Nets' Dennis Schroder trade having desired effect as Ben Simmons-led offense plummets
12/24/2024 09:19 AM
The Brooklyn Nets aimed to bottom out to juice their draft lottery odds when they traded Dennis Schroder. Four games removed from the deal, things are right on schedule.
The Nets fell 110-95 to the Miami Heat on Monday, marking their third loss in their last four games. Without Schroder’s shot creation and facilitation, their offense continued to look inept, as they shot 33-of-84 (39.4 percent). Brooklyn ranks dead last in offense over its last four games, averaging 97.4 points (30th), 22.5 assists (28th), 18.3 turnovers (27th) on 40.5 percent shooting from the field (30th) and 29.3 percent from three (29th).
"We’re just trying to find our identity,” Cam Johnson said following the Miami loss. “Figuring out what we want to do and how we're gonna score and what those shots look like. We'll continue to develop that and get better at that, I think… We have just a different flow [without Dennis]. It's just how it is."
Different could be swapped out for unquestionably worse. Schroder was having the best season of his career with the Nets, averaging a career-high 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per game on 45/39/89 shooting splits. Brooklyn’s offense was 11.6 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, the fourth-highest mark among NBA point guards, per CleaningTheGlass.
Without him, the team does not have a player who is a threat to dribble, pass and shoot.
Nets’ offensive struggles continue post-Dennis Schroder trade
Ben Simmons has replaced Schroder as Brooklyn’s lead guard. Since rejoining the starting lineup, he’s made a noticeable effort to ramp up his aggressiveness, averaging 10.3 points, 8.5 assists, and 4.5 turnovers per game. However, his fit alongside Nic Claxton as a non-shooter has well-documented issues.
Simmons had an encouraging first half against Miami, posting four points and eight assists on 1-of-2 shooting. His performance alongside Johnson and Noah Clowney kept Brooklyn within one point at the break.
However, as has been the case throughout his Nets tenure, the three-time All-Star disappeared as the game progressed. He posted one assist while failing to attempt a shot in the second half as the Heat outscored the Nets 52-38.
Simmons’ lack of scoring as Brooklyn’s lead guard has some Nets counting the days until Cam Thomas returns to the lineup. The team’s leading scorer has been sidelined for a month due to a hamstring injury.
“It'll be nice when we get Cam Thomas back just to have a real halfcourt bucket-getter, halfcourt scorer. That'll be good. We're missing him right now a lot," Nic Claxton said. "It’s different for everybody [without Dennis]. You got a lot of people in different spots, so our offense is different now, and we all just have to adjust. It’s part of the game. We’re all professionals. It’s not easy. It’s definitely a challenge, but we’ll get there, and then, like I said, when we get 2-4 [Thomas] back, that'll help."
With Simmons replacing Schroder, Claxton’s struggling offensive numbers have taken a hit. The sixth-year center, who signed a four-year, $97 million contract this offseason, has averaged 7.8 points on 44.8 percent shooting over the last four games.
Luckily, he won’t have to wait long before Thomas returns to the lineup. The 23-year-old participated in five-on-five scrimmages on Monday and “is getting close” to returning, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Thomas was having the best season of his career before injuring his hamstring. He averaged 24.7 points and 3.4 assists per game on 46/39/87 shooting splits, all career-highs. The Nets ranked eighth offensively over the first 18 games of the season before he went down. They rank 26th over 11 games since.
The Nets will have two days off before Thomas’ next chance to return to the floor. They’ll play host to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
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