Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez often says some variation of \u201cit\u2019s not just about the rookies, it\u2019s about the whole group.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went back to the well after the Brooklyn Nets fell to 2-12 by losing a home game to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, in which Egor D\u00ebmin played just eight second-half minutes (five before garbage time). D\u00ebmin shot 4-of-4 from deep in 15 first-half minutes, but opened up the third quarter with a couple sloppy turnovers 70 feet from the basket, and at that point, his night was just about over.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing: It really is about the rookies, at least for us. Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez does care about the whole group, of course, so when 26-year-old Tyrese Martin ascends from career G League player to potential NBA rotation piece under Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s direction, that\u2019s a big win for both parties.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s probably more truthful than crude to say it doesn\u2019t really matter, at least not relative to the chances of the Nets getting from also-ran to contender. At the very least, reducing the #8 overall pick\u2019s minutes in order to chase a 3-11 record seems short-sighted, no?<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t just sub him out. I subbed the whole first unit out, and then we made a run. So sometimes, it\u2019s just coaching,\u201d said Fern\u00e1ndez about D\u00ebmin\u2019s third-quarter substitution on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
This is untrue. Terance Mann exited the game soon after D\u00ebmin, but the other three starters played the next four minutes. I\u2019ve called off<\/a> the minutes police so far and I do admire going all-out to beat the wretched Celtics at home, but this one seemed a bit odd. I don\u2019t want to be this pedantic with a minutes count for each of the next 68 games, but, well, this season is about the rookies.<\/p>\n Season stats: 13 GP, 20.7 MPG, 7.4\/3.0\/3.4 slash line, 38\/38\/89 shooting splits. 1.7 TO + 1.7 PF + 1.0 stock (stl+blk) per game.<\/p>\n Stats this week: 3 GP, 20.4 MPG, 8.3\/2.3\/3.7 slash line. 8-of-24 from field, 6-of-15 from deep, 3-of-3 FT. Six TO + four PF + two stocks total.<\/p>\n It\u2019s tough to remember a young player exactly like Egor D\u00ebmin. There\u2019s the weight of this rebuild on his shoulders as the franchise\u2019s first lottery pick in 15 years; after every game reporters want to talk to him and ask his head coach about his minutes. He is a 6\u20199\u201d guard who hopes to grow into the type of passer and shooter who can lead a 3-point heavy offense to 130 points a night. All this stuff isn\u2019t too unprecedented, but for now, his worst moments make him look out of place on an NBA court\u2026<\/p>\n I\u2019m not talking about his long-term potential right now; near every young player talent has flaws that could render him a non-contributor at the NBA level.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just odd to place this kind of hope on a young point guard who can look stuck in the mud on defense or trip over his own feet bringing the ball up the court. Are these negative plays so much worse than a missed defensive rotation or a pass that isn\u2019t made? How bad is a good player allowed to look? How often? D\u00ebmin challenges us (me, at least) to distinguish aesthetic observations from value propositions.<\/p>\n Likewise, not all of his best plays pop off the screen. This first pass, a sharp extra find supporting the notion D\u00ebmin\u2019s passing\/processing will add value all over the court, does, but the second one, a simple read of a 4-on-3 break, doesn\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n