Lichtenstein: Hollis-Jefferson's Return Brightens Latest Nets Loss
By Steve Lichtenstein
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Yes, the Nets lost again Tuesday, 105-100, at home to Charlotte. It was their 51st defeat in 70 games of this lost season.
Ordinarily, such an event is nothing to write home about, let alone feature on this prestigious site.
However, amidst the gloom and doom surrounding this franchise and the countdown toward the season's end, a little bit of positive energy filled Barclays Center on Tuesday night, something that hasn't been felt in a long time.
You see, Tuesday marked the return of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
The ebullient rookie wing played in a basketball game for the first time since Dec. 4. At the next day's practice, the 21-year old Hollis-Jefferson fractured a bone in his right ankle. He missed 50 consecutive games.
"It felt good to be out there playing with the guys," said Hollis-Jefferson after his 15-minute outing. "Just to be out there talking, playing defense and helping my team offensively. It felt good to be a teammate and out on the floor instead of in a blazer on the sidelines."
The Nets weren't the same without him. Sure his offensive skill set (i.e. shooting form) is in its infancy, but his defensive presence alone was game-changing. When Hollis-Jefferson was on the floor, the Nets yielded 98.9 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. When he sat, the number soared to 106.2 points per 100 possessions.
In the intervening 50 games, which also included the absence of starting point guard Jarrett Jack after Jan. 2, the Nets have been abysmal on the defensive end. Their 109.4 points allowed per 100 possessions was the third worst defensive rating in the league during that span.
Hollis-Jefferson, who will be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future until his conditioning improves, did not make much of an impact when he entered Tuesday's game halfway through the first quarter, a typical ugly frame after which the Nets trailed, 25-14.
The third quarter, however, provided a glimpse of what Brooklyn can aspire to be.
With Charlotte on the verge of blowing the game open, taking a 17-point lead just 3:49 into the second half, Hollis-Jefferson and guard Sean Kilpatrick subbed in for Wayne Ellington and Bojan Bogdanovic. With point guard Shane Larkin joining the fray a little over a minute later, the Nets proceeded to go on a 14-0 run that made the game a whole lot more interesting.
Unfortunately, Hollis-Jefferson was limited to only four minutes in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets' superior execution on both ends allowed them to surge ahead and hold on for the win.
However, that above trio, combined with the frontcourt foundation of center Brook Lopez and forward Thaddeus Young, managed to jolt the normally staid crowd into something more than attentiveness.
Oh, that lineup won't win you any NBA titles. But they bring energy. They play with pace and athleticism. (OK, maybe not Lopez.)
Most of all, they are fun.
Hollis-Jefferson is the glue. He won't score a ton, but he fills up score sheets. After the game, Kilpatrick marveled at Hollis-Jefferson's constant communicating on the defensive end.
Nets interim coach Tony Brown was just relieved to get Hollis-Jefferson back.
"It's (Hollis-Jefferson's) personality," said Brown. "He's a bubbly young man and he displays that when he plays. His energy level is something we've missed since he's been out. I wished I could have played him more."
Especially sharing the floor with Kilpatrick. The Nets were plus-15 in the nine minutes they played together.
My biggest concern? Whether Brown has figured out that playing the duo more with Lopez and Young is a good thing for his team.
For some reason, Brown has consistently used the slow-pokey Donald Sloan, Ellington and Bogdanovic to start every game in which they've been healthy since Joe Johnson was bought out after the trade deadline.
Brown even started the similarly unathletic Sergey Karasev once last week in Chicago. It must have been an audition -- for whom I'm not sure. It wasn't for the Nets, who did not pick up Karasev's option for next season and have no reason to take him back as anything other than a low-level roster filler.
Kilpatrick, on the other hand, has been a godsend since new Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks called him up from the D-League at the end of February. His career-high 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the floor (including 4-for-5 from 3-point land) on Tuesday improved his average to 14.7 points per game over his 10 outings in Brooklyn (not counting the Clippers game in which he only played a few seconds). Marks wisely got Kilpatrick's signature on a multi-year deal last week.
"I'm just playing with confidence," said Kilpatrick. "I just try to outwork everyone. My ability and skill will take over everything if you play with a lot of energy."
Kilpatrick is the rare Net who can create his own shot. He has exhibited a deft touch on mid-range pull-ups and floaters.
But it's his 3-point stroke that has wowed the Nets' fan base.
Many have rightfully praised Bogdanovic for his hot shooting since the Johnson buyout. He has gone 21-for-48 (43.8 percent) from 3-point distance in March. In 61 fewer minutes, Kilpatrick is 22-for-41 (53.7 percent).
And Kilpatrick, though not the world's greatest defender, is miles better than the stuck-in-the-mud Bogdanovic.
As Hollis-Jefferson plays himself into shape, he should be moved into the starting lineup with Kilpatrick, with Bogdanovic demoted to a reserve scoring role where he doesn't have to guard stars like Charlotte's Nicolas Batum. Ellington? Keeping the 28-year old in the rotation while the team is playing for the future should be a criminal offense.
But does Brown know this?
"I liked the spirit of Sean Kilpatrick and I loved the spirit of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson getting a chance to play again," said Brown after the latest loss. "And they played their butts off when they were out there. Unfortunately, we don't have enough guys pulling the rope in that direction.
"It's frustrating because I know they can do better. I'm at a point in the season where I'm just going to play the guys that will play more spirited basketball. I can't sit and watch guys not give 100 percent and make the same mental mistakes that we do."
Welcome to the club, coach.
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