Scouting New Nets: Patty Mills Edition

The Brooklyn Nets had themselves a splashy offseason, landing what many pundits have called the “steal of the offseason” in Patty Mills; some super solid depth players in DeAndre’ Bembry, Jevon Carter, and James Johnson before closing out the summer by agreeing to deals with LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap in the 9th inning of free agency.

In short, not too shabby, Sean Marks.

To prepare for the start of 2021-2022 NBA season, Matt Brooks and NetsDaily are launching a brand new video series called “Scouting New Nets” (a title that should be fairly self-explanatory). Episode 1 highlights new backup point guard Patty Mills’ strengths, weaknesses, and how he’ll fit into head coach Steve Nash’s suddenly boisterous rotation.

Sections:

0:37 Spot-up — Patty Mills is a career 38.8 percent sniper from long range, and a big part of his 3-point diet comes from the catch-and-shoot. The secret sauce to his efficiency from distance? He can dial up his 3-point shot in a variety of ways with his footwork.

4:00 Pick-and-roll craft — Mills could best be described as a heady pick-and-roll ball-handler, not particularly prone to making mistakes (9.3 percent turnover percentage) and knowledgeable about how to weaponize the threat of his jumper. That said, his size and handle in combination with his tendency to shy away from contact limit his effectiveness as a three-level scorer.

7:40 Defense — Toughness is the key to Mills’ defensive game. He doesn’t give up on plays and gets around screens exceptionally well, utilizing his speed and malleability to fly around bigger players. That said, he’s still a smaller defender and was regularly hidden in the corner as a San Antonio Spur.

General takeaways:

Patty Mills should fit in pretty seamlessly into what the Nets like to do: score in bunches. As a proven player in the clutch and one of the better three-point shooters in the league, period, the 33-year-old will only further enhance the Nets’ nightmarish spacing. It’s tough to foresee Mills taking on too many on-ball reps, as there are players better suited to wheeling and dealing in the pick-and-roll. Perhaps the most apt comparison is a more reliable Landry Shamet. That sounds about right.