Nets’ Sean Marks emphasizing ‘a little bit nastiness’, dimension on offseason want listing
It was hardly a state secret, however Nets common supervisor Sean Marks acknowledged what impartial observers had mentioned all season: That Brooklyn has to get larger.
And meaner.
“Unquestionably we have to make some adjustments by way of including some dimension. I feel [Jacque Vaughn] mentioned it [Saturday] night time, add a little bit nastiness,” Marks mentioned. “Unquestionably we have to make some adjustments. Add a little bit little bit of the Brooklyn grit that we’ve talked about for type of six years.”
The Nets completed next-to-last within the NBA in rebound share (47.2) and defensive rebound share (68.9).
Their lack of ability to maintain groups off the offensive glass haunted them in permitting second-chance factors, one thing that was used to nice impact by Philadelphia in a first-round sweep.
Marks additionally confirmed an earlier report by The Post that injured Ben Simmons is progressing in his restoration and that at this level just isn’t at the moment anticipated to wish any follow-up again surgical procedure.
“He’s checking the packing containers on assembly completely different markers alongside the way in which. So at this level, he doesn’t want surgical procedure,” Marks mentioned. “That’s the hope going ahead, that he won’t need to endure one other surgical procedure and we will maintain progressing.
“The timeline for that is that he’ll be again 100% most likely by Sept. 1. That might be the aim and he’s a full go in coaching camp and able to go.”
Simmons had microdiscectomy surgical procedure for a herniated L-4 disk on Might 5, 2022. He performed 42 video games this season, none after Feb. 15. He was identified on March 24 with nerve impingement in his again and finally was shut down to rehab.
Mikal Bridges averaged 26.1 factors for the Nets within the common season, and 23.5 within the postseason. Regardless of the younger small ahead clearly wearing down after main the league in miles run and minutes logged (the latter for a second straight 12 months), Marks sounded assured Bridges generally is a No. 1 scoring choice.
“Relating to Mikal, I feel he’s confirmed to lots of people that his position can proceed to get higher and higher and greater and greater, so I feel I might be fairly foolish to be up right here and restrict him and say he can’t be one thing,” Marks mentioned. “I feel that just a few individuals have had their eyes opened to what he can do. However now when the ball’s in his arms in these key essential moments of video games, can he step up?”
“Can he be that man that we will depend on in huge moments? I feel we noticed it a little bit bit in Phoenix when Devin Booker was out, he carried a substantial load for them. After which we noticed this 12 months the place he got here in and instantly was a crowd favourite. You could possibly get behind him. It’s simply the way in which he performed, how he performed and he didn’t shrink back from these moments both. So I might undoubtedly not restrict him and say he may solely be this for us.”