While Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been the big — OK, make that only — storylines around the Nets so far this offseason, they’re not the only questions Brooklyn needs to answer.
From GM Sean Marks to coach Steve Nash and the Nets themselves, there are a host of things to sort out before they tip off the regular season on Oct. 19 vs. New Orleans.
Ben Simmons’ back
Brooklyn’s original Big Three of Durant, Irving and James Harden ended up logging 16 games together. So far, that’s more than the new Big Three, which still hasn’t taken the court together. They traded Harden for Simmons in February, but the latter is still awaiting his Nets debut after back surgery.
Simmons, who hasn’t played since June 20, 2021 with Philadelphia, is set to finally suit up for the Nets on Opening Night. The last time the world saw him play, he shot just .333 from the charity stripe and didn’t take a single 3-pointer in a second-round playoff exit.
Sources close to Simmons told the Post last month he’ll be ready for camp, and ESPN reported the same this week. He’s been in L.A. working out with trainer Chris Johnson. When the latter was asked if Simmons is working on his 3-point shooting, he replied “Absolutely.”
Nic Claxton’s foul shooting?
Despite a relaxing Dominican Republic vacation spent horse riding — and a new two-year, $20 million contract — the summer isn’t all fun and games for Nic Claxton. After starting 19 games last season, the center job finally appears to be his. But considering his 1-for-11 free throw shooting horror show in Brooklyn’s Game 4 loss to the Celtics, improving that foul shooting has been offseason priority No. 1.
“Just my overall game. Of course, free throws,” said Claxton, who focused on his foul shooting this summer with Nets assistant Ryan Forehan-Kelly and Texas-based trainer Tim Martin. “Working on my shot, getting stronger, and then just continuing to build off these last few years.”
Claxton missed his first 10 free throws — six in the first quarter — of that Game 4 loss before finally sinking his final attempt in the fourth quarter. It obscured the fact he’d improved his foul shooting last season from .484 the year before to .581 — including .609 as a starter, a job he seems set to inherit.
How to round out the roster
Brooklyn let its $6.27 million trade exception (from the DeAndre Jordan deal) expire Friday, and made no moves this past week, like most of the NBA. But unlike most of the league, they have huge gaping holes. The Nets have a half-dozen openings on their 20-man camp roster, tied for the most in the NBA.
The Nets have a dozen players on guaranteed standard deals, one (Edmond Sumner) on a partially-guaranteed contract and another on a two-way (undrafted rookie Alondes Williams). That leaves them with three Exhibit 10 spots, a two-way and two standard deals still open.
Late last week there were only 16 openings for standard deals still open in the whole league, and Brooklyn has two of them. David Duke Jr. is eyeing one, declining their two-way offer. He’s a restricted free agent, still waiting to see if Marks ups his offer to a standard deal, or if he has to settle or seek one elsewhere.
Coaching questions
Durant demanded the Nets fire Nash if they don’t meet his trade request. And while that seems unlikely — team owner Joe Tsai backed Nash and Marks — there are still questions about the rest of the staff, namely who is going to be the Nets’ defensive coordinator?
Brooklyn lost overly-qualified Ime Udoka to Boston last offseason, and the result was watching Nash’s former employee turn the Celtics into the league’s best defense and sweep the Nets en route to an NBA Finals run. This summer they’ve lost Jordan Ott (granted, more of an offensive mind but a hard worker involved in every aspect of the team) to the Lakers.
Somebody on this staff has to step up and help tighten up their sieve-like defense. Jacque Vaughn is the most likely, but he’s had mixed results in that role so far.
Who’s the voice?
Play-by-play man Michael Grady is leaving the YES Network and the Nets to become the voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Bally Sports North. The news was first reported by The Athletic.
“I love y’all,” Grady had told the Nets and their fans on Twitter, preceded and followed by heart emojis.
“I love ya!” Nets owner Joe Tsai tweeted back. “All the best in Minnesota. We will miss you!” But who will end up filling the Emmy winner’s sizeable shoes?
