Oct 3, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Preseason-Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets fell to the Philadelphia 76ers with a final score of 127-108 in both teams’ preseason debuts.
Take it for what it is, but the Brooklyn Nets dropped the first of their four exhibition games before the start of the regular season. For the first time since June of 2021, Ben Simmons played a professional basketball game, and did so last night against his former team the Philadelphia 76ers. Nets fans were blessed to see him suit up and sport the black and white jersey and give everyone a glimpse as to what the big 3 with Kyrie and KD looks like. The trio was sampled in bite-sized portions, and even without the Sixers’ stars Joel Embiid and James Harden suiting up for action, the Nets were blown out on their home court.
Despite the loss to a now bitter foe, Ben Simmons wasn’t overly shaken up by the result. Always carrying a lax attitude– even more so this offseason– Simmons once again rolled with the punches after the loss.
“It was fun messing up because I know how good we can be,” Simmons said with a sheepish grin after the game. “The only way you learn is by making mistakes.”
There were a lot of mistakes to learn from in their preseason opener. However, it is preseason so it’s best to chew this sandwich one bite at a time. The Nets big 3 was torched by Tyrese Maxey and rookie Julian Champagnie, but they only shared the court in very limited minutes. There was an obviously lax performance from all three of Simmons, Durant, and Irving, but you’d like to see the team play with a little more fire considering the scrutiny they’ve been facing after being the only team swept in the 2022 playoffs. Simmons has a patient road returning to the All NBA caliber player he was pre-back surgery/playoff meltdown, but one very small slight ripples into a massive concern: his shooting.
No, he isn’t expected to turn into an outside spot-up threat overnight, but man, can he just silence the very plentiful amount of haters by hitting a free throw? Not jumping to conclusions because he only took two, but going 0-for-2 on free throws, something he was bitterly trashed for in the 2021 playoffs where he shot just 34.2.% from. Those are the gimmes. If Simmons continues to roll out bricks from the line, it means he will continue to not just give up free points, but also fear getting to the line in the first place. An unaggressive Ben Simmons severely handicaps the very high ceiling the Nets’ offense can showcase.
In a game lacking in goods, there were two players of lesser roles that showcased a little “somethin’-somethin’.”
Yesterday was the celebration of 500 days of Sumner. Exactly 500 days since the last time he played an NBA game, Edmond Sumner made his return to the court for a new team and looked as if he never missed any time. The lanky guard got to the rim at ease and even showcased a bit of the shot creation that drew him buzz around the draft community during his time in Xavier. The Nets are going to take any support off the bench they can and if someone like Edmond Sumner can provide it as an oversized guard, it will be a huge payoff for the Nets across the long 82-game season. Not to get too excited too quickly, but Edmond Sumner is averaging 28.8 points per 36 minutes in the preseason right now.
The other shining player in the Nets’ loss was Nicolas Claxton. Presumably taking the role as the team’s starting center in game one, Nicolas Claxton hopes to be a consistent part of the Nets’ rotation with his performance on the court and his health intact. Claxton was finally healthy enough to consistently hit the weight room this summer and put on some extra muscle weight, and it showed in the first preseason game he played. Going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, all by way of it being in his sweet spot: right under the basket. You’d like to see if he improved on his free throw shooting after his postseason humiliation at the line, but he looks like he can be an actual roll threat this season. More of an average scorer from the roll last season, Claxton’s offensive role will be diminished to a whole lot of screening matched with a whole lot of diving to the basket. No complaints on either of those fronts in his first preseason exhibition.
Another player worth mentioning, but on the other end of the performance spectrum, is Joe Harris. Much like his teammates Ben Simmons and Edmond Sumner, Harris played his first game in quite some time. After suffering an ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines since November of last year, Joe Harris took to the hardwood but shot a mediocre 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. It was clear he needed some time to get his feet wet when his first two shots– open ones that he would typically knock down with ease– were both airballs. Joe Harris could be the most impactful non-star on the Nets roster this upcoming season, and it’s fair to assume his first game back will be a forgettable blip in the long-run when he eventually returns to his sharpshooting ways.
Not much to take away from a preseason game. No one wants to be that guy who over-analyzes every sliver of film the team has, but there’s definitely ways to go before the Nets return to their expected contender status. Breathe. It’s day only 1.
