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Breaking Down the Brooklyn Nets’ Offense

By Charles Maniego

Dec 14, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson talks to Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson talks to Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie (8) during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Strong Set

In half-court sets, the Nets run two primary actions: strong and weak. In strong, the ball is reversed side-to-side, with a post player down low, and a wing in the opposite corner. The wing can dump it to a big in the post, as seen above. Off the ball, the wing in the corner can cut to the top of the key for a three-pointer or drive. During his time in Atlanta, Kyle Korver scored most of his offense coming off of screens from the strong set. The Nets run this below, with Bojan Bogdanovic (we miss you, Bojan!) coming off of screens to set up Brook Lopez for a corner three.

There are several options coming off of this one set. The Nets can swing the ball and initiate a pick-and-roll. The player at the top of the key can also drive straight to the rim, which we’ve seen Rondae Hollis-Jefferson do often. The Nets can also initiate a pick-and-roll with the initial cutter, which Sean Kilpatrick and Trevor Booker do below.

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Weak Set

A slight modification of the strong set is weak, where the post-up player and corner player are on the same side of the court. This variation can be used to get a speedy point guard open to further set the offense up. This is seen below.

This set can also end up with additional movement, where the Nets keep moving and cutting until they find an open Brook Lopez in the corner.

The weak set can also set up a drive down the lane, which can eventually work to find a shooter at the top of the break. Randy Foye shoots and makes an open three here.

The movements on these plays aren’t set in stone. The players have to read the defense and react according to how the defense responds to the initial action. Again, for even more options out of these sets, check out my detailed breakdown. It gives several more details on these sets, as well as a comparison to the Atlanta Hawks.