Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a lone bright spot for the Nets
For all the criticism Nets general manager Billy King has taken over the past few years (and man, it's deserved), King hasn't done all bad.
Sure, he gave up picks and assets for Joe Johnson and that massive contract. He turned around and gave up the eventual sixth-overall selection for Gerald Wallace in what may have been his worst deal ever. That's sixth pick turned into Damian Lillard. King also gave up what will likely end up being four first rounders (three actual first-rounders and a pick swap) to the Celtics to a year-and-a-half of Kevin Garnett, a year of Paul Pierce and half-a-year of Jason Terry.
Ouch, baby. Very ouch.
But again, King hasn't done all bad. He's actually been pretty solid using the few draft picks he's had in his hands. Mason Plumlee was a smart pick in the 20s. Markel Brown was a useful second-rounder. And now, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who the Nets traded for on draft night this past June, seems like he'll be joining that list.
On a team without any hope, Jefferson has at least been entertaining. Here's more from the New York Post's Tim Bontemps:
Click here to read Bontemps' full feature.
Hollis-Jefferson has averaged 3.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 18.3 minutes a night so far, but his minutes have increased throughout the season, and it's doubtful they'll go down as the Nets continue to lose and thus, put more of a preference on player development.
The Nets were big fans of the athletic 6-foot-7 swingman on draft night, placing him inside the lottery on their internal draft board, and when he was still on the board at No. 23, they sent Mason Plumlee to Portland to secure the right to snap him up.
So far, they haven’t been disappointed. Hollis-Jefferson has routinely been one of the only players on the team to finish with a positive plus-minus each night, and at plus-25 is the only player on the team who currently has a positive one for the season. And while Hollins has understandably tried to bring the rookie along slowly, the move to put him into the starting lineup was a sign the rookie has forced his hand.
By no means is Hollis-Jefferson a finished product. While he’s already had impressive moments as a defender – his man-to-man defense against Kawhi Leonard last week forced the 2014 Finals MVP into a travel stands out, as do the three steals he recorded in 11 minutes Wednesday against the Hawks – he’s still got a long way to go before he’s going to be considered a threat on offense. He’s only taken 20 shots through six games – and all but four of them came from six feet or closer to the basket.
