Three Players to Watch Out of Brooklyn Nets Media Day

Brooklyn Nets media day offered a window into the Nets' future over the next few months and years.

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are committed to their new head coach Jordi Fernández’s philosophy of getting “one percent better” every day.

At the team’s HSS Training Center on Monday morning, virtually every Net player lauded Fernández’s attention to detail and defensive-minded approach in what is the 41-year-old Spaniard’s first head coaching job at the NBA level. Fernández has previously mentioned focusing on ball pressure, physicality, communication, and motor.

"Coach likes dawgs," Dorian Finney-Smith said. "I've been loving it, especially on the defensive end."

The Nets appear to be on the first stage of a full rebuild accelerated by Mikal Bridges’ trade to the New York Knicks, but the current focus for players remains on the months ahead, rather than the years.

"I don't look at it as a rebuild,” Day’Ron Sharpe said. “I'm trying to win every game possible."

Nets On SI was in the building at the HSS Training Center. Here are the main takeaways from Brooklyn’s media day.:

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) looks on during work outs at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was predictably a big story coming out of Nets media day, with the three-time all-star confirming that he’s feeling healthy and focused on the season ahead. Back injuries ended the Australian point guard’s last two seasons.

"I feel like when my body is healthy, that [all-star] confidence I always have, and that's where I'm at right now,” Simmons said. “Physically, I feel great ready to go, so it's just about getting reps and playing."

Simmons added that he hasn’t faced any setbacks with his most recent rehab after two consecutive seasons of injuries. He also commended the Nets organization for giving him the time he needed.

“I want to play basketball at a high level,” Simmons, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, said. “The money's nice and all that but I want to play healthy."

On the court, Simmons’ fit on the Nets is one of the first questions for his new head coach Fernández to answer. When at his best, Simmons is a certified all-star whose defensive talent is equalled by very few players in the league. However, the Nets’ playmaker has largely been unavailable during his time in Brooklyn. 

"Growing up, I wasn't in the states, so it was more of a European style of playing, pushing the ball, playing one through five, having certain sets and things like that," Simmons said of Fernández’s coaching and playing style. "Having Jordi in there is kind of refreshing and the style that he wants to play is play fast, get out and run. We want to be one of the best conditioned teams in the league."

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) poses for a photo during media day at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Cam Thomas

Cam Thomas’ pending contract extension is still hanging over the Nets in the eyes of many Brooklyn fans. Thomas was one of the team’s bright spots during a losing season last year, but as of now, Brooklyn is yet to come to new terms with him. The LSU product is focused on the season ahead, mentioning that his agent will deal with his new contract. 

“This is the opportunity I’ve been wanting,” Thomas said. “To play and be free, so I’m just gonna make the most of it.”

Another task for Fernández will be to maximize Thomas’ game and efficiency, with the Spanish head coach previously mentioning that scoring was the 22-year-old’s “superpower.” On Monday, Thomas addressed how to get the most out of his pull-up game going forward.

"I'm not really going to change what I do," he said. "I'm just gonna make it more efficient within the offense."

Thomas averaged 22.5 points per game last season. He was the Nets' leading bucketgetter, which is once again expected this upcoming season.

"Efficiency goes up when you take less dribbles, but at the same time, we gotta look at the context of when I do take all the dribbles," Thomas said. "Most of the time when I take most of those dribbles, it's five seconds left and everybody's just looking at me to go one-on-one.”

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) signs an autograph at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Nic Claxton 

Nic Claxton, the Nets’ new hundred million dollar man, is expected to take on an even bigger role this season. Fernández will be giving Claxton greater two-way responsibilities, with Nets staff believing that their center is a Defensive Player of the Year-level stopper.

"It was surreal," Claxton said about signing his new deal with the Nets.

On top of that, Claxton will also be receiving more touches on offense and encouraged to act as a playmaker, typically out of hand-offs and dribble hand-offs. Fernández flew to Dallas to meet with Claxton while the latter was in his summer workouts. 

Claxton also touched on how he might share the floor with Noah Clowney and Simmons.

“That's like a seamless fit,” Claxton said about Clowney. “We're both from the south, we have similar mannerisms. He listens, he wants to learn, he wants to be great. It's easy as far as us being on the court together."

Fernández commented last week how Claxton and Simmons had shared the floor two seasons ago and produced some “very good” results.

"The better [Simmons] is feeling, the better it is for everybody with him being in attack mode, him being aggressive,” Claxton said. "There's a lot of positive things that can come on the defensive side of the ball."

Nets training camp begins Oct. 1 in Brooklyn, with the first preseason game against the LA Clippers on Oct. 8.

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