Brooklyn Nets grades: Theo Pinson earns full roster spot late

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Undrafted rookie Theo Pinson earned a 2-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets after a strong Summer League showing and would end up on a full contract.

While it was his dancing that made rookie Theo Pinson a viral sensation, it was his work on the court for the Brooklyn Nets and in the G-League that earned him a full roster spot by season’s end.

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Pinson went undrafted out of the University of North Carolina in 2018, hurt primarily by the utter lack of an outside shot. In four years with the Heels, including a national championship run in 2017 as a junior, Pinson shot just 25.7 percent on only 1.5 attempts from deep per game.

He wasn’t a big scorer as a collegian, averaging 10.3 points per game as a senior and 6.3 a game over the course of his four years at Chapel Hill.

Instead, Pinson was a long, rangy defender who could cover 1 through 3 at 6-foot-6 and 195 pounds and served as UNC’s point guard as a senior, averaging 5.1 assists per game.

Pinson was added to Brooklyn’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League and came in bulkier at 218 pounds.

He also came in with a 3-point shot from out of the blue, hitting 42.3 percent on 5.2 attempts per game in five games at Vegas while averaging 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game, shooting 45 percent overall.

The Nets signed him to a camp contract in early August and gave him their remaining two-way contract late in the preseason.

Pinson spent much of the season at Long Island in the G-League. This is how his season broke down by status:

Games played: 18
Games started: 0
DNP-Coach’s Decision: 18
Inactive-injury: 0
Inactive-healthy scratch: 3
G League assignment: 43

Pinson performed well enough that he was converted to a full contract prior to the April 10 season finale against the Miami Heat, allowing Pinson to be eligible for the playoffs. Players on two-way deals are ineligible for postseason play.

Pinson appeared in 18 games during the regular season for the Nets and played in three of the five games in Brooklyn’s first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs.

He had flashes of outstanding play, but struggled with consistency at the NBA level. Here’s a deeper look into Pinson’s rookie season.