CLEVELAND — Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons haven't started together so far this season.
And it's not likely to happen until Simmons does that, or plays well enough that Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is forced to start him.
“I'm looking forward to it. We're both high-level basketball players. We've got to be aggressive and the coaches are going to put us in the right position to make everything work.” ,” Claxton told the Post. “Obviously, we're going to be good defensively, and we're going to figure everything out offensively.”
That offensive side has been a weakness throughout Simmons' career when paired with traditional big men who don't shoot.
Floor spacing is a concern as he doesn't have an effective jumper, and the lack of combination time due to injuries hasn't allowed him to work on solving the problem.
“The NBA motto is shoot, but sometimes it works,” Claxton told the Post. “You've got to constantly put pressure on the rim and you've got to have other shooters around you to give you some separation. But it can work.”
Claxton missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, but improved early in the season while coming off the bench, with Simmons taking over as center.
However, Claxton returned to the starting lineup three games ago, with Simmons, who is still on a minutes restriction, serving as a backup.
With time limited and not being cleared on both ends of the back-to-back, Simmons held out Saturday in Cleveland. That also contributed to his being benched late in Friday's game against Boston.
“reason [he sat] Same as the minutes [restriction] He's… and now he can't play back-to-back. This way you don't have to constantly change your starting lineup. It affects other members of the group,” Fernandes said. Fernandez said he may make a call in New Orleans on Monday.
“Some people know for a fact that even if you start, you won’t start. [matters]. But I saw him doing his best for the team and helping the team, and I'm very proud of his play. … What I want is for them to play so well and put me in a tough position that I have to change the lineup again. Because internal competition is necessary to raise the level and make the team better. So I don't want all the players to get complacent… If they can play as well as they can and claim a starting spot, the team will benefit from that. ”
After Simmons told the Post he considered himself a starter, Fernandez made it clear that like the rest of the Nets, he has to get a starter.
“For the flow of the team, whatever the team wants me to do in terms of coming off the bench or starting, I have to do it, so that’s what the coach wants right now. That's what it is,” Simmons said.
When asked if he plans on coming off the bench for the rest of the season, Simmons shrugged.
“I try not to expect anything in the NBA. Things change all the time.”
After Simmons was sidelined Saturday, he and Claxton logged just 10 minutes on the court together and were plus-9 in that limited time.
But they were minus-51 points per 99 minutes a year ago, and the spacing question is whether they're on the court together enough to answer that question or Fernandez will continue to divide them. This will continue until it becomes clear.
“They both have different skill sets individually, but I think when they come together it's great for us because we have tall guards that can handle the ball and drive transitions. And Nick I did what Nick did and got to the rim,” Cam Thomas said. “I think it's a good combination and obviously they both contribute great things to the team. So we have to find a way to keep playing for each other.”
