TORONTO — With just two practices as interim coach before Thursday’s game against the Nets in Toronto, Kevin O’Ree doesn’t have time to try to reinvent the wheel.
Or the Nets.
But for a team that dropped 23 of 31 points (an embarrassing 50-point deficit at the end), not only their offense and defense need to change, but their attitude as well.
“both [ends]” said Ollie. “We’re doing some things on defense to change the pick-and-roll and some things on offense to create a little more space.
“But the most important thing is to play for each other and make the right plays. Instead of being selfish, get the ball to the players we need and make sure they have great success. Getting the ball to the right places where it can. It’s just playing the right way and we need to do it more consistently. So it’s not a scheme change or anything, it’s just playing better basketball and It’s just a simpler play.”
This spacing is key.
Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton have played just 69 minutes together in five games this season, posting an abysmal minus-34 rating.
The Nets shot 42.6 percent and had an offensive rating of 97.9 when the two were on the court together. Better spacing is important when playing both non-shooters.
“That’s exactly what it is. So we’ve got to be able to space, we’ve got to be able to cut, we’ve got to be able to play together. For them to be able to play with pace, to be able to play in transition offense, we have to be able to play with pace. You’ve got to get out, you’ve got to rebound, you’ve got to get stops,” Ollie said. “So all of those things are important. But this is a situation where when you get stuck in a half-court situation, where one person is on top and one is on the bottom, it becomes important how they play each other. I’ve never experienced it before. That’s why it’s so good for practice.”
The Nets signed 6-foot-6 guard/forward Jalen Martin to a two-way contract. He is expected to head to Long Island of the G League.
The 20-year-old averaged 15 points and 4.5 boards while hitting over 40 percent from deep for the G League’s Westchester Knicks.
He spent last season with YNG Dreamers of Overtime Elite, where Ollie served as the league’s director of coaching. He averaged 14 points and 5.9 rebounds and finished second in the league’s Most Improved Player voting.
A recent ESPN article about NBA coaches who can still dunk raised questions about whether Ollie has that kind of verticality.
“No, you can’t add me to the list,” Ollie laughed. “I used to throw lobs and throw.” [Allen Iverson] When he wants to score. So, no, I wasn’t a big dunker guy. But I’ll give you some assists here and there. ”
