Our good friends at YES Network have tracked how many passes the Nets have made on each possession in the team’s first three games, and how well the team has shot in those situations.
The research found that the Nets are best when they pass between two and four times per possession, shooting a robust 50% through the first three games when they throw that many passes. When the Nets pass fewer than twice, they’ve shot only 33% from the field, but when they pass more than five times, they shoot a paltry 28%:
It’s still early and trends may reverse, but that’s a pretty strong indication that not only will passing too little hurt this team (which is obvious), but passing too much might, too.
One thought: that many passes may indicate that the team hasn’t found anything in its regular offense, and is just throwing the ball around hoping to get a good look.
