Jacque Vaughn likes Nets' youth movement
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn looks on during a timeout in Game 3 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the 76ers at Barclays Center on April 20. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
LAS VEGAS — When last season began, the Nets were an older team led by two future Hall of Famers. Nine months later, a youth movement has replaced experience.
Consider how coach Jacque Vaughn summed up the transformation Friday after the Nets traded Joe Harris and Patty Mills, both in their 30s, and re-signed 27-year-old Cam Johnson.
“I think you see a shift in our team mentality,” Vaughn, who isn’t coaching the Summer League team but was watching on the sideline, said Friday night at Cox Pavilion. “No Patty, no Seth [Curry], no Joe, no Yuta [Watanabe]. So overall, the shift that we talked about at the end of the year, I think you’re starting to see that as an organization.”
A different type of youth was on display at the NBA Summer League, led by new draftees Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson.
Wilson, 22, used a strong second half to finish with 17 points as the Nets lost to the Cavaliers, 101-97.
Clowney, who at 18 is the Nets’ youngest drafted player, shot 1-for-9 from the field in his debut, including 1-for-7 on three-pointers. He wasn’t discouraged because he wanted to shoot with confidence in his Summer League debut.
“At least two or three went in and out. They felt good,” Clowney said of his three-point shots. “I will shoot that shot again. I feel good with every shot I shot from three.”
As for the main roster, youth will be served with Johnson, Mikal Bridges (26) and Nic Claxton (24) leading the core. Bringing Johnson back on a four-year contract, Vaughn said, was another step in pushing toward that new era.
“Just an incredible human being that’s also good at basketball,” Vaughn said. “So that combination for our franchise moving forward at the age that he is, I think he’s just going to continue to get better, continue to be a great teammate.”
That core, Vaughn said, includes Ben Simmons. Simmons and the Australian national team recently issued a statement saying that the Nets guard will skip the FIBA World Cup to continue his rehab from a back injury.
Vaughn spoke to Simmons a few days ago and was optimistic about his progress. He declined to provide specific details about whether Simmons is doing contact work.
“My expectation is I look forward to coaching him healthy and our entire group being able to start the year together and go through training camp together,” Vaughn said. “Those things are important for our group.”
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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