Nets Need Simmons To Be Healthy And Productive
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Shara Talia Taylor
The Brooklyn Nets started a new year of basketball with Media Day at their training center in Brooklyn Oct. 2 before their first preseason game Oct. 9 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets fell to the Lakers in a close 129-126 match at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A week before the meeting teammates shared their offseason conditioning, their vision for success and how they intend to come together as a new team with new players added to the team in the offseason.
“I feel like most of the time I come in, and people want me to score,” said guard Cam Thomas at media day about what he wanted to work on this season.
Thomas said he was put in games last season to be a “spark” to get the team moving and that he hoped to continue to have this type of impact in a more prominent role this season.
Thomas led the Nets with 26 points against the Lakers Monday evening. Guard/forward Ben Simmons re-joined the team Monday after sitting out part of last season due to back issues. He led the Nets with three assists Monday and had 10 points. He said in the offseason he improved his health with meditation. Lonnie Walker added 14 points to the Nets score.
Brooklyn acquired Walker in the offseason in addition to Trendon Watford, Harry Giles III, Armoni Brooks, Dennis Smith Jr. and Darius Bazley. The Nets also added rookies Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson to their roster during the NBA draft.
“So the benefit of this camp, of preseason, is to iron that stuff out, to come up with game plans that suit us, strategies that suit us offensively and defensively and then just overall how we’re going to play,” said forward Cam Johnson about the value of camp and merging as a team.
Johnson did not play Monday and sat out following a hamstring injury.
The Nets finished 6th in the NBA Eastern Conference, with a 45-37 record during the 2022-2023 season. Brooklyn was swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in four games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
6’11” center Nic Claxton guarded 7-foot center 2023 MVP Joel Embiid during the matchup. Claxton said at media day he wants the team to play faster this season. He was then asked how this style could help against larger opponents.
“We’ll be able to use our wing to our advantage, I think more now than we have in the past and especially having multiple guys that can push the ball on a break and get out and get layups and 3s,” he said.
Some players like Claxton and guard/forward Mikal Bridges were spotted during the offseason showing support for the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center, where both teams share a home.
“I’m very excited for them and I can’t wait to see them play in Vegas,” Bridges said about the Liberty advancing to the finals.
Bridges said he hopes to be better with rebounding as part of his goals to embrace a leadership role this season. He had five rebounds against the Lakers.
The Nets take on 76ers in their next pre-season matchup.
The Nets fell to the Lakers in a close 129-126 match at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A week before the meeting teammates shared their offseason conditioning, their vision for success and how they intend to come together as a new team with new players added to the team in the offseason.
“I feel like most of the time I come in, and people want me to score,” said guard Cam Thomas at media day about what he wanted to work on this season.
Thomas said he was put in games last season to be a “spark” to get the team moving and that he hoped to continue to have this type of impact in a more prominent role this season.
Thomas led the Nets with 26 points against the Lakers Monday evening. Guard/forward Ben Simmons re-joined the team Monday after sitting out part of last season due to back issues. He led the Nets with three assists Monday and had 10 points. He said in the offseason he improved his health with meditation. Lonnie Walker added 14 points to the Nets score.
Brooklyn acquired Walker in the offseason in addition to Trendon Watford, Harry Giles III, Armoni Brooks, Dennis Smith Jr. and Darius Bazley. The Nets also added rookies Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson to their roster during the NBA draft.
“So the benefit of this camp, of preseason, is to iron that stuff out, to come up with game plans that suit us, strategies that suit us offensively and defensively and then just overall how we’re going to play,” said forward Cam Johnson about the value of camp and merging as a team.
Johnson did not play Monday and sat out following a hamstring injury.
The Nets finished 6th in the NBA Eastern Conference, with a 45-37 record during the 2022-2023 season. Brooklyn was swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in four games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
6’11” center Nic Claxton guarded 7-foot center 2023 MVP Joel Embiid during the matchup. Claxton said at media day he wants the team to play faster this season. He was then asked how this style could help against larger opponents.
“We’ll be able to use our wing to our advantage, I think more now than we have in the past and especially having multiple guys that can push the ball on a break and get out and get layups and 3s,” he said.
Some players like Claxton and guard/forward Mikal Bridges were spotted during the offseason showing support for the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center, where both teams share a home.
“I’m very excited for them and I can’t wait to see them play in Vegas,” Bridges said about the Liberty advancing to the finals.
Bridges said he hopes to be better with rebounding as part of his goals to embrace a leadership role this season. He had five rebounds against the Lakers.
The Nets take on 76ers in their next pre-season matchup.
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