Nets coach Jordi Fernandez has been urging Michael Porter Jr. to take more responsibility for facilitating the offense and to get back to the cutting style that made him successful in Denver, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter handed out seven assists for the second straight game and contributed 34 points and nine rebounds as Brooklyn topped Washington on Sunday for its second win of the season.
“He has a plan for him to get better and to show things that he hasn’t done before,” Fernandez said. “And right now for him to buy into finishing his cuts, not dancing, not overdribbling, putting pressure on the rim, everybody benefits from it. And guess what? Usually when he does it, he’s the one benefiting from it. So we want him and need him to play like this, because that’s just contagious and good for the group. So, very proud of him.”
Porter accepted the blame for Friday’s loss at Orlando as he shot 1-of-6 down the stretch in a close game. He told Lewis that he’s still adapting to the Nets’ style of play, but the team has passing big men who can reward cutters.
“When I was in Denver, everyone assumed that I was just getting some of those cuts because of Nikola (Jokic) and his vision. But I’ve always been a cutter, a guy that likes to find easy buckets, use my size around the basket,” Porter said. “So coming over here, it’s something that I have been intentional about. (Nic) Claxton and Day’Ron (Sharpe) can really pass the ball and they found me for a lot of easy points around the rim. So I got to keep doing that.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- First-round pick Ben Saraf injured his ankle in a G League game, Lewis adds in the same piece. A source told Lewis that Saraf is being evaluated and an update will likely be issued later today.
- Sunday’s game with the Wizards matched two teams at the bottom of the NBA standings, and the Nets might have slightly damaged their lottery odds by winning. Fernandez said that wasn’t a concern going into the contest, as his focus is on day-to-day improvement, Lewis states in a separate story. “It’s a learning process. And it’s not just about the young guys. And I want to repeat this over and over: It’s about us. It’s about the group. It’s about growing together,” Fernandez said. “There’s a plan for everybody to get better. And if you don’t get better, you get worse.”
- Egor Demin has played well since moving into the starting lineup, but he only saw seven minutes of action in the second half on Friday, Lewis adds in another piece. Fernandez explained that his decision was about using the combination that was working best that night. “At some point, what you’re trying to find is a group that gives you a run,” Fernandez said. “It’s not just about one player. It’s about finding a group. Egor played against a very physical team; those minutes are extremely valuable. But it’s not just about the rookies. I know (reporters) ask me about the rookies all the time, but it’s everybody.”