OKC Thunder TIP3 heads south to Mexico City with Nets expert weighing in prior to tip

TI Q2 – Nets west coast style makes them guilty pleasure viewing.

Rarely does a week pass when a scribe isn’t talking about how Brooklyn is their guilty pleasure. This is due in most part to the style they play and the character in which they play with. To wit, the Nets attempt the second most 3-point shots per game (33.9 )and make the third most (12.0 per game). They also play the third fastest pace. Ball movement is another key feature in their offense

If I break down just those components of the Nets system  they could be characterized as having  a West Coast style. The ample three point attempts is akin to the Rockets/Warriors. Brooklyn’s pace which was the fastest for most of the first quarter and is now third (Warriors are fifth) and they rank 11th in assists (the Spurs rank 10th).

However, one aspect of their character which could be characterized as more East Coast is this team simply won’t quit and play with a certain tenacity.  It reminds me of when the Raptors hired Dwane Casey and they began to develop a no quit attitude.  (last season Toronto came back from more double digit deficits than any other squad). This attitude is also reminiscent of previous Bulls and old Piston squads.  Players epitomizing this gritty style of play would be Rondae Hollis Jefferson, Trevor Booker, DeMarre Carroll and Quincy Acy.

Seemingly the Nets are adopting the best of both coasts’ styles: the free flowing fast paced offense of the West and dogged no quit defense of the East.

First is that a fair assessment? And, moving forward do you think that is the identity Coach Atkinson and GM Sean Marks are hoping to establish within the Nets culture?

Maniego delivers the goods:

Yes, the Nets have essentially emulated the styles of the Rockets and Warriors. It’s in Kenny Atkinson’s coaching DNA. He was an assistant coach under Mike D’Antoni and Mike Budenholzer. Budenholzer, of course, is a product of the Spurs lineage.

So ideally, the Nets are trying to play Spurs-like team ball with an injection of D’Antoni freedom. Steve Kerr is cut from the same cloth, a disciple of D’Antoni and Popovich. Kenny Atkinson has established a system that thrives on threes and drives. While the playbook itself may differ from their West Coast influences, the shots taken are pretty similar.

The true work horse on the Nets:

The influence of Atkinson is why Sean Marks hired him in the first place. Atkinson was known as a development guru as an assistant, but he’s proved much more than that. The man is a workaholic. There was an ESPN article last season where Kenny Atkinson’s morning routine was described. After a Nets loss, Atkinson would sleep 2-3 hours, drive to the practice facility and watch film on a stationary bike. The more mistakes he saw, the harder his workout would become.

That cycle repeated on and on – and the lines on Atkinson’s face and the bags under his eyes showed a man working to improve his team’s performance. The grit with which the Nets play starts from Atkinson – a coach who works just as hard as his players. (He even takes the floor sometimes and runs scrimmages with the team as well.)

That grit is spread by the team’s veterans, Trevor Booker and DeMarre Carroll. While Atkinson may not be the perfect coach, he gets his team to play with effort. With such a lack of talent, that effort could keep them in games against even the best competition.