LAS VEGAS — Cam Johnson’s injury means Jacque Vaughn has to wait to try all the lineup permutations he wants. But he’s already getting a look at Ben Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie working together — and seems to like what he’s seen.
“Overall it’s been interesting. Not having Cam available, I’d love to see how he fits with some of the pieces out there. Right now Spencer and Ben have been playing together a bunch,” Vaughn said. “It’s been extremely competitive. The last two scrimmages were decided between three and four points in two combined scrimmages; so highly competitive.
“[I] kept Dennis [Smith Jr.] and Cam Thomas and [Dorian Finney-Smith] in the same bucket a little bit, form an identity with Day’Ron [Sharpe]; so hopefully that sheds a little light [on lineups]. But this would be the first game. I do want to see different lineups together and see how that goes and who can play with each other. And then what are the strengths that we have with the different lineups?”
The first several days of camp gave some insight into what the Nets will look like in Monday’s preseason opener versus the Lakers a T-Mobile Arena.
Simmons has been playing point guard, with Dinwiddie moved off the ball.
“I’m trying to think how can we use this as an advantage for us? Spencer can handle the basketball, he can shoot off the basketball. There’s history to that,” Vaughn said. “And there’s history to Ben creating shots for guys, because he plays with the pace. Really like not too many people can match that pace. And so can we use that to advantage to get easy baskets? When you’re scouting us, who’s going to bring it up? It’s not gonna be the same person every single time.”
Lonnie Walker IV said the Simmons-Dinwiddie combo has been sharp.
“They’ve been good. They just have good communication and figuring out spots,” Walker said. “I don’t think they had too many minutes together last year, so it’s something that we are learning now and just try to get better every day.”
Johnson, who started last season after arriving with Mikal Bridges, is sidelined with a hamstring injury. He and rookie Dariq Whitehead — rehabbing from foot surgery — traveled but are out.
“Yeah, so the good thing is now we got to work around them getting court time. When you’re on the road its a little different. So we’re making them work. But involved in everything else besides playing,” said Vaughn, adding he’ll get every other Net in the game.
Vaughn and several players will be in attendance cheering on the Liberty when they play the Aces in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
“Why not get a win? Yeah, yeah. That’s gonna be a fun atmosphere,” Vaughn said. “It’s definitely going to be a good number from our standpoint, for sure. Yeah, we’ll be well-represented.”
Joe Tsai, who owns the Nets, also owns the Liberty.
“I think the Liberty have energized the city,” Tsai told The Post. “And the way they’re playing, they’re a championship team.”
Read more
