On a team that was recently filled to the brim with veterans on large contracts, a young, high-potential player like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson can go a long way in inspiring hope for the future. For the Brooklyn Nets, fans and the organization alike hoped to see Hollis-Jefferson assert himself as a building block moving forward.
Right out of the gate, Hollis-Jefferson assured everyone that he was going to be a solid NBA player. With a pair of double-doubles within a matter of a week in the month of March, hopes were high for the remainder of his rookie season.
As was the Nets luck this year, however, Hollis-Jefferson hit a bump in the road when he fractured his ankle and was forced to miss over three and a half months for his recovery. This setback couldn’t have come at a worse time, as he had just posted the best shooting night (percentage wise) of his young career two games before against the New York Knicks.
With his recovery in the rear-view mirror, he re-joined the Nets in Charlotte on March 22nd as the team took on the Hornets. It was an under-the-radar return for the overall basketball world, but even in 15 minutes he reminded Nets fans just what kind of potential that he possesses.
On offense, his game currently doesn’t go much beyond what his ridiculous athleticism allows. He has a great first step which allows him to attack the rim at will and he’s a great finisher once he gets there. This allows him to work well in transition, as well as pick up quite a few foul calls, even for a rookie. He averaged just 3 free throw attempts per-36 minutes this season, but as he reaches 100% health that number should skyrocket.
The only potential negative that he faces, and one that could easily hold back the amount of times that he’s able to get to the line, is the fact that defenders can comfortably sag off of him on defense currently. His jumper is still incredibly raw, just as it was in college, and the quarter-year off certainly didn’t do him any favors in that department.
Shooting under 15 three pointers total in the 28 games that he played this season, Hollis-Jefferson is going to need to take a big leap in that aspect of his game if he wants to be considered among the top wing players in the league. With the league as a whole shifting towards putting greater importance on ‘3-and-D’ players, Hollis-Jefferson is going to need to put in a ton of work to be able to fill half of that equation.
Despite his struggles with the jump shot, Hollis-Jefferson was able to show the quality that will be able to keep him around the NBA for a long time: defense. His 7’1 wingspan is phenomenal for his size and allows him to both disrupt passing lanes and make closeouts easier, and his athleticism allows him to keep up with even the quickest players on the perimeter.
While he won’t do well if he’s switched onto a big man in the post, Hollis-Jefferson has all the tools to become one of the elite perimeter defenders in the NBA. On April Fool’s Day when Hollis-Jefferson was matched up with superstar Carmelo Anthony, he more than held his own. Anthony went 6-15 on the day and it was clear that he had to work for any bucket that he was going to get.
The type of intensity and pure ability that he brings on the defensive end is enough to get excited about, let alone if he’s able to add a jump shot to his game. The injury will hurt the perception of this season and would typically cause an incomplete grade, but this year was a promising starting point for Hollis-Jefferson.