As the season heats up and the game’s pace quickens, Brooklyn might start resting players more frequently.
Michael Porter Jr. stands out as a crucial player, having been sidelined during Sunday’s match versus Memphis.
The Nets have yet to win a game without Porter this season, dropping one where they had an eight-point lead with just under three minutes to go.
“You all know how the NBA schedule works, so (Porter) is sitting out for rest. We’re looking at 17 games a month, and for five consecutive weeks, that’s four games a week. When you really think about it, that’s pretty intense,” Jordi Fernandez noted. “We need to prepare not just our bodies, but our minds too, to compete at a high level, but also, we might need to mix up our lineup a bit.”
“Keeping everyone fresh is key… Surviving an NBA season is challenging, and we need to endure it,” he added.
Despite Porter being linked to trade talks, there hasn’t been any solid indication that the Nets are pursuing a leading scorer. Marc Stein even dismissed the rumors connecting Porter with a trade.
In Porter’s absence, Danny Wolfe stepped in as the small forward and achieved his first double-double in just his third start. He showcased an impressive all-around game with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, although he made only 2 of 5 attempts from three-point range. It appears Fernandez thought the rookie could have been more aggressive.
“Defense and rebounding are important, right? Ten rebounds, and seven of them were on the defensive end, but without Michael, he really needed to step up,” Fernandez commented. “They had some strong rim protectors, which required us to be assertive.”
Wolfe attempted just five three-pointers. “We’ll review the tape, but I think he could’ve taken a couple more, especially late in the game. We needed him to hit those shots, and I have faith he will. He’s driven to do well. I don’t want him to fixate on the negatives; he’s made significant contributions and is working hard, so we’ll keep supporting him,” Fernandez remarked.
Dayron Sharp had a standout performance off the bench, securing a season-high of 13 rebounds.
Rookie point guard Nolan Traore scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting but seemed more at ease and confident. He notched six assists without turnovers and effectively utilized his speed to finish with a plus-11 rating.
Meanwhile, Ziaire Williams (illness) and Drake Powell (left knee injury management) were also not in action for the Nets.
Brooklyn’s struggle continued as they lost six of their last seven games, with the first 20 points of the fourth quarter coming from bench players.
Although Ja Morant missed the game against Memphis, Grizzlies coach Tuomas Isalo stated he wasn’t eligible for a trade, citing a right calf injury as the reason.
“It’s purely based on his injury,” Isalo insisted.
