Nets Notebook: Ben Simmons expected to push tempo at point guard with Dennis Schröder gone

For the Nets, life without Dennis Schröder officially began against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday at Barclays Center. The German point guard, along with a second-round pick, were officially traded to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Monday’s matchup offered a first look and Jordi Fernandez’s new-look rotation.

“Dennis is no longer here and life goes on, and we’re happy for him because he’s in a good situation, and we’re also happy here because there’s 34 minutes for other guys to play,” Fernandez said. “There’s right around 17 shots for other guys to take. There’s six-and-a-half assists for other guys to pass, and all those things that now are going to be distributed around these guys here. They should be excited to go, from the leadership to the numbers, everything.”

Ben Simmons received his 14th start of the season in place of Schröder. Schröder was one of the 20 lowest-pace guards in the league so far this season, while Simmons is one of the ten highest-paced. The differences in their games are obvious. Fernandez told reporters that the Nets were going to lean into Simmons’ strengths, rather than try to convert him into something he’s not.

Simmons, coming off a 2023-24 season in which he appeared in just 15 games because of a pinched nerve in his lower back, had been on a minutes restriction this season as the Nets continue to be cautious with his usage. He has not played in back-to-back games. Fernandez did not reveal whether Simmons’ restrictions would be completely lifted in light of the Schröder trade, but said he would play ” above mid 20s” going forward.

Brooklyn will need as much shot creation as it can get. Simmons averaged 6.5 assists per game over his first 13 appearances this season.

“It’s not because now we don’t have Dennis, we’re going to change how we’re going to play,” Fernandez said. “Obviously, I’m going to use Ben in a way that he’ll be better at touching the paint right away instead of playing pick-and-roll. That’s common sense, and that’s my job to figure it out, but like I said before, Ben is one of the fastest players in the NBA and we’ll use it, and he’ll do a great job like he’s been doing up until now.”

However, Fernandez added that playing faster does not mean playing more carelessly. The Nets still need to take better care of possessions, improve their effort at the defensive end, and increase their production on the glass.

“If we improve that, that’s going to help our offense as well,” Fernandez said. “So, again, a good challenge for us. We’re a different group. We’ll have bigger lineups. And we’ve been complaining about being so small, and now we are bigger, so it’s a good challenge for us.”

ATKINSON RETURNS TO BROOKLYN

Kenny Atkinson returned to Barclays Center on Monday for the first time since accepting his new position as the Cavaliers’ head coach. The 57-year-old served as Brooklyn’s head coach from 2016-2020. His new team defeated the Nets 105-100 in Cleveland on Nov. 9.

“It’s always great,” Atkinson said. “Always great to come home. Most of my family lives here. My seven brothers live in the area. So, it’s great. I love coming back here. I love the New York vibe. A basketball city. Brooklyn, I’ve always said, breathes basketball. So yeah, great feeling coming in here.”

Atkinson said he is not bitter about how his tenure in Brooklyn ended. He viewed it as a steppingstone to greater opportunities.

“I just look at it as part of the story, right, part of your growth,” Atkinson said. “You have good things happen, you have setbacks, and – it’s like a player how do you bounce back? And it was definitely a bounce back. And I think in the long run, like I said, the journey after Brooklyn really helped me, helped me grow as a coach. Who knows, if that doesn’t happen, maybe I’m not Cleveland. I didn’t improve as much as a coach if that didn’t happen. So, I kind of look at it more as a positive.”

THOMAS, WILLIAMS REMAIN OUT

The Nets were without guard Cam Thomas and forward Ziaire Williams again on Monday. Thomas missed his eighth straight game because of a left hamstring strain, Williams missed his fifth straight game because of a left knee sprain.

Thomas was originally ruled out for at least three weeks on Nov. 27. There has been no timetable provided for when Williams will return, and Fernandez had no updates to share when asked about their status on Monday.

“No updates. They’re doing great,” Fernandez said. “Everything is going very well for both. And once we have an update, we’ll definitely let you guys know.”