Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from collapse against Clippers
By Phil Watson
Shabazz Napier had one of those games he’s prone to have from time to time, a night where everything is just a little out of sync.
Napier misfired on all four of his shot attempts — including a heat-check 3 from about 28 feet just after entering the game — and had three of Brooklyn’s 11 turnovers in just 13 minutes on the court.
If Napier isn’t scoring and isn’t facilitating, he’s got to at least avoid kicking the ball back to the other team, because his defense at his size — particularly against a big backcourt such as LA’s — is almost always going to be a liability.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained right ankle and was aggressive in a brief stint.
He wasn’t shy about taking his shots and was solid on the glass with four boards in 12 minutes, but his offensive game continues to be problematic.
Hollis-Jefferson is such a poor 3-point shooter that he doesn’t have to be defended out there and he took the bait, deciding after some hesitation to fire up a 3-pointer (Narrator: It did not go in). But he combines that with a tendency to drive into the lane completely out of control.
He can look terrific on one trip and then throw up some sort of circus shot with zero chance of going in the next. His defensive value is still high, but that was negated some Saturday by his limited minutes.