Brooklyn Nets: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Gets Mention in ESPN’s Bold Predictions

Recently, ESPN released its bold predictions for the 2016-17 fantasy basketball season. The publication included Brooklyn Nets sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in these predictions.

The Brooklyn Nets haven’t been recognized by too many media publications this offseason. Or if they were recognized, it wasn’t for good reasons. That’s why it may come as a surprise that ESPN predicted Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will lead the NBA in steals.

Below is ESPN’s full breakdown of the Nets sophomore.

"As a rookie, Hollis-Jefferson ranked 38th in the NBA in steals per game, with 1.34, while Steph Curry led the league with a rich rate of 2.14 thefts per game. Why then are we proclaiming a nearly 60 percent leap in steals for the second-year wing? Minutes, for one. The Brooklyn Nets‘ thin depth chart at the wing should see Hollis-Jefferson top 30 minutes per game.As Pelton noted in a recent breakdown of the 2015 draft class on the doorstep of their sophomore season, “When he was on the court, Hollis-Jefferson ranked fourth among rookies who averaged at least 15 minutes per game in ESPN’s real plus-minus.” Chad Ford called RHJ a “defensive monster” in that same piece. With strong rebounding metrics and per-36 rates that equate to 2.3 steals and nearly a block per game, Hollis-Jefferson could help you secure a valuable volume of steals this season."

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The 21-year-old has always been more known for his defense than his offense. He’s not a player who will put up huge stats in the box score, but that isn’t to say that no good comes out of him. Last season, Hollis-Jefferson played just 29 games, but his performance in some of these games was impressive. In six games, RHJ had at least three steals, including posting five steals in two of these games.

As for his offense, it has become clear that RHJ lacks a proper shot and in general, a shooting form. Despite working on his shooting during the offseason, Hollis-Jefferson did not show improvement in offense during the preseason. Over five preseason contests, RHJ averaged just 8.6 points per game while 41.2 shooting from the field. In a couple of games, his shooting seemed to have improved, but it’s clear that his shooting is still a work in progress until it can become consistent.

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Once Hollis-Jefferson can develop his offense game, he’ll become a legitimate threat to opposing teams on both ends of the floor. For now, Nets fans can be confident that RHJ will at least make his defensive presence known, and the sophomore was quite worthy of ESPN’s bold prediction.