How use of screens defines Brooklyn Nets offense

The Brooklyn Nets roster looks different from last season, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: the team’s significant use of screens offensively.

The Brooklyn Nets (1-2) have had quite the roller coaster season thus far. After a home 127-126 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the season opener, the Nets pulled out a victory over the rival New York Knicks 113-109. This past Sunday, Brooklyn suffered a 134-133 overtime defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.

There have been three noteworthy themes in the early games: 1) Kyrie Irving‘s production, 2) high-scoring games and 3) the heavy use of screens offensively.

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Kyrie Irving’s production

After a fabulous 50-point team debut, Irving hit a huge 3-pointer late to close out the Knicks, then put up 37 in a losing effort at Memphis. He’s averaging 37.7 points per game.

High-scoring games

Brooklyn’s high-scoring games seem like a positive sign offensively, but are potentially concerning defensively. A lot of the high scoring, however, is due to brisk pace the team has been playing at thus far (fifth in pace, 11th last season). As a result, neither the offense nor the defense has performed as well or poorly as it has maybe initially seemed.

Through three games, the Nets are ranked ninth offensively and 17th defensively per NBA.com (19th, 15th respectively last season).

The heavy use of screens offensively

The Brooklyn Nets rank first in the NBA this season in screen assists per game, which are defined as, “The number of times an offensive player or team sets a screen for a teammate that directly leads to a made field goal by that teammate.”

Despite a roster that includes new players like Irving, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince, among others, this is a trend that seems to have carried over from last season. In 2018-19, the Nets finished the year ranked second in the NBA at screen assists per game behind the Charlotte Hornets.

Screen assists can come in a variety of forms, but there are two broad categories, and the Nets use both extensively: points generated through screens in a pick-and-roll ball-handlers and points generated for players through off-ball screens.

Before getting into how the Nets score on these plays, it’s worth crediting the players truly driving this offense: the screeners! For Brooklyn, the two key screeners are Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan. Both players score off of their screens, but in terms of screen assists specifically, the focus will be on how their screens generate points for other players.

Allen was fifth in the NBA last season in screen assists per game at 4.7, trailing behind Utah’s Rudy Gobert, among others. Jordan ranked 10th at 4.1. Both players are racking up plenty this season, with Allen first at 7.7 and Jordan seventh at 5.7. Both big men have the combination of mobility, toughness and execution to be effective in this role.

Setting screens isn’t a glamorous job, but it is an important aspect of most NBA offenses.

Pick-and-roll screens

The pick-and-roll helps free ball-handlers for drives and jump shots. Irving has excelled in isolation as well, but he’s used plenty of screens to create space and make defenses pay. Other ball-handlers like Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert can benefit from these plays as well.

Off-ball screens

Brooklyn also uses plenty of Allen and Jordan off-ball screens to free up shooters. Sharpshooter Joe Harris, who was third in the league last season in off-screen possessions behind Golden State’s Splash Brothers (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson), has been the main beneficiary of these plays. Harris excels at coming off screens, squaring his shoulders and drilling 3-pointers.

Pick-and-roll/off-ball combination

Brooklyn hasn’t been purely “vanilla” with its use of screens either, incorporating some creative offensive sets. Below, Harris goes to set a screen for Dinwiddie, but slips it, rolling to the 3-point line. Anticipating the screen, Harris’s defender freezes, making sure Dinwiddie doesn’t run free coming off the screen.

With Dinwiddie accounted for and Harris slipping away to the 3-point line, Dinwiddie’s initial defender now has to chase him down. Making this difficult, however, is another screen (screen for the screener) that Jordan is setting for Harris. Jordan, a non-shooter doesn’t receive much attention from his defender, who is too far away to contest Harris’s shot.

Later on in the same game, Minnesota is more prepared for this play. This time, LeVert is in the Dinwiddie role, Garrett Temple is in the Harris role and Allen is in the Jordan role. Allen’s man (Karl-Anthony Towns) identifies the shooter slipping to the 3-point line and closes out. Although the shot is taken away, this leaves Allen open rolling to the basket.

If Temple hits Allen with a solid bounce pass, the Nets would have been in business (if Allen has presence of mind to hit Harris in the corner).

Conclusion

Unless Kenny Atkinson has a significant change of heart, screens will continue to be a significant part of Brooklyn’s offense this season. The team seems to have the right personnel for this approach, which should enable it to continue to find success.

The rest of the season might continue to be a roller coaster, but if nothing else, Brooklyn Nets fans can count on the screens.