Playing at the net is of course a very high risk game. They all avoid it, herc not only Nadal.
Lendl was more like Nadal. He too was known for his topspin and would dictate the play with his forehand. Connors was more of an enigma. lol but I read somewhere that he was known for his service return game and had a lot of determination or will to win. I guess we could safely deduct that Nadal is a combination of the those if you like that description, herc darling.