soon as possible. He brings so many qualities to our group, including his elite shooting, fighting, and physicality. Getting him out there and getting a game under his built was really important, let alone giving us depth and ability.”
Brooklyn might soon get more assistance. Nash added. Seth Curry, who is coming off ankle surgery, is “a couple practices away” and will travel with the team to Memphis and Milwaukee.
The return of ‘Young Clax’
The first three seasons of Nic Claxton’s NBA career, all of which were injury-riddled, the majority of his points came on dunks and putbacks.
If his two first games of the season are anything to go by, it is clear that his shot profile will be very different. Brooklyn’s 31st pick in the 2019 NBA Draft was Claxton. decision-making big manTom Crean, Georgia’s coach, was Claxton’s mentor. It is this reason that his draft stock jumped after a strong performance at the combine as an undergrad. Claxton is finally starting to show the ballhandling ability he had in college, and it’s added another wrinkle to the Nets offense. He scored 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and shot 8-for-11. His baskets were mostly downhill, with his highlight Eurostep being a coast to-coast layup. Pascal Siakam.
From @BKN_NETSPRNic Claxton has had a double-double for his second consecutive game, scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Claxton is now the first player to post a double-double consecutively in his entire career.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) October 22, 2022
“Just trying to get back to young Clax,” Claxton said. “Just being myself. Other guys are needed to take the reins. We can’t have KyrieAnd KD trying to do everything.”
Claxton, 23, defined “Young Clax” as the player he was in his first two years of college and as a rookie with the Nets when he played sparingly behind Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan. The torn labrum caused his first season in Brooklyn to end early. Nash attributes Claxton’s latest progression to the summer, which was one of his first when he wasn’t rehabbing or getting into shape.
“It gives us a little bit of a different dimension when he’s able to make plays like that,” Nash said. “I think that’s always been Nic’s game. In college, he was a big fan of the ball. But having said that, you know injuries and developing into a man and you know to play at this level is a step and so you know with those injuries and sent him back but his professionalism this summer, I’ve talked about before he was great, and he stuck to it and he took a level as a professional. And so you’re seeing that now he’s stronger, fitter, and then you can see his skills that he’s continuing to develop come out so he was able to make some great finishes tonight.”
But Claxton isn’t done. Free-throw troubles have plagued him his first three seasons, and Nash and Durant said they’d love to see him improve from the line. “The free throws are coming,” said Nash, who shot 90 percent from the line in his career.
“You saw some of it today, just getting out in transition,” Claxton said. “Finishing everything around the rim. Be consistent with defense, especially in the beginning. I had some mishaps during the first half. In the second half, I did a better job. I really want to be the anchor of the defense and be one of the best defenders in the league night in and night out.”
(Photo of Nic Claxton by Dennis Schneidler/USA Today
