The Nets without Irving have changed drastically, from the team that used to be the bottom team in the league in defensive efficiency to the team that has the first in the league in defensive efficiency in the last five games. During Irving's suspension, Durant led the Nets to a 4-1 record. On November 13, the Nets defeated the Clippers 110-95, limiting opponents to less than 100 points in five consecutive games. Durant continued his solid performance, playing 34 minutes, shooting 10-of-16 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range, 4-of-4 from the free throw line, scoring a game-high 27 points, and contributing to 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The Nets are recovering, but it's unclear when Irving will return.
Turning on all-around mode, Durant holds up the Nets
Irving was suspended for at least five games, and Simmons returned, but he still plays as a substitute and still scores single digits per game, not at all like an All-Star. The Nets are still in single-giant mode for now, and Durant carries the Nets on his shoulders.
The Nets against the Clippers is a showdown between the two superstars of Durant and George. The situation is similar for both teams, both have dismal starts, but have recently rebounded, and both are single-core leaders. The Nets are missing Irving, Simmons is in the doldrums, and the Clippers are missing Leonard.
"Last year, Kaka Jr. was reimbursed for the injury season, and Irving was also playing stop-and-go, with personnel in and out of the roster. They're trying to keep their lineup organized, they're talented, they're tall and arm-long. Yes, there are some similarities between our two teams. Once they are all healthy, they are very strong. We're the same. Durant compared the Clippers and Nets.
In this matchup, Durant compared George, who was defended to 5-of-21 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range, scoring only 17 points. When George was almost completely constrained, it was very difficult for the Clippers to win, not to mention that the Speedboats' other big man, Reggie Jackson, was limited to only 6 points.
Durant once again filled the stats — points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals were all scored. He contributed a triple-double of 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the Nets' win over the Knicks. Playing against the single giant, Durant did not slash points, but played a leadership role, not only creating opportunities for teammates, but also serving as a role model on the defensive end. Durant scored 25+ in 13 consecutive games in his new season, the most since Michael Jordan in 1988-89, when Jordan started the season with 16 consecutive 25+ games.
During Irving's absence, Durant averaged 27.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. His average points per game has actually dropped. In October, Durant averaged 32.6 points per game. It stands to reason that in Irving's absence, Durant should increase the number of shots, which is the norm.
If Irving is only missing a few games, Durant is right to do so, after all, Irving will be back soon, and he can make a temporary effort. But if Irving misses more games, the Nets will need to rely on other ways to get through this difficult period, and can't rely on Durant alone to cut points. The Nets' internal expectations for Irving's return are clearly more than five games. Durant did not cover the offense during this time, but pushed his teammates to show offensive firepower.
Of course, more importantly, the team played a tough defense and was able to limit opponents to 100 points per game. Such Nets have changed their face. This is also the best single-core leading mode, using defense to limit opponents and stimulate the energy of teammates.
If it is a Big Three team, then it can rely on offense to break the opponent, but the current Nets cannot expect to compete with the opponent for offense, after all, without Irving, an offensive player who averages 25+ points per game, the Nets' offensive firepower has dropped significantly. Durant turned on the all-around mode, not only the Nets' number one firepower, but also affected the Nets in other ways.
Irving was a substitute, and blue-collar defense was king
According to the statistics of the NBA's official website, after Irving was suspended, the Nets achieved a 4-1 record, the first in the league in defensive efficiency of 95.4, and the first in the league in net efficiency +18.2. It is worth mentioning that before Irving was suspended, the Nets ranked first in the league in defensive efficiency of 118.3 in the first eight games of the season, with a record of only 2-6. In the past five games, the Nets have conceded an average of 91.2 points per game, while Irving has averaged 118.8 points per game.
Without Irving, the Nets' defensive efficiency went from bottom in the league to first in the league, which is a sea change. Is this entirely because of Owen? Obviously not entirely, but also considering that Simmons went from a starter to a backup, and also considering that the Nets coach changed from Nash to Vaughn.
Simmons used to be the league's top defensive titan, but after returning this season, not only did he fail offense, but his defense also lost his former style. Nash was fired, and Vaughn took over the whip and immediately grabbed it from defense.
