Why Jacque Vaughn wants the Brooklyn Nets to play with more grit and intention
The Brooklyn Nets have played a disappointing season, especially since the organization had aspirations of securing a top-six seed. That has not worked out due to the Nets’ injury troubles and lack of energy.
Those issues were absent during the Nets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers when Coach Jacque Vaughn's players showcased their full potential. The Nets were flying all over the court in transition while playing with positive energy. Dennis Smith Jr. spearheaded the charge with his infectious energy ringing around the squad.
“If we can boil it down for, this group is leaning into being grittier. That’s what we talked about at half-time, showed a clip of us not having hands on people. So we have to have intention, intention to play extremely hard with effort and energy,” Coach JV said after the big win over LA.
“Hopefully, our guys see the recipe. We talked about trending in that direction and having some halves and some quarters, not full games yet. But we’re getting there.”
Dennis Smith Jr. is important with this playstyle
Brooklyn pulled away from the Lakers in the third quarter with a barrage of constant energetic play. DSJ was a big part of that, as his pressure defense helped contain most of the Lakers except for Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
DSJ provides infectious energy to the rest of the team, leading to more transition opportunities. Even if he does not get steals, the Nets rely on him to defend the opponent’s best ball handler and become the playmaker on offense. He plays the Ben Simmons role for the Nets as the Aussie guard is still out injured.
The Nets can win more games when playing with good energy
Early in the season, Brooklyn was one of the most exciting teams in the league. The team was played with intense pace, as Ben was leading the offense. Unfortunately, Simmons got injured again in early November and has not played since.
Thankfully, DSJ is giving the Nets the energy to return to that play style. Of course, the rest of the team has to follow in Dennis’ footsteps because playing that way leads to wins for the Nets. With proper intention and grit, Brooklyn can go a long way with their success.
