Notes on the Nets…

Steve Nash talked about a number of totally different Nets matters in his City Corridor final week. One was his impression of Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen.

“Caris’ efficiency within the bubble, I feel he made the all-bubble staff, displaying how prolific he might be scoring and playmaking. He’s a giant guard who can also get into the ball defensively,” Nash mentioned. “He can enhance rather a lot as nicely, which is thrilling. He can proceed to develop and enhance.

“Jarrett, the identical,” Nash added. “I assumed his efficiency within the bubble confirmed some massive progress at each ends of the ground. He was extra dynamic on the defensive finish, increasing his sport there, getting out and enjoying farther out on the ground, masking guards, shifting his toes for stretches that we hadn’t seen prior to now, after which his rim safety I feel has been his cornerstone.

“Offensively, I feel he’s getting higher in site visitors. He’s getting a greater really feel, and he’s going to proceed to develop there, too. So, two very gifted gamers who’ve youth and quite a lot of upside and are nice items to place within the combine right here for this staff.”

Clearly, Nash isn’t going to say publicly that the Nets are going to incorporate both LeVert or Allen in an offseason commerce for a 3rd star. Nevertheless it’s noteworthy that each he and Kevin Durant have provided excessive reward of LeVert. Durant agreed with the concept LeVert could possibly be the “third star” who’s been mentioned usually with Brooklyn.

As regards to Allen, the Nets can supply him an extension previous to the season. Nevertheless it appears unlikely that they’d signal Allen to an extension previous to the season. He’ll probably be a restricted free agent subsequent summer time.

One different roster notice for Brooklyn: a number of groups monitoring the free agent market count on the Nets to say no the $5 million staff possibility on Garrett Temple for 2020-21. Issues can all the time change between now and the date the Nets should make the choice (a while later this month). However I’d be stunned if the Nets picked up Temple’s possibility. I don’t know if the choice relies on a possible Nets tax invoice, however I wouldn’t assume that it’s.

If the Nets decline the staff possibility on Temple, the veteran will get curiosity from a number of suitors throughout free company.

I’m not right here to do the job of Temple’s agent, however I feel it might make sense for the Knicks to signal Temple. He’s somebody who might help a staff construct successful habits and can be useful for all of New York’s youthful gamers. Simply my opinion. The Knicks will definitely have the cap house to do it.

NASH TALKS ‘COLLABORATIVE’ APPROACH

When Durant and Kyrie Irving mentioned that the Nets will take a collaborative method with teaching subsequent season, it drew a robust (principally unfavorable) response. The rationale? Nash was being undermined, which isn’t what you need to your first-time head coach. That rationale is comprehensible, with out the complete context of the podcast.

Nevertheless it’s price noting that Durant mentioned in the identical podcast that he and Irving will settle for being coached onerous and held accountable by Nash. When Nash spoke about his offense final week, it appeared like he was on board with the collaborative method Irving and Durant had referenced.

“I undoubtedly don’t wanna are available with too many onerous and quick ideas and designs. I’d a lot somewhat are available with rules with concepts that enable our gamers to collaborate with us and permit their personalities and the dynamic between them and the chemistry to have a job in the way it evolves,” Nash mentioned. “Folks speak concerning the Phoenix groups I performed on and this form of revolutionary tone of the way it impacted the sport, however the fact be instructed, Mike D’Antoni’s brilliance in a lot of that was he allowed it to evolve as an alternative of getting in the way in which. I really feel like quite a lot of coaches really feel the necessity to design each facet of one thing, and I really feel you allow an excessive amount of on the desk that may be discovered by way of the personalities, the connectivity, the dynamic on the ground and within the room.

“I would like us to play quick, I would like us to house the ground. I would like us to create alternatives to get downhill with our ball-handlers and make performs for each other. Assault closeouts. Loads of high-level philosophical ideas, and naturally we’ll design and have offensive units and issues that we expect match our group, however we don’t need to get too far forward of ourselves with the offense. We wish it to remain fairly high-level proper now. (The main target these days has) frankly been all on protection. We’ve spent all of our time over the previous couple of weeks constructing that.”

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NASH DOESN’T SHY FROM TITLE EXPECTATIONS

Right here’s Nash response to a query about expectations for the 2020-21 season:

“We’re enjoying for a championship. I don’t need to say that something lower than a championship just isn’t a hit since you by no means know what occurs in life, you by no means know how the ball bounces. Fortune is a giant a part of successful an NBA championship. However we’re enjoying for a championship and we’re going to construct accordingly. We’re going to border the whole lot we do within the lens of, ‘Is that this a championship attribute or is that this price championship high quality?’

“Aside from that, are we rising? Are we striving? Are we pressure-tested? Are we regularly asking of one another and ourselves that particular person collective progress daily and creating an atmosphere that’s enjoyable however difficult and collaborative? If these tenets are being met, there’s quite a lot of success and reward in that. However we’re enjoying for a championship.”

The Nets have a first-time head coach and two high gamers (Irving and Durant) who haven’t performed collectively earlier than. Usually, a staff like this would wish to a while to coalesce. However, as Nash says, the expectations in Brooklyn shall be championship or bust for 2020-21 and for Durant and Irving’s tenure in Brooklyn.