How the Nets are adjusting without Ben Simmons: ‘It’s two different teams’

The Nets know they can’t replace Ben Simmons, their uniquely talented point guard whose latest back injury will be re-evaluated next week.

No one else on the roster is 6-10 with elite vision and an ability to push the tempo and find open shooters before opposing defenses can set up.

But the Nets expect to compete without Simmons in the lineup, even if it means adjusting how they play until their floor general is able to return.

“It’s two different teams,” coach Jacque Vaughn said before Tuesday’s game, shortly after the Nets announced Simmons was diagnosed with a nerve impingement in the left side of his lower back.

“We were top six in transition [in the NBA] with Ben, bottom five without Ben. Better executing in the halfcourt without Ben, not with Ben,” Vaughn continued. “It’s two different teams, and so I gotta get our guys to wrap our head around [that] we gotta mesh this thing together where we’re not shooting late in the shot clock and playing halfcourt basketball. Can’t happen. We still need to push the pace, and that’s multiple ball handlers pushing the pace and getting us opportunities early.”

Indeed, the Nets thrive in transition with the pass-first Simmons, scoring at least 20 fast-break points in each of his six games this season. That run-and-gun offense slowed considerably in Brooklyn’s first four games without Simmons, averaging just 11.3 fastbreak points over that stretch.

In Tuesday’s win against the Magic, the Nets manufactured transition offense without Simmons, using aggressive defense to force a season-high 13 steals that turned into quick scoring opportunities. Their 31 fastbreak points Tuesday marked a season-high, as did their 27 points off of turnovers.

“Love seeing those fast-break points,” Vaughn said afterward. “The ability to turn people over, just the quality of a shot that you usually get, because you have an advantage in transition. So, the more opportunities that we can create and dictate possessions and be able to turn guys over, that’s only going to be to our advantage. I think our guys are trying to grasp onto this idea of taking risks and being in positions to help your teammate out.”

It’s worth noting, though, the Nets were facing an upstart-but-inexperienced Orlando team that was missing its starting point guard, Markelle Fultz, who averages only 1.2 turnovers over his 28.6 minutes per game. Whether the Nets defense can overwhelm more seasoned opponents remains to be seen, considering Brooklyn struggled to force turnovers in its 10 games before Tuesday.

Without Simmons, the Nets shifted 6-5 shooting guard Spencer Dinwiddie to the point guard role in a starting lineup also featuring 6-6 Mikal Bridges, 6-7 Dorian Finney-Smith, 6-8 Cam Johnson and 6-10 Nic Claxton.

Dinwiddie plays a more traditional point guard than Simmons, who doesn’t shoot, and therefore operates a more traditional halfcourt offense. Dinwiddie can set up at the top of the key, drive and kick, attempt layups and floaters, take stepback or catch-and-shoot three-pointers or make the extra pass. Bridges and Finney-Smith are both adequate catch-and-shoot three-point options, while Johnson is among the NBA’s best.

Claxton, like Simmons, is a non-shooter who’s at his best when attacking the basket. Simmons’ absence eliminates the redundancies in their games, while having four shooters on the floor helps with spacing. The Nets went 19-of-39 on three-point attempts Tuesday, marking their second-most makes beyond the arc this season and their second-best three-point percentage (48.7%).

The Nets are also missing Cam Thomas, their leading scorer and top isolation option, whose sprained ankle is expected to be re-evaluated next week. But Dinwiddie, Bridges, Finney-Smith, Johnson and Claxton boast chemistry, as they typically started games together down the stretch last season after the first four arrived in the February trades that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix and Kyrie Irving to Dallas.

Simmons is dealing with another back injury is concerning, considering he underwent May 2022 surgery to address a herniated disc in his lower back. He then played only 42 games last season before a nerve impingement in the right side of his back shut him down.

During the preseason, Simmons said he felt his healthiest in two years. He’s yet to regain the form that made him a three-time All-Star with the 76ers — with whom he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game over four seasons — but he operates the Nets’ run-and-gun offense effectively and also leads the team with 10.8 rebounds per game.

“Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style that he plays with and the things that he helps benefit our team in doing,” Vaughn said Tuesday. “I’m going to take a positive approach to this thing and hopefully a week from now he’s feeling better.”