Nets look to enhance defensive rebounding, taking pictures

Defensive rebounding has been the Nets’ Achilles’ heel for years.

With the way in which the roster has been forcibly remade for the 2023-24 season, an absence of taking pictures may very well be a weak point, as nicely.

How nicely the Nets deal with each shortcomings goes to go a good distance towards figuring out whether or not they can overachieve this upcoming season.

Not solely are stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gone, however so are the litany of shooters that surrounded them.

For these Nets, picture-perfect spacing is a should.

“No Patty [Mills], no Seth [Curry], no Yuta [Watanabe], no Joe [Harris]: specialists that we needed to shoot the trey ball. So we’ll have to include other ways to attain,” mentioned coach Jacque Vaughn, who expects extra appears from Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges, due to Ben Simmons being wholesome and higher spacing from all people.

“[We have to be] a extra detailed group. We’ve got to be grasping with our spacing, and we’ve to be extraordinarily detailed and poised in giving guys the power to drive the basketball. So, you might need to be a foot to the suitable, the place you had been capable of be a foot to the left beforehand. So, detailed in our group on the offensive finish on the ground.”

Vaughn additionally mentioned he’s banking on the longer Nets getting stops to create appears in transition.

That can take huge enchancment on the defensive glass.

Although the Nets really boxed out nicely final season, they nonetheless completed second-worst within the NBA in rebounds, rebound proportion and defensive rebound proportion.

“It’s not going to be one man on the market that simply fixes our rebounding deficiency or our rim-protection deficiency. We’re going to have to try this by committee,” basic supervisor Sean Marks mentioned. “We might not be one of the best defensive-rebounding group within the league or offensive-rebounding group within the league, however the plan is definitely to be higher than we had been.”

But when one man goes to make a distinction, Vaughn cited large third-year middle Day’Ron Sharpe, 21.

“There are schemes we are able to lean in the direction of slightly bit that final yr, we had been just a bit bit handcuffed. That is how we needed to play,” Vaughn mentioned. “With a coaching camp, I’m going to place extra issues on the blokes’ plate early within the yr for us to attempt.

“Day’Ron Sharpe will get an early look and see how he can impose his will.”

After Bridges and Johnson performed for Crew USA within the FIBA World Cup, Vaughn mentioned: “We’re gonna put extra on [Bridges’] plate. We’re going to ask him to do extra.”

One of many few gamers Vaughn introduced up unsolicited was Dennis Smith Jr., who signed on a minimal deal. Whereas Simmons and Dinwiddie will battle on the level (Dinwiddie additionally will play some off the ball), Vaughn lumped in Smith with the opposite lead guards.

Concerning the Nets’ spacing, Vaughn insisted Simmons and Nic Claxton can and can play collectively, regardless of being a mixed 7 of fifty profession from 3-point vary (14 %).