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Brooklyn Nets: The ceiling of Kenny Atkinson’s offense

By Alec Liebsch

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts with his team losing in an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons on January 10, 2018 at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Pistons won 114-80. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts with his team losing in an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons on January 10, 2018 at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Pistons won 114-80. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
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Despite the Brooklyn Nets not being great this year, head coach Kenny Atkinson has installed schemes that could be deadly with the right pieces in place.

The Brooklyn Nets are not used to success — yet. Despite several moves made with competitiveness in mind (due to not having their own first round selection this summer), wins are seldom the conclusion to a Nets contest. They’ve only won 19 of 52, and sit merely 3.5 games from the bottom of the standings.

Quite honestly, that was expected. When a team’s pick is considered more valuable than Isaiah Thomas in a trade, that’s saying something.

And yet, the team exhibits some celestially bright signs through the thick and thin.

Kenny Atkinson has installed a futuristic system in his time as the head coach. By forcing his players to make quick decisions out of pick-and-roll schemes, the ball flies around the perimeter, and if the roller’s defender bites, Jarrett Allen or Jahlil Okafor is there for the easy slam.

I have already outlined how Allen is a better fit for the scheme, but this is a more in-depth look at what gives Atkinson’s attack glimmering potential.

Center stage

Despite the small-ball era marginalizing big men, the positional label “center” is still tactically sound. The first layer to Atkinson’s system revolves around a pick-and-roll with the center, preferably Jarrett Allen.

From there, the defense has a few options: either smother the ball-handler with a double-team, switch completely with defensively malleable players, or try to cut off passing lanes.

If the guard can shoot, this is catastrophic to the defense. Hopefully, the center’s man who switched is able to stay in front of either Spencer Dinwiddie or D’Angelo Russell. If not, he’ll get roasted.

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If the guard is too small to cover for Allen, he gets an easy lob. And considering his 9’1 1/2″ standing reach and exceptional mobility, there’s not much the guard can do.

Typically the other three defenders are not stupid enough to let that matchup happen so easily. Even the simplest of basketball watchers knows that help is coming. And that’s exactly what Atkinson wants.

In the event that Allen gets stopped by the help from the extra defender, he must make a decision. This is where the offense really opens up.

When a player is double-teamed, that leaves a man open. It’s Allen’s job to either find him, or find a guy who can get it to him. Considering Allen’s geography on the court when rolling downhill, this is not difficult.

Allen is a little too raw to be apt in this department, but as he grows and develops, his comprehension of the scheme will help the offense exponentially. He’s only a rookie, after all.

After Allen makes this decision, however, the play is far from over.

Breathing room

After Allen kicks it out, one of the other four guys has to make a binary decision. He must either shoot if he’s open (or thinks he can make it despite being covered), or try to find the open man around the perimeter.

Often this quick thinking results in an open 3 within a few seconds. If there’s no passing option, crafty scorers like Dinwiddie and Russell can go after the teeth of a defense off the dribble. That’s no fun for the defense either.

If the defense is able to rotate quickly enough to dissolve this threat and subsequently stay in front of the ball-handler, it’s screwed anyway.

“Hey guys, I’m still here!” says Allen as he pops out for a wide-open 3. A defense can rotate all it wants, but if all five offensive players can shoot, it’s a fruitless endeavor. The defense is forced to succumb to whatever Allen’s shot results in.

Although the offense seldom results in an Allen 3, his stroke is pure. It can only get better as he continually improves his game. Centers who can shoot are extremely valuable in today’s NBA because they can draw slower, more traditional 5s out to the perimeter.

Next: 2017-18 Week 16 NBA Power Rankings

Floor-spacing is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity as the NBA evolves. Hopping on that trend is vital, and it’s already evident that Atkinson is doing so. As the roster as a whole improves its 3-point efficiency, this team can reach galactic heights.

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