NETS GOTTA LEARN FAST
Many new faces, and not much time
Nets practice on Sunday began with reviewing defensive concepts, making sure players have a full understanding of the terminology and places to be on the floor.
As the team readies itself to welcome five new players to the roster for the resumption of the regular season in Orlando, Nets coaches are asking their current players to become less student and more teacher.
“Open discussion to continue to create an atmosphere where input is important, and then we got up and down a little bit today,” interim head coach Jacque Vaughn said in a conference call. “Really good day in the gym. Better pace today. Can already see the conditioning levels start to increase.”
Getting in game shape is a challenge, not just for the Nets but all of the NBA. The league suspended its season on March 11 and subsequently shut down team practice facilities in the ensuing days.
The Nets, specifically, did not reopen their facilities until May 26, following guidance provided by the league that limited the number of players and trainers allowed in the facility and on the court at any given time. Most teams hadn’t held full team practices or group scrimmages until they cleared their 36-hour quarantine after touching down in Orlando.
The Nets are going to have to undergo this process two times. They are welcoming in four new players as replacements for those who either tested positive for the coronavirus or opted out of the league’s Orlando restart: Jamal Crawford, Michael Beasley, Donta Hall and, according to varying reports, either ex-Knicks forward Lance Thomas or reserve forward Justin Anderson.
The Nets also waived Theo Pinson to make room for combo guard Tyler Johnson. Crawford, Beasley, Johnson and Hall have each arrived in Orlando and are going through the league’s process of self-isolating in their rooms for six days. They must pass a number of coronavirus tests before they are cleared to join the rest of the team for training camp.
Despite the influx of talent, the Nets are still going to play small. Their only true center is Jarrett Allen, with Rodions Kurucs and Hall — a 6-9, athletic G-League call-up — expected to play minutes at the five.
“You look at our roster … we are obviously limited in terms of size and having bigs right now and even when we add some of the guys that we’re bringing on, we’re still going to be in the same boat,” Joe
Harris said. “So a lot of the emphasis is going to be on playing fast, switching a lot more frequently, trying to be up the line, pressure guys a little bit more defensively, and again just try to get ourselves in advantageous situations where we’re getting the ball and going in transition offensively.”
Crawford and Beasley are veteran journeymen capable of scoring in an instant, but neither have played in an NBA game this season. Beasley, specifically, will have to serve a five-game suspension for failing a drug test last season before he can step on the court with his teammates.
Vaughn hopes it won’t take long to get the new arrivals up to speed once they’re cleared to play.
“You think about taking this group that we have now and pushing them to a different level of conditioning, and hopefully they can kind of push up the entire group once we get everyone,” Vaughn said. “We’ll have a couple guys who a month ago — four months ago — weren’t playing competitive basketball in the NBA. We understood that going in.
“I think overall we’ve liked those players at different stages in our organization, so this opportunity presented itself to get them around us and get them in the fold.”
Vaughn and his coaching staff have also preached simplicity. They’re trying their best to minimize the learning curve for their new imports.
“We’re using all levels of communication that we can to get information to those guys,”
Vaughn said. “We’re kind of using all grounds to at least get guys comfortable with seeing who they’re possibly playing with, get a little grasp on what players do and some of the concepts.”