'Doing it all': Simmons shines with 'explosive' plays as breakout star ...

This was supposed to be a retooling year of sorts for the new-look Brooklyn Nets and it still will be. But we may have to adjust our expectations of just how good these Nets can be.

Sure, Tuesday’s 133-1231 win over the Charlotte Hornets was Brooklyn’s first of the season.

But the Nets came close against the highly-fancied Cavaliers and Mavericks and with the way Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas are playing, the ceiling may be higher than first thought.

Simmons made a fast start on Tuesday against Charlotte, recording four points, four rebounds and three assists in his first seven minutes to immediately be on triple-double watch.

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While Simmons fell short it was still an impressive showing from the Australian, who scored 11 points to go with 10 rebounds, eight assists and one block in the win.

Thomas, meanwhile, led the Nets with 33 points after making 12 free throws. With it, the 22-year-old became the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 30-plus points in his team’s first three games of a season.

Simmons was aggressive early, driving directly towards the rim for a lay-up to open the scoring for the Nets.

Simmons then confidently pushed the ball down the court in transition with a full-court pass which Spencer Dinwiddie layed in.

It was the full Simmons experience early, with the Australian later driving once more and drawing in two defenders but this time leaning into the contact and kicking the ball out to Dorian Finney-Smith for the 3-pointer.

Those three plays and that short period in general from Simmons was just a glimpse of what he is capable of on the offensive side of the ball when playing to his full potential.

Simmons was at it again shortly after, once more pushing it in transition with another full-length pass that was tipped out by Dinwiddie in traffic to Dorian Finney-Smith for 3.

The three-time All-Star was also making an impact with his off-ball movement, setting screens and staying active to provide a genuine passing option in the halfcourt offence.

Simmons then capped off his brilliant start to the game by weaving through the Hornets defence to dunk it home and put the Nets ahead 27-16.

“Pushing the pace, quick in tempo by everyone, beautiful outlet [passes]. The drive and kick action has opened up a lot, not just for Simmons, but the entirety of this Brooklyn team,” Sarah Kustok said on YES Network.

It showed on the scoreboard too, with the Nets putting up their highest-scoring quarter of the season and best defensive period to lead 42-23 after the first.

Simmons set the tone early and the Nets as a whole took full advantage of transition opportunities, scoring 17 fastbreak points in the first quarter compared to two for Charlotte.

According to Erik Slater of Clutch Points, the Nets only scored 17 fastbreak points in a quarter once all of last season.

Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges impressed with an efficient nine points after shooting 4-of-5 from the field.

Simmons picked up where he left off when reintroduced to the game in the second quarter as he grabbed a defensive rebound and then found Royce O’Neal for the 3-pointer.

The Nets still had a commanding 51-32 lead by that point, although rookie Brandon Miller was doing all he could to keep the Hornets in touching distance.

Miller had 16 points, three rebounds and a block off the bench while some sloppy turnovers late in the quarter from Bridges helped gift Charlotte easy points as the Hornets went on a 18-7 run.

Simmons, meanwhile, outside of one free throw was unable to add to his points tally in the second quarter and finished the half with seven points to go with five rebounds and four assists.

The fact he was willing to embrace the contact and using his size to his advantage though was promising to see, even if Simmons wasn’t able to get the finish.

Ben Simmons in action for the Nets. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Simmons was involved again early in the third quarter, initially unable to finish off the Bridges lob before fighting for the offensive rebound and eventually putting it home.

“Ben Simmons has been playmaking and doing the things you know he can do and you expect out of him,” Kustok said.

“He looks explosive. He looks healthy. He’s just continuing to showcase an aggression in terms of dictating the tempo, which is what you want to see.”

Simmons later made his presence felt on the defensive end too, blocking a Terry Rozier shot as Kustok declared he is “doing it all on both ends”.

It wasn’t just Simmons either. The Nets were also finding plenty of success having the offence flow through Cam Thomas’ hands, with the likes of Bridges, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith offering potent scoring options around the pair.

Thomas in particular continues to rise to the occasion after earning a starting role following his 36-point explosion off the bench in the season opener against Cleveland.

The challenge, as Nets coach Jacque Vaughn admitted earlier in the week, is to try find a way to replicate Simmons’ success when Nic Claxton is healthy to return to the court.

“That’s definitely been addressed from me in front of this group. It is staring us in the face. And like I said, we have to look at how do we play with Ben with another big on the floor?” Vaughn told reporters, per The New York Post.

“You can only play five dudes out there at one time. We’ve got to start a certain group, we want certain dudes to play; how do we get all that to mesh within the course of a game and the season?

Nic Claxton is sidelined with an ankle injury. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“Ben still has the ability to attack and have pace no matter who’s out there on the floor, especially the way teams are going to guard. So some nights when we do go small and we have more shooting out there, we have to take advantage of that.

“On the nights where Nic is with him, then we have to be better on the defensive end of the floor and allow us to get stops and run. So that’s the connection there.

“Then we can’t allow people to get to the paint as much or to the rim as much with Nic and Ben. … Then we’ve got to figure out, like I’ve talked about, the spacing around it, and not playing in the half-court.

“It’s staring us in the face that we are better at playing in transition and in fullcourt basketball than in the half-court. And the sooner we realise that as a group, the better off we’re going to be.”