Vaughn is also a Spurs coach who has adopted Popovich's defensive philosophy. Vaughn commanded the Nets for six games, five of which limited opponents to 100 points. That is to say, the Nets switched mode in only one game to adjust, and the next 5 games happened to happen when Irving was out, and the Nets switched to the defense is king mode.
Vaughn put the little-known Sumner into the starting lineup. The blue-collar point guard is doing extremely well, and his offense can't be compared to Irving's, but he is diligent on the defensive end and gradually dares to attack.
In a Nov. 10 victory over the Knicks, Sumner had 18 points, five rebounds, two steals, and shot 3-of-4 from three-point range. In a Nov. 13 win over the Clippers, Sumner had 11 points, four assists, one block and three steals, and shot 2-of-6 from three-point range. Sumner has the style of a 3D defender.
In the past five games, Sumner has averaged 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. Sumner is highly efficient offense, shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range, averaging 1.6 three-pointers per game and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Sumner, the No. 52 pick in 2017, spent four seasons with the Pacers, averaging 7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals as a backup guard last season while shooting 39.8 percent from three-point range. Objectively speaking, Sumner is still Nash's legacy, because he was actually using Sumner before class, giving him a lot of opportunities to play.
The Nets are recovering, but they know they have to welcome back Irving if they want to do well. Durant said after the game that he had been in touch with Irving. 'Irving is in high spirits and he's looking forward to coming back and playing.' Durant said. Owen has been banned for five games and has already met with owner Tsai Chongxin, but Boss Tsai said: "He still has work to do. The Nets have previously set Irving 6 preconditions, and Irving needs to implement some other conditions to show the sincerity of his apologies.
Curry Jr. rises to decompress KD
Without Irving, the Nets are thankful to have Curry Jr., who cut 20+ in two consecutive games to help the Nets win two straight. In part, the scoring void left by Irving has been filled by Curry Jr. in the last two games.
Seth Curry, who was previously out due to injury, did not return until October 30, and he only scored four points in his first three games. On November 10, against the Knicks, Curry Jr. ushered in a hot recovery, he had 23 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and shot 6 of 11 from three-point range. In a Nov. 13 victory over the Clippers, Curry Jr. shot 9-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range, scoring 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Durant praised Curry Jr. after the game, saying: "It can add another ball carrier and scorer to the team. He has a fiery hand and is a universal card on our bench. ”
Curry Jr. shot 43.9 percent from three-point range in his career, the highest three-point shooting percentage among active NBA players, higher than Stephen Curry's 42.8 percent. Curry Jr. came out of the draft and entered the NBA in 2013-14, where he started as a marginal player, when he looked like he entered the NBA with his brother's light. But he kept fighting back and became a very good shooter. Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, Curry Jr. has shot more than 40% from three-point range every season, which is a very consistent performance.
Curry Jr. was a starter with the Nets last season, averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting 46.8 percent from three-point range. Curry Jr. underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in May 2022, which left him out of training camp and preseason, as well as missing the opening part of the game.
Fortunately, Curry Jr. is now fully restored and plays the role of the super sixth man. In the Nets, Curry Jr. is more suitable as a backup guard, and in the second team, Curry Jr. will get more shots.
In the game against the Clippers, Curry Jr. reached +12, so that the Nets' bench lineup would not fall behind. The Clippers have a very strong roster depth, with Powell, John Wall, Batum and other titans on the bench. The Nets bench now features Curry Jr., Simmons, Thomas and Mills.
Simmons is dumb on the offensive end, does not like to shoot, and concentrates on creating offensive opportunities for his teammates, in a sense, it is in the arms of Curry Jr. Simmons' playmaking skills are still excellent, and he can find Curry Jr. with empty slots very well. Against the Clippers, Simmons made only 2 shots, scored 1 goal and scored 2 points. So far this season, Simmons has played nine games and still has not scored a double-double, averaging 5.2 points per game. When will Simmons be able to ramp up his firepower? This became unknown. Perhaps Simmons may struggle to return to the 76ers' offensive form with the Nets.
Simmons' highest-scoring season was 2018-19, averaging 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Simmons doesn't have a mid-range shot or three-pointer, and now he's afraid to shoot, but his passing ability can still play a role, making Curry Jr. a perfect match for the second team. For the Nets, continuing to have Simmons play off the bench may not be a bad thing.