[Preface]
The Nets, who have Durant and Irving, have once again entered a point of struggle after the start of the new season.
The Nets' top brass finally lost patience with Nash, fired Nash directly, and were eager to pursue Uduka to complete the takeover.
But, in fact, a change of coach may not be the most important thing for the Nets right now.
The most crucial factor should be when Simmons will be able to regain his form.
[Ball Holding Dominance]
As a big man guard, Simmons entered the league by relying on his superior ball intelligence and top organizational skills to become the top pick in the draft.
Apparently, after a season away from the game, coupled with a new group play, Simmons' ability to dominate the ball has not returned to its previous level.
In fact, in the Nets' lineup, there are not a few characters who can complete the finish, Durant, Irving, Curry Jr. and others have the ability to shoot from the outside. And what they have been entangled in and led to the team's offensive inefficiency is that although Durant and Irving can hold the ball, their ability to hold the ball is relatively poor, and they are only top single-player players, which is not directly helpful to the team's attack as a whole.
And Simmons' ability to dominate the ball is one of the best in the league, he can clearly complete the organization, and complete the pass, if Simmons can find the rhythm of organizing and controlling the ball and the ability to read the game, he can completely replace Irving and Durant as the team's No. 1 offensive starting point, so that building the team's offense with a complete system is the way to truly maximize the offensive ability of Durant, Irving and role players.
So now for the Nets' offense, one of the keys to becoming more efficient is to help Simmons adapt to the new partners around him as quickly as possible, their accustomed position, the characteristics of their shots, and the pace of their runs, so that he can play the role of an organizing point as soon as possible. At the same time, they also need to expect Simmons to show his ability to organise and pass the ball as soon as possible, after all, the top passer has had problems with ball sensation so far this season, and it will obviously take him a while to get used to it.
[Defensive Leader]
Meanwhile, the Nets' forward defense remains substandard.
While Claxton is firmly on the line, providing a more athletic, defense-enhancing interior line, there's no denying that when the Nets actually meet Alphabet-level players, their defensive and defensive systems are already inadequate.
When we look at the defensive teams in these two seasons, whether it's the Bucks' alphabet brother or the Warriors' Wiggins Green, they definitely have blue-collar defensive tops, and the original Simmons is also in this role.
The Nets' problem of missing too many points has not been solved this season, precisely because they still haven't found a real defensible top soldier in their roster, which makes them unable to make counterpositions when facing people with arrows, which brings that the opposing star can drive the team's attack through their own giving and demanding.
So we're fully aware at this moment how important Simmons will be to this Nets if he stays healthy.
As a statically talented top big man point guard, Simmons can defend players in any position. Before recuperating from injury, Simmons' defensive quality was unexaggerated to the top three in the league, and his athleticism and defensive coverage and defensive options were among the best in the league.
However, after his comeback, he has clearly not regained the best feeling in all aspects. First of all, he is not as strong as before, when facing Brother Alphabet, he was beaten into several balls in a crushing posture, and his own defensive sense of position and reaction speed also had problems, so he also had problems with loss of position and leakage on the field.
Of course, it will take a while for a player who has suffered injuries after a year off the game, but for the defensive hardness of Durant and the entire Nets forward, they need Simmons to get back in shape as soon as possible.
[Conclusion]
Whether offensively or defensively, a healthy Simmons is essential for the Nets.
The big question that remains, then, is how long it will take Simmons to regain his form.
Once again, the Nets are on a poor record, and what is even more worrying is that both Durant and Irving are almost giving their best in the game, but they are difficult to win.
So maybe Simmons will become the real savior of Durant and this Nets.