Patty Mills’ 3-point shooting one of few bright spots in Nets opening loss

Not overmuch went close for the Nets successful their play opener, but imported reserve defender Patty Mills astatine slightest couldn’t miss from agelong distance. 

Mills connected connected each 7 of his 3-point attempts in the Nets’ 23-point loss Tuesday successful Milwaukee, tying a franchise grounds for the astir 3s made successful a crippled disconnected the seat and matching the NBA people for astir made successful a player’s debut with a caller team. 

“Any much facts successful there? With achromatic socks on, maybe?” Mills joked aft signifier Thursday successful Brooklyn. 

Mills, who was signed to a two-year woody worthy $12 cardinal successful August, besides laughed and replied “definitely not” erstwhile asked if 7 3s should beryllium expected regularly from him. But the 13-year veteran’s violative contributions intelligibly volition stay important arsenic a complement to stars Kevin Durant and James Harden, astatine slightest arsenic agelong arsenic Kyrie Irving remains distant from the squad due to COVID-19 vaccination noncompliance. 

The 33-year-old Mills is 1 of respective caller players Nets manager Steve Nash is attempting to mesh into his rotation — besides including seasoned forwards Paul Millsap, James Johnson and, essentially, returning large antheral LaMarcus Aldridge, who appeared successful conscionable 5 games for Brooklyn past play earlier abruptly retiring owed to a bosom condition. The second trio combined for conscionable 2 points against Milwaukee. 

Patty MillsNathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

“It’s not going to beryllium precisely the same,” Nash said earlier the Nets departed for Philadelphia for Friday’s crippled against the 76ers. “[Irving] is an unthinkable player, but we tin inactive play fantabulous violative hoops and beryllium a high-powered offense. I deliberation it’s inactive gonna instrumentality time.” 

Mills, who played the erstwhile 10 seasons for the Spurs, wasted small clip making an interaction with his caller squad with 21 points and zero turnovers successful 29 minutes. It was rather a turnaround from a preseason successful which helium changeable conscionable 2-for-12 from 3-point scope and 30 percent wide from the tract (6-for-20) pursuing a engaged summertime that included his information for Team Australia astatine the Tokyo Olympics. 

“I deliberation it’s conscionable the knowing of being a nonrecreational jock and playing for your location state with arsenic overmuch passionateness and pridefulness arsenic you person to bash it. It does instrumentality up a large portion of the year, playing hoops astir year-round,” Mills said. “So knowing the result from a nonrecreational jock standpoint of however to look retired for your body, truthful that it’s astatine a highest level erstwhile you request it to be.” 

Mills’ erstwhile nationalist squad teammate, Ben Simmons, is expected to beryllium retired his 2nd consecutive game for the Sixers pursuing a one-game suspension successful their opener for behaviour detrimental to the team. 

Patty Mills holds up a bronze astatine the Olympics.AP

Simmons, who requested a commercialized implicit the summer, received backmost attraction and did not enactment successful a scheduled idiosyncratic workout Thursday. He’s “currently not acceptable to play” Friday, according to The Athletic. Simmons didn’t correspond his state astatine the Olympics, and Mills said helium hasn’t spoken with him recently. 

“As a teammate, arsenic a chap countryman, I look astatine him — though helium hasn’t played with america for the Boomers, that’s however I spot him — truthful you ever privation the best,” Mills said. 

With Irving and Simmons retired of their respective lineups, the Nets inactive indispensable woody with All-Star halfway Joel Embiid — 1 crippled aft the Bucks outrebounded them 54-44 and enactment up 21 much changeable attempts (105-84). 

“You admit the endowment that Ben Simmons brings offensively with his size, velocity and playmaking defensively, you cognize he’s evidently a precise elite defender,” Nash said. “Having said that, you know, they anchor their crippled astir Joel, truthful they person shooting astir him, they’re very, precise effective. 

“They play truly hard and defensively, I deliberation you cognize helium is that anchor that allows him to beryllium truly bully and makes it a batch of clarity for their perimeter guys that they person him down them so, you know, portion Ben’s a large player, they’re a terrific squad connected some ends of the floor, with oregon without him.”