On Wednesday, Seth Curry returned from a six-game absence due to a left adductor strain, restoring the Nets to full strength for the first time since the trade deadline.
They lack stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but have an abundance of potential players, which has led to the rotation being trimmed.
In the Nets’ 116-105 victory over the Heat at Barclays Center, head coach Jacque Vaughn utilized a 10-man rotation that omitted Yuta Watanabe, Edmond Sumner, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Patty Mills.
After the Nets won their final game before the All-Star break, Vaughn quipped, “We’re playing 10 guys right now.” “Eventually, that number will be reduced to nine or eight as the playoffs approach, but I believe the most important factor is the ability to utilize depth.”
Against Miami, they utilized Ben Simmons as the sixth man and backup center. Simmons and Nic Claxton rarely played together because Vaughn staggered the non-shooters.
Simmons was replaced by Royce O’Neale, Stephen Curry, and Joe Harris before the end of the first quarter.
Cam Thomas was their 10th man and was responsible for handling the ball and offensive load (6-for-11 shooting, 19 points) for the second unit.
Sumner sat out his fourth consecutive game, the most notable casualty since the Nets strengthened their roster by trading Irving and Durant.
Watanabe was benched following a brief appearance during Monday’s loss to the Knicks. Mills is likely out of the rotation, while Sharpe will likely be utilized when the Nets want to go big.
The Nets have attempted to find the optimal lineup combinations with a squad that is light on stars and creators and strong on shooters, defense, and arm length.
After the trade of Irving and Durant, Vaughn stated, “The iso-ball is probably no longer a space in which we can exist as we once did.” “Therefore, can we become a team that drives and kicks more? And truly desires to engage in several offensive initiatives? This is the difficulty.” And the greatest challenge is that it must occur immediately.”
Claxton scored only four points on two of four shooting with nine rebounds.
“I wish I could express how much this young man has contributed to our team,” Vaughn said, adding that Claxton will enjoy the vacation. He is exhausted and has been exhausted.
Curry was active and played 9:43 minutes, but he did not record a point on 0-for-3 shooting.
“We have enough depth to not force him to play a ridiculous amount of minutes,” Vaughn said of Curry, a potential backup point guard for a club in need of one.
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