Brooklyn Nets: Week 2 Coach Analysis

RHJ as defensive stopper not holding up

Since being acquired on draft night a year ago, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been billed as the defensive stopper for the Brooklyn Nets. As a rookie, he showed flashes of potentially being this type of player, but as we get into his second season those flashes have come few and far between. At six-foot-seven, with a seven-foot-two wingspan and a 38 inch maximum vertical leap, Hollis-Jefferson has all the measurables to be a nightmare for opposing wing players. However, that is not the case.

Hollis-Jefferson has faced off against the likes of Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Nic Batum, Andrew Wiggins, and Carmelo Anthony in Brooklyn’s first seven games and none of these players have seemed to be deterred in the slightest by Hollis-Jefferson’s play. At times it seems as if Hollis-Jefferson is too hyper and active when defending. Lunging at unnecessary times and trying to close off passing lanes that were already shut off. This often leads to teams beating him backdoor for easy finishes. One play that really stood out in the loss to New York came on an inbounds play. Anthony took the ball out and then received a screen from Porzingis. Hollis-Jefferson for some reason decided to go under the screen and left Anthony open to drill a three-pointer. Off the ball Hollis-Jefferson experiences lapses in energy. Often times it looks like he’s participating in his own personal mannequin challenge on the floor. Or he realizes too late that he missed a rotation and tries to spring back to life at an ill-advised moment.

On ball:

Off ball: