The Brooklyn Nets are getting closer to the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Nets have signaled their rebuilding prioritization, given their acquisition of draft assets and young roster. Nevertheless, the team needs to put a quality product onto the floor in their upcoming campaign. Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton are two players who will be major parts of that product.
Simmons and Claxton have similar skill sets: both players can play defense at a high level and are inside-centric. Moreover, neither player tends to shoot outside shots. Simmons has not had much time on the floor with Claxton due to injury woes, but in the limited sample size he has, the coexistence has created challenges for the Nets' offense.
Since neither player spaces the floor well, Brooklyn has limited options when the two play together. Simmons and Claxton both aim to attack the paint, which can clog things up sometimes. Head coach Jordi Fernandez left Simmons' and Claxton's fit for 2024-25 up in the air when asked about it at a practice on Wednesday:
“It’s hard to tell, I don’t have all the answers… So my answer is we’re about to find out," Fernandez said, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. "I’m not worried about trying. Because a lot of times, coaches, we have something in our heads, and a lot of times, we’re wrong, and we’ve got to see it through. Right now, I’m not gonna put limitations on anybody, especially on a group that is playing very hard, especially on two players that are special. So I’m about to find out, and then I’ll do what’s best for the team.”
2024-25 could be the year Simmons and Claxton mesh
Jordi Fernandez gave a fair answer. The Nets will not know how Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton perform together until they get on the court again in a game situation. Despite floor-spacing concerns, the paring could do well for the Nets.
One of Fernandez's philosophies for the Nets is playing up-tempo. Simmons and Claxton can run the floor with the best in the NBA, so in that respect, they can be successful. Issues arise when they crowd the paint and have limited options for an outside shot if the play clock winds down. However, Simmons has been working on his three-point shooting ability, so hopefully, he can be more of a threat from range in 2024-25.
Simmons and Claxton could help the Nets form a respectable defense and dangerous offense if the two mesh well together during the regular season.