![]() ![]() Over his last two seasons, opponents scored 0.97 points per possession when they isolated against him. Schuhmann notes that his defense is not perfect, that he needs to control certain tendencies. Among the six guys he defended most two seasons ago are primary ball-handlers (Malcolm Brogdon and Russell Westbrook), wings and a power forward (Pascal Siakam). Simmons’ size also allows him to guard every position on the floor. And opponents shot 41.7% against him, with the differential between that and their expected field goal percentage on those shots (46.2%) being the ninth best among 312 players who defended at least 300 shots. In 2020-21, Simmons ranked fifth in deflections per game (3.5) and eighth in deflections per 36 minutes (3.9). The best example of that might be the three steals (one, two, three) he had in the last 15 seconds of a game against Indiana three years ago, turning a one-point deficit into a three-point win. With his size, athleticism and fervor for disrupting opposing offenses, Simmons can be a defensive force. Schuhmann notes the usual caveats with Simmons, that he hasn’t played since June 2021 and that he needs to be “ready and able to play.” But it’s potential that is the foundation of his analysis, starting with defense. Royce O’Neale, a solid defender at 6’6”, is also bigger than the players who tried to guard Boston in the playoffs, Schuhmann points out. Warren, Yuta Watanabe and Markieff Morris all between 6’8” and 6’9” and the return to health by 6’6” Harris. ![]() They’re much bigger with Simmons at 6’11”, T.J. The primary defender on Jayson Tatum (6-foot-8) was the 6-foot-4 Bruce Brown, and the two Nets who defended 6-foot-6 Jaylen Brown the most were Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry (both 6-foot-2).įirst things first, Simmons fits with the Nets off-season priority (other than settling the KD/Kyrie issues). Five of the top seven players in the Nets’ playoff rotation were 6-foot-4 or shorter. One primary issue was their lack of size on the perimeter. The Nets ranked 20th defensively in the regular season and the 119.2 points per 100 possessions that they allowed the Celtics to score in the first round were 8.5 more than Boston scored in any other playoff series. And that was with Durant shooting 39% and Kyrie Irving averaging just 15.3 points over the last three games.ĭefense was obviously a problem. They got swept in the first round, but had the most efficient offense (115 points scored per 100 possessions) in the playoffs against what was the league’s best defense. Schuhmann starts with the Nets failings - and some mostly forgotten successes - last year before analyzing where Simmons fits.Īfter the All-Star break last season, the Nets won in Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Miami, doing so without Joe Harris or Ben Simmons. ![]() that fill a lot of Brooklyn’s needs: bringing “plus” defense and offering unheralded offense that can fit neatly with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and, as he notes, “two of the top four guys in career 3-point percentage (Joe Harris and Seth Curry).” Here’s the bottom line for Schuhmann: Simmons has skills on both defense. John Schuhmann, NBA.com’s longtime advanced stats writer (and founder of NetsDaily), does one of his patented film studies Wednesday on Ben Simmons and sums things up this way: “There is potential for greatness.” ![]()
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