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How Ben Simmons' Injury Alters the Dynamic of the Brooklyn Nets, Insights from Coach Vaughn
Coach Jacque Vaughn has been on the record for wanting his team to play with pace. The Nets are much better when playing with speed because it takes advantage of the squad’s athleticism and caters to their strengths.
The driving force behind playing with pace is starting point guard Ben Simmons, who thrives in that kind of play. In the games he has played for the Nets, he has helped the team become a potent team in transition, but with his latest injury issue, they have slowed down.
“It’s two different teams. We were top six in transition with Ben, bottom five without Ben,” Vaughn said in his pre-game presser before facing the Orlando Magic. “Better executing in the half-court without Ben, not with Ben. So it’s two different teams. I gotta get our guys to wrap our head around; we gotta mesh this thing together where we’re not shooting late in the shot clock and playing half-court basketball.”
The Magic game pointed in the right direction
Despite Ben's absence in the Magic game, the Nets displayed encouraging signs of playing at a faster pace. The team amassed an impressive 31 fast-break points under Coach Vaughn's guidance, led by Spencer Dinwiddie as the primary point guard and Dennis Smith Jr. in the backup role.
This sets a positive precedent for Ben's return, as the team has adapted to a high-speed style, benefiting players like Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV, who thrive on opportunities to score in the paint or execute transition threes.
Coach Vaughn is building something special in Brooklyn
Although lacking the star power of previous seasons with players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have silently constructed one of the deepest rosters in the league. Featuring bench players such as Walker, Smith Jr., Royce O’Neale, and others, the Nets continue to feast in transition.
The Nets are having fun with their system and you can tell Ben will be a big part of that. They are a wildly different team without him but they are building good habits that will synergize with him well when he eventually returns to action.
