Nets have unique first solution to Ben Simmons-Dennis Schroder point guard battle

SAN DIEGO — Coming into Nets training camp, much of the talk has been about the point guard duel.Turns out they’ll have dual point guards, instead.After all the questions about who’d get the nod between Dennis Schroder and Ben Simmons, both veterans will start together when Brooklyn tips off the preseason Tuesday against the Clippers.Despite spending most of their open runs and the early stages of training camp running separate teams, head coach Jordi Fernandez had them working alongside each other in Saturday’s practice — and will opt to have them do it again Tuesday at Frontwave Arena.“They played together.

And we’re going to go into the first game of the preseason playing with two point guards,” said Fernandez.“So you guys will see that, for sure.“It’s something that it gives us a different look right now, playing with size, but not a true big and a lot of playmaking and shooting.

So it’s going to be fun.It’s going to very fun to give it a look.”It’s something neither Jacque Vaughn nor Kevin Ollie got to look at last season.

Schroder had hoped to play alongside Simmons after arriving from Toronto, but the latter’s injuries scuppered that plan.Even in camp, they played together on the first day but were largely kept apart on separate teams — until Saturday.“When I first got here, I played with Ben the first scrimmage,” Schroder said.“After that, we didn’t do it too much.

We competed every practice against each other, and that was great just to push ourselves and try to get as many wins as possible.But coach decided that we’re going to start together, and we’re going to make the best out of it.”The duo logged just 16 minutes together over three games last season, finishing a minus-4.

They’d hoped to come back from the All-Star break better in sync, but Simmons needed season-ending back surgery.Over the last two years, the Nets had played at a 35-win pace without Simmons and a 45-win pace with him.Finally healt...