Inside The Nets

Three Takeaways from the Brooklyn Nets’ Second Preseason Game

Jordi Fernández’s first game at the Barclays Center ended in a 131-92 win against the Washington Wizards.

Wilko Martinez Cachero

Oct 14, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA;Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) congratulates Brooklyn Nets power forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) for making a basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Oct 14, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA;Brooklyn Nets small guard Cam Thomas (24) congratulates Brooklyn Nets power forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) for making a basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Jordi Fernández’s first (preseason) home game as Brooklyn Nets head coach ended in a resounding 131-92 win over the Washington Wizards.

Cam Thomas led the Nets in scoring with 17 points in 23 minutes. Shake Milton and Jalen Wilson had 16 and 14 off the bench, respectively. DC’s top scorer was Jordan Poole with 13 points.

The Wizards were without French wing Bilal Coulibaily and this year’s number two pick Alex Sarr because of a left finger sprain and soreness in the right calf, respectively. Brian Keefe, who became the Wizards' head coach in May after ending last season as the interim, started Jordan Poole, rookie guard Bub Carrington, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuzma and Marvin Bagley III.

The Nets’ first five was the same as in their preseason opener, with a two-guard tandem in Ben Simmons and Dennis Schröder flanked by Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Nic Claxton was kept out of this preseason game with hamstring soreness,, while Trendon Watford and Day’Ron Sharpe will miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason with hamstring injuries.

Here are three takeaways from game two of preseason: 

Ben Simmons’ First Half Aggression

Jordi Fernández has lauded Ben Simmons in preseason. His teammates have gone out of their way to talk him up. Brooklyn fans have constantly given the Australian guard some of the biggest receptions of the squad. In game two of preseason, Simmons backed up that support. 

The Nets’ playmaker finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 13:09 minutes of play. Simmons was rested for the second half of the contest, but he was Brooklyn's leading scorer before the half. 

Simmons’ first quarter was particularly impressive, with a series of strong drives to start the game, and a few defensive plays including a charge. His performance was much more assertive than in the team’s preseason opener, and a return to form for Simmons could represent a significant boost for Brooklyn.

Interestingly, the second quarter started with a new lineup around Simmons, with him as the point guard on offense next to Shake Milton, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson and Noah Clowney. This five-man combination struggled to create clean looks in the half-court, but as with any instance of Simmons playing alongside a big, is worth monitoring.

Rotation Decisions

Although it’s still preseason — and the bigs’ absence is an important caveat for Brooklyn — it seems like there are already some hints about Jordi Fernández’s rotation. 

Again, Clowney and Wilson were the first Nets off the bench for the Spanish head coach. Wilson was the Summer League MVP and could be primed for a breakout year of sorts in his second NBA season, minutes permitting. Clowney, on the other hand, has a big opportunity in preseason with Claxton and Sharpe currently out of action. 

In the first half, both subs immediately connected on a fast break for a Clowney dunk. Wilson, who could find a role as a sparkplug off the bench, finished with 14 points. Clowney had 11 on 5-for7 shooting, with the two misses coming from three. They were both a team-high +25.

Ziaire Williams also featured plenty and was used by Fernández in various lineup combinations. Like in game one, the former Memphis wing got some reps around the high elbow and as a roll man that this Nets team appears to reserve for bigs. It remains to be seen whether this remains as an extra wrinkle for Williams going forward or if this will cease once Claxton, Sharpe and Watford return. 

“Everything I've seen has been very positive,” Fernández said about Williams pregame. “His size, how hard he plays and, right now, he's keeping it simple.”

Increased Minutes Load

In the Nets’ preseason opener versus the LA Clippers, the team’s starters only played in the first half. Things were relatively more normal against the Wizards, with all of the Nets' starters save for Simmons playing at least 23 minutes.

“When you're training your body and your mind to get into a season routine, you cannot do it right away,” head coach Fernández said.

The 41-year-old Badalona native explained that the coaches follow the guidelines set by the Nets’ medical and performance staff. Brooklyn’s first-year head coach said that his team’s physical performance in preseason was “very good” with regards to ball pressuring and running the floor, but that he wanted to see those items for more minutes in game two. On Monday, the Nets outscored the Wizards 26-7 in fast break points.

“I’m happy with getting better but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to rock-and-roll,” Fernández said.

One player who hasn’t been able to play in any preseason games so far is Killian Hayes, dealing with hip soreness. The former no. 7 pick is on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets for training camp, but he is not eligible for a two-way contract due to time already served in the NBA. It’s basically all or nothing for Hayes, who was praised by Fernández on Monday.

“He’s been really good at camp,” the Nets head coach said. “Unfortunately, these types of minor injuries happen. But it's nothing serious so he'll be back soon and I'd like to see him on the court. We'll see how it plays out but so far I'm happy with him, everything he's done. He’s like a true point guard.”

Right now, there could be an opportunity with regard to the Nets’ backup ballhandler. This is amplified if Simmons and Schröder keep starting together, although their minutes could be spaced out to mitigate this. In this game, Shake Milton was the second unit’s point guard, and he finished with 16 points.

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Wilko Martinez Cachero
WILKO MARTINEZ CACHERO

Wilko is a journalist and producer from Madrid, Spain. He is also the founder of FLOOR and CEILING on YouTube, focusing on the NBA Draft and youth basketball.

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